PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT- CUTTING & PRUNING EQUIPMENT: Sawed Off

Let’s face it. We’ve all used our teeth to open a stubborn ketchup packet when scissors weren’t handy. And it’s not uncommon to prop up a wobbly table with a couple of matchbooks when a shim and a level aren’t available. Using alternative tools is usually acceptable in a pinch, but when it comes to live material like trees and shrubs, having the right tool for the job is crucial.

According to a 2003 Lawn & Landscape survey, 66 percent of respondents noted that they offer tree and shrub care, including pruning. This is up from 60 percent in 2002. With two-thirds of contractors offering pruning services, ensuring that those services are provided professionally is important.

"A lot of landscape companies are starting to get above lawn level by offering tree care and aerial work that they didn’t used to do before," observes Robert Fanno, president, Fanno Saw, Chico, Calif. "Their clients are asking if they can take care of their trees in addition to their lawns and their bedding plants, so you see more landscape contractors getting into that side of the trade. It’s a positive trend in the industry as long as they’re educated and knowledgeable."

Indeed, a large part of that education pertains to cutting and pruning equipment and ensuring that contractors fill their toolboxes with an appropriate mix of manual and mechanized cutting tools. Cutting equipment manufacturers offer some explanations of the tool options available to narrow down the choices.

LOPPER LOW-DOWN. Most contractors are familiar with small hand tools, such as hand pruners or hedge shears. Loppers are these tools’ larger cousins, often used on trees and large shrubs to handle branches about 1 to 2 inches or more in diameter, depending on the strength of the tool.

"Compared to saws, loppers handle smaller material – usually around 1½ inches, whereas pole saws could cut up to 10-inch branches," says Karl Zeller, vice president of marketing and sales, Barnel USA, Portland, Ore. "This is great if you have small branches that you need to cut, and a larger saw blade would be too aggressive and end up moving the whole branch and causing damage."

Additionally, Zeller notes that loppers are also faster than saws when they’re used on appropriate branch sizes. "With loppers, you’re using two hands and clipping right through the branch, while with a saw you may have to make several strokes," he explains.

With the range of branch sizes they can handle, manufacturers say a solid pair of loppers should be in every tree care worker’s tool box. A wide price range makes it easy for contractors at all levels of experience to find a tool that fits their needs. Generally, loppers can range from $15 for a low-end model up to $100 for a larger, more professional tool. Additionally, Zeller notes that price is impacted by details like the size of the tool and materials it’s made from. For instance, a 36-inch lopper that offers more leverage and larger cutting capacity could cost up to $80, whereas a small 20-inch model could hover around $25. Moreover, wood-handled equipment can be 10 to 20 percent less expensive than lightweight aluminum-handled models, and die-cast models are less expensive than forged blades.

HANDY HANDSAWS. For cutting branches that don’t warrant revving up the chainsaw but are too large for loppers to handle, contractors can turn to handsaws. Available in several different sizes and styles, a quality handsaw makes easy work of limbs between 3 and 10 inches in diameter.

"There are folding saws available from 5 inches to about 12 inches in length, and those are very convenient because the contractor can fold it up and keep it in the holster when he’s not using it and then pull it out again as he needs it," Zeller says. "For most landscape contractors and orchardists, though, the non-folding saws are usually more popular. These are sturdier for more of the bigger cuts of 6 to 10 inches."

Ranging from 10 to 20 inches in length, most manufacturers provide hard plastic or polypropylene sheaths to protect the user from the blade when the saw is not in use and also to protect the blade itself from damage. Indeed, with new Japanese saw blade technology becoming more popular in the market, contractors need to protect their investments into these powerful blades.

"In the hand tool market, the Japanese- style tooth has been very popular," Fanno says. "Unlike a conventional tooth design, the Japanese-style teeth are ground three times, giving the blade more slicing action than a conventional saw tooth and letting it move through the wood more easily."

Zeller adds that because of the extra cutting edges on the teeth, Japanese-style saws, which work on the pull stroke, remove more material from the cutting path than a standard saw blade. This allows cuts to be made 10 to 20 percent faster, and the resulting smooth surface leaves less favorable conditions for water and disease to get into the wound and allows the wounded tissue to heal better.

Ranging from just $15 to $25 for a small folding saw to $45 or $50 for a large non-folding version, hard-working handsaws are a perfect fit for most contractors’ pruning tool arsenals.

POLE SAW POWER. When handsaws offer the right cutting strength for a pruning job but offending branches are out of the user’s reach, it’s time to turn to versatile pole pruners and pole saws.

Available in either fixed-length or telescopic models, pole saws can extend the contractors reach up to 20 feet in some cases.

Additionally, some manufacturers offer products that are essentially two tools in one. "These types of tools usually come with a lopper blade to allow the contractor to reach smaller branches up high," Zeller says. "Then, with a push-button disconnect feature, the contractor can turn the pruner into a pole saw with the saw blade attachment and remove limbs that are up to 10 inches in diameter. In many cases, this versatility can help contractors do a more professional job."

Manual pole saws that come with both lopper and saw blade attachments can usually run between $150 and $250, depending on the length of the tool, according to Zeller. But for contractors who want more power and are willing to spend more to get it, gas-powered pole saws may be just what the tree doctor ordered.

"Pole handsaws with a cutting blade usually make the finest cut – it is the slowest cut, but it’s also the finest and neatest type of cut," says Mark Michaels, product marketing manager for handheld products, Husqvarna, Charlotte, N.C. "Power saws come into play when speed is important but such a fine cut isn’t required. In these cases, we’re usually talking about bigger trees and species with thick bark that will sustain less damage if the saw touches it." The age of the tree can also come into play when determining what type of saw to use, Michaels adds. For instance, a younger tree with thinner bark or species such as birch or cherry could sustain more damage if the bark is scraped by a powered saw, Michaels says. Using a finer handsaw would be more appropriate in those situations, whereas older trees and those with rougher bark, such as on oaks or ash trees, may be more able to withstand the strength of a powered pole saw.

In terms of pole saw technique for both powered and non-powered models, Michaels explains that initial cuts usually include an undercut and are made farther out from the tree itself. "When you’re working with pole saws, the limbs aren’t really close to you, so the technique is to cut farther from the tree and then make a final cut close to the tree," he says.

Also, contractors should look for pole saws that are lightweight for more manageability, Michaels explains. "If the pole saw is powered, that will add a lot to the weight, but there are still lightweight models available," he notes. "A 10-foot fixed-length saw, for instance, would be lighter than a pole with a handle that telescopes to 20 feet."

Generally, a non-powered, fixed-length pole saw can weigh as little as 1 pound with an aluminum handle, while a 10-foot telescoping model could weigh 3 to 5 pounds. The engines on gas-powered models, however, can add as much as 10 pounds to the weight of the tool, though the speed and ease of cut will make pruning easier on appropriate size branches up to 10 inches in diameter. Powered products can range from $200 for a consumer-grade model, up to $400 or $600 for a professional model, depending on length.

CHAIN GANG. For large-scale pruning or complete tree removal, contractors can put their hand tools away and pull out the trusty chainsaw.

"With chainsaws, some of the same ideas take place as when you’re working with pole saws," Michaels says. "The difference is that with chainsaws you’re typically either working with something close to you and probably a bigger branch."

By removing the weight of the pole, chainsaws are actually lighter than pole saws, usually ranging from 6 to 10 pounds. Additionally, the orientation of the chainsaw’s handle can make these products more user-friendly when climbing.

In terms of power, Michaels says the most common sized chainsaw used commercially is in the 2-hp range.

Contractors can expect to spend $350 to $700 for a model appropriate for their work, Michaels says, adding, "All pruning products will cut through a piece of wood sooner or later. Picking the right product comes down to how much and how fast that machine can do the work."