Arborist Reviews

Well, this is the first time I’ve tried writing a review so I hope it’s of use! I have recently replaced what I believe is a vital part of any climbers kit, and yet one which is often overlooked – the rescue knife. After having my Petzl Spatha since buying my first ever climbing kit, […] Read review in full...

I have been wearing these boots for five days, and the first impressions are very good.* These boots are very comfortable straight out the box, with a pleasing balance of sole flex and support. The lacing system holds the foot well in the boot, so that there is no movement of the foot inside the [...] Read review in full...

I run a Predator 450 with the 27hp engine and a 6 point multi tip cutting wheel. I was loaned a set of these teeth by the manufacturers (Magnum Alpine) to try out. They supplied six ‘standard’ and two ‘large’ teeth. They should be used on a Rhino wheel but I had contacted them to [...] Read review in full...

Like many other arborists, I am incredibly passionate about our industry. I enjoy every aspect of my job and having the right gear to be able to do the work quickly, efficiently and safely is imperative. Nowhere is the gear debate more hotly contested amongst arborists than that of the top-handled chainsaw. I was lucky [...] Read review in full...

Climbing spikes, if ever there was a item of climbing equipment to divide opinion, it would be climbing spikes. Manufactures all giving various options to suit or confuse our needs, alloy or steel? (Not forgetting carbon fibre or titanium) soft or rigid lads? It can be a mine field. I have climbed for the last [...] Read review in full...

I’ve been wearing these chainsaw trousers for a couple of months now. I usually wear type A’s, so I was expecting these to be hotter and heavier than I was used to. When I put them on though, the first thing I noticed was that these trousers are light! I mean really light, when I [...] Read review in full...

Recently new to the market is the Husqvarna battery powered arborist saw. Battery powered chainsaws have been around several years now and are not something I have any experience with prior to this, so I am writing this review with nothing to compare it to on performance but its petrol engine counterpart. Having said that, it's important to realise that this saw serves a different purpose from a petrol saw, and whilst it can carry out some of the same tasks, it is ideally suited to lighter pruning works. I have carried out a few small dismantles with this saw just to see what it could do, and on a performance basis, the saw held its own very well. The main issue with removals, or any larger branch removal is of course the added drain on the battery. On a 50ft Sycamore I was able to dismantle the tree with 2 batteries, compared to 2 batteries lasting me the better part of a day on light pruning work. There are a couple of features with this saw that make it desirable to use. Firstly the reduced noise. It still does produce enough noise to require ear protection, particularly if you are using it any length of time, but on lighter pruning tasks where the majority of the work was carried out with a hand saw, and using the battery saw for the odd larger limb, I found it unnecessary. Secondly, the on off button rather than a pull start. When I first picked up the saw, this was pointed out to me as a labour saver, and to be honest I scoffed at this, commenting that I have never had an issue pull starting a saw before. In practice however, it makes a refreshing change when you are out on a limb, in an awkward position, and all that's needed is a single press of a button to be in business. This has become something I now miss when I am using a petrol saw,. That, along with the reduced noise actually make me look forward to the jobs I can use this on. The overall ergonomics of the saw are pretty much spot on. It has the same 2 attachment points that are on the T540XP, the belt eyelet I have become particularly fond of for quick one handed stowing of the saw. The keypad which I briefly mentioned above, is mounted conveniently to the side of the handle and is easily reachable with your thumb. This has 2 settings. Standard and economy(or savE). In practice I have only used the economy mode once, finding the reduced chain speed effected the quality of a target pruning cut. Standard setting on the other hand produces chain speed nearly comparable to the T540XP, with only a slightly slower pick up time. As well as its primary function, for safety the chain break also cuts power to the motor. The oil tank has a handy flip-up cap. Its worth mentioning that it is very easy to forget to fill the oil when you are not going through the usual process of topping up with petrol...something to be cautious of. The Li-ion battery itself slides in to the rear of the saw and has 2 clips working independently of each other. Its important to make sure both these clips engage properly and the battery is secure prior to use. I have heard one report of the battery coming out, but I haven't been able to replicate this and I suspect the battery wasn't clipped in properly in the first place. To remove the battery, both clips need to be pressed in simultaneously and the battery pushed through from the other side. Based on my limited knowledge of its predecessors, this saw would seem quite a step forward. With the increase in technology and batteries getting smaller and more powerful all the time, the battery powered market will be well worth keeping an eye on in the future. If you are considering one of these saws now then you need to take a look at the type of work you are doing. This certainly isn't a primary arborists saw, but to complement a range of tools, then this saw most definitely has its place and will remain in my line up. Read review on Arborist Reviews

One of the most important brands in our industry for last last 10 years and counting. known for quality and longevity that often cant be matched. We all complain about the rising prices (me included) but we always seem to go back. Why? Well as a seasoned Zubat 330 user i was very exited to [...] Read review in full...

Following 6 months of extensive use of the T540, please read on for my views on the saw. Firstly, after what was widely regarded as a disappointing top handled chainsaw in the 338xp, Husqvarna have certainly gone all out in totally redeveloping their new offering from scratch. The fact that they kept us waiting what seemed like an age for this saw hopefully means all the teething problems we have come to expect with new products have been mostly ironed out……read on and see. From the very first time I picked up the T540, it felt right. The balancing, probably one of the first things you notice with a top handled saw is spot on…at least with the 12” bar I have been using. The looks of the saw itself look both sleek and robust at the same time. I am certainly no chainsaw technician, so the focus of my review will be on the practical application of the saw and on a few of the nice little touches that make the saw stand out from the crowd for me. Saw attachment point and belt eye-let: The T540 has what looks like 2 attachment points, but its important to note that only the metal point is to be used as the main attachment. There is an additional plastic eye which it’s sole use is for attaching to a harness tool hook. I use a Petzl caritool, and stowing the saw onto the caritool after use couldn’t be easier. This has become one of the features I miss most when using other top handled saws. Auto return stop switch: Another handy little feature thats taken for granted is the auto return stop switch which basically does what it says. In practise I did find myself constantly knocking the engine off during use at first, but this issue eventually disappeared as I became more familiar with the machine. Visible fuel level: The T540 has a useful fuel level situated on the petrol tank so the user can see at a quick glance how much fuel is remaining. Not an essential feature in a saw but useful all the same. Individual grip size: To my knowledge, no other saw comes with 3 different sized grips to choose from. Is it necessary? Probably not, after all we have managed pretty well without them up till now….but it is a nice edition in my opinion. Basic maintenance: Short of changing chains, and blowing out the air filter, I have had very little to do to this saw, and as I said previously I am no chainsaw technician. Worth mentioning though is the captive side casing nut which totally eliminates those annoying moments scrabbling round in the dirt for lost side casing nuts. Access to the air filter is nice and simple as you’d expect. Autotune: This is a bit of an unknown quantity in my eyes. I do not have any understanding of how it works, all I know is it does work….will it in another 6 months? Time will tell. It was interesting when first starting the saw up, listening to the saw tune itself. This did take a few minutes in the first instance, and over the course of the first week the engine did seem to stutter here and there, mostly first thing in the morning. I am assuming this was all part of the breaking in process as these symptoms have all disappeared now and the saw runs consistently well. One thing I have noticed in general running, is that the saw doesn’t seem to stay warm as long as other models, for example if left on the harness for 10 minutes between cuts I do find I need to give it a little choke when starting….again, not an issue at all really, more of an observation. So how well does it run? The most important question of all! I picked up my T540 a couple of weeks prior to the storms of October, so after a relatively casual couple of weeks doing smallish takedowns and prunes the saw was well and truly thrown in the deep end. Anyone who has done storm work knows the importance of a fast cutting saw, and the T540 cut every bit as fast as I could have hoped, wether on small limbs 3-4” or larger limbs guide bar length and longer. Rather than switching to a bigger saw for the thicker diameter stems, I actually found myself using the saw for longer due to the ease with which it handled timber approaching twice the guide bar length. As the weeks went on I pushed the saw harder still, keen to find its breaking point. One particular job that stands out was the removal of two 100ft Poplars. Both trees had a fair spread on them, and were cut and drop which gave me a great opportunity to really test out what grunt the saw actually had. A few of the limbs were approximately 18” diameter(one and a half times guide bar length) and extending horizontally approximately 40ft. Under normal circumstances I would have perhaps removed some end weight to reduce the chance of splitting, but in order to really see what the saw was capable of I opted to tackle them with the 540. With the correct cuts in place, and myself positioned safely, all that was left was to see if the saw had the grunt and speed to get through the timber without the limbs splitting...which it did very comfortably. So in answer to the question, If you are looking for a top handled saw that has the grunt to get the job done, then yes the T540 XP will not let you down. I will look forward to revisiting this review 6 months from now to hopefully give a more insightful opinion on the autotune feature as well as the saws general longevity. Looking for a saw for lighter pruning work? The 540 is more than light and compact to use on pruning jobs, but for that occasional use, be sure to read my review on the T536 Li XP Read review at Arboristreviews.co.uk

So I was sent a couple of pairs of the Arbortech Xscape gloves to review, by Treehog_safety. I usually wear Pfanner Stretchflex, so any comparisons will be to these. The Xscape gloves are a lightweight, general use type of glove, ideal for climbing. No chainsaw protection, thermal lining or padding. Just a good old work [...] Read review in full...

These boots were brought primarily for their price and claims of waterproofness, rather than just water resistant. First impressions were absolutely fantastic, they were very comfortable, straight out of the box, especially for my wide feet. They looked the part, i did remove the arch spikes though, as i can only see them being useful [...] Read review in full...

As a freelance arborist I climb for a number of regular and occasional guys undertaking varied work and it has been the ideal way to trial the Spiderjack – from deadwooding a big 100′+ cedar to thinning out a scraggly bird cherry in a customer’s garden. I’ve used it on every job for the last [...] Read review in full...

Summary: This comprehensive 200 page book focuses on our appreciation of old trees from the aesthetic, historical and ecological viewpoints and reminds us of our responsibilities as owners, managers, practitioners and enthusiasts to help prolong their lives and ensure continuity of their habitat & the myriad of associated species that rely on them. Edited by [...] Read review in full...

There is currently a major revolution going on in tree climbing, coinciding fantastically with the release of the TCIA “Best Practices for SRT in Arboriculture.” SRT techniques have been being utilised pretty much since climbing in a controlled, rope aided, manner began. Over the years, mostly through rock climbing and caving, SRT techniques and equipment [...] Read review in full...

Review of Scarpa XER boots =I have put a lot of considerations into the replacement of my old Klima Air Tirols, as these boots have lasted six years and proved to be very comfortable and hard wearing. So the replacement boots have a lot to live up to, and I am a great believer in [...] Read review in full...