lawman
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Looking to buy one for pruning trees...Will be working overhead on a ladder..Will need it for 1" to 1 1/2" limbs.. Recommendations?
Battery chain saws
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Sunset
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I always prefer to use a small bow saw when on a ladder cutting tree branches. Much lighter, safer, and easy to use on small branches.
I use the Ryobi 1 pruner RYOBI ONE+ 18V 8 in. Cordless Oil-Free Pole Saw (Tool Only) P2501BTL - The Home Depot
copyright1997reloaded
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I have four regular chain saws, a gas powered pole saw, a battery powered pole saw, and a battery powered chain saw.
For 1" - 1.5" limbs, there are a lot of battery powered pole saws that will work just fine. Mine are greenworks - the bigger question is whether there are OTHER things you might like that use the same batteries. The batteries are the biggest expense and thus drive the decision. In my case, it was sales that drove me to greenworks - also have a battery powered mower, battery powered blower, etc.
ETA: Besides my house, I have 45 or so acres of land.
For 1" - 1.5" limbs, there are a lot of battery powered pole saws that will work just fine. Mine are greenworks - the bigger question is whether there are OTHER things you might like that use the same batteries. The batteries are the biggest expense and thus drive the decision. In my case, it was sales that drove me to greenworks - also have a battery powered mower, battery powered blower, etc.
ETA: Besides my house, I have 45 or so acres of land.
Al18
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I have a Harbor Freight corded Portland Electric Pole Saw that works great for $60. Harbor Freight also sells a few cordless saws for $60-$80 plus the cost of a battery.
The BEST battery saw on the market is the Husqvarna model... I own a tree company.
You might not need the best, in that case get this STIHL, its like cutting with a small laser. No joke. 1/4 inch pitch razor sharp!
pandpsmallengines.com
You might not need the best, in that case get this STIHL, its like cutting with a small laser. No joke. 1/4 inch pitch razor sharp!
STIHL MSA 60.0 C-B KIT CORDLES CHAIN SAW 1/4" P W/ BATT | P & P Small Engines
SAVE $50 MSA 60 C-B MSA 60 C-B set w/ AK 20 Battery & AL 101 Charger The MSA 60 C-B is the lightest chainsaw in the STIHL lineup and packs powerful performance in a convenient, lightweight package ideal for general yard maintenance and firewood cutting. Featuring long run times for homeowners...
One advantage of having a nice fast cut, is less chance of the branch doing something funny as you would have with a slow manual back and forth cut technique. When you want the branch to break away, having a fast cutting saw is key. Always do an undercut so it doesn't banana peel and knock you off the ladder.
TheWizard
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Why would that be true?
I use my Husqvarna gas chainsaw a lot without using kevlar chaps. I considered a battery powered model a while back but haven't bought one yet...
TheWizard
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Back when I was more younger and possibly more foolisher, I would always tie the top of the ladder to the tree I was dealing with, using a short length of rope.
Then I'd go back down and come up again with the saw ...
copyright1997reloaded
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I make it a practice to NEVER use my chainsaws (gas or battery powered) without chaps. I've felled and bucked maybe 100 cords of wood over the last 15 years (between hardwood and semi-useless pine which I give away/burn outside/use occasionally as starter or sholder season wwood).
I have a friend who was lucky to make it to the ER because of not suing chaps.
pb4uski
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Don't work from a ladder. Get a cordless pole saw.
I have one that uses my Ryobi cordless system battery and it works great and easily handles limbs of up to 6" if you are patient.
In fact, I like it so much that I'm thinking seriously of getting the Ryobi chain saw for close work. I have a Husqvarna gas chain saw that works ok but I use it so infrequently it take a while to get going and running well. With the cordless you slap in a freshly charged battery and off you go.
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TheWizard
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I've cut a similar amount over the past few decades for heating two houses here.
It's an individual choice.
I check chain tension each time before starting up and call it quits for the day when I start to get tired.
No saw accidents In 40+ years. Most common accident is with splitting maul where just split log bounds back and hits me in a shin.
Mr._Graybeard
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One tip when pruning limbs: Leave a stub about 6 inches long with the first cut. Then you can cut the stub off nice and clean without the weight of the limb bearing on it.
Just trimmed trees today with my Skil battery chain trimmer. Works great, cuts fast , biggest branch was about 4".
Saw has telescoping handle which extends to about 10 feet but I had to stand on the roof of our RV to reach the high branches that were hanging down our driveway.
After trimming about an hour I checked the battery level and it still showed it was fully charged.
You need good upper body strength to fully extend the trimmer and position it on the branches so you won't get whacked when they fall.
Saw has telescoping handle which extends to about 10 feet but I had to stand on the roof of our RV to reach the high branches that were hanging down our driveway.
After trimming about an hour I checked the battery level and it still showed it was fully charged.
You need good upper body strength to fully extend the trimmer and position it on the branches so you won't get whacked when they fall.
punkinhead
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If you're already invested in batteries for drills and stuff then buy one that uses those batteries. I have a lot of Milwaukee stuff so I bought an M18 chainsaw and pole saw. Both work great and are so much more convenient than gas saws for normal homeowner sized jobs. I even took down a decent size ash tree and almost got completely through cutting it down and bucking it to firewood sized pieces on one battery charge. I had to switch batteries when I was nearly done.
I'll second punkinhead's endorsement of the Milwaukee gear. Pricey, yes, but in my experience worth the money. I'll also second the opinion of using a bow saw if you're on a ladder. At 74, I'll admit I've been lucky not to have had any injuries with a chain saw, but in hindsight that's what it was - luck. Now my firm rule with chain saws is either both feet are on the ground, or call someone else to risk their neck.
Just bought a Harbor Freight, Portland corded pole saw. As mentioned by some posters. $65.46 out the
door price. Works Great. Plenty of power. Be careful.
Needed to cut some Tree branches in the backyard. Probably once in a "lifetime" job. So did not need
a quality pole saw. Was surprised how well it worked. Just be sure you have "strong" arms.
Good luck
ivinsfan
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I second the pole saw comments.. we use the greenworks line for outdoor tools..
jimbee
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For branches of that size, I use either a Corona Razortooth like this, or a Milwaukee M18 Sawzall with a 9" pruning blade.
Razortooth
Pruning blade for Sawzall/recip saw
For high reach from the ground, I use a Fiskars pole saw/lopper.
Razortooth
Pruning blade for Sawzall/recip saw
For high reach from the ground, I use a Fiskars pole saw/lopper.
mountainsoft
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For that size of limb I would just use a good set of pruning loppers.
Corona XSeries 2 - 1/4 in. Cut Capacity High Carbon Steel Blade With Non Slip Grips Bypass Lopper AL16249CC - The Home Depot
The Corona X Series Lopper is designed to tackle any project like a pro. Built with aluminum components to allow for a lightweight feel. Pro focused forged steel for increased strength and durability.
www.homedepot.com
As another person mentioned, a bow saw also works well.
In general though, I prefer not to be up on a ladder when pruning branches. It's too easy for the limb to swing down after cutting and knock the ladder over (or knock you off the ladder). I have a "manual" pole saw that extends to about 16'. That's good enough for the vast majority of pruning tasks.
I also have a commercial grade pole saw with multiple 5 foot sections that snap together. I can reach up to 40 feet or so with that one. Any higher than that and the weight of the aluminum poles becomes the limiting factor just to get it up to the branch. Again, it's a manual saw, no power other than me pushing and pulling but it's fairly quick and easy to do.
Once the limbs are on the ground, I use an EGO cordless chainsaw to cut them into firewood.
Sunset
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That's exactly what I did this Summer, and good thing I tied the ladder to the tree. When I cut off a large section of the tree, it sprang upwards and fortunately dragged the ladder up with it. Had I not tied it, the ladder would have suddenly not been leaning on anything and I'd learn a falling lesson.
I used a rope to pull up my bow saw and when done cutting just threw it down before climbing down the ladder.
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JoeWras
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Using a ladder with falling limbs is a great way to get paralyzed or brain damaged. Avoid ladders if possible when working with trees. Our friend is now in a home with little ability to speak due to brain damage from this kind of accident. His smarts are in there, but they can't get out.
Sunset mentions it: people forget that the limbs create all kinds of action when the fall or swing on a hinge. Spring-back from a fall is a huge risk, and it will knock the bottom of the ladder over and right out from under you.
If you need a chain saw, it is 1000 times safer using a chain saw on a pole than a ladder and you hanging over and trimming it.
Here's the typical scenario, and the one that got our friend:
Sunset mentions it: people forget that the limbs create all kinds of action when the fall or swing on a hinge. Spring-back from a fall is a huge risk, and it will knock the bottom of the ladder over and right out from under you.
If you need a chain saw, it is 1000 times safer using a chain saw on a pole than a ladder and you hanging over and trimming it.
Here's the typical scenario, and the one that got our friend:
