Popular Attachments for Your Pole Saw

A pole saw is precisely what it says: a saw attached to a pole. The pole acts as an extension, giving you the desired leverage to access hard-to-reach areas.

Most pole saws contain a header that you can attach to a variety of other gardening tools. For instance, if the pole contains a compatible header for a trimmer, you can easily replace the chainsaw with a trimmer.

At this point, you must be wondering why you can’t buy a pole that can incorporate all the different types of gardening tools.

One of the reasons why you see advertisements for a pole saw instead of the individual poles is because it’s a good business practice to do so. A chainsaw is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about maintaining your lawn. Therefore, the maker mainly sells pole saws. You can attach the desired gardening tools to the pole.

Another reason is the function of the pole itself. Unlike a simple pole, the pole saw is designed to serve a specific purpose. For instance, a pole saw combo may be designed only for a gas-powered saw and attachments. Similarly, a pole saw kit may only use battery-powered equipment that is designed mainly for work on the ground level.

Now that you have a basic idea of what constitutes a pole saw, let’s talk about a typical pole saw and its types.

Popular Pole Saw Attachments

You can’t do all your lawn and garden work with a chainsaw alone. This is precisely why most pole saws are designed to fit an attachment. For instance, you can attach a hedge trimmer to the pole to shape hedges and shrubs.

Usually, these attachments are sold as a combo containing two or more tools. Here are the most basic attachments that will fit a typical pole saw:

• Hedge trimmer
• Edger
• Brush cutter
• Cultivator
• Straight shaft
• Weed trimmer sling

Hedge Trimmer

Hedge trimmers are used to cut hedges and thin branches up to 3/4 inches thick. Anything that can fit through the notches on the bar can easily be cut. If you try to cut something larger than an inch in diameter, there is a high probability that the hedge trimmer will seize.

There are lots of pole saws on the market that can attach a hedge trimmer. They’re usually advertised as a two-in-one combo because you can exchange heads between pole saw and hedge trimmer. Depending on the pole saw, the equipment can run on gasoline or a battery. A pole saw with a hedge trimmer may have the following specifications:

• Cutting capacity – 3/4”
• Blade length – 24”
• Charge time – one hour
• Run time – approximately 50 minutes

Edger

A lawn edger is used to trim the edges of a lawn. By default, it is designed to attach to a pole so you can walk alongside it while trimming the lawn.

The edger defines boundary lines in a yard, which helps keep the lawn in pristine condition. You can also use it to create divisions between the lawn and the adjacent sidewalk, flowerbed, or driveway.

The lawn edger is either motorized or manual. If you have a manual pole, you can attach a manual lawn edger to its head. However, keep in mind that operating a manual lawn edger is a laborious task. Instead, it’s better to buy a machine-operated pole saw to which you can attach a lawn edger. These days, you can find plenty of pole saw combos that include an edger and a hedge trimmer.

Brush Cutter

For thick vegetation spanning a large area, the brush cutter will complement a pole saw. A brush cutter can deal with overgrown brambles, weeds, and shrubs.

For variable areas that have a combination of thick outer growth and small hedges, it’s better to opt for a brush cutter that has variable speed and more power. For added comfort, the lightweight hand-held garden tool is often fitted with a shoulder harness and a hip pad.

If needed, you can easily attach it to a multifunctional pole head. For instance, certain gas-powered models integrate a pole saw, brush cutter, and a variety of other trimming tools.

Cultivator

If you’re serious about gardening, consider getting a multi-head system that can fit a cultivator. A cultivator is mainly used for mixing soil that has already been broken up. It’s often used before planting, but you can also use it to control weeds after planting.

Sometimes, gardeners try to use a tiller instead of a cultivator. While both have somewhat similar functions, tillers are mostly used to break up hard ground to prepare a new garden bed. Therefore, it’s better not to substitute one for the other.

Unlike other attachments on this list, the cultivator requires a lot of force to operate. If you’re buying a multi-head system that comes with three or four other attachments, make sure that the pole is made from an alloy or similarly strong material.

Straight Shaft

A straight shaft trimmer is best suited to trim weeds along borders and hard-to-reach areas. There are mainly two types of trimmers in the market: straight shaft and curved shaft.

For various reasons, some people prefer a curved shaft trimmer. However, the curved shaft cannot fit into a multi-head system. Therefore, it’s better to use a straight shaft so that you can combine with other tools.

Weed Trimmer Sling

Not all attachments for pole saws are mechanical. Instead, there is ample demand for accessories such as a weed trimmer sling. The sling is attached to the pole, which allows you to reduce shoulder and body fatigue by distributing the weight over your entire upper body.

If you use trimmers frequently, it’s a good idea to buy a pole saw that has a built-in attachment point for the sling. The pole will likely use a standard one-click carabiner clip for fastening. If the pole saw doesn’t have the clip, another commonly used method is to loop the nylon around the trimmer shaft before securing it with a carabiner clip.

The Importance of a Pole

As discussed earlier, manufacturers sell pole saws as their main marketing tools because they enable them to sell compatible garden tools that can replace the saw when needed.

Selling a solitary pole isn’t practical because buyers consider multiple parameters when buying a specific pole kit or a combo.

Here are just a few factors that can go into your decision to buy a pole saw:

Length of the Cutting Bar

When buying a pole saw, pay special attention to the length of the cutting bar. The cutting bar determines the maximum branch diameter that you can easily cut. The manufacturer label or operating manual will always list this diameter.

Under normal circumstances, this cutting bar ranges from 6 to 12 inches. Since the machine-powered pole saw has more power, the cutting bar length is usually greater than 8 inches. As a rule of thumb, the cutting bar should be at least two times the diameter of the branch you intend to cut.

Runtime

If you need a lot of time to landscape your garden, consider a gasoline-powered pole saw. These machines can run continuously for more than a couple of hours. Alternatively, a battery-powered pole saw can give you somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes. For a longer duration, keep a replacement battery on hand to use once the original battery dies out.

Working Height

This is another important specification to look for. The working height is the length of the pole plus 2 to 3 feet of arm’s length. Therefore, if the stats suggest that the working height is 10 feet, you can safely assume that the length of the pole saw is somewhere between 7 and 8 feet.

A working height greater than 12 feet can get difficult to operate, particularly in windy conditions. If you want to use the pole saw for different lengths, consider a telescopic pole. This type of pole can be used to adjust the length and achieve stability.

Weight

Depending on the model, a pole saw can weigh 15 to 25 pounds. This is important to note since just a slight increase in weight can have severe repercussions when you’re holding a 12-foot pole saw in your hand.

If everything else remains constant, the more powerful the machine, the heavier the pole saw. For instance, a gasoline-powered pole saw will likely weigh more than 20 pounds. In contrast, a corded electric model can weigh less than 15 pounds because it doesn’t incorporate additional machinery and moving parts.

Safety

The safety of pole saw attachments relies heavily on balancing the entire frame. At first, a pole saw seems just like any other tool, but it can easily become unstable due to its length.

Under such circumstances, it’s better to opt for a telescopic pole, which you can shorten to regain control. As an additional safety feature, consider using saw guards for protection from moving parts.

Final Thoughts

A pole saw is a versatile tool that comes with a lot of different attachments. For best results, look for a pole saw combo or kit. The kit will ensure that your cutting tools are compatible with the pole. Buying a combo also makes sense because you can easily get replacement parts and batteries for it.

What Is a Pole Saw?

A pole saw is simply a chainsaw attached to a long pole. You have probably seen someone using a pole saw to cut things that are located in a hard-to-reach space.

Before the introduction of the pole saw, it was customary to use a ladder to access the most inaccessible places. Without a doubt, this was dangerous as you needed to stand on an unstable platform with a potentially dangerous tool in your hands.

Thankfully, modern innovations such as the pole saw have made it easier and safer to tackle everyday DIY tasks. Of course, there is an entire range of tools that you can attach to a pole saw. We list them below.

You can do a lot with a pole saw and all the attachments that come with it. Before we present further details, here is a quick look at the different types of pole saws on the market:

Manual Pole Saw

This is the most basic type. Manually operated, it has a fixed height. The pole is mainly lightweight; however, the weight can change depending on the length of the pole and its build.

Unlike a machine-operated pole saw, the manual version incorporates an elongated hacksaw-type blade. The slight curve of the blade enables you to easily maneuver the saw while standing on the ground. Lots of manual pole saws come with a clipper and a pull cord. The pull cord is used to operate the clipper.

Machine-Powered Pole Saw

These pole saws are either battery-operated or gas-powered. Driven by an engine, this type of pole saw has an adjustable length, a distinguishing feature that adds to its charm.

The engine is located at the bottom end. You can operate the pole saw using a trigger and handle. Another prominent feature is the rubber grip area in the middle of the pole. The rubber is used to stabilize the moving saw. At the end of the pole is the miniature chainsaw in a rectangular case.

Corded-Electric Pole Saw

This type of pole saw is similar to its machine-powered counterparts. The main difference is the power source that connects to a power outlet. Accordingly, the reach of the corded-electric pole saw is determined by the length of the power cable.

The corded electric pole saw has a small engine size compared to a machine-powered pole saw. Due to its small size, it produces power ranging from 6 to 10 amps. This means that you can only cut branches from 2 to 5 inches in diameter. This pole saw is best suited to home environments.