Which Tree Saw is Best?

Trees are one the great joys of any backyard or garden. The problem is they don't know when to stop growing!

The kind of job you need to do determines what saw is best. You might be cutting down trees or clearing fallen branches. You might be cutting logs as fuel. You might want to do some light pruning or thin out a big tree. The saws on this page should cover all of those jobs.

Hand Pruning Saws

A folding pruning saw is the kind of saw you might take camping. It is even more useful for gardening.They are cheap to buy and fold up to slip in any kind of tool bag or tote. Small branches in the wrong place can soon be got rid of!

A top quality ten inch model will cut branches up to four or five inches thick. If you are happy working from a ladder, this might be all you need for tree pruning, Replacement blades will ensure the saw is always sharp.

A d-handle pruning saw is a bigger tool that will handle branches up to eight or nine inches in diameter.

Bow Saws

A full sized, quality bow saw will cut any tree or branch up to about a foot in thickness. The teeth are big and splay out wide. They clear plenty of wood as they cut so the blade will never stick. Don't expect to cut too straight though!

A sharp bow saw and a strong arm will cut up medium-sized, fallen branches quicker than many power saws. There is no gas to find, no engine to start or cable to run.

These are Ideal if you only have a few trees to care for and like to keep fit!

Pole Saws

Pole saws are saws on an extension pole. There are electric pole saws, gas pole saws, cordless pole saws and manual pole saws.

They make pruning trees easy from ground level. A hand pruning saw and a pair of shears will prune most trees but you will often need to work from a ladder. Repositioning a ladder over and over again can be hard work! For some people it is also downright dangerous- anyone with balance problems should avoid them.

A pole saw gets you round the ladder problem, makes light work of pruning and lets you see what you are doing better- important if you want your tree to look good afterwards.

The different kinds of pole saw all offer different advantages which you can read about here:

Chainsaws

Chainsaws can be monsters of power that will fell a hundred foot pine in a few minutes. Or they can be a little Black and Decker which will make pruning or clearing small fallen branches quick and easy.

Chainsaws can be gas, electric or cordless and each kind has advantages and disadvantages.

Manual Rope and Chain Saw

A usefull kind of saw for pruning back bigger branches is a kind of chain saw you use by pulling back and forth on a rope. They can be very short for use from a ladder or very long to be used from the ground.

One advantage of these saws is that can cut a branch back close to the trunk easily and at the right angle. This looks neat and also helps prevent infection.

Safety Issues When Working on Trees

The first tip is to look out for overhead power and utility lines!

Working on Trees

If you are pruning or cutting trees there is always a danger of something falling on you. A safety helmet and sturdy work boots (with reinforced toe cap is best) are important.

If you are felling trees you need to always to be aware of the safest exit from the area- you don't want a tree landing on you so you will need to move quickly when one starts to fall! Read a full guide here: fell_tree.htm

Power Saws

• If you are using any kind of power saw you should use safety glasses or a face guard- the wood chips fly everywhere.
• Some machines are very noisy and ear muffs might be needed.
• Blades are sharp and splinters can hurt so a good pair of gloves is recommended.
• Chainsaws are more dangerous than most tools- kickback is the single biggest problem. If the blade jams the saw can buck like crazy in your hand and you might lose control of it. It is important to read a full safety guide. http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ageng/safety/

Heavy Lifting

If the work you are doing involves heavy lifting, a back belt of the kind that weight lifters use can give a lot of protection to spine and muscles. A lot of tree professionals use these- especially as they get older.