What To Know Before Buying DeWalt's Pole Saw Tree Trimmer

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Pruning can keep your trees healthy and maintain your yard's overall appearance, whether you're trimming away unhealthy branches or removing a branch that's at the perfect height to pose a hazard. However, pruning your tree is only one part of the process; you also need the right tools for the job. Adding a pole saw to your gardening tool arsenal can be a game changer.

With its extended handle, a pole saw offers relief from those days of dragging around a ladder for a branch just out of reach. You can even pick up 2-in-1 variants that combine the features you love about your pole saw with other helpful tree trimming tools. There are even electric options that reduce some of the elbow grease involved with trimming and pruning, such as DeWalt's pole saws.

At Home Depot, both DeWalt's $440 tool-only 60V Flexvolt pole saw and $200 tool-only 20V pole saw are cordless and sport positive ratings of 4.9- and 4.5-stars, respectively. To understand the full picture when it came to these pole saws, we analyzed public reviews for both positive and negative experiences. We also looked beyond the star ratings to see if anyone who left a positive review also noted any potential drawbacks or concerns.

Overall, the 60V DeWalt pole saw tree trimmer is larger and more powerful than the 20V. It can reach a total length of 140 inches compared to the 20V's 180 inches, which is more useful if you're trimming hard-to-reach branches. However, the 20V's added auto-oiling can be a helpful convenience if you need a quick trim on branches closer to the ground. While the specifications for each DeWalt pole saw tree trimmer vary, both models received positive remarks from many verified buyers.

On the 60V pole saw, one verified buyer on the Home Depot website summed up its size, weight, cutting ability, and ease-of-use by saying it's "extremely well-built and powerful... Definitely need to put some muscle on it when it's [fully] extended, but it cuts through pretty thick branches like a hot knife to butter." Another verified buyer shared a similar sentiment: "It's small but mighty... worked great for trimming the trees and cutting some of the smaller trees down."

While the 60V offers more power than the 20V, customers for the latter still appear to be satisfied with its cutting ability. Username Jhs on the Home Depot website said of DeWalt's 20V pole saw: "For its size, it is surprisingly powerful. I trimmed an entire oak tree with it and the trunk and limbs are pretty thick." Another reviewer praised the battery operation of the 20V, saying the "saw works great with the [Flexvolt] batteries."

Whether you opt for the 60V trimmer or the 20V, adding a new pole saw to your array of tools can be a significant investment. Make sure you're choosing the best option for your needs by taking a look at any potential concerns or downsides noted by previous buyers. For the 60V, one of the most mentioned downsides was the saw's weight. Even some users who left five-star ratings with positive comments mentioned weight in their reviews, with comments such as "with the larger battery it is a little on the heavy side, but using the strap takes a lot of the stress off" and "now having bragged on it so well this saw is of course heavy. I have a 10ah battery on mine and this is a heavy beast". When considering ease-of-use and your personal strength, weight is essential to keep in mind.

Customers who bought the 20V focused more on durability in their reviews, although weight was mentioned a few times as well. Username Sunnydays mentioned their "middle extension pole bent five minutes into using [the saw]" while RonnieB said "today I was trimming some branches off a soft tree [and] literally watched the motor smoke and die." It's also important to remember that these tools come alone or in a bundle with a battery. If you don't already have the right battery on hand, choose a bundle to avoid an extra trip to the hardware store. You should also familiarize yourself with the proper safety techniques and risks associated with any type of power tool before deciding to invest.