Abstract: An improved pruner having a housing assembly provided with telescoping sections, a telescoping drive shaft assembly contained within the housing, a cutting head at one of the drive shaft assembly, and a power source at the other end and further including, as an improvement, a power driven gear system including reduction gears and reversing gears, and a worm drive engaging a rack mounted upon the telescoping sections of the housing for extending or collapsing the housing and hence the pruner. A shift lever adjacent a pruner handle actuates the worm drive to extend or collapse the pruner to provide a pruner of desired length.