Pole type chain saw

Joined
Mar 10, 2021
Messages
1,117
Location
TX
About 3 years ago I hired a contractor to have a dead tree cut. The guy that did it had a pole chain saw. For this small saw he was able to cut the trunk of a very large tree.
Now I have another dead huge tree in my yard. Anyone know what pole chain saw he used? I'm just going to do the cutting myself.
Thanks
 
Last edited:
I have a Sun Joe electric saw…

Chain is a little fiddly, and was dull when I opened the box.

I sharpened it up, no problems…

I have a Sun Joe corded saw and it works great. In fact, this is my 2nd one, one of my neighbors swiped my first one. I never had a problem with the chain in mine and they seemed to be sharp when i bought them but I can't say that I really checked the chain specifically. One piece of advice though, and this goes for any chainsaw, buy yourself a chainsaw file and and learn how to use it. Then give the chain a couple of passes with the file after you use and and before you put it away. Don't wait until you NEED to use the chainsaw and find that it's too dull to cut with, sharpen it lightly and frequently and it will give you good service.

Sun Joe was among the cheapest saws and had the longest reach of any that I looked at. Unless you're going to be off in the woods somewhere, there's no reason to pay the extra money for a battery powered saw.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Yes, I've been looking on line about the capacity of a pole saw to cut a mature tree but didn't see nothing. The reason why I ask is the contractor I hired used a pole saw to cut the trunk of a mature tree. It's colored red, thinking it could be a Milwaukee or a Toro. Instead of going to a hardware store and rent one I am thinking of buying a Chain Pole Saw extension for my 25cc Toro (yes, it takes Ryobi Expand IT). A full size chain saw would be nice but afraid to use one, thinking the chain might get loose and cut my arm. At least if that happens to a Pole Saw my chances would be less or close to nothing. Thanks for the replies.
 
2x on a cheap corded pole saw. For as much as you may need it every now and then around the house it's the way to go. As said just hit the chain with its proper sized file and go to it.
 
I bought a used 10" Craftsman two cycle pole saw to cut a dead branch pretty high up in a tree. I am sure the $90 I spent was less than a tree company would have charged.

But I would not recommend using a pole saw while standing on an extension ladder.
We have six tall palm trees in the front yard and unfortunatly I don't have a choice about that. They form very large seed pods and have large palm fronds that die and I have to trim them up at least every two months. If they're already in the area, the tree services will do the job for about $250 to $350 but that adds up in hurry so I do it myself. I use a tall sturdy folding ladder and I put down large pieces of plywood under the legs so that they can't sink into the ground and tip the ladder.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Yes, I've been looking on line about the capacity of a pole saw to cut a mature tree but didn't see nothing. The reason why I ask is the contractor I hired used a pole saw to cut the trunk of a mature tree. It's colored red, thinking it could be a Milwaukee or a Toro. Instead of going to a hardware store and rent one I am thinking of buying a Chain Pole Saw extension for my 25cc Toro (yes, it takes Ryobi Expand IT). A full size chain saw would be nice but afraid to use one, thinking the chain might get loose and cut my arm. At least if that happens to a Pole Saw my chances would be less or close to nothing. Thanks for the replies.
How big is the trunk of the tree that you want to cut and roughly how tall and how wide is the tree? Unless it's a small tree you'll need more power than small electric (corded or battery) saw will provide. Cutting the trunk of a tree can be tricky because of the overhanging canopy and also the weight will also wants to press down on the cut and pinch the CS blade if you're not careful.

Generally speaking a good chainsaw operator can cut wood up to twice the diameter of the length of the bar on the chainsaw. (twice the length of the bar that actually extends past the motor). But that's not really true of electric saws, they simply don't have the power. But small (16" or so) gas powerered chain saws aren't that expensive and they'll cut a 30" or so tree and that's probably as big as a homeowner can deal with.
 
... Anyone know what pole chain saw he used?

There are many brands and models out there, from professional to home-owner grade to cheap throw-away stuff; it could have been any of them.

CAUTION: when someone asks stupid questions, they're likely to get answers which some may find rude or irritating ...
Given that none of us were standing there when he did the work, how in the blazin' Hades would we have any idea what he used ??? Rather than asking us, why don't you call him and inquire what he used THREE YEARS AGO? 🤷‍♂️
 
CAUTION: when someone asks stupid questions, they're likely to get answers which some may find rude or irritating ...
Given that none of us were standing there when he did the work, how in the blazin' Hades would we have any idea what he used ??? Rather than asking us, why don't you call him and inquire what he used THREE YEARS AGO? 🤷‍♂️
Sorry, I don't have his phone number anymore and didn't intend to keep it. It's one of those contractors that I don't want their services ever again.
 
I've decided to purchase a Ryobi ExpandIt Pole Saw 10" attachment for my 25cc Toro. Amazon have it for $112 but got a much cheaper price at eBay for $85 brand new. I'll keep you guys an update and see how it comes out. Thank you all so much.
 
I have 2 Ryobi pole saws. one is AC and the other is 18v battery. The one that runs on AC is lighter and is very powerful. The battery powered one is powerful too but noticeably heavier. Both work very well.
 
We have six tall palm trees in the front yard and unfortunatly I don't have a choice about that. They form very large seed pods and have large palm fronds that die and I have to trim them up at least every two months. If they're already in the area, the tree services will do the job for about $250 to $350 but that adds up in hurry so I do it myself. I use a tall sturdy folding ladder and I put down large pieces of plywood under the legs so that they can't sink into the ground and tip the ladder.
You’re planning to use a pole saw to cut down mature trees. Going through the trunk?

Why? Seriously. Your fear of the “chain might get loose and cut my arm” means you’ve not done this before.

The job you describe is a job for a regular saw. Not a pole saw. You’re using the wrong tool in a task you don’t understand and with which you have no experience.

A dangerous task. Made more so by the idea that somehow a pole saw will make it safer. Crazy.

Call a tree service. It’s cheaper than the ER visit.
 
You’re planning to use a pole saw to cut down mature trees. Going through the trunk?

Why? Seriously. Your fear of the “chain might get loose and cut my arm” means you’ve not done this before.

The job you describe is a job for a regular saw. Not a pole saw. You’re using the wrong tool in a task you don’t understand and with which you have no experience.

A dangerous task. Made more so by the idea that somehow a pole saw will make it safer. Crazy.

Call a tree service. It’s cheaper than the ER visit.
Go back read my post and the OP again. I never said anything about cutting down trees, the OP did. I was talking about trimming the dead palm fronds and the huge fruit clusters out of palm trees using a pole saw NOT CUTTING THROUGH THE TRUNK. And in fact, I did that job earlier today. And FYI, all of the yards in this neighborhood have palm trees in them and the tree trimming companies do it exactly the way way. They're out there trimming somebody's trees literally every week so I've seen them do it a thousand times.

The OP asked about cutting thru the trunk of a tree but he never said what size tree., which is why I asked. I also stated that unless it was small tree, it was unlikely that any electric chain saw (not just a pole saw BTW) would have enough power for that job and I recommended that the OP use a gas powered chain saw for that job.

FYI I have used my Sun Joe electric pole chain saw to cut down at least 20 trees on my other property but nothing over about 20 feet high and or larger than about 10" in diameter. A pole saw is capable of it but you have to keep the chain sharp and be patient about cutting through the tree and you have to cut in from both sides in order to cut completely through.

And you're dead wrong. I've been using a chain saw for close to 50 years and I've never hurt myself. I used to cut and split about 6 cords of wood (full cords, not face cords) every year and wood was all that I used for heating when I lived in the northern US.
 
Last edited:
I have a 120v ryobi extendable pole saw. It is easy to use and makes good power. I have used it…. a bunch, every year. Some of the plastic has gotten tired but it’s a very good tool for the homeowner.
 
Back
Top