Top 6 Best Manual Pole Saws (Reviews & Buyer’s Guide)

1. They Are Ideal for High Branches

Manual pole saw is a type of saws that are more available in various longer lengths as compared to powered saws.

They are preferred for the cutting of smaller branches high up on the tree as your hand may not be able to reach them.

Additionally, they are quite easy to handle and maneuver because of their lightweight.

And one thing about the manual pole saws is the fact they can be used by people with different heights.

2. Simple to Use

All you need to handle these pole saws is your strength to hold it in place while cutting. You don’t require any special training to operate the manual pole saws.

There is no need trying to get any motor to work or using your strength to draw power cords of engines.

3. Saves You Some Cash

You probably know already that getting a manual pole saw costs less than purchasing a powered saw.

Of course, they achieve the same result sometimes but not with the same amount of money.

For powered saws, you probably need to charge or buy fuel to get it to work but as for manual pole saws, just get them to work at once.

4. Easy to Maintain

5. Low Risk of Accidents

This is in no way to discredit powered saws, but there is a high risk of accident associated if anything goes wrong while cutting.

When using the manual pole saw, you need not climb or be closer to the work than is required as you stand on the ground and extend the pole saw to do whatever cutting or trimming you want to achieve.

The chance of failing is zero to none.

6. A Good Vantage Point

The long reach of the manual pole saw also allows you to have a good vantage point or a good view of what you are doing.

You’re able to see your work to make any adjustment needed while cutting.

7. Suitable for Dense Vegetation

Special Features

DocaPole 6-24 will most likely get the award for the best dual-use pruning saw in the market today.

DocaPole can be used as a hand-held saw to prune and groom low branches and also as a manual pole saw for pruning branches that are high.

The GoSaw blade can be held in the hand for standard wood-sawing tasks. It can be detached from the pole to cut down fallen trees and limbs for removal.

If you have probably been looking for a way to tear the piece of lumber for your project work, then the handheld GoSaw is great for such work.

On the other hand, the same GoSaw blade can be mounted on a 6-24’ extension Pole for a pruning power that reaches up to about 30 feet when used standing.

You can use this manual pole saw for a couple of sawing tasks, such as trimming or removing high branches. It is also excellent type of saw for trimming palm trees.

For comfortable use, it is advisable to use the pole with 4/5 of the segments extended to minimize flex of pole. This will offer about 22 feet of reach while standing.

To also minimize flex when using the pole fully extended, you might need to focus more on the saws up and down motion as it saws through the branch being cut.

Special Features

Jameson LS-6PKG-6 is designed as a versatile three-pole system for trimming at various heights.

This type of saw comes with pole ferrules which allows fitting of different pole lengths. Different ranges of height can be worked on as it comes with a total of 3 pole heights.

With the help of the low profile, you can easily move it through highly packed foliage, allowing you to cut the branches easily with so much obstruction.

The 3 pole set, the base pole, middle extension pole and the top pole, has a length of 6-feet each and a total reach of 18-feet altogether after you have assembled them to form a single long pole.

The Barracuda Tri-cut saw blade is about 16-inches, giving you a maximum reach of about 18-feet and 16-inches excluding the user’s height. The Barracuda Tri-cut saw blade is specially designed to help with quicker and cleaner cuts.

The poles can be easily assembled together as they can also be easily separated after use.

Sometimes, you just might only need two poles (base pole and the top pole with the blade saw) assembled for your work to avoid unnecessary weight and height if your reach is not so high.

Furthermore, the GoSaw blade features razor-sharp 3-sided taper-ground teeth, which make your woodwork quick. The ability of the GoSaw to accomplish hard-to-reach pruning tasks is something to write home about.

The rust-free chrome plating ensures the GoSaw blade continues to be up to the task intended for a long period.

#3. Fiskars 393981-1001 502999 14' Extend Tree Pruner – Best Affordable

Special Features

Like I always say, being affordable does not equal to less value. Such is the case of Fiskars extendable pole saw as it is a low budget pole saw offering quite a good value.

First of all, Fiskars is a brand that is known for its premium quality pole products. Just like this pole saw, it is evident they still have the customer’s satisfaction in mind.

The pole saw is made of a high quality fiberglass material that comes in an oval shape to ensure easy handling and reduction in flex during extension. This feature allows you to control the pole effectively and cut branches in your desired direction.

Cutting and trimming both large and small branches alike won’t be so much of a big deal with the two-in-one tree trimming system having a combination of a power lever technology that guarantees two times more power during pruning and a powerful WoodZig saw.

One of the best features of this manual pole is their lightweight, yet strong pole, which is as a result of the materials it is made of. The extendable height of the pole is about 12-feet, long enough to handle your trimming activities.

To ensure the extended pole stays put while cutting, an advanced double-locking system is built into the design.

The locking system comes as a unique combination of a flip-lock and internal spring button lock mechanism to ensure the pole remains extended for efficient control while cutting.

Isn’t it nice to have a product that can do more things at once, especially when it makes your life ten times easier?

Well, that’s exactly what Corona garden tools are all about, helping its customers. So, let’s see what the Corona TP 4210 DualLink is about.

Before we go into details of this manual pole saw, we have to dedicate a few words to Corona, the manufacturer.

Even though this word brings a lot of bad connotations, the fact of the matter is that the gardening world truly appreciates it.

Corona tools have been around since 1928 with their first-ever orange shears. After they were released, their popularity skyrocketed, and they’ve become a pillar in this industry.

When it comes to our product for this list, there are a couple of reasons we had to include it.

The design is quite straightforward - the dimensions are 65 x 8 x 7 inches, it weighs only 2.3 lbs, and it can be extended to reach heights of 10 feet.

Basically, you can use this Corona product as a pruner and a manual pole saw thanks to its power-boosting lever and the incredible blades that come with the package.

The blade saw can cut up to 8-inch thick branches, while the pruning blade is highly efficient with 1-inch thick plants.

One of their mottos states that you can cut through thick and thin, and there’s no doubt about it - this 2-in-1 product certainly seals the deal.

Another thing that we’d like to mention is that the manufacturers really paid special attention to details, such as the non-stick coating on the pruning blade that’ll allow you to quickly go through multiple leaves and branches without a hassle.

Also, we want to add that the pole can be separated into two poles, depending on what you’re doing at the moment.

If you’re pruning leaves on lower branches, you can use the 6-foot segment and be more efficient.

We mention this because some customers have noted that it’s a bit hard to maneuver when the pole is extended to its maximum.

Of course, the main thing you want in your pole saw is sharpness so you can finish the job faster.

Well, one of the sharpest ones we could find is undoubtedly the HOSKO 10FT Pole Saw.

Considering these pole saws are not powered by an engine, and you have to brute force your way to cut all the branches, it makes sense that a sharp blade is in order to have at your disposal.

Well, the blade that comes with this saw has a three-sided edge with a barbed design that cuts everything in its way.

Another great thing is the fact that it doesn’t matter what type of trees you have in your garden; whether they’re oak trees or pines - this pole saw will cut through them.

Its maximum reach is 10 feet when you extend the pole, but you can always lower it for pruning purposes.

The poles are made from high-quality stainless steel that is non-corrosive, so even if you forget it outside and rain starts to fall, you don’t have to worry about rust.

Also, the entire thing weighs only 3.19 lbs, so it isn’t that hard to maneuver when it’s extended.

The one thing we did mind was the fact that it was quite hard to assemble.

Even with assembly instructions, it took some time to firmly attach the blade and secure every part in place, including the segments of the pole.

It isn’t a deal-breaker since you’ll get it done, and you probably won’t do it again in the future, but it’s still a minus.

Other than that, you’ll get a high-quality pole saw with a high reach and a sharp blade - basically everything you need to give your garden the care it deserves.

Even though our best overall product technically has the highest reach, we still had to include this one in the list due to its tremendous size and great quality.

So, let’s review the final product for this list, the Scalebeard 26 Foot Tree Trimmer Pole.

The first thing that amazed us regarding this manual pole saw was how durable the manufacturers made it to be.

The extending pole is made from an aluminum alloy that is commonly used for some heavy-duty machinery in woodworking and for bulky electric devices.

Moreover, the saw is made from an alloy of manganese and steel, which is a great mix in terms of longevity and overall protection.

In spite of all this, the overall weight is only 10.94 lbs. It is a significantly larger number in comparison with the previous saws, but considering the materials that they used to produce it, it’s still considered lightweight.

Speaking of design, the handle is rubberized and has a non-slip design, which is always a nice thing to see with these products.

Furthermore, all poles are made from stainless steel in combination with aluminum, and they can all be segmented to fit the size you need at the given moment, with a maximum of 26 feet.

It even comes with a specialized carrying bag that can fit the entire pole and all its accessories when the poles are separated. You’re probably wondering by now why wasn’t this product placed higher up on this list, and it’s a valid opinion.

Well, the only reason we placed some pole saws before was the fact that the wingnuts for the saw head don’t have any nylon lock inserts, which greatly affects the overall stability.

If it wasn’t for that, this would undoubtedly be one of our top three picks. However, despite that, it’s still an incredibly well-put product that you should consider.

1. Type of Manual Pole Saw

The type of manual pole saw you need may actually depend on what you want to do with it. So a question such as what type of manual pole will work for me can pop up.

There are four types of manual pole saws, and they are: Bypass, saw, anvil, and compound pruners.

2. Length and Maximum Reach of Pole

Of course, the main reason you would want to go for a manual pole saw is the length at which you easily can achieve a certain cut without climbing.

The truth is, the length plays a major role in what you want.

You need to consider the length of the manual pole saw you want carefully, so you won’t be prevented from getting your desired reach.

This length, whether or not adjusted, has to be relative to your height. You may not require a pole that is excessively tall if you are a tall user.

The long pole may have a drawback.

The longer the length of the pole is, the more the tendency to wobble. The manual pole saw is at full extension the pruner head and the saw make the pole wobble a bit, and it can make the saw difficult to control.

A short pole has a low tendency to bend, but a tall pole is also more likely to bend. So you might need to consider the balance between the height of the pole and the user’s height.

3. The Weight of the Manual Pole Saw

4. Blade Design

A blade made of a high-carbon steel metal is the best. This provided the manual pole saw with durability and high yield strength.

Also, it should be coated to prevent the accumulation of tree residue and rusting.

Beyond that, find a blade saw that comes with a hook at the tip. This allows you to bring down plant ropes on trees and also pull branches you have cut down.

Also, if you want to keep the blade of your saw on the branches while making a cut, look for a blade that has scabbard at the rear end.

5. Versatility of the Pole Saw

Being able to use your manual pole saw in several ways is a top-notch idea as this will be a great value exchange for your money.

A compound manual pole saw might be the best option to look at for this feature.

If you don’t want the pole of your saw to get in the way of your pruning, go for a manual pole saw blade that can be removed easily when you don’t need it.

6. Quality of Construction

What is a manual pole saw?

Essentially, a manual pole saw is a traditional saw used for cutting and pruning branches and trees, but it is not powered by an engine.

Physical force is the only way to get the job done if you don’t want to invest a lot of money for a gas-powered, petrol, or an electrical pole saw.

Overall, the blade quality is usually similar, but it takes more time to finish the job with the manual pole saw.

What is the longest manual pole saw you can buy?

We’ve only had the option of covering some of them in this article, such as our best overall pick and the incredible Scalebeard 26 Foot Tree Trimmer Pole, but you can always find great products on Amazon.

However, we’d highly recommend our best overall pick.

How do you use a manual pole pruner?

It is the same principle as using a handheld pruner.

You position yourself and find the perfect spot to cut the branch in a way to get it right above the root.

You’ll normally want to get it in one, single cut if it’s possible, but some thicker branches will require you to cut more.

Also, make sure to wear gloves if you’re cutting some lower branches that are 1-2 feet above you, just in case if some debris or a small branch falls off, but that should be it.

Can my manual pole saw blades be sharpened?

There are two answers to this, and it is YES and NO. 

Many customers prefer to replace the blade simply because they find it is difficult to recapture the original edge.

If the blade is made of very high-quality Japanese steel and the cutting edges are heat tempered it will serve you for long.

Originally, this type of blade is not designed to be sharpened so you will have to replace them when they are no sharper.

How should I clean the blade when resin covers it?

Saw blades often accumulate tree residue after use and require to be cleaned out.

The easiest way customers have found to clean them is to spray the blades with Easy-Off, oven cleaner, and when cleaning, it is advisable to use proper PPE, gloves, safety glasses.

Where can I get a manual pole saw at an affordable price?

Check online to find out a couple of brands of manual pole saws that suit your budget plan, and perhaps they have the same price, they all come with their pros and cons.

My manual pole saw won’t cut straight. How can I solve this issue?

It may happen as a result of damaged or dull chain for the pulleys. 

You might need to consult a professional service provider if your saw is dull to sharpen it for you or even replace it.