5 Best Ars Folding Pruning Saws For Under 500 Rootstock Old-Timers Trust

You’ve been there. You’re halfway through a cut on a two-inch apple limb with a cheap hardware store saw, and your arm is burning. The blade binds, the cut is ragged, and you know that jagged wound is an open invitation for disease. A good pruning saw isn’t a luxury; it’s a fundamental tool for anyone serious about the long-term health of their trees. For decades, folks managing small orchards have relied on one name for clean, effortless cuts: ARS.

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Why Orchardists Choose ARS Saws for Precision

When you’re making hundreds of cuts a season, the quality of the steel becomes obvious. ARS uses high-carbon Japanese steel, which holds a razor edge far longer than the soft metal found in throwaway tools. This isn’t just about making your job easier; it’s about the tree’s health. A clean, smooth cut heals quickly, callusing over with minimal stress and less opportunity for canker or fire blight to take hold.

The real magic is in the tooth design. ARS blades feature a "Tri-edge" or "TURBOCUT" tooth geometry, where each tooth is sharpened on three different planes. This acts like a series of tiny knives, slicing through wood fibers instead of tearing them. They also use a process called impulse hardening, which makes the tooth tips incredibly durable. The result is a saw that pulls through green wood with shocking ease, leaving a surface that looks almost polished.

This precision is why you see these red-handled saws in the hands of professionals and serious hobbyists alike. They understand that a pruning cut is a form of surgery. A sloppy cut with a dull, binding saw is like using a rusty scalpel—it does more harm than good. An ARS saw gives you the control and sharpness to make the right cut, in the right place, every single time.

ARS GR-17: The Compact Straight Blade Standard

Don’t let its small size fool you; the GR-17 is a serious tool for detailed work. With its 6.5-inch straight blade, it’s the perfect saw for your pocket or garden belt. This is the one you grab for thinning out new growth, making precise cuts on small-diameter scaffolds, or cleaning up around a graft union. Its compact nature gives you unparalleled control in tight spaces where a larger saw would be clumsy.

Think of the GR-17 as a precision instrument. It excels at tasks where you need to be careful not to damage nearby buds or bark. Pruning espaliered fruit trees, shaping Japanese maples, or removing suckers at the base of a tree are all jobs where this saw shines. The straight blade allows for clean push and pull strokes, giving you a perfect cut right at the branch collar.

This isn’t the saw for removing major limbs. Trying to tackle a three-inch branch with it will be frustrating. But for the dozens of small, corrective cuts you make while shaping a young tree or maintaining a mature one, the GR-17 is an indispensable, lightweight companion. It’s the saw you’ll find you use most often for the small stuff.

ARS PM-21: Versatility for Medium Branch Work

If you could only have one folding pruning saw, the PM-21 would be a strong contender. It represents the perfect middle ground, balancing the precision of a smaller saw with enough power for common pruning tasks. Its 8-inch straight blade has the length and backbone to handle branches up to two or three inches in diameter without complaint.

This is the workhorse for a young, developing orchard. It’s ideal for establishing the main scaffold limbs on semi-dwarf trees or for the annual maintenance pruning on a mature backyard orchard. The straight blade offers excellent control for making flush cuts, ensuring you don’t leave stubs that can die back and cause problems later. It’s powerful enough for significant work but still nimble enough for careful placement.

The PM-21 is a fantastic step up from the GR-17 when you find yourself needing just a bit more reach and cutting capacity. It’s a true general-purpose tool that can handle about 80% of the cuts you’ll need to make in a given season. For the hobby farmer with a dozen or so trees, this saw often hits the sweet spot of power, control, and portability.

ARS CAM-18PRO: Pro-Grade Handle and Clean Cuts

The CAM-18PRO features a 7-inch straight blade, placing it between the GR-17 and PM-21 in size, but its main advantage is the handle. The "PRO" designation signifies an upgraded, ergonomic grip made from a comfortable, non-slip composite. When you’re pruning for a few hours straight, small details like handle comfort make a huge difference in reducing hand fatigue.

This saw is for the person who spends significant time pruning each winter. The blade itself delivers the signature ARS clean cut, but the enhanced handle allows you to apply pressure more effectively and for longer periods. It feels more substantial in the hand, providing a sense of confidence and control, especially when you’re reaching to make an awkward cut.

While the blade performance is top-notch, the decision to choose the CAM-18PRO over a similar-sized model often comes down to ergonomics. If you’ve ever finished a day of pruning with a sore wrist or cramped fingers, the investment in a more comfortable handle is easily justified. It’s a small upgrade that pays big dividends in comfort and efficiency over a long day.

ARS TURBOCUT SA-G18HL: Aggressive Curved Saw

This is where we see a shift in philosophy. The SA-G18HL features a 7-inch curved blade, and that curve changes everything about how the saw works. A curved blade is designed to cut aggressively on the pull stroke. As you pull the saw toward you, the curve helps the teeth bite deeper into the wood, removing material much faster than a straight blade of the same size.

This saw is built for speed and efficiency. It’s the perfect tool for jobs where the primary goal is rapid wood removal. Think clearing overgrown brush, removing low-hanging branches that impede mowing, or cutting through deadwood. It excels at cuts made above your shoulder or below your waist, where gravity and the natural arc of your arm work with the blade’s curve.

The tradeoff for this speed is a slight reduction in fine control compared to a straight blade. It can be a bit trickier to start a precise cut at the branch collar. However, for rougher work or when you have a lot of wood to get through quickly, the TURBOCUT’s aggressive nature makes it an incredibly effective and satisfying tool to use.

ARS PM-24: Maximum Power for Large Limb Removal

When loppers aren’t enough and a chainsaw is overkill, the PM-24 is the answer. With its nearly 10-inch straight blade, this is the largest and most powerful folding saw in the ARS lineup. It’s designed specifically for removing large, mature limbs from four to five inches in diameter. This is the saw you bring out for major structural corrections or renovating an old, neglected tree.

The PM-24 provides the reach and stiffness needed to make long, clean cuts through thick wood. Its size gives it a significant advantage, allowing for a longer cutting stroke that removes more material with each pass. Despite its power, the straight blade maintains good control, allowing you to make accurate undercut and finish cuts to prevent bark tearing on heavy limbs.

This is a specialized tool. It’s too large and cumbersome for general-purpose pruning on smaller trees. But when you face that one big limb that needs to go, having the PM-24 saves you an enormous amount of time and effort. It effectively replaces a small bow saw with a tool that is far more portable and often produces a cleaner cut.

Straight vs. Curved Blades: Matching Saw to Task

Choosing between a straight and a curved blade isn’t about which is "better," but which is right for the job at hand. The fundamental difference lies in how they cut and where they are most effective. It’s a classic case of precision versus power.

A straight blade is the master of control. It cuts on both the push and pull stroke, allowing for deliberate, careful work. This makes it the superior choice for:

• Flush cuts at the branch collar: You can start the cut precisely and keep it flat against the trunk.
• Working in tight quarters: Pruning dense, twiggy growth or inside the canopy of a tree.
• Cuts at chest height: Where you can use your whole body to power the saw in a straight line.

A curved blade is the champion of speed. It is designed to cut almost exclusively on the pull stroke, using its shape to dig into the wood for aggressive material removal. It excels when:

• Cutting above your head: The curve helps the saw "grab" the branch as you pull down.
• Cutting below your knees: Again, the pulling motion is more natural and powerful in this position.
• Removing limbs quickly: When speed is more important than pinpoint precision.

Many experienced orchardists carry both. They might use a small straight blade like the GR-17 for most of their detail work and have a curved TURBOCUT on hand for quickly dispatching lower limbs or clearing out larger sections. Understanding this distinction is key to working efficiently and making the best cuts for your trees.

Maintaining Your ARS Saw for a Lifetime of Use

An ARS saw is an investment that will last for decades if you give it just a little care. The most important task is cleaning the blade after each use. Pine, apple, and cherry trees are notorious for leaving sticky sap residue on the blade, which attracts dirt and causes the saw to bind in the cut. A rag with a bit of mineral spirits, denatured alcohol, or even a citrus-based cleaner will wipe it clean in seconds.

After cleaning, always dry the blade thoroughly. High-carbon steel is fantastic for holding an edge, but it will rust if left wet. Once dry, a light wipe with camellia oil or even just a few drops of 3-in-1 oil will protect the steel from moisture and ensure it’s ready for the next job. Store the saw in a dry place with the blade folded shut.

One of the most important things to know about ARS saws with impulse-hardened teeth is that you do not sharpen them. The hardening process makes the tips harder than any file. Attempting to sharpen them will ruin both the file and the blade’s unique tooth geometry. When the saw eventually does become dull after years of hard service, you simply unscrew the bolt, remove the old blade, and replace it with a new one. This simple, affordable replacement restores the saw to factory-new cutting performance.

Choosing the right saw comes down to matching the tool to your trees and the tasks they require. A quality ARS saw isn’t just another expense; it’s a partner in the long-term project of stewarding your orchard. The clean, easy cuts you make today will lead to healthier, more productive trees for many seasons to come.