It's hard to write a review that's just for the PSA1000, since it's really an accessory for the PH1400. If you want to read my review of the PH1400, you can find it on the PH1400's product page. I have a Black and Decker pole saw (with extension), because I moved to an acre with a lot of trees, but thought that the pruning was just going to be light-duty, and infrequent. I also had an investment in 20 and 40V B&D batteries and equipment, so it seemed like a logical way to go. My experience with EGO equipment started with the purchase of a lawn mower kit (with battery and charger). Since then I've purchased a blower, a PH1400, an EP7500, and this item. The cost of the batteries is prohibitive enough that I pretty much use my 5Ah battery for everything. This purchase may change that. So, the experience with my Black and Decker pole saw was less than stellar. It was lightweight, and while each carbon fiber pole segment was rigid, the pole attachment mechanism was awful so the thing would articulate at each joint. The construction of it was such that the only thing passing through the poles was power, as the motor is located in the saw segment. The PSA1000 definitely gives a different experience. First off, the packaging is much more substantial. The item arrived with no damage. I was happy to see that the chain was already mounted at proper tension. The shaft appears to be extruded aluminum, with a cast aluminum support. Also included is a sleeve for the chain bar. For use, I tried this product connected directly to a PH1400, and also connected to an EP7500 (which was connected to a PH1400). I guess I'll start with the things I like: 1.) I like the chain oiler. Not every pole saw has one, but every saw needs to be properly lubricated. The cap is a good news/bad news proposition in that it has a retaining device (a plastic ring) that keeps the cap attached when unscrewed (presumably to keep you from misplacing it). This design makes is easy for contaminants to make it onto the cap as it dangles - that's not good, and the device is likely to get dirty with use. It's not the end of the world, but you'll want to keep a rag handy. The capacity of the oiler reservoir is excellent. 2.) The cutting power is great. I would imagine that the battery options affect operational duration of the device, and not the cutting force. With the 5Ah battery, this tool felt like it was just as usable as any gas-powered pole saw I'd ever used. 3.) Overall rigidity makes the PSA1000 easy to use, with or without an EP7500. Things I don't like: 1.) Weight. Some of this is my fault, using the 5Ah battery. Really the design choice to use the PH1400 as the base of a whole family of tools (trimmer, edger, pole saw) makes sense from a modularity perspective, but it results in a pole saw that weighs significantly more than it needs to. Locating the motor in the PH1400, instead of the PSA1000, requires the extra weight and efficiency losses of the mechanical spline drive. Also, when using this with the EP7500, it would have been nice to have the motor weight at the PSA1000 end. That's my experience, YMMV. 2.) The cast ground stand doesn't keep the PSA1000 level when set on the ground not attached to the PH1400. This probably sounds stupid, but this would be convenient for filling the oiler without having the full apparatus assembled. 3.) The spline caps are not great, and the engagement markings are not good enough. This probably requires some explanation, because I'm sure some owners would disagree with me on this. With what these products (and especially their batteries) cost, they are NOT throwaway devices. The caps and stickers are fine when you first get your gear, but what about 5 years from now? The caps are what you'd get to protect an item from shipping damage. It can easily be torn, lost, or just gradually not fit properly from material property changes over time. Something more substantial would have been nice. The stickers indicate the engagement point and directional key for shaft attachment. It's fine, but it's a sticker... it would have been better to just etch it on the aluminum. In the end, I wish that EGO has just made a dedicated pole saw. I don't feel the PH1400 platform was a great choice for this particular application. However, without that option, this (even with its flaws) is a good performer. My EGO reviews tend to sound fairly similar... they're good products if the battery cost doesn't make you flinch. The PSA1000 is no exception. Recommended.
