Hello All,

I need to cut four small hazelnut trees growing on an embankment near my house. From what I can judge they are around 2-3m in height and the thickest branches are around 30-40mm in diameter.

I have never done this kind of thing before and had even contemplated the risky idea of climbing on to the embankment to cut them! Then I saw a pole saw in my local hardware store by accident and that set me on the right track.

However, I still remain a novice here. The choice of pole saws appears bewildering. There are manual ones with blades that look absolutely deadly, corded and corded electric versions as well as petrol driven ones (which I would not want to use). The cheapest manual saws are quite cheap (the right side of £50) and the cheapest electric ones are not that much more expensive.

What are the dos and donts that I need to be aware of here? Do manual saws really work or is it worth spending a bit more to avoid the grunt work and danger and get an electric one instead? If so, what are the features to look for?

As you can see - a novice. Any help would be much appreciated.