Three years of using a pole pruner wrong until a guy at the saw shop set me straight

I've been an arborist for about 8 years now, mostly climbing and rigging. Last spring I bought a new battery powered pole pruner from Stihl and kept having trouble with it binding up on thicker branches. A retired logger at the shop in Portland told me I was cutting from the wrong side of the branch, putting the weight on the blade instead of letting it drop clean. He showed me to always cut from the top side with the branch's weight pulling away from the saw. Now it cuts clean every time and I can't believe I wasted so much battery before. Has anyone else learned a basic trick years into the job that made you feel silly?

2 comments

2 Comments

mark493d ago

Not knowing how to use a tool you rely on every day is a rough feeling. I ran a chainsaw for three years before a buddy casually mentioned I should sharpen it more often than once a season. Felt like a complete idiot after that first real sharp cut. Your story about the pole pruner makes me feel a little better about my own blind spots. Sounds like that retired logger knew his stuff and saved you a ton of battery and hassle.

eva_gibson2d ago

Mark mentioned sharpening schedules and that reminded me of something I read online about people not knowing you can sharpen loppers and pruners the same way. A lot of folks just toss them when they get dull and buy new ones. Sounds like you and @mark49 both had that lightbulb moment where a simple fix made a big difference.