Reviews

I had two branches that needed to be cut. One was about 20 feet up, the second about 25 feet, both approximately 6 inches in diameter. I made many of the same mistakes that I read about in previous posts on the first branch. I didn't get the saw close enough to the tree trunk, I was cutting at a slight angle due to my options of where I could stand to do the job. The inevitable happened and the saw got bound up in the tree requiring about 30 minutes of extreme improvisation to get it free. When I finally did free the saw, I was able to complete the job. Total time on branch number 1 - about 1 hour. With lessons learned from the first branch, I moved on to the second one. This branch should have been more difficult; it was higher up, thicker and was hanging over my fence. Despite the higher percieved difficulty, I was able to get the saw placed in a better position on the branch (up next to the trunk), and everything was easy. Branch was on the ground in under 10 minutes. This thing works if you do things correctly. I'm not sure how much it would have cost to get a professional to do the job, but I am sure it would be more than the $40 I spent on this.

Not a bad little gadget. Takes some practice to get it right. Ironically, it seems to cut best when directly under the limb. However, you don't ever want to be under a limb when cutting! Works well with two people, getting out of harms way of falling limbs. As others have posted, the sand bag clip is very cheap and broke within the first few minutes of use. After a few cuts, the rope started fraying where it attaches to the saw itself. I'll replace the rope with something a bit larger in diameter to see how that holds up. But then again, for under $40, you can't be too disappointed.

I had to cut down a few branches that were over 30' up. It took over an hour before I gave up trying to throw the beanbag over the second branch. I finally got a fishing pole and cast a weight over the branch...on the first try! Then I had to pull successively thicker ropes until I could pull the main w/ the chain. The problem is frequently that the rope, especially at the knots, will get caught on tree bark or nicks. Once you get the saw part over the branch, it's maybe another 10 minutes of fighting it to get the chain pointing in the right direction. Sometimes once you get it going, it will get hung up and you have to really work it back and forth to get it to release. Having said all that, ONCE you get the saw going, it takes maybe 2 minutes to cut a 4" branch down. It works remarkably well. ...until the branch is almost cut through. Then the chain tends to bind and get caught again, esp if the branch is big and breaks under its own weight. I even cut a small branch and despite the branch falling, the chain got caught in a VERY small crack and I couldn't get it out. It was about 30' up and I finally just gave up. It stayed in the tree for about 3 days until the stump dried up a bit and I was able to start rocking the chain back and forth until it cut through the final little splinter. What a pain! I'd recommend them putting saw teeth on both sides of the chain and making the connections (rope to chain) more streamline. Where the flat of the rope is bound to itself creates a bit of a catch. Maybe even just tape to make a taper instead of a blunt edge would help. Maybe also include a guide rope. Put a smaller weight on a lighter rope. Throw that over and then pull to the thicker rope and chain. It's surprising hard to throw that beanbag up accurately over a specific branch 30' up! Ultimately, it's like the nursery rhyme: when it's good it's very good and when it's bad it's just awful! Still much cheaper than hiring a tree service.

It took some time to throw the bean bag just right. A good tip is to tie the bean bag to another string then tie it to the chainsaw rope after you get it over the right limb. It works better with two people so it doesn't bind up as much. When it did bind up I used the bean bag to tie a rope to the end of the branch and pulled it down. ( works great ) I used it to cut down a large ear tree in a small back yard so I had to cut one branch at a time I am happy with this product . It saved me from climbing a tall ladder.

I have several of these, in both the 24 inch and 48 inch versions, as I have many limbs to cut of varying sizes and widths. I have read reviews on here with various complaints about the throw bag, the binding of the saw, the limitations of size branch for cutting.....and many more complaints. If one wants to complain about these things, they are probably better off spending several thousand dollars for a tree service. However, if one has the time and the inclination to put in some blood, sweat, and tears, then this is the device for you. Using this device properly is more of an art than a science admittedly, though it definitely is a combination of both and needs much practice to get right......and even then, it will never be perfect. This cannot be emphasized enough. Two people usually work better than one because of the angles. This device will not last forever!......you will probably need new rope once the original rope wears out if you do a lot of cutting. Oil the chain, especially after getting wet. And getting the chain oriented properly with the righting weight takes practice.....and angle is important once you do start to cut. Some cuts go very fast; others will bind and get caught and take an hour or more, even with similar branches and angles. Even if there was a class on how to use this, I believe these issues would remain as there are so many factors which go into a good cut. Dead trees usually cut through quickly, though I have gotten caught on these too. If the angle is even slightly off, it will bind. (and on large diameter branches, do not even think of using the small 24 inch version of this) The weakest part of this device is the clip for the throw bag.....that will break after a few uses. But this is easily replaced. And when cutting, it goes without saying to be away from the branch being cut. This is one of the best characteristics of this device......it is probably the only method of cutting trees which can keep you safe and far away from falling branches. (This alone is worth 5 stars!) All of this being said, anyone with a lot of trees would be well served to have at least one of these on hand.....unless they like writing checks to tree service companies.

Reviews

I had read the reviews here before purchasing the product so the poor and confusing assembly instructions were not a surprise. As an individual who only looks at instructions as a last resort, I was able to assemble the unit with only a few glances at the diagrams. In the event of doubts, the written text proved to be of little help. After completing the assembly I turned on the power. It made a bit of noise and tripped out. I reset the thermal switch and tried a couple more times with the same result. I then removed the Top Cover Assembly and by hand-cranking the blades found that the two pieces of curved metal flanges at the bottom of the cutter base (for ejecting the shredded material) were hitting the head of the hex screws that attached the flat plate to the top of the motor housing. Seeing that the hex screws were not flush with the base as they should be, I removed them, took off the star washers that had been bent concave (and should not have been there in my opinion) and reinstalled the screws. With the screws now deeper into their groove (although not quite flush with the plate) this increased the clearance somewhat but they were still binding, so I filed down those two flanges to get another one-sixteenth of an inch of clearance. There was still a very small amount of binding so I made up a washer using a thin piece of kevlar material and then I had suitable clearance. I then reassembled everything and the results were the same as before. I am now suspecting the start capacitor and wondering why they would pack the unit up at the factory without once testing to see that the motor worked. Once again I removed the Top Cover Assembly, removed the cutter base, removed the flat plate attached to the top of the motor assembly, and what should my eyes behold? The axle with the armature is just dangling into the motor housing! There are supposed to be three machine screws that fasten the top of the motor housing to the main body. ALL THREE OF THE SCREWS were left out at the factory. I found three stainless steel screws of the correct size in my garage and screwed the top housing of the motor into place. After reconnecting the top of the motor housing back to the bottom side of the flat plate, the axle now protruded up enough that there was lots of clearance between the flanges on the cutter base and the flat plate, so there was really no need to remove the star washers, file the flanges, or make a washer of any kind. After putting the Top Cover Assembly back in place the motor turned up to speed just as it should and I cut one small twig with it. I don't know how well it is going to work for its intended purpose, but I will rethink Mccullough for any future products if my experience is indicative of the quality control practices of their Chinese factory.

This machine looks and sounds powerful but if you don't "baby" it, any decent size stick, (larger than 1/2"), will bog it down and usually will trip the overload breaker. My wife can't get the hang of it and my older teen age son doesn't have the patience required to operate it. It's mainly good for light brush-pile clean up.

I bought one of these units some time ago and liked it very much. The chipper blades finally wore down on one side so I tried to turn them. Unfortunately, one of the bolts holding one of blades would not come loose. So, I searched for a warranty repair service. The only one I could find was miles away but I took the unit to them anyway figuring it was something they could probably fix in a few minutes and I'd be on my way. I was wrong. They insisted I leave the unit and it was three weeks before they called and told me they had made the repair! They said they had to drill and tap the bolt in order to remove it because I had used the wrong sized allen wrench and the bolt was stripped. (I had used the same wrench to remove the other five bolts.) They also said they did not have a replacement bolt and I would have to find one locally. All this was bad enough but they were going to charge me $242 for the "repair". That's more than the unit cost new!!! The name of the repair service is BACKYARD POWER EQUIPMENT in Auburn, Washington. I would avoid these folks like the plague.

I bought this mainly for shred many palm tree leaves. It does the job very good and I like it. It took me a while to assemble it (thanks to the great user review here by u12soccercoach). When I first use it, it tends to jam a lot and I need to open it to drag all the tangled fibers from the palm tree leaves. I got it smoked twice. I thought I broke it. Later, I found that I just need to feed it slower. I also roll the palm tree leaves in a bundle and feed it through the side trunk feeder hole. It seems better by this way. Another trick is keep watching the out port. If no chips coming out. Stop feeding and use a small stick to poke to remove the jammed stuff before you feeding more. Overall, I am very happy with the product.

my mother-in-law wanted this for Christmas last year. I haven't heard her complain about it so apparently it's a good piece of equipment.

Reviews

I bought this saw from Amazon to cut some split and hanging branches off some snow storm damaged trees around my house. It worked very well for what it was designed and I was able to cut some branches that were up to 6" in diameter. The only thing I did not like was the way the pole attached to the saw. You have to remove 4 phillips head screws to remove the 2 piece pole clamping mechanism from the saw. This is OK if you intend to leave the saw on the pole all the time, but taking it off and on between working on the tree and then on the ground is a PITA, especially since the screws can be dropped and lost in the grass. It would have been a little easier if the two piece attachment was hinged on one side, so there were only 2 screws to remove, or even better, a hinge on one side and wing nut screws on the other side, so you didn't have to carry a screwdriver with you. Otherwise it does the job.

Received as a holiday gift. I requested it after internet review of pole electric chain saws. PRO: Good quality, cut well, sturdy, Good Price, good reach for most home owner chores. CON: Heavy so unless you are strong and have some weight to you may be dangerous to use to high up above your head. Pole spring to extend pole reach is high so again a small person with limited strenght may have problems. SUMMARY: Would buy again

What a great product.I had started with a manual pole saw that ended up getting broken by getting caught in a tree limb I was cutting down. For only a little bit more I went back and got the Electric pole saw. What a difference it made. What had already consumed 2 days to cut down a few limbs, I finished off what would have been another week of work in about 4 hours. Very easy to use. It is a little top heavy, especially when you have it fully extended, but should be easy enough to handle for most people. Not a problem myself, but I can see where some people would have problems. I couldn't recommend anything better. So glad I went this route instead of a manual pole saw. Well worth the money and so much cheaper than hiring someone to do the work for 10 times as much.

This item worked even better than expected. It is easy to use with plenty of power for my needs. I have many trees on my property that are now easy to keep under control. The saw can be used separately, which is very handy. The size of the saw is big enough for most cutting jobs yet small enough to not be intimidating. Highly recommended and a good value.

After pruning two tall live oaks in my back yard (trees are about 35 years old), the saw is still going strong. Of course the quality is not like my gas powered Husqvarna, but still decent. The biggest difference is the chain oiler, which is not automatic. One has to push on the oil filler cap to squeeze the oil onto the chain. May seem akward, but other electrical pole saws don't have an oiler at all. The saw should be stored upright, otherwise the chain oil will leak all over the place. I had fun with the saw reaching higher than ever before.