It can often be tempting to want to go with a big-name company when buying new garden tools. However, sometimes, lesser-known brands produce products that are just as good, if not better, yet without the high price tag. To make it easier to cut stems that are in awkward positions, the top section of the pruner can be adjusted through different angles. It’s therefore simpler to reach specific branches and stems. The cutting head also rotates, to help create precise, well-positioned cuts.

This saw is also fairly easy to use. It’s easy to switch between the different attachments, and it comes with a shoulder strap included. It can be assembled in just a couple of minutes. Having won the 2018 Great British Growing Award, this model is recommended for those who need a tool that can do both pruning and sawing. The good thing is that it is affordable, therefore, providing good value for money. That said, I did notice that it didn’t feel quite as powerful as some of the other pole saws that I tested. This is down to its 600W motor . This isn’t an issue if you’re cutting smaller branches, but you may need to apply a little pressure if you’re trying to cut through chunkier limbs.

The Silverline 1.5-2.5mExtendable Pruning Saw is one of the most affordable models in our review. It features a durable, triple-ground blade that cuts cleanly on both the forward and reverse strokes. this doubles your cutting ability and halves your cutting time. If you’re after a quality 2-in-1 tool, the Einhell Power X-Change 18V Cordless Pole Saw is a good choice. This tool doubles up as both a saw and hedge trimmer, and it comes with a continuously adjustable aluminium handle that extends from 88 cm to 182 cm. As impressive as this machine may seem, the fact that it’s priced higher than many of the other pole saws out there may put some people off. However, if your budget allows for it, I would definitely recommend splurging on this machine. It offers a number of very useful design features that others don’t have, which justifies its cost . Of course, the price varies depending on whether or not you need a battery, making this machine even better value for those who already own other cordless Bosch products. The battery life is reasonable. If you’re using the hedge trimming attachment, the battery will last up to 40 minutes, while you should get an hour of battery life when using the saw attachment.

We have an anvil lopper in our review, the Wolf Garten Anvil Tree Pruner. Anvil loppers have a blade that closes against a metal anvil that’s on the lower jaw and is softer than the blade. Anvil loppers require less manual power on your part to operate than other kinds of loppers. However, anvil loppers tend to crush the material they cut, so only use them where you don’t need a clean cut. For instance, when you’re shortening a branch before cutting it off entirely. Saws So, to sum things up – if large-scale and heavy-duty pruning is on your agenda, then a petrol-powered pole saw is what you need. However, if you’re simply doing some light pruning around your own garden, then go with an electric model, either powered by mains electricity or batteries. Which you choose will depend on a few other factors, but first, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons that come with each type of pole saw. Petrol-Powered Pole Saw They come with a 330 mm saw which gives the user extra cutting power on larger branches, although it’s worth noting that this saw is a little weak and not particularly effective. The saw also occasionally gets caught on branches and needs to be removed. Ease – there’s no comparison – using a pole saw while standing on the floor makes pruning so much easier than having to precariously balance on a ladder with a chainsaw. You’ll achieve a much neater and more accurate finish. Mains-powered pole saws are often relatively lightweight. In fact, they can even be lighter than battery-powered pole saws because there’s no additional battery weight. Sometimes this can help them be easier to manage – they’re lighter than petrol pole saws and better balanced than battery-powered ones (battery-powered pole saws often have the motor and battery positioned at the saw-end of the tool). Pros of a mains-powered pole saw:When operating a pole saw you have to support the pole whilst cutting high above you. A chainsaw positioned on a pole 1 m away from you will feel twice as heavy as one held close to your body. Some pole saws will offer a bar length of around 15cm, which is more than enough for mature fruit trees and hedges. However, if the trees that you need to prune have super-chunky branches, then look for something slightly longer: 20-30cm would probably do it. How to Choose the Best Pole Length for Your Pole Saw With an adjustable handle that can extend from 2.4 – 4 m, this pruner is the longest model featured on this list, and one of the best telescopic tree pruners for reaching higher branches in treetops. Combined with arms-reach, it will be able to access branches approximately 5 – 6 m high. What I really appreciated about this pole saw was its weight. At 3.8kg, it was the lightest of the mains-powered pole saws that I tested – it was even almost as light as the cordless Bosch that I reviewed, which is ideal for those of you who want to avoid aching arms. Even better, Ryobi provides a shoulder harness with this pole saw. While you’re unlikely to need this for short pruning sessions, it’s extremely handy if you’re going to be using the machine for extended periods of time. The fact that the centre shaft is removable helps too, since you don’t need to carry all of that extra weight unless you’re pruning super-tall branches.

Ease of Assembly: I timed the assembly process from unboxing to the pole saws being fully operational – those that took 5 minutes or less were given the best marks, as these were deemed the easiest for the average use. I assessed the clarity of the assembly instructions included with each pole saw, and top marks were given to those that were clear! To start with, petrol chainsaws are usually much heavier than electricity-powered models. They can weigh between 7-10kg, sometimes more, so they’re not the way to go if you were hoping for something lightweight and easy to manoeuvre. If that’s the case, you’ll find that mains and battery pole saws are much more comfortable to handle, with their weights usually ranging between 3-5kg.To make it easier to cut stems that are in awkward positions, the top section of these pruners can be adjusted, giving you greater manoeuvrability and allowing you to reach specific stems. The Draper Expert Telescopic Tree Pruner is a lightweight pruner that extends to a respectable 2.5m to accomplish most tree and bush pruning tasks in the domestic garden. Its price fits most budgets yet it’s still a quality model. There are also pruners on the market which extend further, up to 4m, and are ideal for taller trees. Nevertheless, weighing just under 1 kg, it’s one of the best telescopic tree pruners in terms of manageability; not only because it’s easy to hold, but also because it’s well balanced and allows good control whilst pruning. Park Pole Set– these pruning poles include four 1.5m threaded alloy poles, a Bahco saw blade hook and a lopper head. The set weighs 6.8kg. Replacement parts are available.

Lightweight tree pruner with a saw blade that lets you cut through small to medium diameter branches for as long as you want. Hyundai products can sometimes be a little fiddly to assemble, so I was pleased to find that this pole saw only took about five minutes to put together. There’s not much to be done, other than attaching the handle (the Allen key that you’ll need for this is supplied in the box) and slotting the poles together. Then, fill it with petrol/oil using the provided mixing bottle, pour in some chain oil, and you’re good to go! To find the best pole saws, I evaluated several pole saws, considering each model’s design, performance, power, ease of use, and safety, as well as how easy it was to assemble each and their value for money. Here’s an insight into how I tested them: Anvil pruner’s work by pressing the blade against a stationary anvil. These kinds of pruners are better suited to hard branches. Due to the design, they tend to do a lot of damage to young stems and are better off avoided which is why we avoided them in our recommended models. One small criticism would be with the number of plastic components on the pruners. Both the extender mechanism, and the cutting head angle adjuster, are plastic, which seems less durable than if all the important parts were made from metal.

With all of this in mind, along with our own extensive testing, we chose the Bosch Cordless Pruner UniversalChainPole 18 as our top choice. It meets the mark on so many levels, from how lightweight and simple it is to use to how well it performs on all types of trees, that it’s easy to see why it has such wide appeal.