**Cordless Long Reach Power Saw**

Milwaukee makes an electric saw that comes with an extension for longer reach. Aside from being able to reach higher, I have found the extension to be especially helpful for reaching INTO the tree for pruning. You can simply work around the tree without having to fight branches to get to the middle. I’ve found this to be more helpful than a regular power saw. You need 5 amp batteries at a minimum, but I find 9 amp batteries to be best.
There are long reach gas powered pole pruners which are a bit more powerful than this electric option, but you are exposed to exhaust blowing on you when lifted up high and risk getting burnt on the muffler. Electric tools can also be used when fire danger is high, with much less risk.

**Mini Cordless Chainsaw**

Stihl makes a really nifty mini chainsaw. It comes with a belt holster to carry it around. It does remarkably well for its size on small limbs. You can also buy an extension that it easily clips in and out of to reach higher up. It is well balanced and I was really happy with mine. It works well for cutting a double top out because you can burrow in and slice the unwanted top away.
There are significantly cheaper options sold on Amazon which I’ve been pleasantly surprised by. The downside to buying Amazon or off brand tools is that you may have a hard time finding replacement parts. I think the Stihl brand is worth the extra money, but if you’re on a budget, consider the Amazon ones. They have a 30 day return window so be sure to purchase before you start your task to try and make sure it holds up.

Cordless Electric Chainsaw

I purchased this Milwaukee chainsaw because I already had a lot of Milwaukee tools and batteries to go with it. It has worked well for me. I did have to replace the chain bar fairly soon because it was a thin material, but bought an aftermarket one that was better.

Some nice things about electric chainsaws are they’re quiet, don’t make exhaust, and don’t have hot mufflers. Also, you’re not carrying around an idling chainsaw when you go from tree to tree. You just pull the trigger and cut, no restarting the chainsaw. I like to keep one in my RTV in case there’s something in my way, but don’t have to worry about fuel and oil spilling anywhere. They run a surprisingly long time per battery charge. The batteries would deplete quickly if you were bucking logs, but for limbing, they go for a long time.

Stihl makes a really nice one if you’re starting from scratch. It’s a little better design and cost a little more but is probably worth it.

**Cordless Hacksaw**

A cordless hacksaw is different from a Sawzall in that they are not as jumpy, easier to hold, and much smoother to operate.
With the right woodcutting blade, they can saw right through limbs. The blade shown in the picture is the one that works best (most of the blades they sell for woodcutting are worthless). You can buy three packs of the “aggressive wood blade” shown in the picture at Harbor Freight very reasonably.
Cordless hacksaws are much cheaper than cordless chainsaws and work quite well. An advantage to the thin blade when cutting doubles out is the ease to get between the limbs and slice the double off cleanly. A chainsaw doesn’t quite do as good a job and is harder to get between the two doubles.

**Electric Pruner**

I hate to say this, but this is another item you can buy on Amazon very reasonably. They range from $50-$100. If they’re not at a discount, put it in your cart and wait. The price on these fluctuates quite a bit and this is another item to buy before you need to make sure it’s going to work for you. Amazon has a 30 day return window.
They claim to prune 1.25 inches. If the wood is hard, that might be a slight exaggeration, but it’s not far from it. You can make an easier cut without straining the tool so much by putting light downward pressure on the limb and rotate the tool slightly. The batteries last a lot longer than you would think, even under heavy pruning. For the money, this is a good value.

**Long Reach Pruners**

This is an ARS long reach pruner. In my opinion, ARS is the only brand to get and they come in different lengths. Other brands I’ve tried don’t cut as well. They can be purchased at a nursery supply store.
This picture shows the removal of what the Christmas tree industry refers as a limb growth. When my trees do this, I called them naughty children, or rebellious teenagers.

**Pole Pruners**

You can buy this pole pruner head on Amazon for a very reasonable price. I would recommend looking closely and buying the ones with **four** strings that go back-and-forth through the pulley. The more strings, the more leverage, and it will cut a heavier limb with less pressure compared to ones with only two strings. The downside to more rope is exactly that: you have more rope to pull to make the cut, but it cuts easier.
I like to buy the pruner head separate from the pole and purchase aluminum poles that can be cut to whatever size you’re wanting. You can buy 12 ft pieces from Coyote Steel in Eugene. Aluminum is typically lighter weight than what comes with them and having different lengths is helpful.

Sometimes a pole pruner comes with a saw as well. At first glance that seems like a good idea, but in reality it gets in the way by hooking limbs. I ended up mounting my saw on a separate pole because it is nice to have at times and easier to use if separated from the pruner. I find the flat, thin hooks to be best because they are easier to get between leaders and prune a double if it’s there. The one in the picture is ideal.

One frustrating thing about rope pole pruners is the rope is always getting tangled up and wrapping around the pole. If you get some small eyelets and screw one to the pool every couple feet, it will keep your rope more organized.

**Aluminum Ladder**

For pruning up high I suggest an aluminum extension ladder. I purchased a 24ft. light duty one and separated the halves for two very light weight 12ft ones. The weight capacity is only 200 lbs. but it is very easy to carry around and lean against a tree.

**Scissor Lift**

If you want to go over the top on your prune or double top removal you could get a scissor lift attachment for your skid steer. The Skid Steer can go places that you cannot go with a normal man lift. If you are working up or downhill, you can use the tilt function on the skid steer to level.
This scissor lift was modified to clip to a skid steer. The skid steer has to have hydraulic fluid out to the lift and be programmed so it will remain on when you leave the seat. You can drive up to the tree, push a couple buttons, get out and into the scissor lift, and raise it yourself from the basket of the scissor lift.

A disadvantage is that you have to come down and move the machine every time you want a different position. Also, this is an expensive set up if you don’t have a lot of use for it. I have a seed orchard I need this equipment for and use it for various things around the nursery and timber stands with multiple attachments. In addition to the bucket, I have two different grapples for cleaning up brush. I’ve also made a custom attachment for picking up Christmas trees. You can get a hydraulic post hole auger that works better than tractor ones and pallet forks in addition to a lot of other things. Skid steers are a great tool. I like ones with tracks better than tires.

**Removing Ramicorn Branches**

Here, I am removing a ramicorn branch. If left, this type of branching will make a significant defect and you would not be able to sell the tree as a pole. As the tree grows, the trunk wraps around the upward slanted, dead, hardened stem making a horrible knot that will show on the outside of the log as a depression in the bark for several feet. This sometimes results in a significant deduction when the log is graded at the mill.
When I was young and logged with my father, he was always trying to get the most out of his logs, and I remember him not being very happy when he found scars that develop from this type of branching.

Genetics can play a role in this bad behavior and some trees do it repeatedly. My property has a number of different seeds sources that have been used and I find it across the board with all of them. I talked with a forester that had been in the trade for a long time. He did some work on the issue and determined some nutrient imbalances can add to the problem, but there wasn’t a practical solution. My own personal theory: sometimes side buds near the top get too happy and grow out 4-6inches. When the leader doesn’t out grow them, they try to take over in what I call a “coup attempt.” Not having the program ingrained that the main bud has, they make a half-hearted attempt at upward growth. If the branch is strong, it will make a double leader. I find this to be more prevalent in young, vigorously growing trees. I have no science to prove it, just one of my theories.

Pruning Tools and Tips

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