SKIL 40V Cordless 10-Inch Pole Saw PS4561C-10

June 22, 2021

Skil Extends Your Cutting Reach with 10-Inch Cordless Pole Saw

If you’ve been thinking about going cordless for your lawn care needs, the Skil 40V cordless pole saw gives you another reason to consider the PWRCore 40 lineup.

Skil 40V Cordless 10-Inch Pole Saw Performance

Like most cordless pole saws, Skil uses a 10-inch bar and chain for this PWRCore model and they angle the head to give you a better angle of attack. The brushless motor drives the chain a little over 39 feet per second, which is on the higher side for a residential pole saw.

SKIL 40V Cordless 10-Inch Pole Saw PS4561C-10

We had some camphor trees to clean up and the 40-volt saw melted through our cuts with relative ease. If you haven’t used a pole saw before, that easy cutting is critical to doing the job safely. With such a long extension, you want to control and guide the cut, not use a lot of downforce to push through it. Just keep that chain sharp and you won’t have any issues making your cuts with this saw.

Skil 40V Cordless 10-Inch Pole Saw Design

Weight

Skil’s pole saw is on the lighter side compared to other 40V models. With the bar and chain, the tool weighs right at 10 pounds and the 2.5Ah battery brings it up to 11.3. Considering you’re wielding a chainsaw at the end of a long extension, any weight reduction is a big bonus.

Telescoping Handle

The telescoping handle extends from 8-feet to 10-feet of actual length. When you’re holding it, it’s very possible to reach 14 – 15 feet depending on how tall you are.

There are two pieces on the shaft you can twist to unlock. The black one releases the shaft completely. It’s the red one that unlocks it so you can adjust the height.

Tool-Free Chain Tensioning

One of the more convenient features is Skil’s tool-free tensioning system. Just loosen the large dial and then turn the wheel to either tighten or loosen the chain before tightening the dial back up. It’s simple and effective.

Automatic Oiler

This pole saw has a self-lubricating system so there’s no need to stop working to apply oil. The reservoir holds 3.38 ounces of your favorite bar oil and a translucent tank makes it easy to see when it’s time to refill.

D-Handle Front Grip

Most pole saws have some sort of cushioned grip for your front hand position. Skil brings their D-handle over from their string trimmer instead. You can still use an underhand grip directly on the shaft and that extra handle gives you another option that uses different muscles. Adjusting its position is super simple thanks to its quick-clamp style lock.

SKIL 40V Cordless 10-Inch Pole Saw Handle

Additional Features

Three-finger trigger
Hybrid mechanical and electronic brake
Plastic bucking spikes
Plastic branch hook
IPX4 water resistance

Skil 40V Cordless 10-Inch Pole Saw Price

You can grab Skil’s PWRCore 40V 10-inch cordless saw with a 2.5Ah battery and charger for $199.99. As of right now, it is not available as a bare tool. Skil also offers a 5-year warranty on the tool and a 2-year warranty on the battery and charger.

The charger in the kit is the PWRJump charger. It boosts you from 0% – 30% in 15 minutes when you have a few cuts to wrap up. A full charge takes about 60 minutes.

The Bottom Line

Skil hits a solid value with their PWRCore 40 cordless pole saw. It’s higher performing than most of its competition at the 40V power level and less expensive than higher voltages and premium brands. Its lighter weight and overall design make it a great fit for homeowners that would rather do their own seasonal tree care than pay a service to handle the pruning.