Thanks, Karen for your trialing and endorsement of the zenport. Researched them all, and there are several more out there now, but went with zenport for positive review and being around for a while. Pruner warehouse in Napa, CA is about the cheapest--$950+- Would have gone with a Felco because I've always been impressed by their quality, but it's twice the price. Originally got the EP4 which is the largest model cutting 1.75". Thought if I liked it, I could get the extension to convert to a pole pruner. Plus, it's only a few bucks more. Mistake! the EP4 is incompatable with the extension. So I ordered the EP3 immediately plus the extension. It arrived in a scant 2 days. So I had both here to physically compare for a day or so. They are virtually the same weight, with the ep4 slightly larger and heavier cutter. Ever so slight difference in the outer case of the unit making the pole not fit. Sent the ep4 back for refund.
Just beginning to prune, but it's a revolution for a 70 year old! I started pruning our 25 yr old M7 trees with the Zenport and a silky saw for the occasional larger wood. The zenport is like having one tool which is both pruning shear and lopper. So it saves a lot of time swapping from one tool to the other. Pruning shear+lopper is 99% of the cutting.
Plusses I saw right away: 1. It makes short work of the forest of watersprouts in the upper canopy. These can be so overwhelming at times, that I've shied from pruning the upper reaches as thoroughly as ideal for fear of provoking that growth. 2. zenport can handle the stated 1.5" and it appears even more. You just need to cut, remove shear, then recut in same spot to complete. Really not that big a deal. But they caution you not to twist the tool, as it can bend the steel. Personally it appears to be pretty hefty and don't see how that could happen easily. 3. the speed with which you can cut seems to correspond well with my brain's ability to make all those complexity of choices before that thought disappears, if you know what I mean. It's like you can so quickly observe an overhanging overgrown scaffold and whack it back or eliminate, then quickly get on to the thinning and sprout removal before the next major decision. 5. It's so much fun to use this new toy, it makes this too-merciful pruner a lot more bold. 6. Can't wait to use this on our trelised block where some of the M26's typically have lots to growth at the top wire where it's very difficult at times to get the loppers positioned. I'd imagine no need for any other tool there. Again, seems it would be ideal to lop off those overgrown scaffolds on trees in close spacing, and allow another generation to take over. 7. great to have a cord attached to the pruner! How often have I dropped my Felcos and needed to climb down to retrieve?
P.S. I'd got one of those Stihl pole chainsaws last year. It was a bit too heavy for me to easily manage. But hired a former employee who was off work from a tree trimming company. He previously worked for a larger commercial orchard. It just took him only a few days (20 hrs) to bring down a huge amount of overhanging wood in 2 A of M7 trees! These were those upper tier scaffolds 3" dia and up which over time tend to overhand the aisles and lower scaffolds. He loved the balance of the unit. I could easily see getting that done every few years.
Final plug for these additions: Typical for pruning season are mini meditations/inspirations. I was up in a treetop when I remembered an interview with Paul O'Neil CEO of Westinghouse and business advisor to Presidents. Great guy. He was quoted as saying that an employer owed two things to his/her employees--respect and good tools. Perhaps it would be easier to get pruning help if I had better tools. It's often hard for farmers to respect themselves what with all the disparaging adjectives often associated with that calling. O'Neill would certainly push for good tools for the self employed as a duty to ourselves.