Have you ever tried to prune tree branches with a pair of manual loppers? If so, you know how back-breaking the job can be – not to mention dangerous if you’re standing on a ladder while you work. Fortunately, a good pole saw takes the chore out of tree pruning.
You might be surprised by how inexpensive (or expensive) pole saws can be while still maintaining a high-quality standard. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best pole saws – both expensive and inexpensive – on the market today.
Always make sure to follow proper safety procedures and protocols when using any pole saw or chainsaw. Safety glasses are a must, as chainsaws tend to send wood debris flying when you use them, and hearing protection is a great idea, too. As long as you do your research and practice adequate safety measures, the saws on this list will serve you well.
This 8-inch pole saw from Sun Joe is one of the most popular models you can buy, and with good reason – it’s inexpensive, functional, and a decent-quality product. This is the lightest automatic pole saw on our list at 7.7 pounds, making it great for individuals who have trouble lifting weight over their heads. It’s also one of the longest with a maximum length of 8.7 feet.
This pole saw comes with a telescoping rod, meaning you can adjust it down to as little as 5.6 feet for low-hanging branches. This pole saw has an eight-inch bar and can handle branches up to 7.5-inches wide.
The things that stand out most about this pole saw are its price and the Sun Joe customer guarantee. This is the cheapest automatic pole saw on our list, and as a Sun Joe product, it comes with a full two-year warranty from the date of purchase.
That being said, this pole saw has some issues, too. While Sun Joe is, on the whole, a reliable power tool brand, this is a budget product, and you should expect to see the issues that you get with any budget product, such as longevity issues and materials that tend to wear out faster.
Additionally, while the Sun Joe customer promise sounds good in theory, it can be hit-or-miss in practice. On one day, you might be able to claim your product’s warranty, but the next day, you might not even be able to get through to customer service at all.
Greenworks sells a high-quality line of power and landscaping tools with interchangeable batteries, and their 40V pole saw is an excellent addition to this collection. If you want, you can purchase the tool alone if you already have some Greenworks batteries ready at home.
Keep a special eye out for sales on this product, as you can sometimes snag the tool and battery together for nearly the same price as the bare tool.
While battery-powered tools like pole saws are incredibly convenient, they have one big downside: power tool batteries are heavy! Even though this pole saw only weighs 8.4 pounds without the battery, it weighs almost double that with a battery attached.
The battery that comes with this model is a 2Ah battery, which should give you about 65 cuts on a single charge. While this isn’t particularly impressive, you can get this number higher if you have stronger Greenworks batteries at home already.
This pole saw also has an eight-inch bar, and the tool can extend up to eight feet long for high-up branches and collapse down to six feet for low branches. Unlike the Sun Joe above, this pole saw comes with a three-year warranty.
You may end up using this warranty because the pole saw does have an internal flaw in the motor bracket that is prone to failure. The only solution to this is to send the saw into Greenworks to get it fixed. Aside from that flaw, however, the saw is a decent, if expensive, option.
This pole saw from Worx is slightly different from the other entries in this list for several reasons. Firstly, it has a ten-inch bar, which can handle slightly wider branches than the other eight-inch models we’ve seen so far. Secondly, the chainsaw portion of this saw detaches from the pole, meaning it can be used either as a standalone chainsaw or a pole saw.
While the version we’re looking at in this guide is the corded version, this saw also comes as a battery-powered unit. If you’re interested in the battery-powered version, keep in mind that that will add more weight to this already ten-pound saw.
Overall, this pole saw functions like a dream and is quite reliable. The only sticking points with it have to do with design, not function. Because this is designed to work both as a standalone chainsaw and a pole saw, it can be hard to see the saw’s blade when it’s on the bar’s end – the chain saw’s housing can hide things from view. Also, the saw is understandably topheavy when mounted on the eight-foot pole.
What’s best about this unit is that you can attach and detach the saw from the pole without any tools. Because of this, you can go from cutting high, out-of-reach branches to chopping those branches into fireplace-sized pieces in no time at all.
This electric pole saw from Earthwise is just like the Worx we looked at above: it can convert into a standalone chainsaw when you’re finished using it as a pole saw. However, instead of having a ten-inch bar like the Worx, this model has an eight-inch bar. This pole saw does come in a ten-inch version if you prefer, though.
While the eight-inch version can’t cut branches as big as the ten-inch can, it’s lighter, more comfortable to maneuver, and has a lower profile – it doesn’t have the same visibility issue that the Worx pole saw does. This saw also comes standard with an eight-foot pole that can collapse or extend.
Despite being a bit smaller than the Worx above, this eight-inch combo saw is appealing because of its ease of use. The standalone chainsaw is incredibly lightweight and maneuverable because of its size, so it’s great for those who have a hard time with heavy chain saws and pole saws.
Do keep in mind that this pole saw is a bit less durable than the Worx above, and the plastic housing is prone to chipping and, in extreme cases, cracking. The eight-inch combo saw can also be hard to come by, and it’s a bit pricey. In comparison, the ten-inch combo saw from Earthwise is significantly cheaper. Make sure to keep an eye on these numbers, though, as prices can always change.
Finally, you can also purchase this pole saw as a four-in-one set that comes with an additional hedge trimmer attachment.
This pole saw from BLACK+DECKER is interesting because of the sheer number of ways you can purchase it. You can buy this pole saw as the bare tool if you want or purchase it as a kit. The kit can come with an extra battery and charger, safety glasses, a leaf collection bin, or several other miscellaneous items.
The best way to purchase this saw is to buy the basic pole saw kit. This kit comes with the saw itself, a battery, a charger, a wrench, and an oil bottle. Note that this pole saw is the only automatic saw in this list that doesn’t oil itself.
All in all, this saw is pretty reliable, and it’s a high-quality product. It comes in at an attractive price for a battery-powered pole saw, especially with the battery included. It’s also a fair bit lighter than the other battery-powered Greenworks pole saw we looked at. The extension bars that come with this pole saw can be removed or collapsed to make it shorter. With the extension, this pole saw is eight feet long.
This pole saw is a great option as long as you don’t mind oiling the saw yourself. Some users may prefer it this way, as self-oiling chain saws can sometimes let out too much or too little oil. It can be challenging to tell when they need an oil refill, also.
This pole saw from Fiskars is the only manual pole saw we’ll look at on this list, but it’s worth some consideration because of its fool-proof function and affordable price. Because this pole saw is so lightweight and maneuverable, it can extend nearly twice as far as the others on this list – a maximum of 16 feet.
This pole saw can cut branches just like the automatic pole saws, but the way you do so is different. You’ll have to supply the sawing action with this saw, and whether you can cut the branch successfully or not depends on your strength, the extension length of the pole, and the sharpness of the saw versus the hardness of the wood.
A manual pole saw like this one has both benefits and drawbacks. One of the most significant benefits of the saw is the lifetime warranty that it comes with. If any part of the saw malfunctions, you can get it replaced quickly and easily, not to mention as many times as you need to. Another benefit is its extended length – no automatic pole saw can reach as high as this one.
The main drawback of this pole saw is the size limitation on the branches it can cut. It’s not designed to lop thick branches off trees; instead, it’s designed to prune growth from manicured or young trees. As such, this pole may not be for everyone – it’s mainly for those who “manicure” their trees rather than lopping off whole branches. You can cut off large branches if you need to, but it’s an intensive, tiring process.
Out of all the options on this list, our favorite is the Worx 10-Inch Electric Pole Saw & Chainsaw. Not only is this saw affordably priced, but it’s a two-in-one unit that can act as both a chainsaw and a pole saw, and it has a bigger bar than most of its competitors on this list, too.
Not only that, but this Worx pole saw is reliable and sturdy. It tends to be a bit topheavy, as you might expect, but the saw comes with a shoulder strap to help mitigate this weight.
If you’re looking for a lighter saw, the Earthwise 2-In-1 8-Inch Convertible Pole Saw is a great choice, too. It’s more expensive than the Worx even though you’re getting a smaller size, but it’s much lighter and easier to maneuver. When detached, the chain saw portion is usable by just about anyone.
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