Pole Saw vs Pruning Saw: Which One Fits Your Branches and Reach?

In the pole saw vs pruning saw choice, the branch decides: a hand saw cuts what you can reach from firm ground, and a pole saw cuts what sits above that, still from the ground. Once a branch is past the pole saw’s rated size, hangs near a wire or needs a ladder, neither tool fits and the job goes to a professional.

I prune an apricot and plum orchard, so both tools get used in the same season. Below I compare branch size, reach, safety, effort and upkeep, then match each tool to the job.

Pole Saw vs Pruning Saw: The Short Answer

Three checks settle it: whether you can reach the cut from firm ground without stretching, whether the branch is within the size the tool is rated for, and whether any wire sits near the branch or its fall path. The answers point to one of three outcomes.

• Reachable and within hand-saw size: use a hand pruning saw. It weighs little, needs no power and gives you the most control over where the cut ends.
• Above your reach, within the pole saw’s size, nothing overhead: use a pole saw from the ground, with the safety steps further down.
• Anything else: a limb that needs a ladder, a limb under tension or hung up after a storm, a large limb over a house, car or road, or any branch near a wire. This is not a homeowner cut with either tool.

Extension guides back the same split. Iowa State University Extension says a pole saw “allows you to safely prune high branches from the ground” and advises against pruning from a ladder. The sections below put numbers on each question.

What Each Tool Is

The names overlap in store listings, so it helps to separate three tools. All three cut a branch with teeth. They differ in who supplies the power and how far from your hands the blade sits. My guide to what a pole saw is explains its types and parts.

Hand Pruning Saws

A tree pruning saw is a hand saw built for live wood. According to Iowa State University Extension, pruning saws differ from hardware-store hand saws: the narrow, tapered or curved blades fit into crowded branches. The common shapes are the folding pruning saw, the fixed-blade saw in a sheath and the bow saw, which stretches a blade across a frame.

Most newer pruning saws cut on the pull stroke. NC State Extension says that lets you “put more power into the cut and wield greater control“, and the University of Missouri notes that pull cutters tend to be safer and easier to control than push types. Iowa State describes folding saws as convenient and easy to carry safely around the garden.

Manual Pole Saws and the Pruning Saw on a Pole

A manual pole saw, sometimes sold as a pole pruning saw, puts a curved blade on the end of a pole and reaches a branch above your head with no motor. Some poles also carry a hook-and-blade head worked by a rope; that tool is a pole pruner, and my pole saw vs pole pruner guide shows what each cuts. Iowa State says pole saws and pole pruners are generally used on branches up to 2 inches in diameter, and the University of Missouri puts pole pruners at limbs under 1 3/4 inches.

Powered Pole Saws

A powered pole saw is a small chain saw head on a shaft, run by a battery, a cord or a gas engine. The maker’s manual sets the branch size. The EGO, Ryobi, DeWalt and Echo manuals give 8 inches, the Greenworks 1400702CT manual gives 6 inches and the Milwaukee 3013-20 manual warns against branches over 9 inches. Those figures describe what the chain can cut, not what is safe for a person standing under the branch. My battery versus gas pole saw comparison weighs those two power types on weight, upkeep and safety.

Branch Size and Cut Quality

Branch diameter is the cleanest way to choose between a pole saw and a pruning saw, because every tool has a range where it works well. The extension guides do not agree to the inch, so the table shows each source. For thick limbs, my roundup of pole saws for thick branches lists each pick’s stated branch limit.

A Worked Example With Three Limbs

Take three branches on one apricot. A 1 inch water sprout at head height suits a hand saw or a lopper. A 2 inch limb about 9 feet up is out of reach: a manual pole saw sits at the top of its range there, and a powered pole saw handles it comfortably inside its rating. A 5 inch limb over the roof is outside any homeowner’s pole saw job, whatever the chain is rated for, because it will land on the house. If a powered saw is the answer for those limbs, my ranking of top pole saw models covers battery, corded and gas power.

Cutting a Thick Limb the Right Way

On a limb thicker than about 1 1/2 inches, Iowa State Extension describes a three-cut procedure for pruning: an undercut 6 to 12 inches from the trunk about a third of the way through, a top cut 1 to 2 inches beyond it that drops the limb, then a final cut just outside the branch collar. Clemson and Purdue give a wider gap for the second cut, so check which advice you follow and keep the first cut on the underside.

The branch collar is the slightly swollen area at the base of the branch. Purdue and Nebraska Extension both say to cut just outside it and never flush with the trunk.

In a four-year test on 10 species, conventional cuts through the collar left wounds 30 to 50 percent larger than cuts outside it, although closure of the smaller wounds was slow and varied by species (1). An earlier test found the larger wounds from cuts through the collar closed as fast or faster (2). Cut outside the collar to keep the wound small, and do not expect it to close sooner.

NC State says a saw can “get into tighter places and make a much cleaner cut” than loppers, which is the main reason to keep a hand saw in your kit.

Reach, Ladders and Footing With a Pole Saw for Pruning

Reach is the one thing a hand saw cannot give you. Standing on the ground, you reach about as high as your arm extends, and a pole adds length without adding a ladder. That swap is the reason a pole saw for pruning exists, and it is worth more than any spec on the box. My answer to “how much reach do I need from a pole saw” works it out from branch height.

Why the Ladder Is the Real Risk

US emergency departments treated more than 50 percent more ladder injuries in 2005 than in 1990, and most happened at home (3). In one emergency department study, most falls happened because the ladder moved or the person slipped or misstepped (4). A hand saw tempts you onto a ladder for the high cut. A pole saw is built so that you stay on the ground.

I do not climb with a saw and I do not put a ladder against an orchard tree to finish a cut. If a limb in the 2016 planting is out of reach from the ground, it waits for the right tool or the right person.

Arm and Neck Load Overhead

Overhead work tires the neck and shoulders fast. In 18 workers, neck and shoulder muscle activity was significantly higher with the task 20 centimeters above head height than 10 centimeters above (5). NC State Extension warns that cutting overhead is hard on the neck, arms and upper back and tells you to take rest breaks. My roundup of lightweight pole saw picks compares seven saws by weight.

A longer pole raises the load. A saw head that feels light near the ground feels heavy at the end of a fully extended pole, and I notice it in my forearms before my shoulders. Cut for a short stretch, then stop: release the trigger, switch the engine or motor off and wait until the chain has stopped completely before you put the saw down.

Safety Compared

Both tools can hurt you, in different ways. The hand saw hurts through the blade and your own hands; a powered pole saw adds a chain, and every pole saw adds an overhead cut, a branch that falls toward you and the chance of touching a wire. A full chainsaw is the other tool some owners consider, and my chainsaw versus pole saw guide matches each one to a yard and its trees.

Hand Pruning Saw Safety

Wear safety glasses, because bark and twigs fall toward your face whenever you cut above chest height, and wear work gloves. Keep your free hand off the branch beyond the cut, cut with the blade’s cutting stroke (the pull stroke on most newer pruning saws) and stand so that a slip carries the blade away from your body. Folding saws close, which is the safest way to carry them.

I wear glasses even for a short cut, because bark and twigs drop toward my face whenever I work above chest height.

I plan where the limb will fall before the first stroke. Over the drip lines in the orchard I cut heavy limbs in short pieces, so a falling branch does not crush an emitter line.

Powered Pole Saw Safety

A powered pole saw is a chain saw on a long pole, so the chain, kickback and power-source rules in this part are for powered saws. A manual pole saw has no chain, kickback or power source, but it keeps the falling-branch, footing, eye and overhead-wire hazards, so the falling-branch, ladder and power line rules apply to it too. Wear safety glasses with side shields marked Z87.1, and a face shield over them where your manual asks for one; a hard hat or safety helmet rated for falling objects (DeWalt names ANSI Z89.1); hearing protection; work gloves; close-fitting long pants and long sleeves with no loose clothing or jewelry; non-slip boots; a dust mask when the work is dusty; and tie long hair up above shoulder level.

Never stand under the branch you are cutting. Before you cut, look for loose, dead or hung branches above you and clear trip hazards from the ground; stand to the side, out of the branch’s path, plan where it will fall and keep a clear way back, and remember that a cut branch can bounce toward you when it lands. Cut long branches in sections, lower branches first. If a branch falls or swings unexpectedly, get clear at once.

Hold the saw with both hands, keep the pole at 60 degrees or less to the ground (the limit in the EGO, Ryobi, DeWalt, Greenworks and Milwaukee manuals; follow your own manual if it is stricter), keep your hands below shoulder height, and never overreach. Never cut in rain, high wind, a storm or when lightning is possible, and cut only when the light lets you see the branch, every wire and your footing clearly.

I wear a hard hat whenever a branch is above me, and I keep helpers well back from the drop zone.

Power Lines Change the Answer

Before you start, look for every overhead wire, including wires hidden in leaves. Keep yourself, the saw, the pole and any branch you cut or that could fall or swing at least 50 feet (15 m) from every overhead line, the distance the EGO, Ryobi, DeWalt, Greenworks, Milwaukee, Remington and Echo manuals give, or farther if your own manual asks for more. The saw is not insulated, and electricity can jump through the air and travel through branches, especially wet ones. Treat every wire, including service drops and communication lines, and anything touching one, as live.

If you cannot keep that distance the whole time, stop: a branch near or touching a line is a job for the utility and its qualified line-clearance crews, not for you and not for a general arborist.

The risk is real in the injury reports. A Massachusetts landscaper on a raised work platform was electrocuted when the top section of his pole saw touched an overhead line (6). In New Jersey, a tree-care worker on an aluminum ladder about 30 feet up a tree was electrocuted when his extendable pole saw touched a 7,200-volt line (7). Both were single cases, and both show why the ground, the distance and the utility matter more than the tool.

A hand pruning saw does not carry that risk through a pole, which is one fair reason to choose it for any branch you can reach without going near a wire. On a pole saw, no handle or pole material makes contact with a wire safe.

Weight, Effort and Upkeep

A hand pruning saw is light and has nothing to charge, fuel or oil. A pole saw weighs more at the hands than its listed weight suggests, because the pole multiplies the weight you feel. Each maker states weight on its own basis, with or without battery, fuel and oil, so compare saws only on the same basis. Some owners also ask about a reciprocating saw, and my pole saw versus reciprocating saw comparison covers it for pruning branches.

The pre-use check for a powered saw is short and worth doing every time. Before each use, check the saw as your manual describes: a sharp, undamaged chain at the right tension, chain oil in the tank, telescoping locks, couplings and the head tight, the trigger lock-off and switch working, and the battery, cord or fuel system undamaged; on a gas saw the chain must not move at idle. If anything fails, do not use the saw until it is fixed.

Any work on the chain follows a fixed order, and the order depends on the power type.

On a cold dormant-season morning a battery loses some of its runtime, so I keep the spare pack warm indoors until I need it. A hand saw has no such problem, which is one more point for it on small jobs. My corded versus battery pole saw comparison covers which type cuts better from the ground.

Which Tool for Which Job

The table matches common pruning jobs to a tool. It follows the size ranges above and the rule that all cutting is done from the ground.

In the orchard I use a hand saw for the lower scaffold limbs and for water sprouts I can reach standing on the ground, and I leave pole work for the upper limbs of the 2016 planting in the dormant season. Small sprouts high in the crown are often faster with a pole pruner than a powered saw, so I do not reach for the chain by habit. My roundup of pole saws for fruit trees picks seven saws for pruning an orchard from the ground.

The manual pole saw is the middle choice, and it earns its place on small branches only a little out of reach. My manual versus powered pole saw comparison weighs it against a powered saw for your trees and your back.

When to Call a Certified Arborist

University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension lists the cases where a certified arborist is the right call: a large tree that needs a ladder or harness to reach the damaged branches, and a tree near a structure. The IFAS Extension at the University of Florida adds removing an unsafe tree or broken limb near people or property, and reaching limbs that need climbing or an aerial lift.

A branch near or touching a power line is a different case: it is a job for the utility and its qualified line-clearance crews, not for you and not for a general arborist.

Both tools stop at that line. A hand pruning saw cannot reach a limb you cannot stand under safely, and a pole saw is not a way around the ladder rule. IFAS advises asking whether the person is insured for property damage, personal liability and worker’s compensation, because an uninsured worker’s injury can become your bill.

After a wind, I leave half-broken limbs that hang in the tree alone, since hung or tangled wood is the most dangerous cut there is.

Matching the Tool to the Branch

Three things to remember: reach from the ground goes to the hand saw, anything above it goes to a pole saw only inside the saw’s rated size and well clear of wires, and anything that needs a ladder goes to a professional. My tip is to walk the tree before you cut and mark which branches get which tool, so you never improvise a cut at the end of a tired arm. Decide the pole saw vs pruning saw question branch by branch, and keep both tools on hand. If you doubt the tool pays off for your trees, my guide on whether a pole saw is worth buying lays out the costs, limits and alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

When to use a pruning saw?

Use a pruning saw when a branch is too thick for loppers and still within reach from the ground. Iowa State University Extension puts that line at branches larger than 1 3/4 inches and NC State Extension at larger than 1 1/2 inches. For a limb above your reach, move to a pole saw within its rated size, or to an arborist, instead of a ladder.

What is the difference between a lopper and a pruning saw?

The difference between a lopper and a pruning saw is how they cut: a lopper shears a branch between two blades with long handles, and a pruning saw cuts with teeth, on the pull stroke in most newer designs. Iowa State puts loppers at 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches, and pruning saws take over above that. The saw also reaches into crowded branches where lopper blades will not fit.

How to use a pruning saw?

To use a pruning saw on a thick limb, make an undercut about a third of the way through, 6 to 12 inches from the trunk, cut down from the top 1 to 2 inches farther out so the limb drops without tearing the bark, then make a final cut just outside the branch collar, according to Iowa State University Extension. Use the blade’s cutting stroke, which is the pull stroke on most newer saws. Wear safety glasses and gloves, and keep your free hand clear of the line of the blade.

When should you do pruning?

Prune deciduous fruit trees in the dormant season, in late winter or early spring, late enough that extreme cold has passed, according to University of Florida IFAS. Clemson Extension says spring-flowering trees wait until after the flowers fade, because winter pruning removes the flower buds. Remove dead, diseased or damaged limbs first, whatever the species.

What is the difference between a pruning saw and a reciprocating saw?

The difference between a pruning saw and a reciprocating saw is the power: a pruning saw is a hand tool you pull through the wood, while a reciprocating saw is a power tool whose motor drives the blade back and forth. A reciprocating saw fitted with a pruning blade needs a battery or a cord and carries the hazards of any power saw, so wear the same eye, hand and head protection. A pruning saw needs no power at all.

References

1. Neely D. Branch Pruning Wound Closure. J Arboric. 1991;17(8):205-208.
2. Neely D. Closure of Branch Pruning Wounds with Conventional and ‘Shigo’ Cuts. Arboric Urban For. 1988;14(11):261-264.
3. D’Souza AL, Smith GA, Trifiletti LB. Ladder-Related Injuries Treated in Emergency Departments in the United States, 1990-2005. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2007;32(5):413-418.
4. Cabilan CJ, Vallmuur K, Eley R, et al. Impact of ladder-related falls on the emergency department and recommendations for ladder safety. Emerg Med Australas. 2018;30(1):95-102.
5. Shin SJ, Yoo WG. Effects of overhead work involving different heights and distances on neck and shoulder muscle activity. Work. 2015;51(2):321-326.
6. Massachusetts Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program. Landscaper working from a raised portable work platform was electrocuted when a pole saw contacts overhead power line – Massachusetts. NIOSH FACE report 13MA019. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2015.
7. New Jersey Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program. Tree-care worker electrocuted while trimming branch near power line. NIOSH FACE report 13NJ074. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2016.

Safety Note: Only an adult who has read the manual and understands the controls should use a pole saw, never a child or anyone tired or impaired; practise first on small, low branches you can reach easily from the ground. A pole saw is made for cutting branches from the ground, never for felling trees, and never from a ladder, a roof, a tree or any unstable support. Power lines can kill. Before you start, look for every overhead wire, including wires hidden in leaves, and keep yourself, the saw, the pole and any branch you cut or that could fall or swing at least 50 feet (15 m) from every line, the distance many pole saw manuals give, or farther if your manual asks for more. The saw is not insulated, and electricity can jump through the air and travel through branches, especially wet ones. Treat every wire, and anything touching one, as live. A branch near or touching a line is a job for the utility and its qualified line-clearance crews, not for you and not for a general arborist. If the saw or a branch touches a wire, do not go to the saw or touch the saw, the branch or the wire, keep everyone away and call the utility, and 911 if anyone is hurt. Before you cut, look for loose, dead or hung branches above you and clear trip hazards from the ground. Never stand under the branch you are cutting: stand to the side, out of its path, plan where it will fall and keep a clear way back, because a cut branch can bounce toward you when it lands. Cut long branches in sections, and if a branch falls or swings unexpectedly, get clear at once. Hold the saw with both hands, keep the pole at 60 degrees or less to the ground, the limit several makers set, keep your hands below shoulder height, and never overreach. Let the chain reach full speed before it touches wood, and never start a cut with the tip of the bar. If the bar tip touches anything, the saw can kick up and back toward you, and wood pinching or binding the chain can push it back or pull it forward: keep the tip clear and use only the reduced-kickback chain and bar your manual approves. Wear safety glasses with side shields marked Z87.1 (and a face shield over them where your manual asks for one), a hard hat or safety helmet rated for falling objects, hearing protection, work gloves, close-fitting long pants and long sleeves with no loose clothing or jewelry, and non-slip boots, and tie long hair up. Keep people and pets, helpers included, at least 50 feet (15 m) away, or farther if your manual asks, and out of the whole area where the branch can fall and bounce; stop cutting if anyone comes closer. Never cut in rain, high wind, a storm or when lightning is possible, or in light too poor to see the branch, the wires and your footing. Before each use, check the chain, its tension and the oil, the telescoping locks and the switch as your manual describes, and do not use a saw that fails a check. Before you touch the chain, clear a jam, adjust the tension, fill the oil or change the pole length or head angle: release the trigger, switch the saw off and wait until the chain has stopped, then take the battery out, unplug a corded saw by the plug, or on a gas saw let the engine cool and pull the spark plug cap off; wear gloves. To carry or store the saw, release the trigger, switch it off and wait until the chain has stopped, then take out the battery or unplug it, collapse the pole and fit the chain cover. Use only the maker’s battery and charger, charge and store them within the temperatures your manual gives and never in the wet, never use or charge a damaged, swollen or leaking pack, and keep loose batteries away from metal objects that could short the terminals. Use a corded saw only with an outdoor-rated extension cord of the gauge your manual gives, plugged into GFCI-protected power, and never in rain or wet conditions: GFCI protection does not make that safe. Start a gas pole saw on the ground with the chain clear of everything, at least 10 feet from where you fuelled it; refuel outdoors with the engine off and cool, with no smoking, flames or sparks nearby, and never run it indoors or in a garage or shed, because the exhaust contains carbon monoxide. A branch thicker than your manual allows, a limb under tension or hung up after a storm, a large limb over a house, car or road, or anything you cannot reach from the ground is a job for a certified arborist. Stop when you are tired.