Product review. Wolf – Garten multi change pruning saw and branch hook.
Another month has whizzed by and here we are in a lovely mild December. Thankfully this weather has meant I could give this month’s products a thorough testing.
The products on offer this month are from Wolf-Garten’s multi change system including a brilliant telescopic handle that extends from 170 cm to 300cm which gives it a long reach for those out of the way branches. Along with a shorter hand held version, a 150 cm not extendable handle for close up usage.
Two multi change tools to attach to the handles, the super sharp curved pruning saw and a very handy branch hook to enable you to grab high branches to pull towards you in readiness for pruning.
This test was mainly carried out by my husband James, who you are all getting to know very well now. I was unable to test these products as my disability denied me the pleasure but as usual I did give it a go with hilarious results. So the views and comments are mainly from James and I became the photographer for this test.
Both of us were like excitable children when we unwrapped the pruning saw and telescopic handle, having the same thought. At long last we can get rid of a dead branch that has been bugging us both for five years! It has been just out reach although on many occasions James has wanted to climb a ladder to get it, I was not having that, he would have fallen off without a doubt. When your ladder holder is only 4 foot 9 and the climber is nearly 6 feet it will only end in disaster.
We extended the pole to its full 300 cm after attaching the pruning saw, sadly James did catch his finger when clicking the saw into place so just take care when attaching the saw. It does come with a safety section that you clip over the pole, just in case it should fall but it clicks in so strongly I don’t think that w
ould happen. Initially the saw can be a tad wobbly for the first few strokes, which is only to be expected as it is so high yet once it has bitten into the branch it cuts through with ease, a few good pushes and pulls and timber one branch on the floor.
The front garden has a very old laburnum tree with one branch in particular that James dislikes as every time he mows the lawn it bops him on the head. Not anymore, it’s a goner! This branch was the ideal test for the branch hook. Not only does this nifty tool allow you to pull the branch towards you it also allows you to prop them up thereby acting as a second person holding the branch still. James used the short handle with the pruning saw attached and found this a more than simple job. He needed very little effort to saw through the relatively thick branch and with the branch hook holding it steady he found he could cut much closer to the tree. The hook also meant that when the branch was cut through it fell away from the trunk with a clean cut rather than ripping the end bit off which can happen if you need to hold the branch yourself, as it usually falls down before the final cut. A good clean cut means that the tree is not damaged and the end result is a neater finish with no nasty bits sticking out. An all-round thumbs up. As James thought this tool was so good I wanted to try… oh dear verdict here is you definitely need hands for this job but it was very funny trying my hardest to push and pull the saw, I did manage a few cuts as the saw is super sharp but that was it, I could have been out there for days, I simply didn’t have the hands for the job. Don’t get me wrong you really don’t need to be strong though just be able to actually hold the handle. You can’t say I didn’t try though J
One last point that James thought was useful and sensible was the lockable blade cover. The teeth are very sharp and having a cover is great and this one is even better as it locks on so if you happen to drop the blade there is no chance of damaging it or more importantly yourself.
The overall verdict then is excellent quality, superior cutting blade and jolly useful if you have any trees that are in need of a winter sort out.
Niki Preston, Book Reviewer, Writer, AKA The Two Fingered Gardener 