Tried a handsaw vs a pole pruner for the same dead maple branch last week

I had this big dead maple branch hanging over a shed at a house in Medford. Usually I just grab the pole pruner and go for it. But the pole was bouncing like crazy and I couldn't get a clean cut. So I climbed up with my Silky Zubat handsaw instead and had that branch off in under 2 minutes flat. Clean cut right at the collar, no tearing. The pole pruner would have taken me 5 minutes fighting with the angle and the bounce. Now I'm thinking I need to use the handsaw way more often for anything over 3 inches thick. Anyone else find pole pruners just don't cut it for bigger deadwood?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_piper7d ago

Dude yes! I had almost the same exact situation last month with a big dead oak limb hanging over my buddy's chicken coop. The pole pruner was just flopping around like a wet noodle and I couldn't get a clean cut to save my life. I finally just got my Silky out (the big folding one, I forget the model) and climbed up there. Took maybe a minute and a half and it was off perfectly flush with the collar. The pole pruner leaves that nasty jagged tear half the time too, which is just asking for rot later on.

ericjackson7d ago

Well, @the_piper, have you considered that a pole pruner might actually be safer for someone who doesn't climb trees regularly? Not everyone has the balance or upper body strength to get up there with a handsaw, and that jagged tear can be cleaned up with a quick trim later. Sometimes the trade off of a rougher cut is worth avoiding a trip to the emergency room.