Pole chain saw, recommendation please

[Peter]

I had a lot of ice damaged trees this winter and have been thinking about getting a pole mounted gas driven chain saw. I really, like the stihl 101, which seem to run close to 500 bucks with spares. I cannot justify that for home cleanup. I do have a lot of work to handle. I would like the strongest cutting chain saw, and max working height. No battery power. I like something too last, but would gladly take a high weight and less efficient and save on the cost.

Nothing at home depot? Safety issues? I saw a Pouland under 200 at amazon, with trimmer. I dont need a trimmer, but no harm. Anything much over 300 and I would go the extra for a stihl or do without.

http://www.amazon.com/Poulan-PP446ET...9558571&sr=1-2

Poulan Pro PP446ET 17-Inch 31cc 2-Cycle Gas Powered Curved Shaft String Trimmer With Split Shaft And 12-Foot 8-Inch Pole Saw Pruner Attachment

[bill chasser]

Well I make my living in the timber and tree care industry and stake my reputation on the quality and support of Stihl. The 500 dollars you spend is worth every penny. I have owned and used a ht101 for 4 years now and has been trouble free to this point. The money you spend on initial cost will be well worth it in the long run.

Personally, I would stay away from all saws available from the warehouse stores as they provide no service or parts support. Buy from a saw shop because they will have the parts and support that you will need to keep your saw working. You mention Poulan. I used to use poulan for many years and you see their saws in all the box stores and hardware outlets. Problem is that there are now few saw shops that carry Poulan and hence no support and no parts readily available. Huskvarna sells pole saws as well as Echo.

Bottom line don't skimp on the quality for the sake of saving a buck. Better still leave the work to professionals and stay safe for your family.


Safety issues to beware of include: Stay firmly on the ground. Do not operate on a ladder, in a tree, on a roof or any other creative idea one might have. Don't operate near utility lines or supply lines to your home. The saws are not insulated. Always wear a hard hat and safety goggles and heavy gloves while operating this equipment. I personally never use the shoulder straps with them as in an emergency ie falling limbs you want to be able to get away without the equipment in hand if brush gets hung up in the saw as it falls.(and it will) Always have a clear escape route away from your work area. Clear debri from under your feet/work area to prevent falls. Under cut your work before making the final cut to help prevent bing the bar in the tree. This happens alot if you don't know what you are doing and causes damage to the saw's bar, cutter assembly, driveshafts and torque tubes. This is by no means all the things to beware of. Read your owners manual carefully from front to back and front to back again and know it before you ever put the saw on a limb. These saws are very dangerous with their own set of issues beyond your usual chainsaw use.

Bill

Urban Forest Mgmt

[oldironcollector]

+1 for the Stihl, the initial price shock will soon wear off with the exchange of many years of service.

coming from a long time Stihl owner
025
038AV
and the big boy MS660

[petesoldsaw]

Hello Bill
Good information that you have provided for us lurking about on here.Do you have any experience with Stihl's Kombi systems? I have the Kombi 90,and I am thinking of adding a pole saw attachment in the future.Presently I have the blower attachment,trimmer and a couple ot different blades
Thanks
Lawrence

[sawcollector]

Lawrence,
STIHL is the way to go.
I have a Kombi with the four-stroke and you can add the saw attachment and 1 extension to get a good reach for a little less than a extendable HT, and with the Kombi you can do so much else. I have about 7 of the attacments and they are all a hoot to play, I mean work with!
Eddie

[bill chasser]

Hi Peteoldsaw

I don't have any experience with the Kombi systems but many landscapers find them very convienient as they dont have to buy a plethora of powerheads. The Kombis to my knowledge cannot accept a telescopic saw head. Oops I stand corrected after looking at my latest catolog.

One thing more I will say about the HT and the kombi saw attachment (I presume) is that there is a minor issue I do have with the saw head. There is a hook built into the bottom of the casting for pulling down brush that is the only flaw in design that I have come across. It breaks off easily although it has not caused the rest of the casting to fail. A change should be made to beef up the casting and to have a removable hook that can be bolted into place. The hook sometimes also becomes a hinderance when trying to work through the canopy. I have Jameson HOTsticks that I now use for pulling down any tangled brush. Also if you get your bar pinched in the tree refrain from pulling on the unit to free it as you will inevitably detach it from the torque tube and leave it in the tree. Always maintian a good top angle on your top cut to prevent this occurence when possible. Also these saws are a bit cumbersome when fully extended. never put the motor unit over your head trying to get that last 2 feet of heighth as you then have lost all control of the unit. These saws are not a substitute for a professional to climb a tree to piece it out safely with the proper ropes, PPDs and ground crew. And two last thoughts . Don't work directly under what you are cutting and if the saw is entangled in falling debri let it go. Don't fight it trying to save the saw from damage. This is why I say not to use the straps. Your safety is more important than that 500 dollar saw. Better yet don't put yuorself in that position in the first place. Your life time health and well being is the utmost priority.

Bill

[bill chasser]

My stihls include 5 ms200s, 027, ms460, ms460r, 3 066s, ms880 and 090. hs80, fs250, bg85

Bill

[John Hall]

I see you want a gas model but have you considered electric? I bought a Remington from Lowes last year and am very well pleased. We used it last summer to clear around fields. I put the generator in the back of my Kawasaki Mule and away we went. I was cutting everything imaginable including oak limbs up to 8 inches. I looked at gasoline models but I don't feel the bad disc in my back would like those very much. I have been impressed with the quality and durability considering it is plastic. I have sawn through limbs and had the saw get slammed into rocks as well as the pole get hammered by falling branches. Nothing broken so far after several days of use. And best part is I can put it in storage for 5 years and not have to worry about playing mechainc just to get it running again. Now if I were going to cut trees for a living, I would have bought a Stihl or Echo, no questions asked.

[Peter]

I appreciate the advise and ideas to consider.

Thanks.

[petesoldsaw]

Thanks Eddie and Bill for the information on the Kombi system I guess I will be saving for more tool attachments.
Lawrence

[Peter]

This maybe a disappointment after my high tone inquiry about quality and something less than a stihl 101. But, as I so often do, I decided if I cannot get a top of the line product, then I will feed off the bottom and wait.

What I found today is that Leows offers a chain saw attachment on an 8 foot pole and 8" chain saw for a max 12 foot high cut - only $99 by Troy Built. That will get me something to work with for now. This fits on most any line trimmer, universal.

What I got is going to be a very very low power, low end saw. The stihl 101 can cut relatively heavy limbs, the $99 unit obvious for very light cuts. Get what you pay for and I settled for way less today. I can save my money and get something better later.

I maybe a little slow on the latest goings on. The trimmers are all in transition to 4 stroke engines. I got a 4 cycle last year thinking the heavy weight was a trade off for longevity. I love it. The 2 cycle jobs are notorious for not starting if they sit too long. This is not for the consumer after all, its another anti-pollution deal. In this case, I don't mind. The 4 stroke seems to run stronger too. The weights are coming down, the line trimmer I got last year a, cub cadet 4175, is not for everybody.

The second thing I did not realize is all the trimmers, except a certain dirt cheep models or high end pro brands, use the same standard interchangeable accessories system. The makers include: Ryobi, Poulan,Troy Built, Cub Cadet,Bolens and low end Huskys. This means if the engine dies, you buy a new trimmer and all your edgers, brush cutters,trimmers, sweepers, beepers and creepers can plug in the new unit. All brands interchange. Nice!