I had several high branches from a large ash tree overhanging and shading the garden. They were 7 m (23') up. I asked a tree surgeon to cut them. He quoted £250 to do it, but after three weeks still hadn't turned up to do the job. So I brought this kit for £70 or so. From the info, it seemed a quality product. It arrived a day earlier than notified, 7 or 8 poles plus two saw blades, the whole thing well engineered. The branches I had to cut were high up, at the full extent of all the poles, and it was tricky to get the pole up into position. It took quite a bit of care and patience. Then sawing was another matter. It was so high, and the angle so steep and the day so gloomy that I could not see what was happening. But it seemed to lodge and I got started with a short sawing motion, after a few strokes hearing the saw cut in and seeing a little kerf dribble down. I didn't try and look at what I was doing, it cricked the neck too much, just going by sound and feel, back and forth, but pausing every few strokes as the poles would start to vibrate too much. I found the hooks on the end of the saw very well designed, as it was possible to very cautiously hang the poles on the hook without the blade jumping out of the cut, to have a rest now and then. This branch was about 8\" (20 cm) thick, but I had no choice but to cut through the thickest part of the V, so the actual cut was nearer 12\". It took 50 minutes of careful, hard effort - the poles are not heavy but when you have been pushing them up and down for 50 minutes, you feel it! But lo and behold, bit by bit the cut deepened, then there was a crack, and the branch gave way! It took a few more stokes to free the last strips of attached wood, then it came down. I took a break, then cut two more, slightly smaller branches, but even higher up, so I had to stand on a step ladder to do the sawing. But by then I had the knack of it, and they came down within 10 minutes or so. So I can say with absolute
denis alder 
