if it were me.... i would make the first cut from the ground... and the second from a ladder .... with a hand saw

i really think.. your problem is that you have achieved the maximum height of working safely with a ground based pole saw ... i suspect.. people who have experience pruning at 20 feet.. are using a truck with a bucket.. or god forbid... boot straps .. to safely cut these limbs ...

any chance at a picture????

and how high up do you plan on taking these trees ....

more facts please .. ken

I have been pruning my pines and spruces for about 22 years, using as much as 36 foot of bolt together poles. If you are pruning hardwood trees, your problems can be a bit different--I have done just a little pruning of hardwood trees.

Anyway, here is the main problem I have had with the saw getting pinched--and believe me, when I have more than 20 feet of poles up a tree, this can be a real headache.

But my saw gets pinched usually only when the branch I cut begins to drop down when the cut is almost complete, and then rests against another branch, either on the same tree or an adjacent tree. When this happens I can usually work it free, but it can take a long time. But I do have two sets of poles, so unless I am very, very high, I can get the other set of poles and cut the stuck one free.

The best way for me in my pines and spruces to avoid this, when I can anticipate that the branch I am cutting will rest against another one as it drops down, is to make a first cut on the branch at least three feet from the trunk--or far enough so that the branch from where I cut to the trunk is flexible. Then if it gets stuck I can shake the thing to get it loose. Also, of course, when the branch drops down when the cut is almost complete, it will fall by having the last bit of wood and bark rip loose from a foot or more of the branch. But since this is just on a part of the branch that will be cut off anyway, that's OK. And this way the saw doesn't get stuck.

Another technique that works in some situations is to make about half the cut from one side. Then, before the branch begins to drop down, switch to the other side, making sure I get the saw into the same cut, and then work from that side. This way the cut is balanced on both sides when the branch begins to drop down. The pinching happens more often then the cut is all from one side--remember you are reaching high up from the ground, so you are not really cutting the branch from the top. If the cut is all from one side, then it is more likely to pinch as the branch begins to drop down.

I say the problem can be a bit different with hardwood trees. This is because not only do the branches tend to be larger, but also because they are less likely to be regular in form like pine and spruce branches. I guess the best advice with larger less regularly shaped or balanced branches is to cut part from one side and part from the other. And, if possible, make the first cut as far away from the trunk as necessary to have some flexibility so if you do get stuck it will be easier to work it loose. Maybe in some situations you can cut the ends of the branch off with two or more preliminary cuts before atttempting to cut the main branch at the trunk. Also, if you can reach up with something to pull the branch from side to side, this can help you get your saw loose.

Well, have fun--if you are cutting a lot of branches, you will eventually learn the best techniques. It took me a while, but now I seldom get into trouble.

Another problem I have had is having the branch as it falls slide down the pole and come right at me. I got hit on the head by a rather large branch a few years ago--a glancing blow, luckily, but blood gushed all over me. For a moment I thought I was dead. I learned how, mostly, to avoid that also, but if it happens, just drop the pole and run--it the poles are damaged, so what!

--Spruce

When a
thick branch or vine needs to be cut and you can’t reach it from the ground
with a pruning saw, you have three choices: prune from a ladder, use a pole
saw, or call in a professional.

1. Pole
saws are intended to use on climbs up to a couple of inches thick. The thicker
the wood, the more dangerous, and the slower and more tiring it will be to cut.

2. You
must not attempt to fell branches overhead until you are familiar with
techniques for reducing weight before making a final cut by making preliminary
and jump cut with your pole tools.

3. Pole
saws, especially with extensions to get above 8 feet, are heavy and tiring to
work with.

4.
Never, ever, ever work near power lines, or on branches with any part above a
power line.