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Horizontal chainsaw? (For reducing hedges...)

I've spent the day taking a 10 ft leylandi hedge down to 6 ft.  At that height the trunks and branches were anywhere between 1 and 3 inch diameter.

On the one side I went in with a Echo hedgetrimmer at 6 ft to see what lay within, then set to with the Echo chainsaw (cutting off approx 4 ft lengths).  My day was interrupted by putting the chain back on the saw.  The weight of entangled growth seems to be too much.

On the second side I started with the chainsaw and carved approx 18 inch chunks from the top.  Approx triple the cuts and lots more bits to pick up, but quicker overall as less down time.  

What approach do y'all prefer?  

My Cobra multitool chainsaw seemed ideal for this but I quickly gave up on it as it didn't have the guts.  Is there a beefy horizontal bladed chainsaw...?  

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Replies

  • PRO
    Daft question but what’s a horizontal chainsaw?
    Another daft one but is the chain sharp and tensioned correctly on the chainsaw you were using?
    • No question is daft when a chainsaw is discussed! Sharp and tensioned ok. Just too many green bits getting dragged in, and the weight of the growth pushing down on the chain I thought.
      'Horizontal' for operator comfort (like on some hedgetrimmers you can rotate the handle 90 degrees). Just a whimsical idea!
      • PRO
        I’ve only use baby chainsaws ms 170s so nice and light and easy to turn on it’s side to cut.
        Have you tried cutting from the inside out once you’ve got into it? That should help avoid the green stuff a bit
        • PRO
          That's how I cut / top my larger hedges, if all goes to plan I climb up with all the equipment needed then don't really need to get down till the job is finished..
      • The handle couldn't be set up like that, because then you would be in no position to resist kickback or trigger the chainbreak.

  • I'd probably use a step cut on the larger ones and an angled cut straight through on the smaller ones, saves the chain getting pinched.

    • PRO

      Agree with the angled cut or stepped cut for mature hedges etc, but never with saw above shoulder ht - ie work above, cut below.

      We're about to trial one of the Stihl Cordless saws as a pruning saw, not significantly lighter but the power on demand makes it a potentially good use.

      • Bit of area of contention Gary, do you use trained climbers for conifer topping and similar work with chainsaws?

        I've taken HSE guidelines to suggest no 'off ground' saw work without relevant quals.

        • PRO

          Absolutely. Myself and two others have CS30-31, one has additional CS32 which deals with most of our ground based contractual / maintenance work, but for any ariel/rope work we use a sister tree company and now they tend to use MEWPs.

          We don't do or advertise for domestic work, so not normally dealing with that marketplace. Also,we can't set foot on a commercial site without having submitted our RAMS documentation which helps you think through how a job need to be logically tackled (stops me/us steaming in on the fly..)

          • PRO

            Also using a powered pole saw helps raise your working height easily and generates a reasonable angled cut before you have to consider climbers etc

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