Do I Really Need More Than One Saw for Pruning Trees?

By Garrett Wade

The right saw can revolutionize your pruning.

In the kitchen, it’s clear: There is a knife for every task. For coring strawberries, there’s the paring knife; there’s the chef’s knife for chopping onions. No self-respecting cook has only one knife in their collection for this very reason: Because they know that the right tool makes all the difference—in terms of ease, safety and time.

The same is true outside. When it comes to pruning trees, it is especially important to have a variety of saws not only to ensure your safety, but to make sure you’re pruning your trees and shrubs just right.

Here are 3 reasons you need more than one saw for pruning trees.

1. If your trees and shrubs are not the same height, your saws cannot be the same length.

When it comes to pruning saws, there is no one-size-fits-all. The reason for this is simple: In even the smallest yard, a homeowner can have a 40-foot tree right beside a 2-foot shrub, a 6-foot hedge beside a row of 25-foot evergreens. The saw required to prune a shrub within arm’s reach will simply not reach theheights necessary to prune the tree beside it.

So the first rule of thumb when building a pruning saw collection is this: Take stock of everything that needs pruning, paying special attention to height, and then buy the saws with the right reach for your needs.

For pruning low-lying shrubs or trees, invest in a high-quality, handheld pruning saw with a sharp, easy-to-maneuver blade.

For tasks that require a little more reach, like pruning the inside of a large plant or bush, treat yourself to a long-reach hand-pruner that will naturally extend the length of your arm.

For pruning trees up to 25-feet tall, invest in a professional-grade, telescoping tool that will save you the cost of having to use a professional tree service.

The right saw often makes the difference between what you can do yourself versus what you need to hire professionals to do for you. In this way, having the right pruning saws not only extends the reach of your arm, but the reach of your wallet, as well, as it saves you the cost of having to hire expensive tree or landscaping companies.

2. A sharp saw is a safe saw, so you must match your saw to your task.

A dull saw requires more pressure in order to cut, which increases the chances that the saw will slide due to all the pressure being exerted on it. A slide of a kitchen knife can cost a cook their fingertip; a slide of a pruning saw, being so much larger, can do much worse. So it’s incredibly important to make sure your pruning saws stay sharp.

Nothing will dull the blade on a pruning saw faster than using it to prune a tree or shrub it’s not meant to prune. If you have only one saw in your shed, there is no way to avoid this—which is why you really do need a variety of saws to use (and use correctly).

For large-scale jobs, like tree branches, invest in a professional-quality cut-off saw with sharp teeth. When working on a ladder, or off the ground in any sense, it is especially important that your saw is sharp, as having to exert extra, undue pressure on a dull saw can throw off your balance and increase your risk of a fall. This German-made arborist saw will keep you steady.

For varied jobs, a high-quality extendable pole pruner and saw can prove invaluable, as the multi-use tool, with both a detachable blade and telescopic pole, can transform to meet your needs without requiring too much force.

For pruning small branches or vines, you won’t find better than a heritage-grade pruning saw witha versatile 12” blade. This light-weight saw is a workhorse that cuts fast and clean—just what you need to keep every-day pruning as safe and easy as possible.

3. Not all pruning saw blades are created equal.

Just like the length of your saw’s pole matters, and the qualities of your saw’s blade matters, so too does the actual length of your saw’s blade. For safe, efficient and easy pruning, make sure to match the length of your blade to the branches and vines you’re pruning.

For example, if you are pruning large branches, make sure your pruning saw has a long, thick blade. This arborist saw—with ‘rakers’ (gaps between its teeth)—removes sawdust from the cut, making it the ideal saw for pruning large branches.

For trimming shrubs or bushes with smaller branches or vines, invest in a professional pruning saw with a 12” blade, or an easy-to-carry, folding pruning saw of a similar size. These smaller-but-still-mighty saws offer just the right amount of speed and sharpness to keep your shrubs and bushes looking pristine.