Can You Use a Pole Saw as a Hedge Trimmer?

Are you thinking to trim your hedges with a pole saw?

Wondering what the differences between a hedge trimmer and a pole saw are?

This article is for you.

If the answer to any of the questions is yes, then are there any benefits or disadvantages?

Well, we will shed light on the same topic here. Let’s talk about these two gardening tools first.

Pole Saw vs Hedge Trimmer

Outdoor hedges, bushes and shrubs grow significantly, which goes out of control within a few years. Fortunately, you can find a lot of tools to solve this problem. You can try pruning shears, hedge trimmer, pole saw, garden scissors etc.

However, the size of the twigs and branches vary according to the plantation. So, it’s better to be knowledgeable about the cutting tools because you cannot use one of them to deal with all the plants and trees.

Pole saw, and hedge trimmer might appear similar, and the former might perform a trimming session as well. But, the results will not be satisfactory. It’s because these two gardening tools are built to serve different sets of tasks.

You need to understand the difference between trimming some thin hedges and cutting thick branches. Only the right tools in your arsenal can make your garden attractive and luxurious. So, let’s talk about all the features of pole saws and hedge trimmers.

We will also talk about their advantages and disadvantages. All this information will save a lot of your hard work and time and provide satisfying cutting results.

 

Hedge Trimmers

Gardening tools that you can use to trim shrubs, bushes and hedges are sold as hedge trimmers. You can find either manual, electrical, or gas propelled trimmers.

Manual variants are similar to scissors, and they consume a lot of time to maintain the hedges, especially if you have a significant garden. Read about the types of hedge trimmers here.

On the other hand, corded and cordless models use a motor to propel the blade’s movement, which cuts the greens.

Similarly, a gas propelled trimmer comes with an engine to power its swords. Most of these devices are available with comfortable handles, anti-vibration mechanisms, debris protection, hand covers etc.

The primary responsibility of a hedge trimmer is to maintain all the hedges and similar plantations irrelevant to the power source.

So, you can choose a trimmer depending upon the size of your yard and the size or type of hedges you want to trim. Various trimmers are available in the UK market to find something according to your preferences and budget.

Read about What is The Proper Way To Trim a Hedge?

 

Advantages of a hedge trimmer

  • Offers fast and efficient cutting results (except the manual version)
  • Lightweight and easy to use
  • Can shape the hedges according to your preferences
  • Multipurpose tools, trimmers can also cut the grasses and weeds

Disadvantages of a hedge trimmer

  • Cannot cut thick twigs or branches
  • Offers limited reach, so cannot trim high hedges
  • Comparatively expensive, especially the motor or engine-powered models

 

Pole Saws

pole saw as hedge trimmer

Chainsaws are attached to a pole to build a bar saw, which helps cut overhead limbs and branches.

Such gardening devices are available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, weights and features.

Most of them allow you to adjust the cutting head and extension pole according to your requirements.

Pole saws are also available with three different power sources; mains, battery and fossil fuels. Such a tool comprises a motor or engine that powers its blades.

You can adjust the cutting speed in some of the models.

You can find pole saws that work as a 2-in-1 tool. In other words, you can detach the pole to use the machine as a handheld saw. Some of the variants are compatible with multiple other attachments, offering a versatile gardening unit.

The primary motive of a pole saw is to cut down thick overhead branches. It’s better not to use these machines on ground level.

The pole can be disturbing, and you might not be able to manoeuvre it properly. So, a bar saw is only suitable when the target is out of our reach.

Advantages of a Pole Saw

  • Can cut thick trees, their twigs and branches
  • Able to prune large shrubs and bushes
  • Provide you with an extended reach
  • Compatible with multiple other attachments
  • Some of the models can also be used as a handheld saw
  • Comparatively less expensive

 

Disadvantages of a Pole Saw

  • Tough to handle sometimes, because of the concentrated weight on one end
  • Not suitable when you need smooth and price trimming results

 

Should You Use a Pole Saw as a Hedge Trimmer?

After knowing the details about a hedge trimmer and pole saw, you can easily understand that the former cannot replace the latter.

But, you can use a stick saw as a hedge trimmer for some basic tasks. Let’s discuss more for a better understanding.

Hedges are comprised of thin branches and leaves. It’s why hedge trimmers can handle stems up to a maximum diameter of 1 inch. Anything above then this number will exert more pressure on the trimmer’s blade and might damage it.

You can try a commercial trimmer because they can deal with thick branches as well. However, these machines are too overwhelming for residential users. If you want to maintain some bushes, shrubs and hedges, then a hedge trimmer can do the needful.

Pole saws are helpful when you want to cut thick stems or branches located above your head. This tool is primarily responsible for cutting individual components or stems irrelevant of their size sometimes, but you can also use it to trim hedges, vines, brambles and some other weeds.

However, keep in mind that a pole saw cannot deliver precise cutting results because it cuts arbitrarily. So, if you want to work on aesthetics, then a pole saw is not the right tool to choose. Therefore, a pole saw is better to cut overgrown shrubs, but hedge trimming using this tool could be a bad idea.

 

Final thoughts

After all the discussions, now we can understand that you can use a pole saw as a hedge trimmer sometimes, but the results might not be even. A hedge trimmer is perfect when you want to cut hedges with twigs and branches within a diameter of 1 inch.

Pruning tasks are performed better by a pole saw. It can efficiently deal with overhead offshoots and thick stems because these greens do not need a unique appearance.

As we discussed, using the right gardening tool gives you efficient and healthy results. Plus, you remain safe from unwanted repair works that are possible if you use the wrong gardening tool for an incorrect job.

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