Why You Need a Pole Saw
Get your saw where it needs to go!!
These best selling electric and gas pole chainsaws fulfill a unique need. For not a lot of money they enable a non professional to easily and safely trim and cut branches and other foliage which would normally be out of their reach.
One wonders how many people have injured themselves trying to use a chainsaw while balanced (or not!) on the top of a ladder! Reaching out to trim a branch at the limit of your stretch is almost always a bad idea.
In fact, that’s a recipe or disaster! But then some bright, inventive person, came up with the idea of putting a chainsaw on the end of an extension pole.Pure genius!!
An even better idea is the design used by the Oregon PS250 pole saw. But more of that further down the page!
So below you will find a list of some of the best selling electric, battery and gas powered pole chain saws on the market today.(For more info on each one, click on its’ picture).
However, if you want to skip ahead and go straight to the best sellers on Amazon, then simply click here!
Apart from the power source, they do vary in terms of length, adjustable angle of cutting, being detachable or not, other attachments available and so on.
Top Selling Corded Electric Pole Saws
A quick observation before we dive into whats available here. It is probably always best to use a heavy duty rated extension cord to power these pole-saws!
As a VERY rough guide use a the following ratings:10 AWG for a 150 feet extension cord ; 12 AWG for 100 feet;16 AWG for 50 feet; and 18 AWG for 25 feet.
Sun Joe SWJ803E-CMO 10 inch 8.0 Amp Electric MultiAngle Pole Chain Saw
The major feature of this pole saw is that the saw on the end of the pole can be adjusted to give up to a 30°angle of cutting. This gives you more options in reaching whatever needs to be cut down.
The pole is the telescoping type that extends to 7.2 ft. So whatever your height and reach is now, this will allow you access to stuff to be cut another 7.2 ft higher/further away :).
The pole is made from firm metal.You don’t have to worry about the saw flexing up and down on the end of the pole!
The actual chainsaw part features an 8-amp electric motor and a 10 inch bar that the manufacturer claims can cut branches up to 9.5-inches thick
The chain is automatically lubricated which is pretty useful when your bar and chain are on the end of a pole!.
NB – the chain saw can not be used when detached from the pole.
This pole-saw comes with the standard Sun Joe 2 year warranty out of the box.
Finally, it weighs in at about 7.9 lbs
Sun Joe SWJ800E 8-Inch 6.5-Amp Telescoping Electric Pole Chain Saw
This is a smaller version of the SWJ803E. Somewhat smaller, less powerful and lighter (although only marginally)
So this version has a 6.5 amp motor, an 8 inch bar and weighs 7.7 lbs.
Similar features are the automatic chain lubricator, the non detachable saw and the 2 year warranty for private/residential usage.
Sun Joe SWJ806E 8-Inch 8.0 Amp 2-in-1 Convertible Pole Chain Saw
This Sun Joe pole saw does what the other 2 above can’t do. You can detach the chainsaw from the pole and use it independently of the pole.
The downside is that for this one, you can’t change the angle of the saw when it is attached to the pole. Win some, lose some.
On the whole though, people seem to value being able to detach the saw from the pole vs being able to change the angle of the saw on the end of the pole. Over 90% of purchasers gave this pole saw a 4 or 5 star rating.
Worx WG309 8 amp 10 inch 2 in 1 Pole Saw
As the name implies, the saw part is detachable from the pole and can be used separately from the pole.
A point of difference is the rotatable handle that can often make your pruning just that little bit easier!
This Worx pole saw has and 8ft extension and weighs in at just over 10 lbs, which makes working with it quite manageable for most people.
And just in case anything goes wrong – it comes with an above average duration 3 year warranty.
BLACK+DECKER PP610 6.5-Amp Corded Pole Saw, 10-Inch
The Black & Decker PP610 features a sturdy 9.5′ extended pole for reaching those irritating branches that need to be cut but are always just that little too far away.
The saw does not detach from the pole and has a manual chain tension-er which is not ideal. Then again, it’s not the end of the world.
On the plus side it comes with a scabbard for the bar and a 2 year warranty, but you have to register the saw online shortly after you receive it to “activate” the warranty.
Greenworks 9.3′ 6 Amp Corded Chainsaw with Pole Saw Attachment
This is a Greenworks chainsaw that attaches to a purpose made pole which is a slightly different concept to the conventional pole saw but ….it works 🙂
You can’t change the angle of attachment and the
fully extended = 10 ft
This chainsaw uses an Oregon chain. The part number from Oregon is 100SDEA041
Cordless Pole Saws
In many people’s opinion, battery power always beats electric corded simply due to the convenience factor when actually having to use the tool.
Interestingly though, at the time of writing, the top 10 best sellers in the pole saw category are split 50:50. Five are cordless (battery powered) and 5 are electric corded….so make up your own mind.
Greenworks Cordless Pole Saws
These Greenworks pole chain saws are divided into 3 ranges. The 24v range, the 40V range and the 80V range. The batteries used in each range can be used on a number of other Greenworks tools within that specific range. In other words the 24v battery for the pole saw is inter changeable with other tools in the 24V range e.g. hedge trimmers,string trimmers, chain saws etc.
Want to find out more about each individual pole saw? Just click on the links below 🙂
The Greenworks 8-Inch 24V Cordless Pole Saw
Or Greenworks 8-Inch 40V Cordless Pole Saw
And most impressively the Greenworks PRO 80V 10” Brushless Cordless Polesaw
NB This one has a brushless electric motor. This is always a bonus as the brushless motor is more powerful, longer lasting, and yet quieter to operate.
BLACK+DECKER LPP120 20-Volt Cordless Pole Saw
In brief, this tool features an 8-inch bar and a shaft that extends easily to give you a use-able length of 6.5 feet or 10 feet.
The saw cannot be disconnected from the pole and the whole unit weighs only 6.3 pounds which makes it very easy to use.
It comes with a 2-year limited warranty. So make sure you read the manual and understand what is or isn’t covered and how/when the warranty applies.
Worx WG309 Cordless Pole Chain Saw
This pole saw has an 8 amp motor and 10 inch bar.
It has a 2-in-1 configuration which means you can detach the saw from the 8 foot pole and use it separately.
It features include an auto chain tension system as well as an automatic chain lubricating system. Both very useful when your saw is on the end of an 8 foot pole!
And since it weighs in just a tad more than 10 lbs, its easy to use.
Oregon Cordless PS250-E6 Pole Saw Kit
Now here is something different!
Instead of slapping a small chainsaw on the end of a pole, the Oregon engineers have actually exercised their grey matter! They mounted the motor mid way.
This simultaneously alternative and ingenious design means that the major weight factor is not on the end of the pole, but between your hands.
That shift in weight makes this saw far better balanced than other pole saws. That makes it much easier to get the cutting bar to where you want it to be, and for a longer period of time.
You can also take a look at our selection of some of the best cordless pole saws for home use
Gas Powered Pole Saws
Gas powered pole chain saws come a very distant third in the pole saw popularity stakes. This is not really surprising given how much easier the electric cord or battery operated pole saws are to use. Just hit the button/pull the trigger and away you go!
This is reflected in the fact that there are not many gas powered pole saws in the market these days!
However, there are still a few such as the Maxtra below.
The Maxtra 42.7cc 4 in 1 set
Now this is a monster!
A 42.7cc gas powered motor that you can connect to a pole saw (10 inch bar), brush cutter, string or hedge trimmer.
Fortunately it comes with a shoulder strap that will help you deal with the weight and vibration. This pole chain saw is not for the faint hearted!
Conclusion
Pole saws can definitely make life easier and are well worth considering as an additional chainsaw in your tool shed!