When the leaves start falling, winter tree pruning is at the top of the to-do list for many people. Pole pruners make that job so much easier, giving you the reach you need to tackle smaller trees and lower branches on bigger trees.
At STIHL, our range of reliable pole pruners is made up of six different models, including four cordless machines and two petrol ones, all designed to help you get the job done quickly and efficiently. Here’s what you need to know about STIHL pole pruners.
Let’s start with our AK System cordless pole pruner, the STIHL HTA 50. The HTA 50 has a total length of 280cm and is ideal for maintaining trees in large gardens. The length can be extended a further 50cm with the HTA shaft extension if required. With a well balanced design and handy branch hook for easily removing cuttings from the tree, the HTA 50 is easy to use and can be split into two pieces for compact storage.
Extensive research and development has gone into STIHL’s battery technology and our 36v batteries have an intelligent battery management system to help you get constant power from the first pull of the trigger to the last. This is particularly useful in our pole pruners – you can turn them on and off at the touch of a button, so a job can be so much more efficiently, especially if you are tackling multiple trees in one go.
But that’s not the only benefit to our STIHL cordless pole pruners – they are also light, quiet and have very low vibrations. The STIHL HTA 50 has a vibration value of just 1.0 m/s2, so it’s much more comfortable to use if you are using it for extended lengths of time. As there is no exhaust, the cordless pole pruners can also be used either right or left-handed too.
For more demanding professional use, three models are available in the AP System. The HTA 66 is a fixed-length model, with a total length of 240cm, so this is our lightest pole pruner, weighing in at 3.6kg excluding the recommended AP 200 battery. With this battery, you get up to 42 minutes of working time, although you can use our bigger capacity batteries, or even one of our backpack batteries and an adaptor if you need longer run times.
If you need more reach, then the STIHL HTA 86 is a telescopic battery-powered pole pruner, which extends from 270cm to 390cm. This machine is great for use in urban areas thanks to its quiet operation and lack of exhaust emissions.
Both come with a 30cm guide bar as standard and a 1/4 P, PM3 saw chain.
Finally, the HTA 135 is the most powerful cordless pole pruner in the STIHL range, with a comparable power output to our 4-MIX petrol models. Designed for removing deadwood and pruning larger branches, the HTA 135 features an efficient 3/8P PM3 saw chain and a durable magnesium gearhead. The telescopic reach has a maximum reach of up to 405cm, and thanks to the rigid construction the shaft is easy to guide for precise cuts. The HTA 135 is recommended with the AP 300 S battery and has a working time of up to 45 minutes.
If cordless machines aren’t your thing, we also have two petrol pole pruners to choose from, the STIHL HT 105 and the HT 135. Both models come with a STIHL 4-MIX engine, which is designed to provide more power and torque but at a lower RPM. These engines are also cleaner and more efficient so you can really get the most out of your machine.
With a reach of up to 390cm, the HT 105 and the HT 135 are both designed with a square-cut shaft, which is comfortable to use and very stable. These models also come with a 1/4” PM3 saw chain which gives a high-cut quality with low kickback and minimum vibration. They both feature captive nuts on the sprocket cover and an ejection hole to prevent the buildup of wood shavings. The gearbox is constructed from magnesium for ultimate durability too. Our petrol pole pruners deliver a reliable, consistent performance when pruning tall trees and thinning out shrubs at a distance.
We also make a selection of accessories for pole pruners which really do help to make the job easier, including our RTS harness. This can be used with all of our pole pruners except the HTA 50, and is designed to move the weight of a long-reach machine to your hips to reduce the strain on your back, so it’s well worth considering if you are using any long-reach tool for an extended length of time. It can be easily adjusted to suit your size too.
We also have two angled gear heads that can be fitted to our pole pruners too. These are great if access to the branch is limited, but they also give you better visibility when making an undercut into a branch too. They can also help keep you further away from the drop zone of any branches as well.
So whatever you need to prune and wherever you are, we’ve got the pole pruner and the accessories for you.
