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In a recent conversation with a Vevor rep, I was offered a battery-powered pole saw in exchange for my thoughts in this article. Considering we are moving to the middle of a forest, I gladly accepted! Another saw to try out; count me in!
VEVOR 2-in-1 Cordless Pole Saw & Mini Chainsaw Specs
What is it? It’s a battery-powered chainsaw that can be used handheld or mounted to a telescoping pole.
For size reference, here is the extended saw next to my wife’s Toyota RAV4
Plastic body construction with a manual push-button oiler. I didn’t have a set frequency for manually adding oil to the chain, but I suppose it was good enough as I never experienced symptoms of a hot, dry chain. The included oil bottle didn’t maintain its seal during shipping, which is typical for just about everything shipped with a small bottle of oil (hair clippers). After filling the oil reservoir, I pushed the oiler button a few times to get an idea of how much oil was dispersed. I have not had any oil leak out of the reservoir unintentionally.
In this pic, you can see a small oil puddle from testing the oiler button but also the large locking knob at the base of the chain bar. The bar is spring-loaded to maintain chain tension, and the black knob locks the bar in place. The top chain guard articulates out of the way when cutting. The cutting capacity is 5”.
The battery has what is called a “battery compartment,” according to the manual. I’m not sure why this part exists, honestly. It’s an intermediate plate that stays between the battery and the tool. If you use it in handheld mode, the battery compartment clips directly between the battery and the saw handle. If you use it in the extended pole mode, the battery compartment clips between the battery and the pole. It stays with the battery at all times. Why even have it? I’m not sure. Maybe there is a design reason for it, but it makes more sense to make the saw handle and the pole handle accept the battery directly.
The pole extends to give an 8′ reach. The head of the pole also articulates to 135° (-45° through 90°).
How did I “test” it?
I’m not too fond of unrealistic stress tests where tools and equipment are stressed in situations that do not mimic natural use. As an example, In the woodworking world, pocket hole screws are often tested in cantilevered scenarios where pocket holes would never be used in the first place. Those tests tell you absolutely nothing about the strength of pocket hole screws in a scenario in which they would be appropriately used. With that said, I didn’t do any staged stress tests with this saw. I just used it appropriately through three battery cycles.
The timing was convenient here. Because we haven’t moved onto our new property yet, I’m using my mother-in-law’s address to accept packages. The day she told me the package arrived, she also asked me if I could stop a few tree branches from scraping the back of her home (not knowing what was in the box). When the wind blew while trying to sleep, she could hear the branches scraping. Perfect timing.
Here are a couple of before pictures of the offending branches.
And here is me doing what I do best: modeling. I’m a supermodel now.
All kidding aside, the saw did what I needed it to do. It cuts branches easily, even when extended as far as I can reach
Before and after this light trim job. She wanted the scratching stopped but didn’t want to lose any shade so I didn’t go crazy with cutting.
We’ve also been using it while cleaning up on our property. It’s convenient when we run our tractor wood chipper. Using this in handheld mode instead of a pair of loppers is easier and faster for our workflow.
Here’s a quick video showing a typical cut with this saw.
Some random thoughts
The only problem I encountered is that the chain tends to come off the bar if you accidentally twist the bar slightly during the cut. This is due to the bar being spring-loaded with a relatively light-duty locking mechanism. If you twist the bar so the chain on the top side of the bar hits the wood as you push through the cut, the chain will come off of the bar. This is more of a technique issue, though. You have to be decent at tracking the cut straight through the material.
The battery life is good, in my opinion. Because I’m using this saw as a supplemental tool to aid with other tasks, I haven’t gone through an entire battery in one work session. I’ve gone through three full battery charges over several work days.
I’m generally not super delicate with my tools. This saw and pole were both tossed (literally) in my truck toolbox and have been bouncing around with the rest of my disorganized toolbox contents.
I’ve yet to sharpen the chain, and it still cuts great. The chain itself is thin and has small teeth. I don’t know of the exact dimensions and specs needed to replace it, but it is so small that I’d expect to need to go to a dedicated chainsaw shop to get a replacement. It’s definitely not a common size. Also, sharpening should be pretty quick due to its small size and low number of teeth. A very thin round file will be needed.
Although I do not recommend testing its waterproof status, I accidentally left it in the back of my truck overnight when it rained. I let it dry out in the sun for the entire day before using it again and it still works just fine. I don’t plan on doing that again, and don’t recommend it.
Who this is for:
I think this is ideal for the homeowner who wants to maintain their trees on a smaller lot. Someone who can’t justify buying an expensive gas-powered pole saw but maybe has more work to do than what can be completed in a timely manner with a manual pole saw.
Who this is NOT for:
While I have not used this in a continuous-use environment, I don’t think this is for the professional. If you make your living cutting and trimming trees, you likely aren’t buying this saw.
Would I buy it again?
Well, I didn’t buy this saw outright, so I can’t answer the question regarding the VEVOR. But around the same time, I did buy a Stihl gas-powered pole saw. So I’ll pass the “would I buy it again” question to the Stihl, knowing what I know now and my experience with both. If I were to do it over again, I would NOT buy my Stihl gas pole saw. Since getting this battery pole saw, I’ve rarely used my gas pole saw. The gas saw is definitely more powerful, probably longer lasting, and would be the go-to choice for larger, many-hour-long jobs, but for the quick one or two cuts both up high and handheld, I keep reaching for this one. Actions speak louder than words. I think I overestimated the amount of use I would give a gas pole saw. The handheld mode is just so darn convenient for quick cuts.
If you want to learn more about the saw or purchase it, consider using my affiliate link. Your price doesn’t change, but I earn a small commission on the sale.
Affiliate Link: https://s.vevor.com/bfQ7K6
5% off discount code: DISCOUNT23 (Valid for all items)
I have a Stihl gas-powered pole that I love, and so does my neighbor’s, you don’t need archers. It has so many uses, they are fun…