Regular Home Fixated readers by now grown almost as tired as I have of our struggles to beat back nature, or at least achieve a draw on our 80 acre farm. Years of inattention and neglect have allowed opportunistic weed trees and shrubs to shrink our usable space as well as provide harbor for rodents and other pests that have hampered our efforts to harvest sufficient amounts of produce to sustain us through the year. I have featured a number of the DeWalt 20v Max outdoor power tools in previous posts, and the newest addition is the DeWalt 20v Max pole saw that DeWalt sent our way for review. Let’s take a stroll through the farm and see what my new favorite tool can do.
Unleashing the Power With the DeWalt 20v Max Pole Saw
The saw arrived in a disappointingly small box and I thought to myself, where is the 15’ reach? I unboxed and found a cleverly designed tool very similar to the DeWalt 20v Max pole hedge trimmer that was reviewed on Home Fixated not so long ago.
The control end is exactly the same as the pole hedge trimmer and there is an extension pole that securely attaches to the control end. Finally, the business end of the tool, an 8” chainsaw set at an angle and mounted to yet another pole completes the tool. The saw can be operated with or without the middle pole extension depending on the job at hand.
The DeWalt 20V MAX* XR Brushless Cordless Pole Saw features a high efficiency brushless motor that delivers up to 96 cuts per charge. The well balanced design and durable pole shaft extends up to 10 ft. for a total reach of 15 ft. It has an auto oiling feature for added convenience and time saving.
It also features metal bucking strips for a durable cutting grip and a tree hook allows you to easily remove pruned branches. From the first time I unsheathed the 8” bar, the shrubbery never stood a chance. Before we get too far into the practical applications let’s look at the specs from DeWalt.
DeWalt Pole Saw Specifications
• Extension Pole for up to 15 ft. reach
• Metal Bucking Strip and Tree Hook for durable cutting grip & to easily remove pruned branches
• Brushless Motor for up to 96 cuts per charge on a 4 in. x 4 in. pressure treated pine wood
• 8 in. low kick back Full Compliment Bar and Chain
• Auto Oiling
• Comfort grip handle
• System 20V MAX*
• Weight 9.8 lbs
Out and About With the DeWalt 20v Max Pole Saw
We have already cleared portions of the property of some of the noxious weed trees that seem to pop up here like dandelions. The worst of these plants are multi-flora rose and the thorn apple or hawthorn trees that form impenetrable hedge rows. Both plants feature razor sharp thorns that penetrate clothing and even heavy leather gloves. With the arrival of the DeWalt pole saw, our strategy for attacking these vicious tangles of misery has evolved.
Now, instead of getting in close to cut away the trees and bushes we can attack from a safer position, 10 or 12’ back. The multi-flora rose can be cut right at the base and left to die, then collected later and burned. The hawthorn trees are now trimmed near the top and we work our way down the multiple armored branches and cut them into manageable sections, also to be burned in our ever growing brush piles.
Pole Sawing Around the House
My 91 year old mother still lives in and maintains her own house. She enjoys her property and gardens and will not be deterred from spending almost every day outside working. When she mentioned to me that she was bothered by some branches of a maple tree that were contacting the roof of the house I knew the only way to keep her off the roof was to address the problem immediately. I drove over and within a few minutes had trimmed all the branches that were concerning her. When working in close proximity to structures and wires it is important to know your limits and where any brush will fall. If there is any doubt it is best to leave it to the professionals.
The DeWalt 20V Max Pole Saw In the Woods
Last year my wife and I constructed a deer stand in the woods. It was after the hunting season ended and the construction took place during a period of extended miserable weather. We recently revisited the platform to get ready for the upcoming hunting season. We added railings, a seat and then took a good look at the shooting lanes and overall view of the surrounding woods.
We decided there were opportunities to open up additional sight lines with a minimum of impact to the area. We also needed to deal with some of the branches that had accumulated through the summer that had fallen due to numerous high wind events. We took the DeWalt 20v Max pole saw out and trimmed away some branches and brush that obscured the view. More importantly we also trimmed out some of the massive grapevines that were choking the life out of some of the trees.
Final Thoughts on this DeWalt Pole Saw
We have been enthusiastically embracing change with the steady release of battery powered outdoor tools that rival or exceed the performance of their gasoline powered counterparts. The decreased maintenance and operating costs are big factors driving the conversion. More importantly is the elimination of the noisy, smelly and toxic nature of the gasoline powered tools. We make all the electricity we consume with a bank of solar panels, so electric power is our preferred mode. The fact that the DeWalt 20v Max pole chainsaw is the equal to any consumer gas powered pole saw is a bonus. Any homeowner and even some professional landscape maintenance workers will find this saw to be a great addition to their outdoor power equipment arsenal.
