I like the feel of the pole, and how it feels in the hand. Someone with smaller hands might find the pole too bulky to manage. The only concern I have with the pole itself, are the locking mechanisms, and I wonder how long they will last being hard plastic, and not having any adjustment. The saw is typical of any pruning saw, cutting on the draw, as in pulling toward the user. And it does not cut dead wood well, but does nicely on live wood, again, typical for a pruning saw.