Best Ego Power Tools Chainsaws

Works well with practice – WHAT: Ego commercial pole saw used for trimming branches / hedges at a height without the risk of climbing ladders. Its has a 25cm motorised bar and… Read more

chain at the end of a 1.1m pole, and the battery/control unit is 90cm long unextended, but can be lengthened to 1.6m. One additional expansion pole is supplied (1.1m long) and you could possible add one more, but manoeuvring the cutting head at an extended length of 3m is usable, but 4m might be pushing the limit for anyone but a strong, muscly fit individual.

NOTES: This is a lighter weight version using carbon fibre poles to keep the construction rigidity but make managing the chain saw at the end of the pole possible. It is sold as a skin (you need to already have batteries or buy one separately.)

POWER: uses the standard size 56V EGO batteries. I have run it on 2.5AH, 4 AH, 7.5AH batteries. All are fine, weight being a consideration. A heavier battery helps balance the extended poles when working at full length, with the shoulder strap taking most of the weight. (even with the carbon fibre poles, total weight with battery is noticeable after a while)

ASSEMBLY: The extension poles are a plug and socket arrangement with a clip push button. inside the connectors are 5 connectors for the power and controlling the cutting speed. The connectors also have a knob to hand tighten as well to keep wobbles to a minimum when working at extended lengths. When initially assembled I found I had to tighten the other part of the clamp as there was too much slack in the connector straight out of the box. Strong tightening is essential for stability!

BAR & CHAIN: There is a tightening system with a tool for getting the chain tension correct. It is fairly straightforward to use. The cutting head also has an automatic oiler for putting in the bar cutting lubricant. Most of these automatic oilers have a tendency to leak when stored, so it is advisable to empty it if there is any left in the dispenser. There is also a protective cover for the bar & chain. If you leave the bar and chain assembled then the pole and cutting head won't fit back inside the shipping box, making storage a bit of a nuisance.

IN USE: It cuts easily, variable speed, but does tend to clog up a bit with cutting debris. The cutting head has a guide which is a short piece of plastic that projects downwards under the cutting head near where the chain returns inside the head. While this seems to be a good idea, the guide can be nuisance when cutting smaller branches off as it can get caught amongst other leaves and branches. No issues with larger branches. Managing a cutting head at full extension takes a bit of practice: you have a 3.6m long contraption with weight at either end which you are trying to position vertically, see where you are cutting, cut, make sure you are not underneath it, and also manage safety raising and lowering it.

PRACTICE!: It would be even more awkward it you had an extra extension pole, but then you could get to almost 5 - 5.5m cutting height. You can shorten the base unit by 70cm as the lower section is adjustable: or lower height cutting (and without the extension) it does make it more manageable. Carbon-fibre poles are light, and this definitely helps usability.

LONG TERM: Happy so far, does the job I expected it to do. On the reliability, this remains to be seen, although I have had a selection of EGO power tools for many years now and although the smaller batteries have lost a bit of capacity, with proper charging procedures they have been reasonable. (My 7.5AH lawn mower battery had been a bit cantankerous, sometimes not accepting full charge - occasionally I found you need to flatten the battery, & let it rest before recharging.) Keeping the chain lubricated and sharp will be a key maintenance factor, as it is harder to cut with a blunt chain!