The ENGINEERED DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, POWER, and QUALITY (with a few exceptions) of this pole stand out as the dominant features of this amazing product! It rivals the value of pole saws less than twice the price of this product. There are too many great features to list them all, but I will mention a few, as well as a few areas for improvement.How many pole saws have you seen with a Splined Drive Shaft from powerhead to cutting head, and a nearly 12″ bar? Only the very highest quality competing units!Why do I need a long and strong quality pole saw with a big bar? I cut and trim trees, thin forests, and repair chainsaws. For trimming branches, I prefer a boom-bucket trailer, but when I need to trim tree branches from the ground, I need one that is allows me to trim up to 16′, easy to start, reliable, powerful, and has close to a 12″ bar.This is my fourth powered pole saw. Two were low-end pole saws with extension poles, which had trouble starting, running, and idling, but all had wobbly extension joints (I need strong joints to maneuver well at 16′ height). The electric pole saw had short endurance and the cutting head was too heavy, making positioning difficult. In contrast, this saw has good engineering, good quality joints, and perfectly fits my needs *and my wallet*!It has a powerful engine with 1.87hp, 9′ extension length, a strong solid clutch, a central splined and segmented drive rod, an 11.5″ bar, a good quality and light-weight cutting head, and best of all, well-designed magnesium extension joints that securely hold extensions in place.Drawbacks Generally: the covering plastics and the metal stand on the powerhead are made with cheap materials but don’t affect performance. The aluminum extension poles are made of weak tubing and bend easily when hit by a falling branchy, but they have good rigidity for maneuvering the cutting head.Despite the shortfalls in materials, I give it a high rating because of the overall value when considering the low-price, and compared with all other available pole saws and their prices. This saw is also sold by other names, but it’s the same saw and close to the same price.But, there are a few issues that must be fixed in a future product release, and some that make it unusable, unless they are fixed.ISSUE 1: The 8/10mm wrench is very weak, and becomes useless after first use to tighten the bar. See pic.FIX: Use a 1/4″ drive ratchet, short extension, and a 10mm socket (used to tighten bar and re-attach chain drive sprocket when it falls off every 10 mins of use).ISSUE 2: Chains are made of mild steel and are super stretchy and fall off after every 10 branches, due to stretching.FIX: Order new chains of same type (44 Tooth, 3/8″ pitch, narrow kerf, low profile, chisel tooth), but use the ones they gave you until the new chains arrive. It’s your opportunity to learn to keep the chain adjusted properly. Don’t waste your money to sharpen the original chains – they’re not worth the cost.ISSUE 3: Rim (chain drive) Sprocket on the Cutting Head keeps falling off every 10 minutes, due to super cheap useless split locking washer.FIX: Take the 6mm Sprocket Retainer bolt to a hardware store and get a real split locking washer (see pic with both the cheap one and the real one). Put Red (“Permanent”) Threadlocker on the 6mm bolt before re-installing the Rim Sprocket on the Cutting Head (it’s a Rated bolt, so you can make it reasonably tight).NOTE: Eventually the Rim Sprocket will wear out after 100 hours or so of use. So try to order a replacement sprocket in preparation for that day.ISSUE 4: The poles, the Cutting Head, the Handle, and the Throttle Grip may all turn to the wrong positions (because assembly can be confusing).FIX:a) Start with the extension that attaches to the Powerhead. Loosen the (Allen head) bolts that hold the first shaft, position it so the pilot hole (on the pole) matches the location of the pilot bolt on the side of the mount on the Powerhead, insert the first shaft, tighten the pilot hole bolt, making sure it goes into the pilot hole, then tighten the clamp at the bottom of the mount.b) position the Throttle Grip, and tighten the 2 screws in the forward clamp and 2 in the rear clamp.c) attach the large black handle on the first extension shaft, about 5″ from the bottom of the extension clamp at the end.d) insert next extension into the mount with the keyway slot on top, press it all the way in while pressing the Key Button, then twist to make sure the Key clicks into the Keyway, then press the Key Cover down and secure the Key Cover with the big Twisty Knob on the right side.e) repeat for the 3rd extension pole (the one with no mounting hardware).f) loosen the Mounting Clamp and Pilot Hole Bolt on the Cutting Head and press it onto the end of the 3rd pole, making sure to line up the Pilot Hole on the right side, with the Pilot Hole Bolt on the Cutting Head. Press all the way in and carefully turn in the pilot hole bolt making sure the bolt goes in to the hole for proper alignment, then tighten both bolts.NOTE: if the Big Handle or the Throttle Grip continue to turn during use, then remove their clamp screws, slide them up the pole, add “Permatex Ultra Black Silicon Glue” to their undersides or their positions on the pole where they will be re-mounted, then reattach and tighten the clamps.ISSUE 5: Powerhead has very little power when cutting, due to “rich” gas mix from the factory.FIX: Turn the Gas Jet Screw (located to the right of the choke lever) clockwise 1/4 turn, then try again. The “perfect mix” changes with altitude, but is indicated by higher rpms on full throttle and no load (not cutting), with some misfiring (sputtering). If the rpms get too high with no sputtering, it can overheat and burn out the engine (piston and cylinder), so best to have an expert fine tune it, if you are not one.ISSUE 6: Its just about impossible to remove an extension from a mounting clamp, after it has been assembled.FIX: unknown. Needs to be addressed by manufacturer.ISSUE 7: Extension poles bend easily if hit by a falling branch.FIX: unknown. Needs to be addressed by manufacturer.ISSUE 8: Small issue with the Tool Kit. It is missing a Common Screw Driver for adjusting the saw chain tension. The ideal (factory) screw driver will have a circular guide around the tip, so it fits onto the Tensioner Bolt and doesn’t slip off the screw when tightening the chain. A better solution is to add a circular guide to the head of the Tensioner Bolt, to make it easier to stay in the groove when tightening.TIP: To tighten the chain on the bar, place a branch under the tip of the bar to push up on the bar, then tighten the Tensioner Bolt until it’s snug (but not too tight, as chain should still move freely when it’s snug on the bar), then tighten the Bar Nut (on the outside of the Bar Cover, and recheck that the chain can still move. If not, loosen the Tensioner Bold 1/4 turn (CCW), then re-tighten the Bar Cover Nut.ATTENTION – DANGER!!NEVER TOUCH, HOLD, OR EVEN GET CLOSE TO THE BAR OR CHAIN WHEN ENGINE IS RUNNING!!
