Sharp pruner

Reviews: Oster 5712 Fiskars 9301 Power-Lever 14-Foot Tree Pruner

I love this pruner! So much better than my previous pole pruner that I've been struggling with for the last year. The Fiskars 9301 arrived quickly and in perfect shape. I was surprised that it was completely assembled except for the saw blade. The pole was wrapped in cushioned bubble wrap. The pruner and saw were packaged together in hard plastic and also wrapped in the cushioned bubble wrap. I'm amazed how easily the pruner works. The hook is larger than my previous pruner and the blade is very sharp. The pulley system is well designed making the pruner very easy to use. One light to medium pull and the branch you've hooked is on its way down. I like the fact that the pulley system is simple and compact making it easy the maneuver into tight places. I haven't yet tried the saw, but the blade is very sharp with flared teeth so it should cut through branches without any problem. The pole is very long - a great thing for those pesky high branches. When fully extended there is some flex, but that's to be expected when it's stretched out to its max. The lever to lock the extension pole works well, but did need to be tightened a half turn to avoid slippage. If you're working only on lower branches it's easy to slide out the second pole, making the unit lighter and even easier to control. The cost of pruner was very reasonable. Couldn't find anything comparable at such a reasonable price, especially with free shipping. Out of curiosity I checked the Fiskars sight for the price of replacement parts. The pruner blade is $4 and the entire head is $18, however you do need to pay $10 to $12 for shipping and handling.
My husband suggested for the price of this unit, maybe we should just buy another one now to tuck away. Not a bad idea for $40.