BLACK+DECKER20V Max Pole Saw for Tree Trimming, Lightweight, Rechargeable Cordless, Extension up to 14 ft Reach, Tool Only, Electric Pole Saw (LPP120B)

There were a few different brands and systems available for limb trimming at between 12 and 20 feet from the ground. I chose the Black & Decker Pole Saw because I have several other power tools from B & D. I have found them reliable, and...all of the tools take the same 20v lithium battery, including the pole saw.I found that I can cut 20 to 30 limbs between 1/2" and 4 " with a single battery charge. I started by cutting about 25 limbs from some spruce trees. They tend to die off at the bottom and continue to go upward with the die off. Dead limbs can be found two thirds of the way up the trees. I then cut several branches from an oak including a 4' limb. I had not run out of power at that point. Since I have 5 other batteries which will also fit this unit, I can work as long as I like. I used to bring over a ladder and a chain saw and balance as I cut, it always made me nervous. This is really the answer; no cord, it's very light and cuts easily and quickly; and I'm safely on the firm ground.I was very surprised at how well this saw works and the battery life is great.I also learned something interesting. It was recommended that I use vegetable oil when cutting limbs on live trees. The mineral oil (bar and chain oil) I would normally use in my chain saws can harm a live tree. I use olive oil from the kitchen with this saw, it was handy. This pole saw does not have an automatic chain/bar oil feed. I was concerned about this at first. Since the saw does not go as fast as a gas powered saw and I will seldom cut hour after hour as I might cutting fire wood, the auto oil feed is not needed. After every 15-20 limbs that I cut, I use the oil bottle supplied by B &D to add a bit of oil to the chain. The oil container and an Allen wrench to set the chain tension, fit into a clip on the saws chain/bar cover. This is good design and very handy. I highly recommend the Black & Decker Pole saw.

I have to admit, my expectations for this tool were not sky-high when I purchased it. I decided to buy it for a number of reasons but mainly because I already owned two 20v B&D Li-Ion batteries which came with other B&D tools I already owned. The other reasons for the purchase were: 1) I could buy the tool bare, without the battery which cut about 40 bucks off the price and 2) B&D was offering a $10 discount at the time so all-in-all it seemed like a good time to make the purchase.From my experience with the B&D tools I already owned (leaf blower & hedge trimmer), I definitely went into this purchase with muted expectations. The 20v blower is good for blowing dry leaves and debris off the deck but that's about it, otherwise it's totally under-powered to perform more heavy duty leaf blowing (like when the leaves become a little wet). The hedge trimmer works well enough. So basically out of the two B&D 20v tools I already owned I was going into this with about 50% confidence that it would have enough power to do the job and then you have to wonder just how effective a cordless 20v electric pole saw could possibly be....Well let me tell you, pretty darn effective! When I received the package it arrived well intact and in good time considering the time of year the purchase was made so no complaints there. In the box were: instructions, the pole saw itself (which breaks down into three segments), a plastic bar/chain cover that has built in space for the bar oil container (small dropper container for the bar oil included) and the Allen wrench (also included). Again I went with the bare tool so no battery.After a brief overview of the instructions I put the saw together. The segments connect via heavy duty plastic twist-type connections which is one very small complaint that I have. If the connection could be a little more heavy duty it would be nice but the plastic seems heavy duty enough to hold up if you're careful when putting the tool together. You definitely have to be careful that you have the weight of whole thing under control somehow as you put it together. When you first insert the smaller plastic end into the larger plastic end (which only goes in one way as the power connection is made inside the joint) there could be a lot of stress on the connection if you're just trying to hold the saw without balancing the weight on something or have the unit laying on the ground while attempting to join the segments and tighten the joint at the same time. Once you get the connection completely tightened the joint becomes pretty strong. I'll definitely keep an eye on this as I use the saw this season and update my rating if the plastic connections fail me but otherwise no complaints after my trial run.We have a decent sized wooded lot with lots of small/medium sized trees so having something that doesn't require a plug-in is a must. We recently had a wet heavy snow bring a willow part way down. The trunk was split and the tree was hung up in a pine requiring a tool such as this to give me the reach to get up into the pine to alleviate the pressure. I found the 14' reach to be more than adequate for the job at hand. Once I got everything lined up, safety gear on, figured out where I was going to stand and bar/chain oiled and all that jive, it was time to cut.At first it felt like the saw was just bouncing on the limb, which I later measured to approximately 5 inches in diameter. Then I realized it was just the way I was holding the saw. Once I pushed it all the way to limb so that the grooved area of the saw body just below the bar was against the limb things totally stabilized and the saw did the rest. It sawed through the limb with ease much to my surprise. I really thought there would be some catching or motor slowing but there was not. I proceeded to cut the branch into more manageable pieces, then I but a couple of birch branches that needed to be cleared away, cut another willow branch about the size of the first one and cut that one up into smaller pieces. All this on one charge and no sign of the battery losing charge. It certainly appears that will two fully charged batteries I should be able to do all my summer cutting with ease.All-in-all I'm very happy with this tool. My only question is about the durability of the unit with the plastic connections but so far so good so not going to knock it until there's a reason to. I'll continue to be careful when I put the unit together and report any issues. I'm looking forward to a summer of pruning some of the higher trees we've been wanting to prune but could get to the limbs but now I have a tool that will help me accomplish this. I definitely recommend this saw to anyone looking for an inexpensive cutting tool that'll give you some reach. Given the price and performance of this tool I couldn't be happier.