Warning: don't bother with those cheap pole pruners from Harbor Freight

Lost $35 on a pole pruner that snapped on the second branch I tried to cut. The locking mechanism stripped out and the blade bent like tin foil. I figured for light trimming around the house it'd be fine, but no. Ended up having to climb a ladder anyway to finish the job. Has anyone found a decent budget option under $60 that actually holds up?

4 comments

4 Comments

max_torres4427d ago

Bought a similar one from Lowe's and it folded up like a cheap lawn chair on the first limb I tried (embarrassing, really). The locking collar just gave up and spun free on me after maybe ten cuts. For under sixty bucks I'd check the brand "Fiskars" at Walmart, got their basic pole saw for around fifty and it's actually held up for two seasons now without snapping or bending.

angela_harris27d ago

oh man, @linda_dixon49, you and @max_torres44 are totally right about those cheap pole saws. i grabbed one from Home Depot that did the exact same thing on the third branch i tried, the locking ring just stripped out and it twisted loose. felt like i was fighting the tool more than the tree. the fiskars one is night and day different, the catch on the pole actually locks tight and stays put. no wobbling or spinning free when you're reaching up high, which is a huge relief.

milarodriguez27d ago

@linda_dixon49's right, it's like they're designed to break...

linda_dixon4927d ago

Folded up like a cheap lawn chair" is the perfect way to describe it, @max_torres44, that's exactly what happened to mine too. I had the same locking collar issue after just a few cuts, it felt like the whole thing was made of plastic. Switched to a Fiskars myself and it's been solid, no complaints after a full season of use.