Saturday, May 3, 2014

Ryobi Pole Saw Review


We're making good progress now at the Mountain Cottage and our goal is to finish the bathroom by the end of May. 
Last weekend the trees and the grass were turning green and I was so glad we were able to get a lot of yard work finished during Winter.
One of the projects I accomplished all by myself :) was cutting down a 30 foot section of pine trees ranging in size from 3 ft  to about 15 feet tall.  We wanted to keep the pine trees from reproducing in this area. 
Did I mention I did this all by myself?

Let's back up a bit...
I was pretty excited to get a Ryobi One+ 18v cordless electric pole saw. We have quite a few gas power tools, but they are all so heavy and I get tired just carrying them around. This doesn't leave me with any energy to get the job done.  
I thought a lighter weight electric pole saw  would be perfect for cutting down a whole bunch of little pine trees at the mountain cottage, plus trimming the trees at our home.


Here's what it came with:
I bought the pole saw that came with the battery and purchased an additional battery, as well.
As a side note...now that I have the batteries, I can purchase additional Ryobi tools that take the same 18 volt battery and the cost will be much lower. (I'm still thinking of the Ryobi impact driver I tried last year at Haven and would love the 18v  hybrid leaf blower because it's lightweight and will be easier to carry around than a gas one and I could think of a hundred uses for the Ryobi One+ 18v JobPlus with multitool attachment...ah, but I digress)

Back to the review...
The fourth item down in the photo is a strap, which really helped me to hold up the saw as I was extending it to cut the little trunks.


Here's a closeup of the chain saw at the end of the pole. 


I had a little trouble with the handle as my hand didn't seem to fit and it was difficult for me to press the safety switch and down the trigger. It was a little  awkward for me even though I have pretty big hands for a girl.  
Other than that, it was pretty easy to use and the 18 volt battery gives it  a good amount of  power to cut through branches and little tree trunks. 


The battery charged pretty quickly and the indicator light turns green to let you know when it's fully charged. 
Love that!

The pole saw looks like this when it's ready to go. It's not complicated to put together and everything fits together nicely.
There's also an additional extension if you'd like to cut higher branches. (I will be using it this weekend at home to cut some higher branches)


The battery lasted about 30 minutes with continuous use, but since we purchased a second battery, I just charged the other battery while I was using the first one and switched them out when the power ran out. 
I highly recommend having a second battery.

It took me several hours, but I was able to cut down all the trees with the Ryobi Pole Saw. 

I'm so glad I was able to do this project by myself.  
Having a lighter electric pole saw allowed me to get this job finished, while Mr. DIY  was working on the upstairs bathroom. 
I did have a little problem with the pole saw. The oil reservoir leaked profusely and I had to keep refilling it. 
The pole saw manual says that the reservoir will leak a little (and to empty it when storing if you're not going to use it for awhile), but the amount it was leaking didn't seem right. 

I wasn't worried though...
I knew that both The Home Depot and Ryobi stand by their products and had no problem exchanging it.
The new pole saw works great and I used it to trim up the trees in our front yard. Previously, I've used a manual pole saw/pruner, but the Ryobi Pole saw made the work so much easier. 
If you'd like more information on the Ryobi One+ 18v system, you can go to ryobitools.com

Hope you have a fun weekend.
Mr. DIY and I are celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary today.
My how time flies!


Pam


ps: Ryobi did not compensate me in any way for this blog post and I purchased the pole saw myself. 


these are affiliate links and I'll make a small commission if you purchase through them. These items are available at The Home Depot, as well. I LOVE the 40 Volt Hedge Sweep hedge trimmer and LOVE the 40 Volt Jet Fan Blower.

29 comments:

  1. Looks like a pretty great tool to use on your property!....Such a great time of year to be at your mountain cabin!

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  2. I bet the new one leaks now, right? I am on my second leaker. Dang.

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  3. The 2nd one leaks, but not nearly as bad as the first one. I make sure it's not stored with a full oil tank. I also wrap a rag around it if I'm going to use it in a day or so and I don't want to drain the oil. I still love using the pole saw as it comes in very handy.

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    1. Hey guess what mines a leaker too , it's a shame really because it's a good tool apart from that.

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    2. Mines leaks too

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  4. I love that it's battery powered! I've never understood corded outdoor tools. And I LOVE the green that all Ryobi tools are!

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  5. Thank's for review. My favorite feature of this Pole Saw is the automatic oiler system and a tool-less chain tensioning system for quick and fast chain adjustments. I like it is powered by a 40V Lithium-ion battery. Thanks for having this contest.

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  6. I was just looking for some tools for my projects, so thanks for the review. And I’m not an expert about saw, so this is quite helpful.

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  7. they are great hand tools I am looking for?

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  8. Great review! One of the things I love about the set is how long the lithium ion batteries last - there's nothing that stinks more than quickly running out of battery power when you're in the middle of a project.

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  9. My goal is to finish the bathroom, too. I have read your article post, most are informative. thank’s for sharing & tips. I am a regular reader of your post.I appreciate with you

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  10. Although pole saws cannot be classified as chainsaws, they are related in some aspects and some pole saws can even be changed to regular chainsaws. Pole saw can also be battery-powered, gasoline powered or corded. It's great tool used to boost reach for trimming and cutting or eliminating small tree limbs.

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  11. These are very pretty and most look easy to try!
    Thanks for post

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  12. I love and stand by Ryobi products. They are super reliable and last a long time.

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  13. This is really nice - may I ask how heavy is it? My husband does these things but it would be convenient if I can do it myself when he's not around! So I wanted to buy something that does the job but doesn't need a weight lifter to pick up!

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    1. We're right in the middle of packing things up around here - moving next - so I can't weight it. I can tell you the I'm pretty weak(I have chronic lyme disease) and have lost all my muscle tone and I can lift it and even to high branches. I love all my Ryobi tools. If you have shrubs and trim them, the cordless hedge sweep makes it so easy. The Ryobi tool I LOVE and use several times a week, though is the 40v cordless blower. It's lightweight too and I don't need my husband to start it light the gas one. (I don't sell Ryobi or make money off of them).

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  14. We have 3 at this time. And they all leak
    ( pretty bad sometimes) my husband says the oil is continuously syphoning out. So of course it runs down because you have to hold it up.😜 I do think they need a solution , because they are so awesome!
    We both use them ! We have 2 for our 50 acres and they are so convenient!
    We keep one here at our home and use them all continually !
    we've worn one out befor these and will have more in the future!

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  15. I really enjoyed your article, thank you for the useful content.

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  16. Thank you for the detailed review with the before and after photos. I purchased a Ryobi string trimmer and thought it was great, until the battery stopped holding a charge... after six uses. Replacement batteries are very expensive. Hope this was a one-off problem. Best of luck!

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    1. Garry, the batteries are under warranty for 3 (?) years. I would ask for a free replacement.

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  17. I am working hard on it. Now I know that you know that it can. Thank heavens for God's unwavering grace.

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  18. Love Ryobi products, but I just got this saw as well... Filled the well in preparation for a test. Doorbell rang and went to answer it... 10 minutes later the entire oil reserve leak'd out and all over the floor... Not a happy camper.

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  20. Thank you so much for your detailed review. I want to purchase this Ryobi pole saw. Can you tell me the price and where can I find it? Waiting for your reply.

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    1. William, the Ryobi 18Volt pole saw is available at The Home Depot for $139.

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  21. Hey Pam, Really an interesting review to read. I'm using Ryobi Pole Saw for more than 7 months. Its really amazing. But I'm confused about its safety.

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    1. I'm not sure what you're concerned about with regards to safety. You have to press the safety latch while you pull the trigger.

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  22. I found the leak on mine was from the cap. The oil seal in the cap gets coated with oil and slips into the tank on tightening. Before you close the cap remove any oil from the threads, cap and seal using paper towel etc. You will find the cap closes with the seal seated properly. Do the wipe down each time you open to refill. I hope this works for you.

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