How do YOU carry the pole saw with you?

Moving around with the pole pruner and/or pole saw in the tree is easily one of the most frustrating things we do. I try not to require them but often I need to anyways.
Our saws have hooks on them (Hook Fox) and I try and hook them on in advance of where I need to be.
This does not work if moving around where limbs too big to find a hook spot. I hang it with a sling and biner low enough on my saddle so its not ging to cut off a part I want to keep! Blade lower than waist height. But its still awkward.
I might girth a sling around a limb and hook it to biner if i can reach it in the zone I'm working.
Or if I have to move a long way just lower it on line and have groundie send it back up.
All awkward solutions to be sure.
A saw that could telescope to less than 3 feet easily would be awesome.
 
My polesaw hangs on my left side. The scabbard hangs so that the sawblade is pointing behind me.

Scabbard on harness



I took out the rubber stopper and tied a brass swivel snap through the hole using some throwline. The snap is clipped to a harness loop and a drag the saw around...with the scabbard on of course.

Swivel snap on end

When it is time to hang the saw from it's hook be sure to have the blade pointing away from you. If it gets bumped its less likely to rip your flesh.

Another polesaw tip I learned was to never be below the point where the pole is hanging. This isn't always possible though. Paint the end of the polesaw a bright color.
 
I hang it off a non locking biner with the end of the blade about mid thigh height so its not nicking my saddle and junk. Considering trying that folding longboy, under 5' for carrying around seems pretty sweet.
 
I learned long ago ponying up the cash for quality stuff is always worth it. Cheaper to buy once than it is twice, even if it is a gamble.
 
Ive go a section (4 or 5') of small diameter cord with and accessory biner that connects to my saddle. On the other end there are two key chain biners. the one in the end goes into a hole I drilled into the hook of the pole. the other goes into the buckle of the scabord. Ive got them spaced so that the scabord covers the blade but does not fall off when hanging. When I use the pole I just disconnect the key chain biner from the hook and the scabord stay on and hangs for the cord. It has worked well for me. See picture, sorry for the primitive look.
 

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I use the Jameson poles with the big hook off the back of the saw, and hang it on branches around the tree as I move. I can't imagine climbing around with the polesaw hanging off my saddle.

jp
grin.gif
 
ny your main prob seems to b3e # of poles--so get a telescoping pole! or tell your boss it will boost productivity.

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Ive go a section (4 or 5') of small diameter cord with and accessory biner that connects to my saddle. On the other end there are two key chain biners. the one in the end goes into a hole I drilled into the hook of the pole. the other goes into the buckle of the scabord.

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Hmm nice plan for some trees but in many that 5' distance would mean a lot of snagging. I hang it in some trees like macro and keep it on my hip in others. but in an open tree the long dogleash works ok.
 
thanks for the diagram, I think I will try a variation of this idea, climbing with the scabbard on seems to make the most sense. I wonder why you decided to have a 4 or 5' length of cord?
 
One idea not mentioned is to prussic a small accessory cord loop to your climbing line and hook the pole to it below you. That way it stays out of your way yet nearby, doesn't snag you or your gear or the rope. You rappel it lower along with yourself.

Its not a perfect solution but has its attributes.
 
I try to minimize my pole saw cuts as much as possible. I generally only need a polesaw a few times a week and have the ground guy tie it on and i send it right back down. Climbing around all day with a pole saw is inefficient and makes for poor pruning cuts.
 
id say keep the sheath on the blade when you hang it. i agree with marlin. just climb out to the tips. live wood is pretty strong and if you have a high enough tie in point i dont see why you would need a pole saw to each the cuts.
 
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id say keep the sheath on the blade when you hang it. i agree with marlin. just climb out to the tips. live wood is pretty strong and if you have a high enough tie in point i dont see why you would need a pole saw to each the cuts.

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All climbers prefer not to take the damn things if they don't need them. It's easier to climb out to where you need to be.
A pole saw or pruner is not a crutch that bad climbers resort to.

And not every kind of pruning job can you get to the target. In our climate we make many small pruning cuts rather than a few larger ones usually, which means getting out pretty far. Sometimes that can be done climbing (which is preferred)but sometimes not.

And not all species have the same strength of live wood. Have you ever limb-walked a poplar? Tried to finesse your way around some two or three inch limbs without damaging them with your boots or rope on your way out to the outer crown? Well you need a pretty high tie in and a delicate balance because you can't put your weight on any of that.
 
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A pole saw or pruner is not a crutch that bad climbers resort to.



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it can be and I would say in the industry at large it is. I climb a lot of trees with crappy pole saw cuts from other companies.
 
It definitely can be a crutch. I've seen climbers stand in the center of the tree with the longboy and hit everything they could and then on to the next tree!

jp
grin.gif
 
try this thread - great review and commentary from last November about all these poley sawey topics

Pole Saws and Climbing Skills
http://www.treebuzz.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=252073&page=0&fpart=all&vc=1

IN particular, as far as gear goes, take a look at two things
1) the system Tom Dunlap describes for hanging a Silky inverted (blade end far away from you) in this thread has photos in the other thread

2) DSMc has a fantastic innovation for a better hook for the Silky Zubat - much lighter than Hook Fox and can fold out of the way for finer stuff. photos on that too

I incorporated both of these innovations into my 6-11' Zubat. I know the Zubat is a little light for some people (and some jobs) but I find it to be a wonderful climbing saw. Some trees I don't even bring the saw with me, other trees I use it 70% of the time. As usual, it depends...
pete
 
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