A pole saw is the ideal gadget for trimming high branches while keeping your feet firmly on the ground. No need to call in the professionals when you have a pole saw to hand.

The only drawback of a standard pole saw is the lack of a pruner head to simply snip away smaller branches that are just too thin and flexible for the saw to cut easily. For this task, pruning pole saws are the answer.

The difference between standard pole saws and pruning pole saws is the addition of a pruner head and pulley system. There are hundreds of these online, most of which are cheaply made and are not worth half the price you pay for one.

In this short article I present 5 of the best pruning pole saws available from Amazon that are worth investing in.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Top 5 Best Pruning Pole Saws

1. Milliard 6-16 Foot Extendable Tree Pruner/Pole Saw with 3-Sided Blade

This extendable tree pruner from Milliard (made in the USA) is one of the best selling pruning pole saws on the market today. The 14inch high carbon steel saw blade features 3-sided teeth for improved efficiency when cutting, and the 1.2mm thick blade profile is treated with a non-stick surface to reduce friction for smooth cutting with fewer snags.

Pruning is a breeze thanks to the 1.25 inch cutting aperture – making it one of the thickest available pruners on the market. The pull cord activates the pruning head when required and is fitted with a double pulley system that requires less effort to cut through branches.

The extendable fiberglass pole can provide 6ft all the way up to 14ft reach and anywhere in between. It’s a rigid yet lightweight pole that feels a bit less sturdy at full extension but this is expected.

This pruning pole saw is best suited to sawing larger diameter branches due to the course saw teeth, with the added advantage of a large pruning head for snipping off smaller ones. Maybe lacks a bit it the mid-range.

See full spec and current price of the Milliard pruning pole saw on Amazon

2. Jameson FG-6PKG-7 FG-Series Manual Pole Saw and Tree Pruner with Two 6-Foot Fiberglass Poles

Another American made piece, Jameson’s manual pruning pole saw has 5 star reviews from over 160 happy customers due to its sturdy design and reliability. The standard pack comes with two 6 ft poles which clip together for the maximum reach. Additional poles can be purchased to provide even greater reach if desired.

With a 16-inch Barracuda Tri-Cut saw blade this pruning pole saw can easily cope with 6 – 8 inch branches – the blade glides effortlessly through without snagging. The 1.75 inch pruner has a double pulley system to easily prune branches up to 2 inches in diameter, which means you can clear a lot of the smaller stuff quickly to make way for the sawing.

The quality of this pruning pole saw is high-end and will last a long time if properly cared for. The sturdy pole assembly is heavier than others which may be troublesome for some users but all in, this is one of the best pruning pole saws on the market today.

See full spec and current price of the Jameson pruning pole saw on Amazon

3. Fiskars 14 Foot Power-Lever Extendable Tree Pruner

Fiskars extendable pruning pole saw provides the cutting power for removing 4 – 5 inch branches with the 15 inch WoodZig saw blade. The maximum cutting capacity of the pruner is 1-1/2 inch in diamater which is pretty standard.

The easy-to-handle, lightweight pole extends up to 14 ft to put high up branches within easy reach and the fully hardened, precision-ground steel pruning blade features a rust-resistant, low-friction coating for less effort when cutting.

Being somewhat of a bugdet option, Fiskars manage to provide high quality at an affordable price – and a lifetime guarantee! Many people dismiss Fiskars products as cheap, but their products are affordable, reliable and the performance often surpasses many an established brand.

Good for mid range branches. A reliable tool for general pruning and very cost effective. As with any new tool, it takes some time getting used to but once you’ve got the knack… no tree is safe!

See full spec and current price of the Fiskars pruning pole saw on Amazon

4. Corona TP 6870 MAX RazorTOOTH DualCOMPOUND Action 14-ft. Tree Pruner

The Corona TP6870 pruning pole saw is a professional 14-foot compound action tree pruner featuring a high-strength zinc-alloy pruning head and a fully heat-treated, high carbon coated steel blade.

With a large 1-1/4-inch diameter pruning head and a heavy duty chain-drive pulley system that triples your cutting power, this tree pruner is an ideal choice for personal or professional use.

The unit also features an exclusive powerglide rope pull system and curved 13-inch razor-sharp saw for maximizing pruning capability. Other features include a comfortable 24-inch foam grip and a lightweight telescoping fiberglass pole that can adjust from 7-feet to 14-feet.

The pole also features a twist-lock adjustment for quick and safe pole adjustment. Limited lifetime warranty included.

A fantastic all-round pruning pole saw with a chain drive system to make pruning smooth and effortless. Solidly built and feels it could outlast others in the same price bracket.

See full spec and current price of the Corona pruning pole saw on Amazon

5. Notch 12’ Pole Saw Set with 15” Blade & Pruner Head

This Notch professional pruning pole saw comes with a 15″ heavy duty double thick blade & 1.25″ capacity pruning head. The two 6ft interlocking fiberglass poles – used by professional tree care companies in the U.S – provide ample reach for most jobs.

Other features of this pole saw include the ability to fit one pole with the saw and the other with the pruner which makes it extremely versatile, and the hook on the saw helps pull away cut branches.

The professional quality of the Notch makes it one of the finest pruning pole saws available today. The thicker blade is highly durable for the toughest cutting jobs and the pulley system is smooth and easy.

See full spec and current price of the Notch pruning pole saw on Amazon

Pruning Pole Saws Q&A

Can you prune with a pole saw?

Pole saws provide the length and cutting ability for those hard to reach branches but not all pole saws feature a pruning head. This means you need an additional tool for pruning. Pruning pole saws are equipped with a pruning head and pulley/rope system to enable pruning of smaller branches with a single tool.

What is the longest pole saw you can buy?

Having an extremely long pole saw can be great for really high branches, but these things can be difficult to control! The longest manual pole saw on the market is the Scalebeard 26ft tree trimmer which features 8 screw together aluminum alloy poles with a 3-sided arc saw blade to reach the highest branches.

If you’d like to read more about this awesome pole saw click on the link below for more info on the Scalebeard 26ft tree trimmer:

Related Article: The longest manual pole saw on the market – 26ft tree trimmer review!

What is the best telescopic tree pruner?

The Corona TP6870 is one of the highest rated pruning pole saws out there with 4.5 out of 5 stars from happy customers. With a 14 ft reach this extendable pole saw is ideal for general pruning and branch removal. The impulse hardened saw teeth remain sharper for longer and the chain drive makes pruning effortless.

The ability to saw through branches up to 8 inches in diameter and the pruning capacity for up to 1.25 inches makes this pruning pole saw one of the best available today.

See full spec and current price of the Corona pruning pole saw on Amazon

How thick of a branch can a pole saw cut?

The sawing action of a manual pole saw requires enough blade length to facilitate the back and forth movement to successfully saw through the branch. Having a couple of spare inches either side will provide enough action to complete the cut.

For instance a 14 inch pole saw blade could saw through a 10 inch thick branch, but generally anything thicker than 8 inches in diameter are probably best suited to a powered saw.

When should tree branches be cut back?

Pruning trees helps to keep them healthy, in good shape, and growing their best. Often branches are removed if they are growing in an undesirable direction such as too close to your home.

The best time to remove branches is when the tree is dormant, which is during winter. Pruning a tree when it is in this dormant phase ensures the risk of disease and pest infestations is kept to a minimum.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, having a pole saw with a pruning head attachment makes life a whole lot easier when trimming trees. The saw is great but using this on ‘prunable’ branches just doesn’t work as the saw is too coarse for smaller branches that simply need snipped off.

The 5 pruning pole saws listed above are the ones to consider if you’re looking for a quality manual pole saw – the market is swamped with cheap pole saws that are not worth the money.

I hope this has been useful in your hunt for a high quality pruning pole saw and please feel free to leave a comment below, I’d be happy to hear your thoughts.

Author – Richard Forde

Richard is the founder of thewoodcuttersson.com and is crazy about everything to do with axes, hatchets, chainsaws and forestry tools. Much of his free time is spent in the woods or writing articles for his blogs.