Tools you wish you'd bought sooner...

[craigthecoupe]

V12GT said:

Any views on pruners / small chainsaws? Need to cut back a bunch of branches upto 4" thick, some from a ladder - I have been doing it by hand with a pruning saw and it's very slow.

Yes, it could be dangerous, but I have a reasonable amount of experience both felling trees and cutting logs, so am aware of the risks. My larger petrol chainsaws are too heavy and would not be safe at any height and unfortunately pruning poles won't do the job either.

I've narrowed my options to a Stihl GTA26, Milwaukee M12 Hatchet and possibly a Makita DUC254. The Stihl looks a bit small and limited in its use, but I like the guard for working at height, Milwaukee/Makita both have a bigger system if I want to (I'm not currently tied into either). The Makita is probably too large and heavy, but is the most versatile. So the Milwaukee might be the compromise?

Stihl: £151 (1 batt) https://www.farmers-equipment.co.uk/product/stihl-...

Milwaukee: £225 (2 batt) https://ffx.co.uk/product/Get/Milwaukee-M12Fhs-602...

Makita: £273 (1 batt) https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita-duc254rt-2...

the makita looks excellent to me. I'm sure if you prepare well, then the makita shouldn't be too bulky, and it will certainly be useful in other applications too.

[Bill]

I just use a reciprocating saw for that kind of thing.

[Olds124]

Got the stihl as a christmas present for my wife who does a lot of full on gardening. It’s very effective but will take a bit of time to lop a 4” branch and is really best up to about 2” even though the bar is 100mm. It should really be used two handed as it tends to bounce around a bit, meaning the left hand is at risk if just used in the right hand. I have a cheapo hedge trimmer/chainsaw/strimmer combo with a very long extension for doing this sort of pruning rather than using a chainsaw on a ladder, despite having a stihl 009 which is an early version of an arborists one handed chainsaw (as well as other bigger machines).

[stevensdrs]

craigthecoupe said:

V12GT said:

Any views on pruners / small chainsaws? Need to cut back a bunch of branches upto 4" thick, some from a ladder - I have been doing it by hand with a pruning saw and it's very slow.

Yes, it could be dangerous, but I have a reasonable amount of experience both felling trees and cutting logs, so am aware of the risks. My larger petrol chainsaws are too heavy and would not be safe at any height and unfortunately pruning poles won't do the job either.

I've narrowed my options to a Stihl GTA26, Milwaukee M12 Hatchet and possibly a Makita DUC254. The Stihl looks a bit small and limited in its use, but I like the guard for working at height, Milwaukee/Makita both have a bigger system if I want to (I'm not currently tied into either). The Makita is probably too large and heavy, but is the most versatile. So the Milwaukee might be the compromise?

Stihl: £151 (1 batt) https://www.farmers-equipment.co.uk/product/stihl-...

Milwaukee: £225 (2 batt) https://ffx.co.uk/product/Get/Milwaukee-M12Fhs-602...

Makita: £273 (1 batt) https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita-duc254rt-2...

the makita looks excellent to me. I'm sure if you prepare well, then the makita shouldn't be too bulky, and it will certainly be useful in other applications too.

I use a version of these alligator shears for pruning. Much safer than an open chainsaw at height and zero chance of cutting your arm off.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Decker-GKC1000L-QW-...

[Big Stevie]

V12GT said:

Any views on pruners / small chainsaws? Need to cut back a bunch of branches upto 4" thick, some from a ladder - I have been doing it by hand with a pruning saw and it's very slow.

Yes, it could be dangerous, but I have a reasonable amount of experience both felling trees and cutting logs, so am aware of the risks. My larger petrol chainsaws are too heavy and would not be safe at any height and unfortunately pruning poles won't do the job either.

I've narrowed my options to a Stihl GTA26, Milwaukee M12 Hatchet and possibly a Makita DUC254. The Stihl looks a bit small and limited in its use, but I like the guard for working at height, Milwaukee/Makita both have a bigger system if I want to (I'm not currently tied into either). The Makita is probably too large and heavy, but is the most versatile. So the Milwaukee might be the compromise?

Stihl: £151 (1 batt) https://www.farmers-equipment.co.uk/product/stihl-...

Milwaukee: £225 (2 batt) https://ffx.co.uk/product/Get/Milwaukee-M12Fhs-602...

Makita: £273 (1 batt) https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita-duc254rt-2...

I have the Stihl GTA 26, bought it for quickly cutting up thin branches into small pieces for my Ooni wood burning pizza oven. It's good, ideally needs two hands even though it is small, but can be used one handed with care. The battery doesn't last long so I bought a second, and they charge quite fast.

As for full size cordless chainsaws, I have just bought the Makita DUC405 which is 16" which is nice and light but you need two of there 18v batteries, but they do a smaller 14" DUC305, identical machine but with a shorter bar.

[wsurfa]

wong said:

Don't use the metal tweezers to hold the new battery - you'll short it. Get some plastic ones.

You'll need the metal tweezers for most casios to reset after a battery change, if most/all of my g shocks are a guide

[defblade]

wsurfa said:

wong said:

Don't use the metal tweezers to hold the new battery - you'll short it. Get some plastic ones.

You'll need the metal tweezers for most casios to reset after a battery change, if most/all of my g shocks are a guide

My G-Shock is solar

[NextSlidePlease]

Bill said:

I just use a reciprocating saw for that kind of thing.

Correct answer, a recip saw does very well with branches, should make short work of them. I use the Milwaukee M18 for this type of work. Great at cutting through roots as well.

[wsurfa]

defblade said:

wsurfa said:

wong said:

Don't use the metal tweezers to hold the new battery - you'll short it. Get some plastic ones.

You'll need the metal tweezers for most casios to reset after a battery change, if most/all of my g shocks are a guide

My G-Shock is solar

My MTG 910 gshock needed a new battery, it's solar, it needed resetting.

Admittedly it was about 10yrs before it needed a new battery.. So not that regular a problem....

[Harry Flashman]

Just bought a second roughneck micro shovel.

Remains the best garden tool ever.

[cml24]

stevensdrs said:

craigthecoupe said:

V12GT said:

Any views on pruners / small chainsaws? Need to cut back a bunch of branches upto 4" thick, some from a ladder - I have been doing it by hand with a pruning saw and it's very slow.

Yes, it could be dangerous, but I have a reasonable amount of experience both felling trees and cutting logs, so am aware of the risks. My larger petrol chainsaws are too heavy and would not be safe at any height and unfortunately pruning poles won't do the job either.

I've narrowed my options to a Stihl GTA26, Milwaukee M12 Hatchet and possibly a Makita DUC254. The Stihl looks a bit small and limited in its use, but I like the guard for working at height, Milwaukee/Makita both have a bigger system if I want to (I'm not currently tied into either). The Makita is probably too large and heavy, but is the most versatile. So the Milwaukee might be the compromise?

Stihl: £151 (1 batt) https://www.farmers-equipment.co.uk/product/stihl-...

Milwaukee: £225 (2 batt) https://ffx.co.uk/product/Get/Milwaukee-M12Fhs-602...

Makita: £273 (1 batt) https://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/makita-duc254rt-2...

the makita looks excellent to me. I'm sure if you prepare well, then the makita shouldn't be too bulky, and it will certainly be useful in other applications too.

I use a version of these alligator shears for pruning. Much safer than an open chainsaw at height and zero chance of cutting your arm off.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Decker-GKC1000L-QW-...

I cleared a very dense, overgrown garden with these. Including some quite substantial trunks (attacked from two sides to get through). They're good at smaller stuff as they grab the branches and stop them being flung away.

[Taita]

Could anyone recommend a phone / laptop borescope or endscope please? I think I've got a rattle of a loose piece of plastic somewhere in the air vents of my car so need a nice small camera body, semi rigid cable and LEDs on the end.

Ideally with a decent returns policy in case I can't find it :P

[Doofus]

Taita said:

Could anyone recommend a phone / laptop borescope or endscope please? I think I've got a rattle of a loose piece of plastic somewhere in the air vents of my car so need a nice small camera body, semi rigid cable and LEDs on the end.

Ideally with a decent returns policy in case I can't find it :P

I've got a Depstech one off Amazon. Creates a LAN to connect to your phone.

[Bill]

Doofus said:

I've got a Depstech one off Amazon. Creates a LAN to connect to your phone.

Same.

[Taita]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inspection-Depstech-Water...

Seems a decent price at the current offer. Any reasons to not that that one?

[Bill]

Amazon says that's the one I have.

[Doofus]

Yep. Me too.

Presumably it came up on this thread three or four years ago.

[Bill]

2020, apparently!

[Teddy Lop]

NextSlidePlease said:

Bill said:

I just use a reciprocating saw for that kind of thing.

Correct answer, a recip saw does very well with branches, should make short work of them. I use the Milwaukee M18 for this type of work. Great at cutting through roots as well.

Yeh, but you're gonna look a bit of a tit come the zombie apocalypse with a pruner aren't you?

For me I had a tree to compartmentalise but I can't really justify extending my milwaukee kit, so $40 of chineseum fury with an M18 battery plate bodged on it was:

[Sway]

Harry Flashman said:

Just bought a second roughneck micro shovel.

Remains the best garden tool ever.

Ties with the big bd 'digging pole' for me.

Both in use tomorrow to plant a cherry tree.