Sun Joe SWJ803E Pole Saw Review: I Liked Mine, Even Though It Eventually Died
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I bought the Sun Joe SWJ803E pole saw because we had a lot of old pine trees and I was trying very hard not to pay someone to take all of them down.
My plan was to cut out as much as I reasonably could underneath the trees, keep the lower growth under control, and maybe postpone the much more expensive solution. When the pines eventually came down, the job shifted from overhead trimming to the Oregon chainsaw I used on the felled wood; my attempt to handle gutter work from the ground came from the same desire to solve awkward outdoor jobs without overreaching.
That plan did not ultimately save the trees. We eventually paid thousands of dollars to have seven pines taken down.
But I did like the pole saw.
My short version: the SWJ803E was useful for the trimming I bought it to do. I no longer have it. My late father-in-law borrowed it for some work, and sometime around that period the saw died. I do not know what happened well enough to blame the failure on him, the saw, or anything specific.
My Sun Joe SWJ803E experience at a glance
- Bought: 2017, according to my Amazon order history
- Exact model: Sun Joe SWJ803E 10-inch, 8-amp electric pole chain saw
- Why I bought it: Trimming beneath numerous old pine trees on our property
- Overall experience: Positive while I owned and used it
- Still own it: No
- How it failed: Unknown; I do not have enough information to assign a cause
Why a pole saw made sense for the problem I had
The trees were mature enough that this was not a little ornamental-pruning project. I wanted reach without turning every cut into a ladder job.
Sun Joe still sells the SWJ803E. The current product page describes an 8-amp motor, a 10-inch bar and chain, a telescoping pole, and a multi-angle cutting head. Sun Joe currently lists up to about 14 feet of overhead reach and a maximum cutting thickness of 9.5 inches, with a recommended cutting thickness of 8.5 inches.
Those are current manufacturer specifications, not measurements I made while using mine.
It did the trimming I bought it to do
I used the saw beneath the pines to remove lower branches and growth I could reach from the ground.
I was happy with it for that work. It gave me more reach than a regular chainsaw and let me approach some branches without climbing up into the tree.
I am not going to turn that into a claim that a pole saw makes tree work risk-free. A powered saw on the end of a long pole has its own hazards, and overhead limbs can fall unpredictably.
The expensive tree-removal bill came anyway
This is one of those stories where the product worked but the larger plan did not.
I hoped that doing more trimming myself might let us avoid taking all of the old pines down. Eventually that was not realistic. We paid thousands to have them removed.
I do not consider that a failure of the Sun Joe. It was a pole saw, not a magical tree-life-extension device.
In fact, after the trees were removed, I ended up buying the Oregon CS1500 chainsaw I still own to deal with all of the wood that was left behind.
What happened to my SWJ803E?
My late father-in-law borrowed it to do some work.
At some point after that, the saw stopped working. I honestly do not know what happened.
That uncertainty matters. It would make a better dramatic story to say somebody broke my saw, but I do not know that. I also do not know that the saw simply failed on its own.
All I can fairly say is that I liked it during the period I used it and eventually no longer had a working one.
Would I buy another pole saw?
I did, although not another Sun Joe.
I later replaced the concept with another pole saw I bought through Mac.Bid. That replacement is a separate product and a separate story.
My positive memory of the SWJ803E is really about the usefulness of a powered pole saw for a homeowner with a lot of tree trimming to do from the ground.
Would I recommend the Sun Joe SWJ803E today?
Based on my ownership experience, I would consider it again for normal homeowner pruning where a corded tool makes sense.
The exact model is still sold, which makes my old experience more useful than it would be if the product had disappeared.
I would still compare it against current battery pole saws before buying today. I did not personally test those current alternatives against my Sun Joe, so that comparison belongs in research, not in my firsthand claims.
Sun Joe SWJ803E FAQ
Is the Sun Joe SWJ803E still sold?
Yes. Sun Joe still maintains a current product and support page for the SWJ803E as of August 2026.
How far does the SWJ803E reach?
Sun Joe currently says the telescoping pole provides up to about 14 feet of overhead reach. Actual safe working reach depends on the user and cutting position.
How thick a branch can it cut?
Sun Joe currently lists a maximum cutting thickness of 9.5 inches and a recommended thickness of 8.5 inches. I did not measure the branches I personally cut.
Why don’t you still own yours?
It stopped working after years in which it had also been borrowed for other work. I do not know the exact failure cause, so I do not blame the product or the borrower.
Safety note: Pole saws can cause severe injury from the cutting chain, falling branches, overhead utilities, and loss of control. Follow the current manufacturer manual and appropriate protective-equipment and electrical guidance.