Question
hello,
i have about 7 really large agave plants in my front yard (just bought the house). it appears that the previous owner never tended to these plants. they are grossly overgrown. i started trimming them with a remington electric pole saw (it is a chain saw). this tool's performance is great when it comes to live leaves, but the dried up ones are really hard to cut neatly. the fibers are so strong, the chain saw makes a big mess. what's left is far from a nice, clean cut. naturally, i would like to trim it so that it looks neat/clean. how do i go about cutting the dried up leaves? should i use a circular saw (skill saw)? if so, what kind of blade would you recommend. sorry, it's a long question but i want to do this right. thanks for your help.

Answer
Dear IBO,

I would NOT try a circular saw, that would be too dangerous. If you must have a perfectly cut leaf end, try either a hand held grinder with a cutting wheel on it or a reciprocating saw. Otherwise a hacksaw with a lot of elbow grease should also do the trick. Please be careful no matter what you use.

Sincerely,

Greg