As you are probably aware I am very particular about the tools I use in the garden and if they are bad I will say so and if they are good I will also say so, regardless of whether I have bought or been given the product.
In this case I love this product.
Yes, it was expensive, just a tad under $300 but it is probably the best quality saw money can buy.
It is a Silky 'Forester' with a extendable reach of 4.5 metres, so that means with my height taken into consideration that the saw will reach almost 6.0 metres.
With the 'Forester' you can purchase a handle and use the blade as a hand saw.
Now that is real handy for me as we have over 70 trees that need pruning on a regular basis.
I looked at other and cheaper saws but of course they were for the most part made in third world countries so quality would be a bit suspect.
I have bought some saws in the past that either became very blunt very fast, rusted out or I could not buy replacement parts.
With Silky you know you are going to get the best quality made in Japan with steel that is top quality, plus the availability of spare parts.
With these type of saws the cutting is done on the downwards motion.
I am happy with my purchase.
The Silky representative called by the other day to inquire if I was happy with the pole saw, he dropped me off a set of secateurs on loan to trial, now I usually use Felco number 2 secateurs, anyway I did some cutting with the Silky ones and really liked them and thought the quality was great.
The saw that I have used in the garden for the past few years is a Silky 'Gomtaro', it's a small straight saw ideal for the smaller pruning jobs around the garden. This saw is around the $90 mark but lasts you for years.