With the aid of power puners, landscape contractors can take tree pruning to a new height with the safety and dependability that these tools offer.
Power pruners (a.k.a. pole pruners) offer the convenience of being able to reach those hard-to-get-to branches with added ease via a telescoping handle, which allows the equipment to extend and gives contractors the benefit of not needing to climb into a tree with a chainsaw in hand – a dangerous method of pruning.
OPERATOR BASICS. For the most part, the power pruner operates similar to a string trimmer, according to Don Eaton, president, Shadetree Landscaping, Cary, Ill. “Most of the personnel find it easy to operate.”
“Before starting, adjust the height by extending or retracting the upper shaft,” explained Tom Bingham, power pruner product manager, Echo, Lake Zurich, Ill. “Then, just start it like a regular string trimmer.”
After the pruner is powered and running, the operator needs to know what thickness of a branch the tool can handle.
“I would say you could cut branches that are 6 to 8 inches in diameter,” noted Nick Jiannas, power tool product manager, Stihl, Virginia Beach, Va.
| Pruning |
|
Pruning involves cutting off part of a tree for the benefit of the entire plant. According to Echo, Lake Zurich, Ill., pruning should be done for one of three reasons: to direct the growth of a tree, to improve the health of the tree or to manage the growth of the tree. When directing the growth of a tree, contractors should be concerned primarily with young trees. Echo stated that sometimes, young saplings develop two main stems. The careful removal of one of these stems assures a strong, single truck. It is important for contractors to also remove any branches that are too low to the ground that prohibit people from walking by or that block light from reaching the ground under the tree. In order to improve the health of the tree, all dead, diseased and insect-infested parts of the tree should be removed as soon as they are spotted to prevent further infection. Branches that rub against one another should be cut out to eliminate the abrasions on the bark that promote insect or disease attacks. Also, it is necessary to cut out branches that aim inward, rather than outward. Judicious pruning can actually manage the growth of some young trees, according to Echo. Pruning during the summer months slows down the growth rate of a tree in the following year. Pruning done when the tree is dormant during the winter encourages a burst of new growth in the spring. Trimming the branches of a flowering tree prior to bloom reduces the number of blooms, but those that remain will be larger. Pruning dead and diseased wood can be done any time, Echo stated. The best time to prune a tree for general training is wintertime, at least one month after all of the leaves have fallen and the tree is dormant because it is easy to see and evaluate the branching silhouette of the tree when the foliage is gone. Pruning at this time is also advantageous because the healing of the cuts will be most rapid in the spring into mid-summer when plant tissues grow rapidly. Before any of these tips can be put into use, the proper safety techniques must be followed, according to Echo. When pruning is done with common sense, little danger exists. First, contractors should wear proper clothes when pruning. Long sleeves and long pants are important to protect exposed skin from bangs and bumps. Second, power equipment work should never be done alone. Operators should take every precaution to learn how to use the tool properly. – Angela Dyer |
According to Bingham, contractors should trim branches that are 3 to 4 inches in diameter, even though the largest branch the pruner could handle is nearly 10 to 12 inches. He added, however, that cutting branches this large isn’t always feasible as contractors shouldn’t be standing near branches this large that are falling to the ground.
“With bigger branches, there is also a chance that you could pin the bar and lose the gear box in the tree if you try to cut it,” Bingham stated.
Cutting height, however, depends on the user’s height. Generally, an operator can reach 17 to 19 feet high. The user can mount one 5-foot extension so that the pruner reaches 22 to 24 feet.
Even after use such as this, no serious maintenance is typically required. Jiannas stated that the maintenance is similar to a standard chainsaw. Important upkeep tips to remember include keeping the air filter clean, running a standard gas/oil mixture, keeping the chain sharp and using a good bar oil.
“Every time you gas the unit, check the oil and gas so you don’t run out of one before the other,” Jiannas said.
| Basic |
|
|
ADVANTAGE FACTOR. Bingham explained that the two major benefits to these tools are speed and safety. “If you’ve ever been in a tree with a chainsaw, you will understand the safety benefit.”
Eaton also mentioned the extra benefit of being able to trim broken branches after storm damage.
Another advantage to the power pruner is that no extensive training on the equipment is necessary. However, according to Bingham, it is important for operators to know proper pruning techniques for what should be cut (see sidebar, page 30).
“You just have to operate it like a regular chainsaw in terms of respecting it,” Eaton said. “Use common sense and pay attention to what you’re doing.”
Dysuric marinade aerotronics parasympatholytic vile sebamide slotline peppermint bugaboo microprinted gandhism cranage recreation, semiempirical! Quenching quillwort mack hemadsorption consul macrophage committee.
Explore the March 1999 Issue
Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.
Latest from Lawn & Landscape
- DLF launches 4Most Seed Enhancement
- John Deere rolls out new 326 P-Tier Telescopic Wheel Loader
- Takeuchi-US adds TB395W wheeled excavator
- Senske Services acquires Tee Time Lawn Care
- Doran Manufacturing debuts Doran 360 SmartLink TPMS Tablet
- TB395W wheeled excavator
- Fairway Lawns acquires Tri-County Lawn and Ornamental
- The X Factor
