Customer Reviews

High Limb CS-24 Rope-and-Chain Saw with 24-inch Chain

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I had some dead trees in my yard that threatened to fall over and hit my house every time it got a little windy. Having never used a gas or electric chain saw I was a little hesitant to rent one and cut down the trees. I used this saw to cut down the limbs atop the trees so that if they were to fall they wouldn't come near my house.

The saw was easy to use and made short work of the smaller limbs. The larger limbs took a little more elbow grease but the saw eventually got the job done.

Although I've had no problems with the saw I can see that where the rope meets the chain is fraying just a bit. I suspect that it's due in part to me going a little beyond the limb circumference the saw is deigned for. Replacing the rope seems like it would be relatively easy and inexpensive.

I have several of these, in both the 24 inch and 48 inch versions, as I have many limbs to cut of varying sizes and widths. I have read reviews on here with various complaints about the throw bag, the binding of the saw, the limitations of size branch for cutting.....and many more complaints. If one wants to complain about these things, they are probably better off spending several thousand dollars for a tree service. However, if one has the time and the inclination to put in some blood, sweat, and tears, then this is the device for you.

Using this device properly is more of an art than a science admittedly, though it definitely is a combination of both and needs much practice to get right......and even then, it will never be perfect. This cannot be emphasized enough. Two people usually work better than one because of the angles. This device will not last forever!......you will probably need new rope once the original rope wears out if you do a lot of cutting. Oil the chain, especially after getting wet. And getting the chain oriented properly with the righting weight takes practice.....and angle is important once you do start to cut. Some cuts go very fast; others will bind and get caught and take an hour or more, even with similar branches and angles. Even if there was a class on how to use this, I believe these issues would remain as there are so many factors which go into a good cut. Dead trees usually cut through quickly, though I have gotten caught on these too. If the angle is even slightly off, it will bind. (and on large diameter branches, do not even think of using the small 24 inch version of this) The weakest part of this device is the clip for the throw bag.....that will break after a few uses. But this is easily replaced.

And when cutting, it goes without saying to be away from the branch being cut. This is one of the best characteristics of this device......it is probably the only method of cutting trees which can keep you safe and far away from falling branches. (This alone is worth 5 stars!)

All of this being said, anyone with a lot of trees would be well served to have at least one of these on hand.....unless they like writing checks to tree service companies.

Supplemental Practical Operating Instructions

1. Swing lasso weight in under-hand bowling-ball motion, with 2-3 ft cord extension, upward, slightly above and beyond target branch (practice).

2. Cut as close to base of target branch as possible; cut perpendicular to length of target branch - - - not perpendicular to the tree trunk.

3. Hold equal lengths of rope arms length & shoulder high from the cut with chain squarely over target branch; wrap each pull stick (using a clove hitch - - - which can be easily loosened for up-down adjustments; realknots.com).

4. FLIP TAB down, pull each stroke singularly and deliberately - - - pause between each stroke to allow rope vibrations to dampen out. Patience! Chain should bite and jerk from cutting resistance; if not, the chain is upside-down - - - pull chain past the cut and then back over cut to flip it into cutting position.

5. WHEN chain binds in the cut: move to the extreme right and violently jerk on the pull ropes in a saw-stroke; (still stuck) move to the extreme left and repeat; resume center position when freed.

6. The higher the branch, the narrower the possible undercut angle. Due to branch flexure, chain saw may bind in the cut. Prevent beforehand by supporting target branch from below, or with a rope sling - - - not possible? - - - to free bind, a second weighted rope should be thrown outboard of the cut to pull the cut open, allowing further sawing or freeing of chain; CAUTION: target branch can be pulled down - - - observe safe distances from falling target branch.

Functional Saw Improvements ((McMaster-Carr Supply: mcmaster.com))

1. Use a second 3/16 or 1/4-inch throwing rope 25-30 ft long. Place (12-15) 1/2-13 dia steel hex nuts on one end about a tightly-tied, snug, bowline-knotted loop - - - tie another 1-inch dia bowline-knotted loop at the tail end of the throwing rope.

2. Discard chrome-plated spring clip and sand toss bag - - - replace with (1) Carabiner Spring Snap (chain link) Connector ((3933T12)) to be connected to throwing rope small-loop end (after the target branch has been lassoed).

3. WHEN the chain rope frays on each end (after 7-10 cuts) and breaks or becomes unsafe to use, cut yellow chain rope below the steel clamps on each side of the chain - - - flame-seal rope (match or butane lighter) to prevent unraveling. Cut/remove yellow rope loops from each side of chain. Replace with (2) 1/8-inch dia Threaded (chain) Connectors ((8947T24)) and (2) 1/8-inch dia X 1-ft long Load-Rated Wire Rope Lanyards (with 1-1/4-inch loop ends) ((30645T513)).

4. Loop ends of yellow chain rope through free ends of Wire Rope Lanyard 1-1/4-inch loops and tie EXTREMELY-TIGHT bowline-knotted loops, leaving 1-1/4-inch tail ends - - - slide 1/2-inch I.D. X 2-inch long piece of Harsh Environment PTFE Heat Shrink Clear tubing ((75665K861)) over full-length yellow rope and bowline-knot tail ends - - - heat-shrink in place (match or butane lighter) to snug knot dangling end close to the main rope.

5. Fashion (2) 13/16 dia X 6-inch long wooden dowel rod pull sticks to replace "sticks" - - - use old wood broom, rake handle, or: ((96825K81)) - - - gloves + dowel rod pull sticks prevent blistered fingers.

All additional components load-rated greater than original 3/16-inch yellow polypropylene rope = 72 lbs working load limit.

Any good fisherman knows enough to put a steel wire leader line directly on his baited hook to prevent fish from biting through the nylon filament fishing line, no matter how strong the line, ergo, the same reason for the Steel Wire Rope 1-ft long Lanyards added on each side of High Limb Rope Saw chain.

Improvements add double+ times cost of original saw - - - total cost (including saw) is around $100 to-date. Weigh this against hiring a tree-trimming landscape service for the number of cuts exceeding 7-10 that you will want to make. Original Rope Saw components will wear out way faster than the need to sharpen the chain, without above improvements. The difference between a genuine tool and a piece of junk is durability.

Mastering High Limb Rope Saw takes practice, much like shooting archery - - - just because you can draw a bow doesn't mean you will hit a target 50 feet away.

It is poorly designed with widely spaced teeth on just one side. It is almost impossible to orient the chain with the teeth touching the limb. The chain has a natural tendency to place the teeth facing up away from the limb.
The chain needs more cutting teeth to give it smooth action without getting wedged in the cut. A commando wire saw works better.
The weak clip holding the throwing bag to the rope failed the first time the bag got snagged on a 1/4" limb. I replaced it with real rope clip.
I had to add 5" long handles to the rope to develop enough pulling force.

Having read other reviews of this product, I was adequately forewarned of the realities associated with using it. Actually using the device proved far easier than getting it in place--situated on the actual limb that we wanted to cut. We found that throwing the weight by hand through a maze of branches was an impossible task. We finally resorted to using a ladder and pole saw to place the rope/chain saw over the limb we needed to cut. Once properly placed, the saw worked pretty much as advertised. Be certain to wear gloves as the sawing process can be very rough on the hands. Bottom line: we were able to cut the branch we wanted to cut. It just took awhile.

Interesting concept. This is pretty much what it seems like - a rope with a saw blade in the middle and a beanbag on the end. I have a dead branch high up in a spruce tree in my backyard, and I thought I could save a few bucks over hiring a tree guy. I was never able to get it over the branch, so I can't say how it cuts. My problem was the branch was too high (around 30') and there were a lot of lower branches in the way, so it kept getting tangled. So if you have a lower branch and a clear shot at it, you might have better luck.

I had several problems with this product: (1) the token counterweight, intended to keep the one side of the chain with teeth in contact with the branch did not do its job, and I found it impossible to turn the chain over once in place; (2) too few teeth; (3) very easy to find the "saw" trapped up in the tree. Due to the hazards associated with pole-mounted chain saws (see other reviews) my next try will be a pole saw.

This is a good tool that does what it is supposed to do, but sawing tree limbs with this tool can be hard, frustrating, and time consuming work. Therefore, the user should be convinced that the "High Limb Chain Saw" is preferable to calling a tree service. I recently attacked several tree limbs which were 15 to 20 ft off the ground and connected to trees which are 30 to 60 feet tall. I suggest that a separate rope be used to throw the "toss weight" as the weight can get stuck in the branches. Furthermore, a good pair of gloves is mandatory. If you can achieve the "correct angle" by placing the saw where the branch meets the trunk, and have plenty of room, then everything works smoothly but with effort. If the target branches are intermixed with the canopy, then the process becomes more complicated, blade orientation becomes a problem and, as mentioned in other reviews, patience is required. I approached the bag toss as sport as I missed more than I connected. Undercutting to avoid peeling of the bark is not always possible, so the branches may not fall and may have to be pulled down separately via a rope. Rope management is important and chain saw blades bring their own set of problems, e.g. only bend in two directions and dealing with kinks can be like dealing with a bag full of triple fish hooks. Besides taking me away from the sedentary activities that were beckoning, the saw made economic sense to me and the job got done and I enjoyed the work. I suggest the user maintain a store of refreshments.

I bought this product because I have several high over hanging limbs that I wasn't able to get to with a pole saw and after reading other reviews, I thought that this product could accomplish my tasks.

The end result was that I was able to successfully cut down the branches, but it wasn't as easy as I had anticipated. I was able to throw the bag over the branches easily enough, but it often got hung up or needed quite a bit of manipulation to get it down from the branches. I also had difficulties getting the saw on the cutting side (one side's blade design) which resulted in two breaks of the nylon rope. I should mention that I tried to do all of this without any assistance from a helper.

After tying the broken rope together, I threw the rope saw over the limb and enlisted some help. The saw worked much better with two people pulling at a wider angle. While it is not easy at first and it provided me with quite a few challenges and frustration, it did do the job that I purchased it for.

I would recommend this product to someone else, but I would explain that it needs to be used with two people and there is a specific technique that needs to be utilized for success. I would also highly recommend wearing gloves and using some type of a handle on each end. I found that two sturdy sticks worked well.

Saw cuts large limbs quickly and does not get stuck in the tree if instructions are followed. Hardwear attaching throw weight to rope and fabirc handles to ropes is so flimsy it bends and comes apart with minimal force. Product needs some engineering changes.