I bought the Fruskar pole pruner, and it was so, so while it lasted. I liked how the draw string for the lopper was fixed into the pole. The blade became kind of flimsy and useless before too long. Eventually the aluminum section of the pole was jammed into something some howt, and it was waste soon after. Those things now sell for $90. I bought mine for about $50.
A pole pruner blade shouldn't be flimsy. It oughta be rigid under the load. I'm looking in Home Depot and Dixie Line, and I'm just seeing the same flimsy blades for sale. I'm going to Ace and Lowes this morning, but do they sell the good kind?
I expect that there is an industrial grade pole pruner for self-respecting tree workers out there. Is there any info you'd like to offer about that?
That Silky Hayauchi looks like a good cutter. I like those scoring hooks on each end of the blade. I wonder how rigid the blades are.
Rigid enough to not crack or break but flexible enough to bend over 45 degrees if a branch hangs up on it without breaking it.
Honestly, one of the best tools you will ever buy for the money. I love the 21' Silky Hayauchi saw.
I think I'll buy a 12' longboy next spring for use in the aerial lift.
I have a friend who swears by the Silky, and I have on my list to try one sometime. But have always used the Jamison - have seveal attachments for the ends - and it is same size as my Big Shot poles.
Jamisons are nice for 1 or 2 sections but way too much wobble when you get more than a couple connected IMO. the Silky definitely has some flex to it when extended out all the way but no slop in the connections like the jameson poles I have. I only use the jamesons to pull down widowmakers and hangers. for pruning, I use the silky.
I had both the Fiskars and Corona telescoping pole saws when I started. I hated using them. they either got stuck in the cut or the pole wouldnt stay together. It kept getting longer on every pull. I got the jameson poles and the big Fano cutting head. It was like changing from a dull meat cleaver to a light saber. I have been considering the Silky pole saws. Their hand saws are top notch and the japanese always seem to make things like that better. Might be nice for the bucket.
I had the ARS telescoping pole saw and it lasted for almost two months!
Did you ever contact them about the broken [part?
The telescoping poles saws are just not tough enough to hold up to tree work....IMO.........and too expensive for what the buyer gets for their money.
total BS based on ig--lack of knowledge.
Try them, you will like them.
I have a Silky Hayate and wouldn't want to be without it. You do have to be careful about crushing the poles as if you dent one you can't use any of them. I did that once, and cut all of the sections it short. So now I have one that extends to about 12' and I bought a new one.
It definately pays its way. Don't use it a ton, but it is well worth it IN THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES. I had a Corona before I started doing professional tree work. I think I brought it on the job one time... Not a professional tool.
As for saw rigidity of the Hayate: It is a a pull saw (just like their hand saws). If you try to cut on the push stroke it will flex (just like their hand saws). I'd say the Hayate blade is really close to being the same gauge as the Sugoi (sp?) hand saw - just a longer blade so it has a tiny bit more flex to it. Watch for sales I paid less thatn $200 each time I bought one.
Hayauchi
is great, much better than other polesaws that I've been using before. I have to add however that I work currently full time on the golfcourse, place with NO overhead powerlines...If I had to use Hayauchi somwhere near the powerline, well, I would still try to install just the head to a fiberglass pole. Blade itself is absolutely amazing.
Y .the ARS is wasted and the Jameson's are still working!
I still may buy a Silky telescoping saw but have been holding off as the Jameson does what I need to do plus......I get 20ft. plus my height reach with my Jameson set up using the eight and two sixes.
Brother Dan,
Can you use that 20' jameson rig from the top of one tree to make a cut 20' to your side? I pruned 3 trees from one spot last monday; a 50'+ stretch, by reaching with the hayauchi. crude cuts but on small wood 4-6". the blade is worth what it costs; amazing tough.
never tood the hayate into a tree--way too heavy to reach sideways.
There is one good thing about the jamison poles is that you can replace every part of them. If you drop a big a limb on them. you can just cut them shorter and put a new ferrel on the end and you are back in business. The wobble sucks and there is no other way to put than that. That part sucks but if you stay with two section or less you will be fine. I guess this is just my opinion.
Another fan of the Hayauchi here. I have bought three of them in three years but that was due to rough treatment doing storm work. You need to take care of them and use them in the right circumstance but they rock when needed. The will not retract if you dent the pole, as has been mentioned, you just need to be easy on them, I've got an old one that I use for parts on my newer one. Have already cannibalized the old one for the blade and a section of pole.
just in case u arent fully aware aluminum poles can and will kill you dead around power lines i know you are aware of that right but what about when you swing it around and you dont see the wire huh get jameson poles they are insulated dont learn the hard way some really good advice i hope everyone takes. lone wolf
Actually, better advice is to always know where you are positioned in relation to the wires. Just because the jameson's are insulated doesn't mean they will always protect you. I've gotten shocked off a wet set. Plus old poles and dirty poles will also lessen the dielectric properties. Not to mention power can travel down the rope of a pole clip head.
Hi Everyone
I'm not actually a homeowner, but my dad was just diagnosed with leukemia and is very weak, my parents have a large home and a cottage, both with trees that need to be worked on... luckily for them, I have lots of spare time (unemployed, thanks covid) and I'm happy to learn....
One issue is that there are a bunch of trees that have branches overhanging important things (Car, boat, house). And i was hoping to do some light trimming... I was hoping i could get a suggestion for a telesopic pole saw... I dont think i will be using this saw too frequently, but I would like to buy a higher quality unit that will last a long time, if i only have to use this once or twice a year, fine, but if a higher quality unit will last me 20-30 years vs 5 years, I would rather "buy once, cry once".... I have seen the silky hayauchi (https://www.wildernesssupply.ca/pruning-saws/silky/hayauchi-21-ft-telescoping-pole-saw-xlarge) which looks like a nice unit, but am posting here to ask if there are other suggestions.
I am in Canada, which limits retailers and usually jacks up pricing, but if anyone can give me some advice on what to get, i would really appreciate the info... and don't be surprised if i start asking a bunch of rookie/newbie questions here, I just got a bunch of extra responsibilities dropped on me, and well... lets just say, i'll need to learn A LOT
thanks in advance everyone
Aaron
Welcome to AS. I have the saw you linked to. Same deal, I use it for a half dozen days a year, but want something that will last. I'm very happy with it. They do make a heavier duty version, the Hayate, but I didn't want the extra weight or cost.
I will say that the full length one you are considering is CRAZY long at full extension. I have used it that way, but very infrequently. It gets pretty wobbly and unwieldy. Still effective, but not fun for very many cuts.
100% go with the Silky. I dont use mine every day but its better than anything else out there. The blades are $$$ but allegedly sharpenable. I don't know if they ship to Canada but prunerwarehouse.com had the best price I have found on them (that and Wesspur was backordered for long time). Also find a decent hard hat if you get one some times the branches come down pretty quick and or ride the back of the pole, you know, towards your face.
I have two manual pole saws, as I use one quite often. I have a Silky blade (forget exactly which one) that I custom fitted to a cheap homeowner pole outfit for which the original Chinese-made blade proved insufficient. It has something like a 15--16' reach. I also have a Stihl unit that'll reach to 21', that I use only when I can't reach with the Silky. The Stihl blade cuts just fine, but nothing like as well as the Silky.
I actually like working with a manual polesaw. Hours of roaring chainsaw action or feeding a diesel chipper make an hour or two of quiet arm & shoulder work quite welcome. You get to appreciate the woods around you.
Buy Silky, you won't regret it.
They already beat me to it...I was going to suggest if you wanted something other than the Silky Hayauchi that you look to the Hayate!
I've played with an ARS pole saw once, and it wasn't bad. Not a Silky, but not bad. Some also prefer fiberglass poles instead of a telescoping pole saw. Looks like Notch has a telescoping saw with Silky blade: https://www.treestuff.com/notch-sentei-telescoping-aluminum-polesaws/ - but not sure it saves any money. I wouldn't be without my Hayate...but just a few other options.
Welcome to A.S.!
The most important part of a manual pole saw is the blade, In many cases, you can mount a high quality replacement blade on a modest pole saw, and get very good results for what you describe. I like the curved blades with a hook at the end, which helps keep it from slipping out of the cut.
I have used 2 styles: the professional, sectional, fiberglass pole saws (Jameson, Marvin, etc.) which are very sturdy, and let you connect stupid long lengths (beyond what you can reasonably control); and good quality, homeowner, telescoping pole saws (Corona - they make a few different grades), which include a lopper at the end for branches up to about 1" diameter. I currently use a 16' Corona at home, which meets my needs, and is convenient, since you can adjust the length in any increment, which sometimes helps to maneuver in tight spaces.
Rule of thumb: no matter what length you buy, it will always be 1 foot too short! I have used the sectional ones up to about 20, but that is too long.
Philbert
$300 plus for a manual pole saw?!? Y’all are crazy! I don’t remember how much I paid for my fiberglass one 15 years ago but it wasn’t anywhere near that and works the same way it did when new.
The Hayate is way better than fiberglass poles. I've got both. Sure $300 is a lot of money but the quality soon pays for itself. For climbing arborist the telescoping feature means a lot in the tree. It's hard to beat a 12ft. wooden handled pole saw for a lot of uses and that is what I started with. Sectional fiberglass poles at one time were the sign of a well to do arborist.
I was in a big box recently and looking for a pole saw. None to be seen in either the Blue/Orange stores.
I checked at another time, same thing, nothing so I asked a clerk.
They tell me they pulled them all off the shelf a month prior for a recall but not specific about the defect.
I chock it up to sometimes you get exactly what you pay for when you go El-Cheapo...
$300 plus for a manual pole saw?!? Y’all are crazy! I don’t remember how much I paid for my fiberglass one 15 years ago but it wasn’t anywhere near that and works the same way it did when new.
I have a Hayate and have used wood and fiberglass sectionals quite a bit. There is no comparison. The sectionals are pretty much a wet noodle if you go out to 20' where the Hayate works just fine even at full extension. The Silky blade cuts so much better than the cheap sectionals too.