Bosch Cordless Pruner UniversalChainPole 18 (battery 2.5 Ah, 18 Volt System, in carton packaging)

I'm not the strongest 67-year-old but I am capable DIY-wise. I sent the equivalent Bosch hedge trimmer back last year owing to its unwieldiness and weight in the hand and went for one without the pole. That has proven to be a cordless hedge trimmer par excellence and well deserves its 5* status.I ordered this cordless pole-saw in trepidation, therefore. I needn't have worried. You can trust this and the very many five-star reviews if you are in doubt, but here is my experience so far:- it isn't light and can be tiring to use, holding maybe the equivalent of a bag and a half of sugar on the end of a 2-metere pole. The shoulder strap helps, for sure, but it isn't a lightweight machine. Leaning the pole on another branch helps the most, I am finding. The instructions say not to use it while standing on a ladder or in the tree itself. This does limit the reach, of course.- It struggles to "catch" on very flexible branches that move with the weight of the saw and just bounce as a result. Such branches will, however, be thin enough to succumb to a good lopper such as the incomparably good Fiskars PowerGear X. The lesson is to keep the chain saw for branches that really need the chain saw, i.e. think and rigid ones!- You must buy a litre of Bosch chain saw oil as the amount given with he saw is a tiny bottle.Overall, though, my trust in Bosch as a solid company has only grown with this purchase. We now have their excellent Series 8 cordless vacuum, their wonderful AHS 50-20 LI hedge trimmer all running off the same pair of batteries (and to add: the fantasiuc Rotax cordless mower, still going strong after many years of use).

I've just used this to coppice three mature trees down to the stump. Some of the branches were very thick. Its very robust - I think I exceeded its recommended limits by quite a margin (which I obviously don't recommend) and used and abused it - but like all Bosch products, it took it in its stride and feels like it will last forever.Keeping the chain tensioned, topping up with oil and charging the battery is all easy-peasy. I had a previous one of these (different maker, not Bosch) which was inferior in all respects and eventually snapped in two - this is so superior in all respects, its night and day.

I am still getting to grips with this, but a few initial observations. The pole is heavier than I expected so won’t be used for long periods at a time. Also, it doesn’t extend particularly far. But no surprise really as these details are included in the specs.However it performs well, and I’ve had success with cutting various thickness of tree branch.You need to regularly check the oil reservoir, it seems to use a lot of oil. Also I found I need to carefully prise out debris from the cutting head, which otherwise gets clogged.Although the head can be rotated in one plane this doesn’t seem very useful for the chainsaw head, but I’m assuming it will come into its own with a hedge cutter head which I have yet to buy.The charging mechanism works well and it holds its charge long enough for most tasks (bearing in mind the weight).

I wish I’d bought this years ago!

This tool falls firmly into the category of one I should have bought years ago. I was buying an electric chainsaw and came across this. At £125 with a decent battery it was too good to miss especially as I already have another couple of batteries (although just 1.5ah) along with a few other items in the Bosch Power 4 All range.It arrived a week ago and I looked at it and wondered if it would cope with the trimming of some pretty thick branches that I was planning.Well, I used it today and frankly if I need to go any higher, or cut anything thicker, then I’ll be in tree surgeon territory. It’s very capable indeed.You have to let the chain do the work and not pull too hard or it will stop, but it cut through anything I put it too.Never again will I wobble on a stepladder or climb a tree, saw in hand! Those days are now over!It’s a chainsaw, be careful if you are not used to them. It’s actually almost impossible for anyone of normal size to come into contact with the blade whilst pulling the trigger - but make sure any helpers stand well well back out of where it might fall if you lose control.One final point for anyone who is new to chainsaws. Don’t try to cut up anything on the ground. I.e. cut logs etc. It’s not meant for this and the first time you touch the ground you will blunt the chain.If you need to cut logs, buy a normal chainsaw along with an instruction course. You really can cut your leg off with one of those!