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HomeGarden StoreGarden Pole ToolsPole SawsGilmour 20-18 16-Inch Curved Blade Commercial Grade Pole Saw With Fiberglasss Handle |
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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 38 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
 Excellant for casual use, a little mods will make it professional Jul 09, 2011
By D. Freeman
"raelalt"
This is a great tool, especially for the cost, I was not expecting such quality when I first sent for it.
In a younger (much younger) life, I was a professional tree trimmer for 15 years working for both municipal park departments and commercial companies. This saw is as good a quality as any I had worked with. It just takes a little bit of extra work to make it so.
One point: these are not plastic poles as one reviewer stated, they are fiberglass which is what you want. As long as you keep them clean they are adequate for household drop current (220 v) insulation, but NOT for the pole to pole current (> 220v). All the same you should still avoid contact with the drop line as it can ruin your blade should you cut through the insulation. (That is the voice of experience talking there).
As was also noted before, the hook can be used to pull stubborn branches down after they have been cut, but I find it is also very convenient for hanging the saw in the tree while I am using another tool or taking a break.
The instability that some reviewers complained about are NOT due to the poles' flexibility but rather to the ferrules that connect the poles, and the plastic connector for the pole head, these can be fixed though.
Myself, I would never use the 18 ft length combination, it is too clumsy and I would climb up into the tree a bit and then use one of the shorter lengths. That's what makes this pole perfect for me. I am going to epoxy two lengths together for the 12 ft reach (thereby getting rid of some of the excessive wobbliness) and then switch back and forth between the 6 ft (what I would use the most of anyway) and the 12 ft. And if I should need the 18 ft reach I can still connect them together for that.
As was also noted before, the hook can be used to pull stubborn branches down after they have been cut, but I find it is also very convenient for hanging the saw in the tree while I am using another tool or taking a break.
The way the cutting head connects to the pole also adds to the overall wobbliness (is that a word? My spell checker is complaining about it ). Be sure that the head slides all the way down to the black connectors collar before drilling your holes, you may need a rubber mallet to gently pound it down to it as the fit is quite tight.
This still does not eliminate all of the slack though and if it is still a problem for you then there are two more options left.
The easier is to also epoxy the black connecter to the ferrule. Do NOT epoxy it to the cutting head though, the bolt does a good enough job and you want to be able to replace the head should it become damaged or you want to use the pole for another attachment.
The harder but more professional build is to remove the black connector and its ferrule altogether. Get a short (~ 4in) wooden dowel that fits snugly inside the fiberglass pole and push it all the way down so that the end of the dowel and the opening of the pole are flush with each other. This dowel is used to reinforce the hollow pole at the point you will be connecting the cutting head.
Slide the head down all the way on the pole then drill a hole in the pole/dowel using the holes in the cutting head as a guide. Once the hole is complete you then bolt the head onto the pole with the reinforcing dowel inserted inside.
Now you have a tool that is comparable to professional pole-saws in the 200-300 dollar range.
If you have any questions about this tool, or any of the mods I have suggested above, I will be monitoring the responses to this review.
-Don Freeman
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
Gilmore Pole Saw Jun 05, 2008
By Charlie
The three piece pole is much stiffer than the collapsing ones making for better saw control. The saw teeth are a little aggressive making it difficult to trim a branch off another branch. It works fine for cutting limbs at the trunk. A fine toothed saw blade would be a good option.
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Great to have an extra long pole saw Sep 18, 2009
By KKID44
4/16/11 update. I bought a fourth extension pole section. For most folks I would not recommend it. Unless the pole is near vertical (within 20 degrees) it flexs too much and is uncontrolable. In fact in order to use the fourth section I assembly the three sections, position vertically where I need it and then add in the fourth section. The Gilmour 20-18 is great and highly recommended, just be aware if you want customize its use.
Some assembly is required, drilling a hole in the plastic saw head adapter. No big deal. It cuts very well, just let gravity pull the blade on the down stroke. It is about as long as I would like it to be. At 18' it can get a bit unwieldy and bouncy, but I can cut branches I could never safely reach before. My neck get tired before my arms. What I got out of the box were three identical poles each with male and female connectors. The Gilmour web page says three fiberglass poles and that is exactly what I got. I bought a 1 1/4" plastic end cap just to make my own base pole and protect the connector. Again not big deal, but not as fancy I as I was expecting. One of those Silky pole saw look real slick and would be easier to handle, but hard to justify the extra +$150. The Gilmour pole saw is a good value.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Works just fine Oct 16, 2008
By kxxxk
You have to drill one hole in the black collar that attaches the saw holder to the first pole. (90 degrees to the existing hole would seem to be best.) The saw works great. Cuts on the pull. When the long package arrives, bounce it a few times on one end and then do the same on the other end. You will hear the saw blade hit the last downward end, so you know where it is. It is in an envelope that is stuck in the packaging and matches the interior of the cardboard package so well that you will never find it otherwise.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Gilmour Pole Saw good for residential use May 10, 2011
By Willwonder
The Gilmour pole saw is a great buy for working around your yard. Putting together 2 sections lets your reach quite high but can be a little wobbly. I didn't even try 3 sections because it would have been too much like a noodle. The saw blade is sharp and I easily cut through 3" thick limbs 12' above the ground. All parts are made in China including the poles but with a lifetime warranty durability shouldn't really matter. The price is unbeatable, I ended up giving this unit 3 stars because the fit and finish of the aluminum ferules and fasteners seemed to be a little loose. Other brands to look for are Jameson, Marvin and Aazel however you will pay a lot more for those brands. Unless you pole saw daily, this Gilmour pole saw should be just fine for the weekend arborist like me.
See all 38 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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