EGO vs Makita Pole Saw: PS1001 Kit vs XAU02ZB Tool Only Compared

In the EGO vs Makita pole saw match-up, the EGO PS1001 is the better buy for most people, because the kit arrives with a battery and charger and a manual that states an 8 in branch limit. The Makita wins when you already own 18V LXT batteries and want a longer pole. I prune a 3.7-acre apricot and plum orchard, so I judged both saws by what matters from the ground: length, weight at the end of your arms, and what you still have to buy. Below I compare them on the same basis, row by row, and say who should skip each one.

EGO vs Makita Pole Saw and Which One to Buy

Buy the EGO Power+ PS1001 10 in Telescoping Battery Pole Saw Kit if you want a kit with the battery and charger included; it still needs assembly, bar and chain oil and the pre-use checks before the first cut. Pick the Makita XAU02ZB 36V (18V x2) 10 in Telescoping Pole Saw, Tool Only if two 18V LXT batteries already sit on your shelf and you want the longer pole. The table sets the two saws side by side, with the basis of each weight and length in the row name.

Three rows decide it: what is in the box, the weight on the same battery-out basis, and the maximum limb size. The EGO’s manual states an 8 in limit, and the Makita’s publishes none, so I keep the Makita to small and medium pruning limbs and never read its bar length as a limit. I list seven picks with their stated branch limits in my roundup of pole saws for thick branches.

What Comes in the Box and What You Still Have to Buy

The EGO pole saw kit, the PS1001, holds the saw, a 56V 2.5Ah battery, a charger, a shoulder strap and a chain sheath. The oil tank ships empty and bar and chain oil is not in the box, so a bottle of oil is the only shopping left. EGO sells the same saw as the PS1000 without the battery and charger. My review of the EGO saw covers the PS1001 telescoping battery kit.

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The tool-only Makita XAU02ZB listing carries no battery or charger. Makita lists a chain, a guide bar, a harness and a chain cover with the saw, and the saw needs two 18V LXT batteries and a charger on top. That is the real gap between the two: with the Makita you either buy a battery system or you already own one.

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Winner: the EGO PS1001, because the kit includes the battery and charger, though you still assemble it, add bar and chain oil and run the pre-use checks; the Makita wins only for a buyer who already owns the batteries.

Power and Batteries

The EGO runs on the 56V ARC Lithium platform, and the kit’s single 2.5Ah battery is the one in the box. According to EGO, that battery gives up to 100 cuts, with no cut size stated, so I read it as a rough guide and never as a promise for orchard limbs. If you are considering other cordless models, my ranking of the best battery pole saws compares nine saws.

The Makita is a 36V tool built from two 18V LXT batteries, and its manual lists the BL1820B through BL1860B models. Anyone shopping for a Makita 18V pole saw should know that a single battery will not run it. Makita claims up to 140 cuts in 4×4 cedar with two 5.0Ah batteries, a maker figure for that exact setup. The tool-only saw has its own write-up in my review of the Makita saw.

On a frost morning during dormant pruning the Makita stopped by itself, so I read its lamp before blaming the saw. The manual says the tool shuts down for overload, overheat and over-discharge, and the lamp tells which. Use the battery rule for either saw as the makers give it: “Use only the maker’s battery and charger for your saw, charge and store them within the temperatures your manual gives and never in rain or wet places, never use or charge a damaged, swollen or leaking pack, and keep loose batteries away from metal objects that could short the terminals.”

Winner: the EGO, because the kit’s battery and charger arrive matched to the saw.

Length, Reach and Telescoping Shafts

Length is the Makita’s strongest card. Its manual gives an overall length of 99.5 to 148 in without the guide bar, about 8.3 to 12.3 ft, and Makita’s page describes the shaft as adjusting from 9 to 13 ft. The EGO’s manual gives a machine length of 7.64 to 9.58 ft, so at full extension the Makita telescoping pole saw is the longer tool even after allowing for the bar. For limbs well above head height, I rank five long-shaft saws in my list of pole saws for tall trees.

The EGO can be lengthened with a separate EP1000 extension pole, which adds 3.28 ft and which the manual allows in pairs. One pole brings the machine to 12.86 ft at extra cost. The 13 ft on EGO’s page is a reach claim with no stated user height, so I compare tool length with tool length only.

Before you change the pole length on either saw, release the trigger, switch the motor off and wait until the chain has stopped completely (the chain keeps moving for a moment after the switch is off), then take the battery out. Lay the saw on a flat surface and put on gloves before touching the chain. Check every lock and coupling before power goes back on.

I extended the EGO by lifting the quick-release lever, sliding the inner pole out and pressing the lever down, then tugged the pole before lifting. The Makita locks with a ring that turns clockwise to tighten and counterclockwise to loosen. At full length the Makita’s cut wandered as the pole flexed. My ranking of telescoping pole saws covers seven saws with adjustable length.

Winner: Makita XAU02ZB, because its manual length is the longest on a stated basis.

Weight, Balance and Carrying Comfort

Weight needs care because the makers state it on different bases. EGO’s manual gives 9.37 lb without the battery and the chain sheath and publishes no weight with the battery. Makita’s page gives 15.3 lb without batteries and 18.1 lb with batteries, without naming the battery size. I compare seven saws by weight in my ranking of lightweight pole saws.

With the battery out, the Makita is heavier by about 6 lb as a whole tool, and the EGO’s figure also leaves out the sheath. A pole saw also works as a lever, so the weight you feel grows with the length you extend, and it reaches your shoulders. In a lab study of 18 young men, moving an overhead task 10 cm higher raised neck extension and shoulder muscle activity (1).

After a stretch at full reach the EGO felt much heavier than it did at the first cut, so the strap went on before the next limb. The manual says the strap takes weight off the arms, and it has a quick-release loop. I wore the Makita’s harness as its manual requires, and its manual asks for a rest of 10 to 20 minutes every hour.

Winner: EGO again, because it is the lighter saw on the battery-out figures.

Chain, Bar, Oiler and Tensioning

Both saws carry a 10 in bar and a low-kickback chain, but the chains do not swap: the EGO uses 1/4 in pitch, 0.043 in gauge and 56 drive links, and the Makita ships with 3/8 in low profile, 0.050 in gauge and 40 drive links. Replace a chain or bar only with the pitch, gauge, drive link count and part numbers your manual approves. Never run either saw dry of chain oil.

The EGO’s oil tank holds 2.7 oz, and its manual says to check the level after every 20 minutes of use. The Makita’s translucent tank holds 5.4 fl oz and has an adjusting screw for oil delivery. After the EGO lay on its side in the tool shed overnight, a little oil weeped onto the floor, which the manual calls normal; it says to empty the tank after each use and run the saw for a minute.

Tensioning differs more than oiling does. The EGO has a tool-free knob with an eccentric gear that stops the chain being over-tensioned, and early on its chain slackened, so I loosened the knob one turn and tightened it fully, as the manual says. The Makita uses a single stud: loosen the retaining nut a little, lift the bar tip, turn the adjusting screw counterclockwise to tighten, then tighten the nut. Makita warns the chain may loosen after many hours and asks you to check the tension before each use.

Winner: EGO PS1001 takes tension, because its knob is tool-free by design; the Makita’s bigger tank is its one edge.

Cutting Limits, Safety and Power Lines

Both saws are for cutting branches from the ground. EGO’s manual rules out felling and bucking, and Makita’s manual says to use the tool only for the job it is intended for. Anything the saw cannot take from the ground goes to someone else.

The risk is real. A review of 95 landscaping and tree-care worker deaths found power line electrocution was the most common cause at 18.3 percent (2), and one state report describes a landscaper electrocuted when the top section of his pole saw touched overhead lines (3). Makita’s manual asks for the same 50 ft (15 m) from lines and from any branch touching them.

If the saw, the pole or a branch touches a wire, the saw, the branch, the wire and the ground around them can become live. Do not go to the saw or pick it up, touch nothing that is in contact with the line, keep everyone away, and call the utility at once, and 911 if anyone is hurt, a fire starts or a line comes down. Only the utility frees the saw.

EGO’s manual says to “continue to hold the pole saw by the insulated rear handle or lay it down and away from you in a safe manner”, and that handle does not make contact safe.

Two exceptions override the stopping order below: after line contact, never go back to the saw to switch it off or remove its battery, and if a branch falls, swings or shifts unexpectedly, get clear at once without waiting for the trigger or the battery.

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. Loose, dead, broken or hung branches above you, including any above your way back, are a job for a professional: stop and leave them.

One state report on a tree crew describes a ground crewman killed by a cut branch when the drop zone was not marked (4). I stand to the side of the limb, not under it, and watch it come down.

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 use a pole saw from a ladder, a roof, a tree or any unstable support; work from the ground on firm, level footing. A branch you cannot reach from the ground is a job for a certified arborist (or the utility, if it is near a line).

If the tip of the bar touches a branch, a wire or anything else, the bar can be thrown up and back toward you (kickback). Wood pinching the chain on the top of the bar pushes the saw back toward you, and wood binding the chain on the bottom pulls it forward and away; any of these can make you lose control or balance. Keep both hands on the saw and firm footing, keep the tip clear, watch for branches behind the one you cut and for wood closing on the bar, and use only the reduced-kickback chain and bar your manual approves; no part of the saw removes this risk.

Start with the chain clear of everything and let it reach full speed before it touches wood. Cut one branch at a time, rest the saw’s bucking spikes or cutting shoe against the branch as the manual shows, and use light, steady pressure. Never start a cut with the tip of the bar and never make a plunge or bore cut. Keep control of the head as the branch separates so it does not drop, and release the trigger as soon as the cut is done.

On a small apricot limb I made a shallow underside cut first so the bar did not pinch. EGO’s manual gives three cuts: a shallow underside cut about 1/4 of the limb diameter near the trunk, a second cut from the top outboard of it, and a final cut close to the trunk. Makita’s manual describes a shallow undercut and then the finishing cut from the top. When a limb comes off whole, the last cut goes just outside the branch collar, the swollen ring at the base of the limb, and never flush with the trunk. I rank seven saws for pruning an orchard from the ground in my list of pole saws for fruit trees.

A branch thicker than the manual’s stated limit, a limb under tension or hung up after a storm, a large limb over a house, car, fence or road, and any cut that needs a ladder, climbing or a lift all go to a certified arborist. Anything near a power line goes to the utility and its qualified line-clearance crews.

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. Keep people and pets, helpers included, at least 50 feet (15 m) away, or farther if your manual asks for more, and out of the whole area where the branch can fall and bounce. If anyone comes closer, stop cutting until they are clear, and look behind you before you swing the pole.

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 undamaged. If anything fails, do not use the saw until it is fixed. 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.

The Makita’s dead-wood warning matched what I saw in a plum crown: before the cut I looked up and kept an escape route, as its manual asks. Winner: neither saw, because both manuals set the same 50 ft line distance, the same 60 degree limit and the same ground-only rule.

Warranty and Long-Term Care

According to EGO, the PS1001 carries a 5-year limited tool warranty and a 3-year limited battery and charger warranty for household use, with 90 days on chains and bars. Makita gives the XAU02ZB a 3-year limited warranty. Those are the makers’ own terms, and I do not claim either saw outlasts the other.

Both chains need sharpening with a 5/32 in round file at a 30 degree top plate angle. EGO gives a 65 degree side plate angle and a 0.020 in depth gauge; Makita gives 55 degrees and 0.65 mm for its 91PX chain, and says to replace the chain when a cutter is 3 mm or shorter. A dull EGO chain shows itself as small powdery chips, a chain forced through the wood, or a cut that pulls to one side. Makita asks that a much-sharpened chain go to a service center.

After cutting plum wood, fine dust and gum packed the Makita’s chain cover, and its manual warns that the oil discharge hole can clog with dust and particles. Cleaning it follows the maintenance order in the chain section above. Winner: the EGO PS1001 once more, because its household tool warranty is longer on the makers’ stated terms.

Choose the EGO PS1001 If

The EGO suits a buyer who wants the whole outfit in one purchase and a stated limit to work within. It is the saw I recommend to most readers who prune from the ground. I also compare it with a second 10 in battery saw in my EGO PS1001 and Greenworks PS60L211 comparison.

• You own no batteries: the kit has a 56V 2.5Ah battery and a charger.
• You want the lighter saw: 9.37 lb on the battery-out basis.
• You cut shaded limbs: an LED lights the chain line, and it stays on for about 10 seconds after the trigger is released, which I noticed under a dense plum canopy.
• Skip it if your limbs sit beyond about 9.58 ft of machine length and you do not want to buy the extension pole. My EGO and Echo pole saw comparison pits it against a gas telescoping saw.

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Choose the Makita XAU02ZB If

The Makita suits a buyer already inside Makita’s battery system who wants height. This saw makes sense only when two 18V LXT batteries and a charger are already on your shelf, because the saw is sold tool only. As a Makita cordless pole saw it is the longer, heavier and more premium-priced tool of the pair.

• You own 18V LXT batteries: the saw takes two of them and nothing else.
• You need the longest tool: 148 in without the bar on the manual basis.
• You cut hard wood now and then: Torque Boost runs for up to 60 seconds, its lamp turning green, then returns to normal mode.
• Skip it if you want a stated limb limit: Makita publishes no maximum branch diameter.
• Skip it if you want a lighter pole: the manual puts this saw at 17.2 to 18.5 lb with batteries.

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Which Saw I Settle On for Pruning From the Ground

The EGO PS1001 is my pick for most yards and small orchards. It includes the battery and charger, it states an 8 in limit, and its battery-out weight is about 6 lb below the Makita’s. The Makita XAU02ZB is my pick for one buyer: the person who already owns two 18V LXT batteries and wants a pole that reaches higher. Both saws ask for the same habits, and the safety steps above apply to each. Count the batteries on your shelf and the height of your limbs, and the EGO vs Makita pole saw decision settles itself. I rank nine saws across battery, corded and gas in my list of the best pole saws.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Makita XAU02ZB pole saw when fully extended?

The Makita XAU02ZB pole saw is 148 inches long at full extension, about 12.3 feet, in the manual’s overall length, which leaves out the guide bar. Makita’s product page says the telescoping shaft adjusts from 9 to 13 feet, and the manual’s shortest setting is 99.5 inches, also without the bar.

Does the Makita pole saw have an automatic oiler?

The Makita pole saw has an automatic oiler fed from a translucent 5.4 fl oz tank, and its manual lets you adjust the oil delivery with a screw. Makita says to use botanical oil when pruning trees and to run the saw away from the tree after refilling until the chain is oiled.

Does the EGO pole saw need chain oil?

The EGO pole saw needs bar and chain oil in its 2.7 oz tank, which ships empty with no oil in the box, so you buy a bottle first. EGO’s manual says to use only bar and chain oil, never other lubricants, and to check the oil level after every 20 minutes of use.

Is the Makita pole saw good for tree trimming?

The Makita XAU02ZB pole saw suits trimming branches from the ground when you already own, or will buy, two 18V LXT batteries and a charger, because the saw is sold tool only. Its manual covers pruning branches, a length up to 148 inches and a 60 degree angle limit, but it publishes no maximum branch diameter.

How thick a branch can the EGO PS1001 pole saw cut?

The EGO PS1001 pole saw is designed for small branches and limbs up to 8 inches (200 mm) in diameter, according to its manual. A branch thicker than that, a limb under tension or hung up, or any cut that needs a ladder goes to a certified arborist, not to this saw.

References

1. 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.
2. Kearney GD, Romano N, Doub A. Fatal injuries among landscaping and tree care workers: Insights from NIOSH and state-based FACE reports. Journal of Safety Research. 2024;91:393-400.
3. 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.
4. New Jersey Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program. Twenty-seven-year-old tree-care worker killed by falling branch. NIOSH FACE report 12NJ019. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2013.

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.