Fiskars PowerGear X Telescopic Tree Pruner UPX86, Non-stick Coated, Steel Blade/Aluminium Handle, Length 2.4 - 4 m, Black/Orange, 1023624

Product Information

In the photos I’ve leaned the pruning tool against the tree to give a sense of scale, remember the tree pruner is 1.65m long, so this tree is around twice that in height.

Telescopic tree pruners make neatening up your garden easy. They’re convenient, safe and easy to use; however, there are a lot of different styles to choose between. Whether you need to prune roses, or cut high-reaching bamboo canes, the Garten Primus Rose Cavalier Pruner makes it easy to do all the jobs around the garden without requiring multiple tools. When the extension pole is in position, this pruner can be harder to manage because the motor (and therefore the majority of the weight) is at the far end of the pole. Equipped with PowerGear™ X technology with a 3x gear transmission ensures clean and efficient cuts, allowing users to trim branches and crowns up to 32 mm in diameter. Branches up to approx 40mm diameter then a long reach pruner / telescopic lopper is fine. Anything larger then I would suggest a long reach saw. Both the Fiskars UPX86 and the Wolf Garten poles can also be fitted with a saw attachment for a bigger cut.There’s an orange non-slip base at the end of the tool which allows for a better two-handed grip, but it does more than serve as a gripping surface. To further extend teach, it’s possible to hold the pole pruner near its base. But if you we that, how can we reach the sliding handle midway along the shaft you may ask? Shaft length adjustable from 2.4m to 4m Maximum reach of 6m with a 230° adjustable cutting head Cuts fresh wood with a diameter of up to 32mm The orange cutting support enhances visibility, and the cutting angle can be adjusted up to 230° for flexible and accurate pruning. The lightweight yet robust construction of the aluminum shaft, coupled with the ergonomic SoftGrip™ handle, provides comfort, control, and a non-slip grip whilst using the tool. The orange handle midway along the shaft activates the blade, pulling down on the handle slides it down the shaft, closes the blade and makes the cut.

PowerGear X Telescopic pruning shears for fresh, young shoots, branches, and twigs up to Ø 3.2 cm in treetops and dense shrubs - without the help of a ladder - with a maximum total reach of 6 m when being used I was impressed with the additional pole end handle (yellow) to give even more reach, when you can't hold the middle handle. Very clever. Easy to extend and retract and cutting action was very smooth. This pruning tool also comes with a good quality blade cover so you can protect the blade from damage when not in use. If you also want to use the pruner for some close-range jobs, make sure that its non-extended length is manageable. Extendable pruners tend to be over 1 m long even on their shortest setting, so there may still be jobs that will still require a pair of smaller hand pruners. In general, pole pruners come in two sizes. The shorter fixed length pole pruners are around 1.6m (5.5’) long, and are perfect for managing smaller trees up to 4m (12’) tall, whereas the longer telescopic pole pruners, which extend from 2.4m to 4.0m (8’-12’) long, can reach up to an incredible 6m (18’), but are a bit too long and unwieldy for smaller jobs.The UPX86 long reach pruner has a whopping extra long reach of 4 metres fully extended, allowing for most tasks a home owner might need to do before calling out a tree surgeon. Add 4 metres to your own reach and it’s possible to reach 6m with this extended tree trimmer. They come with a 330 mm saw which gives the user extra cutting power on larger branches, although it’s worth noting that this saw is a little weak and not particularly effective. The saw also occasionally gets caught on branches and needs to be removed. If also a good practice to sterilise pruning tools between different trees to avoid spreading diseases, and I use a water-alcohol mix and a paper kitchen towel for the purpose. The blades wiped clean effortlessly, returning them to their pristine, new appearance. The quality of the pruner’s blades directly affects its cutting performance and longevity. Opt for long reach tree pruners with high-quality, sharp blades made from durable materials such as carbon steel or hardened stainless steel. Additionally, consider the ease of blade maintenance. Some pruners feature replaceable blades or blade sharpening systems, which can prolong the lifespan of the tool and reduce long-term costs. Extension Mechanism

Pruning the top of a persimmon tree close to 3m tall, I was able to make very precise and clean cuts to its hard, brittle timber without having to reach to far with my arms over my head. The blade slides smoothly through fresh wood, with a very reassuring pop as the blade slices clean through and the branch fall away. For those who wish to orient their bypass action pruners the ‘right way’ when pruning, with the bright orange jaw, it’s really easy even high in a tree where visibility is not the best. The extending handle is made from aluminium making it lighter than other models to use. The blades are super strong and sharp and can easily cut through branches and growth up to 30mm in diameter. The angled head makes light work of cutting hard to get to branches and vertical growth. It’s a good quality machine, and comes in three separate pieces to allow the length to be adjusted. The handle attaches to the end of one section, the saw to the end of the other, and then there is an additional extension piece. This pruner can be used without the extension, and will measure approximately 1.8 m, or with the extension, measuring 2.7 m. Designed for precise and powerful cutting, the PowerGear X™ tree pruners have an orange blade support for improved visibility, and the cutting head can be rotated so that the cutting angle can be adjusted up to 230°.

Some telescopic/extendable pruners are manually powered. They have a ‘squeeze’ handle that causes the blades at the top to close and cut. As long as the blades are sharp enough, this shouldn’t be too hard on the hands. These manual pruners are usually best suited to cutting fresh, live stems/branches as opposed to woodier ones. They’ll work best on bushes, hedges and small, young trees.