Just picked up a Stihl pole saw---looking for operator tips

[atlarge54]

Just brought home a garage sale Stihl HT 56C pole saw they quit making them in 1994 and this one appears to be barely used.

One job that I'm ALWAYS behind on is low hanging branches in lanes and around the yard and edges of the field. Normal procedure is have SWMBO drive the tractor to the work area then I climb in the bucket with a chainsaw while she raises me up to do the cutting. This is not only not OSHA approved but not a favorite job of either participant.

I've just experimented a bit in the yard and there isn't much doubt that I'll be pinching the bar at some time in the future.

Anybody have much experience using these tools? Any and all tips welcome. TIA

 

[Fawteen]

When possible, make your initial cut from the bottom up and then finish from the top down.

 

[MM-TX]

I've just experimented a bit in the yard and there isn't much doubt that I'll be pinching the bar at some time in the future.

What @Fawteen said! One thing is for sure pinching the blade will encourage you to think about your cut and be careful next time. I don't use my power pole saw any more but I have a couple of manual pole saws. I find them much lighter, get higher, and as effective. Also cheap enough to have an extra to cut yourself out if you do mess up.

 

[joeysmith]

Dont start with the whole limb if its bigger

Whittle yer way towards the trunk lightning it up as you go

Takes a little longer but not as long as getting hung up

 

[da.bees]

When possible, make your initial cut from the bottom up and then finish from the top down.

^What he said and I might add. Make initial cut 6" to 12" from trunk, second cut 2" to 3"farthar out so that when limb falls, you have a stub off trunk resembling a hog snout. Make the final cut outside of but close as possible to collar where limb comes off trunk. This advice applies to any limb removal regardless of saw type. Doing it with pole saw presents a problem with positioning blade at top and bottom of limb since natural position will have blade on side of limb. Ladder , back to bucket or climbing tree are common choices but quality pole saw heads articulate so that when pole is held straight up overhead, blade is near parallel with ground. That means if head is rotated 45deg and you stand 45deg away from directly beneath limb,blade intersects 90deg with limb on top and bottom. A few utube pictures might give you a clearer understanding.
To cut from side,wack limb off well away from trunk so that peeling stops before reaching trunk and stub doesn't have enough weight to peel bark when final cut is made.
Don't forget to wear googles, sawdust in eyes can lead to accident.

 

[MarkB_MI]

I've found that the higher I can stand, the easier the job is. It's a piece of cake to cut off a tree limb when you're almost as high as the limb. Put your stepladder in the back of your pickup, pull your RV up to the tree, whatever. Do not try to cut from directly under the branch as it will fall on your head if the saw doesn't get pinched first.

I agree pretty much with what everyone else has said. Start out on the limb and work your way in. Make a SMALL cut from the bottom first to keep the bark from tearing, then cut from above several inches out from the bottom cut.

I use my Stihl pole saw quite a bit for cutting low branches and brush, since you can just stick the saw past the tree branches or brush instead of having to work your way in with a regular chainsaw.

 

[Harold Hubbard]

Hand it to some nineteen year old body builder and sit in the shade, telling him what to cut.

 

[Aaron SEIA]

Just brought home a garage sale Stihl HT 56C pole saw they quit making them in 1994 and this one appears to be barely used.

One job that I'm ALWAYS behind on is low hanging branches in lanes and around the yard and edges of the field. Normal procedure is have SWMBO drive the tractor to the work area then I climb in the bucket with a chainsaw while she raises me up to do the cutting. This is not only not OSHA approved but not a favorite job of either participant.

I've just experimented a bit in the yard and there isn't much doubt that I'll be pinching the bar at some time in the future.

Anybody have much experience using these tools? Any and all tips welcome. TIA

They still make the HT56. Don't bend the shaft. It's about $160 plus labor to replace it.
AaronSEIA

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

I don't use mine much since my shoulders got bad. I found it's very easy to trip while looking up and trying to change positions.

 

[Fred Werring]

I use my Stihl pole saw quite a bit for cutting low branches and brush, since you can just stick the saw past the tree branches or brush instead of having to work your way in with a regular chainsaw.

Cutting cedars out of high tensile and barbed wire fences

Of course a smart man would have just sprayed those cedars when they were small, but nooooo

 

[Loosehandle]

I made a nice bracket to hang mine in the shed.

 

[Eman85]

I borrowed one, glad I didn't buy it! Wear safety glasses, sawdust falls right in your face. Wear a hat and possibly a hard hat gravity sucks. I second the find a 19yo and tell him what to cut. There's a reason it doesn't show much use.

 

[Russ from MN]

I don't know if you saw the threads lately about the problem with Stihl gas caps. I think it's ethanol that destroys them, but I have always been careful about using ethanol free gas, and I had a problem too. I know ethanol free gas isn't readily available in all areas, and canned pre-mix is really expensive.

 

[John in Ct]

When you put oil in, make sure everything is 100% clean and that no crap gets in. What happens is crap plugs up the filter and oil leaks out. You have to use one of the bolts as a puller to take it apart and clean it.

 

[Roger in Iowa]

Replace the original factory chain with a new Oregon chain with lots more teeth. All pole saws seem to use the same chain part number. Makes a world of difference in cutting.

 

[Ray,IN]

When possible, make your initial cut from the bottom up and then finish from the top down.

Yep, I was smacked by several limbs before I caught-on to that method.

 

[charlie n]

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Mine is for sale. At 70 this is a lot easier. Get a shoulder strap and make sure you're standin on solid ground. And maybe a hard hat too.

 

[Frank(Mi.)]

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Mine is for sale. At 70 this is a lot easier. Get a shoulder strap and make sure you're standin on solid ground. And maybe a hard hat too.

And some Ben Gay or Icy Hot

 

[zilla24]

Don't forget to apply the cut to clean up ratio.. For every 10 min of cutting expect to spend 1 hour cleaning up...

 

[Keith True]

My pole saw cuts at 55 feet.For years I used a couple of cheapo Remington 10 foot electric saws.They're really outdated,and clumsy,but are still working.Any of the new saws are 10 times easier to work.I planned to buy modern saws when these wore out,but it's probably not going to happen.I have 110 power in the basket,so I can reach out without tangling the basket in the limbs or wires.You do learn fast to make your first cut,or relief cut from the bottom up.