Greenworks 40V 8" Pole Saw, 2.0Ah Battery (Gen 1)

I have an electric chain saw to trim trees in our yard but really needed a pole saw to get to some higher branches. After considering an electric pole saw I felt a more versatile one would be cordless, and after considering several other brands I elected to order this Greenworks 40V pole saw. It arrived very well packaged against shipping damage. The pole saw is assembled with 2 or 3 basic components. The saw itself is preassembled with the chain installed and tensioned. It's a simple matter to screw the poles together, and I found most of my trimming could be done with just two pole segments. A third, shorter, pole is included so the reach of the pole saw can be extended further. The saw does get a little heavy even with the two segments I used, but it was not so heavy that it prevented me from doing the job I needed to get done. The housing for the chain saw and power module are made of plastic which, while it surely saves weight, does give the saw a somewhat fragile feel to it. This is not a tool that will hold up to abuse, I'm sure.The kit I ordered included the charger and 40 volt G-max battery, but the pole saw is also available for purchase without the charger and battery for less money. Charging the battery is easy and did not seem to take longer than a couple of hours. Unlike what other reviewers have mentioned I had no difficulty at all removing the battery from either the charger or the pole saw handle. The battery has a release lever that has to be pressed before it can be removed, and it does make me wonder if people simply weren't pressing the lever while trying to remove their battery. There was ample battery life for me to do a lot of trimming on our property, and there was still plenty of charge left when I was done. For the average homeowner this battery should provide plenty of power for a trimming chore.The saw is easy to fill with chain oil, although the opening is small, and I had to use a funnel to keep from spilling oil while filling it. It fills quickly, so it does not hold a lot of oil, but the indicator window on the side is really handy to see when it's either full or needs more oil. While running, the saw did a nice job of keeping the chain oiled. Greenworks warns that it is normal for some oil to leak if the saw is stored with oil kept in it, and they recommend dumping out any remaining oil and running the saw for 1 minute after usage to prevent leakage.Using the pole saw is easy, and I found the saw cut through branches 2 or 3 inches thick with no difficulty. It does get quite heavy if you are having to extend your arms very far while using the saw. My arm strength is not as good as it was when I was younger, so younger adults used to lifting heavy loads may not experience this. Nonetheless, this pole saw was definitely handy for trimming on my property, and I'm really happy I purchased it.In summary, this Greenworks 40V cordless pole saw is affordable and great for trimming trees in a non-commercial setting. It's largely plastic construction raises a question about durability, and it is definitely not a tool for commercial usage, but I think with reasonable care it should hold up pretty well for use around the home. The 40 volt G-max battery works with other Greenworks yard tools, and I have already ordered their cordless pole hedge trimmer to use with my existing battery and charger. If you are a homeowner looking for an easy and safe way to trim trees or bushes with thick branches this pole saw is versatile, affordable, and does a great job.

We had an abundance of thick branches and shrubbery in our back yard, and considered hiring a professional gardener to take care of this for us. But as most people know, cutting or pruning a tree can cost you an arm and a leg when it comes to hiring professional help, so we decided to take things into our own hands, literally, by purchasing the GreenWorks G-Max 40V pole saw. We had considered purchasing one from one of the store brands at a home improvement center (rhymes with bowls...) but the unit looked heavy and was more expensive than the GreenWorks.We were struggling to make the decision between a battery operated one and one that plugged into an electrical outlet with an extension cord. After using the GreenWorks battery powered model, we feel that this is the only way to go. But if you do select a battery operated pole saw, be sure that it is at least a 40V unit, as the lesser units may not give you enough power or run time.This was our first experience with this type of equipment, and to tell you the truth, we were a bit apprehensive about using such a powerful tool. We read the instructions thoroughly, and assembled the thing in less than 5-minutes. After checking that all the fittings were secure, we went out to the backyard to attack the dead branches and trees. To our surprise, the GreenWorks saw was very easy to use and provided more than enough power to cut three to four diameter branches with ease. We'll be tackling the 6-inch dead tree trunk later this week.When we assembled the pole saw, we attached all the segments ( three of them) together and it was very long and a bit unbalanced because of all the top weight on the pole saw end. But the battery at the other end helps to even out the weight a little.What we didn't know, after reading further in the manual, is that you can shorten the overall length dramatically by just attaching two of the segments instead of all three. The manual writers could have saved everyone some trouble if they had pointed this fact out in the beginning of the instructions before they tell you to assemble the entire thing with the three sections.After about 35 minutes of pruning, cutting, and trimming, the battery power only went down by 25 percent--pretty amazing. The 40v battery also provided more than enough power to drive the pole saw to allow it to cut through the thick branches. The chain stretches a bit when using it for the first time, but adjusting the tension on the chain was extremely easy to do. This was one of our concerns about operating a pole saw, but the process was problem free and any future adjustments should be just as smooth. Adding chain oil to the reservoir was also easy. The little translucent window on the side of the saw lets you know when to add more oil. After the first session of use, we used about 25% of the total amount.One tip that I was made aware of is to have the saw running before you start cutting, and not to start it while it is resting on a branch or tree trunk. Doing the latter can jerk the saw out of your hands as the teeth of the saw pull away from you due to the friction between the teeth and the wood. The saw is powerful, so always maintain a good grip, and wear eye protection when using it.In thirty-five minutes of use, the GreenWorks pole saw literally paid for itself many times over by us not having to hire a professional gardener. It's convenient to use, and we no longer have to depend on someone else to address our more serious backyard/garden needs. We're pretty happy with this pole saw and would recommend it to those with similar needs like ours.

I have only had this for one day so this is just a review of the initial use. Once I received and unpacked the product it was easy to assemble and get ready for use. I charged the battery fullly which took about 45 minutes. The only negative was that it did not come with bar and chain oil but luckily I had some. After adding the oil and charging the battery it was ready for use. I will have to say that this is a great little saw and is super sharp and makes fast work of medium size lambs. The shaft is a little flexy and a lot of weight on the top end so it will wear out your shoulder pretty quick. All that to say I knocked out a ton of limbs in about 30 minutes which would’ve taken me at least an hour and a half or more with a manual pole saw. So far I am super pleased with this little saw and will update my review if anything changes in the future.