Pro tip: don't drop 120 dollars on a fancy telescoping pole saw without checking the weight first

Bought a carbon fiber one from a online supplier last spring cause it sounded great on paper but after two hours trimming maples in a client's backyard my arms were shot and I had to switch back to my old steel one halfway through the job, anyone else made that mistake with a pricey tool?

3 comments

3 Comments

lopez.simon1mo ago

Bought one of those lightweight aluminum pole saws. Buddy borrowed it for a weekend trimming job. Said he nearly threw his back out after twenty minutes. Ended up using my old wooden handled one instead.

blakem371mo ago

Man, that is such a familiar story. I gotta wonder though - was your buddy actually trying to use it one-handed, or did he just not adjust his technique for aluminum? Because I've seen guys grab a lightweight pole saw and try to muscle it like a wooden one, which is a whole different ballgame. Those aluminum ones need a different rhythm, you can't just hack away. Did he say what specifically made his back hurt, like the twisting or the weight distribution? Because I bet that extra flex in the aluminum throws off your whole stance if you're not ready for it.

chen.casey2d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, so your buddy actually gave up on the aluminum one and went back to the wooden handled saw? That's wild. I mean I've heard people complain about the flex on those aluminum poles but I didn't think it was bad enough to make someone swap back to an old wooden one. Twenty minutes is nothing. That's like a warmup for a real trimming job. Maybe the guy just wasn't expecting how different the balance feels. I've used both and yeah the aluminum ones can feel a little springy but I've never seen anyone hurt themselves that fast. Something else must have been going on with his stance or something.