I ain’t getting any younger.

That’s what I tell myself every time I do something risky.

I are more aware of and take better precautions about safety these days. The older I get, the wiser I get.

Also, it takes longer for me to recover from injuries! I have bills to pay, and I can’t afford to be laid up on the couch with stitches or icepacks. Plus, I can’t stand to be cooped up.

So I “measure twice and cut once” when it comes to felling trees. I outfit myself with PPE – like gloves, pants, boots, eye and ear protection – every time, even if it’s just for a few minutes. And while I’ve never been scared of heights, I’m a lot more careful now when it comes to climbing trees or up on a roof.

I was hired recently to limb some trees.

The homeowner has a 150 yard long gravel driveway. Many years ago, trees were planted or allowed to grow up alongside the driveway. Although they are located well off to the side, over the years they got much bigger and the limbs no overhang the driveway. This has been causing some issues with large delivery trucks. The limbs contact the cab or the box on these big trucks.

In the past, I probably would’ve grabbed a small, lightweight chainsaw, a big ladder or some tree spikes, and taken whatever risks necessary to get this guy’s driveway cleared.

But what about using a pole saw?

I have never owned a pole saw before, but they have a lot of advantages.
1) Safety
You can’t fall off a ladder or fall out of a tree if your feet never leave the ground. This is a big plus as far as injury prevention.
2) Ease of use
Any time you have to climb with equipment, it’s a challenge. Whether you’re going up a ladder or a tree, carrying a chainsaw with you complicates things (even if it’s lightweight).
3) Speed
Whether you’re a weekender or you do this for a living, getting the job done efficiently and not wasting time is a big benefit. If you don’t have to shimmy up a tree or lug a ladder around you can move a lot faster. I’m guessing using this pole saw reduced my job time by 50%!

Once I convinced myself I was ready to make the investment and purchase one, I didn’t screw around. I bought the mother of all pole saws!

The Husqvarna 530i PT5

This pole saw from Husqvarna is battery powered and has a 10″ bar.

Unlike some of the other saws on the market, Husqvarna calls this “weather proof”. You don’t want to go swimming with it, but it is classified as rain resistant.

The telescopic tube uses collars to lock and unlock the telescopic function. At maximum length, this thing is 157.5″ long. To calculate it’s maximum reach, you would usually consider a person who is 6′ tall using it, so it’s close to 20′ of reach!

For convenience, here’s the 530i owner’s manual.

It uses Husqvarna’s usual group of 40 volt batteries. It has an embedded, pass-through battery attachment design that I think is both unique and really cool.

This sort of protects the battery. Having the machine itself wrapped around the battery case minimizes the number of bumps and bruises it takes.

Also, they use a ventilated design so the battery stays cool and won’t need to take a break during hot weather use. This pass-through design reduces the amount of debris, dust, and sawdust that gets sucked into the battery or gums up the battery connector.

Because they’ve made this thing out of aluminum and other lightweight materials, it only weighs 11 lbs.

Now that’s a little deceptive. Just the saw weighs 11 lbs, and once you add a battery it gets heavier. Also, this thing is obviously long, so once it gets fully assembled you have to be careful as it can tend to get away from you.

My Review

There are several pole saws on the market. Why did I pick this one?

I decided I preferred a battery saw. It just made sense.

I’ve talked about some of the advantages and disadvantages of a battery chainsaw versus a petrol chainsaw before.

In this case, trying to reach over my head to get to branches way over the ground with a roaring gas engine was not an attractive option. The lack of heat and noise made me focus on battery for this application.

I’ve reviewed and used many different chainsaw brands. Husqvarna has been in the game a long time. They make really good saws, and have a great reputation in the industry.

I was looking to make an “investment” in my business, my safety, and my capability. I wanted the longest reach, and I didn’t want something that was disposable, that I would have to fix or throw away after just a season or two.

There was basically no learning curve with this thing.

Right out of the box, it was ready to rip. Adjusting the length of the boom with the locking collars is intuitive and easy.

The push button controls are easy to understand and operate.

The battery clicks in with a positive feeling latch, and feels solid.

The thing has more than enough power, especially if you keep the chain sharp.

Run time was excellent. I limbed six trees. The job took close to 4 hours, including cleanup. Of that, I was probably cutting off and on for a total run time of maybe 30 minutes. The battery still had 50% or more capacity left, and I had a spare battery in the truck.

Are there things I don’t like about the 530i?

Hmm…

Like I mentioned above, at maximum extension this thing is like trying to swing a 20′ long axe. You have to really plant your feet and be intentional about keeping the power head under control.

I specifically bought this model because I liked it’s super-long reach. So I wouldn’t change this, just something to keep in mind.

The oil/lube tank on this saw is listed as 0.32 pints. That seems pretty small. You have to keep an eye on it to keep from running it dry. Not a big deal, and I’m not sure it would be worth the extra weight to have a bigger tank.

One other thing, you are going to want a helmet. Working overhead, you have to be strategic how much of the limb you are cutting, which direction it is going to fall, and where you are standing.

If you save yourself from falling out of a tree but end up giving yourself a concussion or a broken collar bone from a branch falling on you, that might not be a good trade after all!

I like the visor on the Husqvarna helmet, which in this case keeps all of that sawdust and bark from dropping down into your eyes.

So overall, I’m really happy with my purchase. I give it two thumbs up, and I’m ready to use it for the next job!