Equipment Notebook: May 2001, TREE TIME: Pruning Power

DECISIONS, DECISIONS. Contractors have many considerations to weigh when choosing tree tools, noted Mark Michaels, business unit manager for hand-held products, Husqvarna, Charlotte, N.C. "Most of their decisions are based on the size of the branch they’re cutting," he pointed out. "They should go with the least damaging piece of equipment that they can still be productive with."

Limb size determines whether a technician should use a chain saw or hand pruners, but productivity and plant species also come into play, Michaels added. Trees with thin bark are more susceptible to wounding from chain saws, whereas coarse bark and rough textures can stand up to high-powered cutting, he explained.

Basically, the equipment must fit the job, advised Paul Carnes, sales manager, Porter-Ferguson, West Boylston, Mass. "Assess the application and what you’re trying to accomplish," he advised. "If you are low on the ground you can reach the branch with a hand pruner. If you don’t have to cut to the point, you could use a 1-inch or 2-inch forester pruner. If you need to reach 16 feet or you’re up in a bucket, then you can use the pole pruners."

Defining which pruning tools will fit the job starts with the sale for Bruce Phillips, president, Treemasters, a division of Bartlett Tree Experts, Fulton, Md. "The sales representative goes on the property first and talks to the clients to find out what their needs are, and then develops a contract and a work order," he explained. "From the form you will know if you need to prune an oak tree, where you’ll need a climber hand saw and a chainsaw. If the work order says to hedge a hemlock in the back and cut the back sides, you’ll know that you need the pole pruner to cut off the ends."

Michaels listed a progression of equipment to handle trimming tasks, starting with hand pruners, then handsaws and finally chain saws. An extension of all three of these types is available on poles, which adds reach for pruning distances up to 16 feet, he added.

While handsaws are used to cut through limbs up to 3 inches thick, a pair of hand pruners is adequate for a ground-level twig that is less than ½-inch wide, Phillips noted. Pole pruners are also used for smaller branches, but are useful for contractors who need to reach up into a tree to snip long limbs that can’t be reached from the ground. "The pole pruners are just like hand pruners with extensions," he compared.

While pole pruners act as an extra-long arm, Carnes prescribed point cut pruners for cutting through young sucklings, immature branches or clipping close to the trunk.

And when pruners won’t make the cut, contractors turn to chainsaws - a productive alternative when cutting many branches or limbs with thick diameters, Michaels noted.

CHOOSY CHOPPERS. Functionality, practicality and durability are a few keys contractors should take to the shop when purchasing pruning equipment. Determining the complexity of tree jobs is the first step, and from there, contractors can decide which equipment to purchase.

"If you are a landscaper and not an arborist, you are doing much smaller work, so you could start with a pair of hand pruners and hand saws," Phillips suggested. "Also, landscapers do much more work on the ground, so loppers might come into play. The pull saws and pull pruners are two tools you can use from the ground."

A clean cut is also important, Michaels added. "Most of their pruning is for quality or better health of the plant, so they want to consider high-quality equipment because they want the cut to look right and be healthy for the tree," he explained.

Phillips looks for tri-edge teeth on handsaw blades, which produce a cleaner, faster cut, he said. Some chain saws include guards that keep blades from scraping trees and damaging them.

Ergonomics are also important, Michaels added. "You want the saw to be lightweight and maneuverable and have a high speed that can cut quickly without tearing wood or branches," he said.

Contractors should look for comfortable handles and lightweight equipment since contractors use these tools as an extensions of their bodies, Michaels noted.

"Pole pruners are heavier than their hand-held equivalents and harder to be precise when cutting because it is hard to see and position the unit," he said. "It’s important that these products are lightweight and that the operators are experienced with long-distance pruning."