Customer Reviews

Fiskars 9240 Telescoping Pruning Stik

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This pole pruner performs excellently.
I found the following features to be especially useful:

- rotating head, allows easy cuts of branches at different angles.

- no additional rope to pull, makes for easy cutting and handling.

- saw blade is sharp and it also allows user to change the angle of the blade so that you can saw more efficiently.

Features I wish it had:

- the ability to cut more than its 1 & 1/4-inch cutting capacity.

- when using the saw blade, the FULLY extended handle flexes a bit more than I prefer.

Overall this telescopeing pole pruner is excellent.
I have been using mine regularly to prune trees for over a year and it still cuts as sharply as it did on the first day.

By the way, some reviewers mentioned that the packaging was poor and they got a damaged product, they must have ordered it early before the new packaging was incorporated. My Pruning Stik arrived in good condition, it had a thick supporting cardboard piece to ensure the long box did not bend.

My husband has borrowed a friends Corona telescoping pruner for a couple of years now and he liked it so much he asked for one for christmas. Although the Corona got rave reviews, I gambled on this Fiskars because of the rotating cutting head which "cuts like butter" according to one reviewer. My husband used this tool last weekend and was thrilled. He said this makes the other pruner feel like a Model-T in comparison. The strap that connects to the cutter is contained within the pole and adjusts automatically when you raise or lower it. No more fiddling with a loose string. It raises and lowers effortlessly and indeed cuts through branches like butter. Best of all, the job that used to take him 2 hours took only 30 minutes. Wow.

Nice enough pruner as long as it is not stressed. I broke it twice after only a few days of heavy use. One time at the plastic section near the cutter and another time at the plastic mount for the blade. The best thing is Fiskars has a lifetime warranty that they honor - If you dont mind waiting a month.

I've used the Telescoping Pruning Stik for 5 months to maintain 5 25ft trees. The cutting head works well for 3/4" and thinner branches. Larger than that and the jaws often get stuck around the branch. Once while trying to free it, the plastic head came off of the aluminum pole, so now I know to rotate the entire pole around the branch instead of trying to pull it free. After freeing the jaws, I was able to reattach the head. The ball-shaped pull knob on the bottom end seats very tightly and often the entire end cap comes off while trying to free it. I think it would be easier to operate if it was a T-handle. Likewise, the upper grip would also be easier to operate if it had a lower lip or pistol grip for a more positive grip. Or replace them with some sort of lever actuator for more mechanical advantage.

For branches thicker than 3/4", I use the woodzig blade. The blade cuts on the pull stroke. The blade is tough to use on thinner, flexible branches, but works pretty quickly on thicker, stiffer branches. I haven't used the blade as much and time will tell how effective it will be as it dulls. I keep the clamp attached to the pole, but I've already lost the original screw and wing nut that holds the blade. I had attached them to the clamp for storage, but should've attached them to the blade.

While the Pruning Stik was excellent when new, all of the plastic parts seem to have loosened over time. While the pole seemed flexible when new, the looseness makes it feel even more flexible. However, nothing has broken yet and it has been much less expensive than hiring professionals to trim those same trees. If and when something does break, I will be contacting Fiskars about warranty service. I should've kept the original shipping box though as it's tough to find another box that long.

UPDATE: April 2006

Unfortunately, the clamp holding the telescoping section has continued to loosen, and tightening it with an allen wrench has been the only recourse. I carry the allen wrench in my pocket to make field adjustments. Otherwise the pole slides out with every pull while using the woodzig blade, which is very frustrating.

About a month ago while trimming a tree, I decided to use the jaws to cut a 3/4" branch. Nearly done cutting through, there was a loud snap and metallic "ting" sound. The movable jaw had snapped, oddly where the blade is widest. I attempted to contact Fiskars Customer Support from their Web form to see if I can simply return and replace the head but they never responded. That was somewhat disappointing.

I would have to downgrade my rating to 3 stars and recommend it for light, occasional home use. I would limit the jaws to thinner branches nowhere near the 1.25" claimed. Due to the high return shipping cost, I probably won't bother sending it back and keep using it for the woodzig alone. I will probably get another pole with a power cutting head like I should've bought originally.

UPDATE 6/21/2008: I still use this from time to time for the woodzig saw. I contacted Fiskars Customer Service again and they finally responded by sending me a replacement parts catalog. They sell a replacement blade but I thought that this item was warranted for life? I went ahead and removed the head from the pole and will try sending just the head to their warranty department.

This product is superior to any other pruner I have seen. It is very easy to use, and the mechanical advantage makes lopping limbs like cutting butter. The rotating cutting head is very convenient, as are the two pull handles for cutting.

Beware the shipping if you order online. This product is very long (over seven feet) even when collapsed. The shipping carton used is flimsy. The first one to arrive had several shattered parts. The replacement arrived bent in two. I had to swap parts between the two units to make a whole one. That seemed more practical than asking for a third shipment. But it was definitely worth it to wind up with such a great pruner.

I have a large yard with many trees. I have struggled with trimming them for many years. This pruner seems to be the answer to my prayers. As I said, it saves lots of time, as I don't have to drag a ladder around the yard all the time. It's also a lot safer standing on the ground timming. I also did have a problem with it extending when I was sawing. I tightened the screw with an allen wrench, but it loosened again. Next time I'm going to try a bit of Lock-tight on the screw and see if that helps. Even so, I still think this is one of the best tools I own.

So far I am completely amazed with this product! I bought this to replace an older "rope and pulley" pole saw that always annoyed me and got tangled up in branches. With this pruner you can get the cutters straight onto a branch without any hassle and it goes through the smaller limbs effortlessly.

I love the quick adjustment knobs for extending the pole and the angle of the head. They make it so easy to go from the higher limbs to lower ones without any fuss. This tool is very rigid and solid feeling but also much lighter than you would expect. I do not fatigue as quickly as I did with my fiberglass model.

The option to operate the cutters via the slide-handle, or the ball on the end of the pole, is a great feature and really allows you to get up into the higher branches.

The quick-attach feature of the saw accessory is very handy. What I hated about my other pruner was that the saw was always in the way when I was trying to snip, and the rope and pulleys got in the way when I needed to saw. This makes it quick and easy to select the mode you need without interference.

I am a homeowner with only about seven Oaks and a few Dogwoods to keep. I do not know how this would stand up to daily use in a professional environment, but it seems pretty rugged and well built to me.

I would still recommend this tool at the $129.00 MSRP from Fiskar's website, but at Amazon's price it's no-brainer. This really makes the chore of yard work fun. I only wish I had more trees to groom!

I highly recomend the Fiskars 9240 Telescoping Pruning Stik. I ordered this tool on-line without having examined one but relied on reviews on this and other sites. Believe me, this is absolutely a great tool. The design results in great leverage and no problem even with a full 1.25 inch limb. The unit is lite enough to permit easy pruning even with it fully extended. The Stik is easily adjusted to length with a quick snap of a lever, and it definitely beats those traditional pruners with a pull rope while much easier to operate.

While I purchased this tool for its angle cutting ability, I was pleasantly surprised by its ease of use which translates into finishing the job far quicker than with other tools. Positioning the cutter from below is a snap.

After years of using traditional pole cutters that must be hooked over the top of the branch, using this stick is a breeze. Just come up from below. Gone also is fumbling for the rope and positioning the hand pull when the pole's length is changed. With the pruning stick, the flip of a lever permits telescoping. And there's no rope to slow you down.

This is a very well designed tool which is well worth the higher price it commands.

I have purchased other fiskars products in the past and was always impressed with the quality. The telescoping pruning stik, however, has been a big dissappiontment. The upper portion of the telescoping handle slips out of the bottom portion before the saw can bite. I felt the allen scres holding the locking lever were loose, but tightening results in no real change. I have attempted to contact Fiskars with no luck.