Our search focused on the bypass style, which has the precision you need to make clean cuts in live growth, whether it’s woody branches or delicate stems. I needed to reopen and squeeze the PowerGear2 pruners three times to cut through a ¾-inch buckthorn branch. Drawbacks: Unlike our other top picks, the Fiskars didn’t cut cleanly through scallions after minimal use, leaving ragged stringy leaves instead of a straight cut. Scotts 7.2-Volt. That’s another feature that separates Felco models from the cheaper pruners. The Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 18 Gauge Straight Shear (model XSJ01Z, tool only) combines high speed, compact size and less weight. It’s lightweight, and it ratchets easily through thick branches, but it can also cut delicate scallion tops. The handles are a charming red. The Tierra Pro 38-1707 7″ Bypass Pruning Shears cut through scallions only half the time, and could barely cut through a ¾-inch buckthorn branch, leaving cuts with torn bark and an uneven surface. Its cutting action was smoother and its blades were sharper, and it required less effort than anything else in our test (with the exception, again, of the ARS HP-VS8Z). Ryobi 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Grass Shear. After testing garden gloves for sensitivity, grip, and protection by peeling grapes, picking up oiled marbles, and grabbing raspberry canes, we found the Atlas Nitrile Garden Gloves are the best option. Makita DUP362Z - Features Up to 84,000 cuts on 2x 6.0Ah batteries 33mm maximum cutting diameter 250N cutting torque 54mm maximum blade opening Ergonomically designed handle with soft grip Specifications Cutting Torque: 250N Max. The Flexrake LRB205 Ratchet Anvil Pruner did a mediocre job of cutting scallions, tearing four out of 10, and it could not cut through raspberry canes without engaging the ratchet. A solid choice for pruning shears that gets high marks for functionality, reliability, and value. When to use these pruners: These sturdy pruners are good for most garden chores—but there are better choices for your precision-trimmed bonsai tree. When I tested the Corona RP 3230 on berry canes, I could not get it to cut ¼-inch canes without engaging the ratchet—and in the time it took to make three ratchets, the canes were well mashed by being held under pressure against the anvil blade. That final squeeze makes cutting feel somewhat clunky compared with the EZ Kut’s smooth action. I cut through each one 10 times apiece, and then I snipped through the scallions again and washed and dried the pruners so that my home office wouldn’t smell like onions while I was writing this review. The adjustment lever lets the pruner handles expand a little, or a lot, enabling users with small and big hands alike to use these shears comfortably. Our final round rated pruning shears on aspects that weren’t related to performance. Replacement springs are available. Cutting through ½-inch dowels and ¾-inch branches with the Gardener’s Friend requires significantly less force than doing so with most other ratchet pruners, even though it takes the same number of ratchets for each pruner to cut through (two to three for the dowel, three for the ¾-inch branch). The reason this model isn’t our top pick is that the Corona BP 3180’s cuts on large branches weren’t quite as clean as the cuts that the ARS and Felco pruners made, because the Corona pair didn’t cut as smoothly and easily, and because users with small to medium hands will find them unwieldy. Most home users would be better off with a pair of pruners that can tackle a broader range of branches. Pikasola Electric Pruning Shears for Bushes, Tree Branch, Limb, Cordless Electric Pruner with 2 Lithium Battery, 6-7 Working Hours, 1.2inch Diameter Electric Shear ⦠Compared with cheaper pruners, Felco tools not only work better but also last longer—you can adjust and repair them, you can replace parts, and you'll find that they’re just plain tougher and more durable than the competition. Do yourself a favor and get the ARS HP-VS8Z or Okatsune 101 instead. deals, and helpful advice delivered to your inbox. MAKITA Cutting and Pruning Tools. We even cut a ¾-inch branch one-handed with this pair, a feat that only the best pruners in the test could manage. If you have small hands, be aware that Felco pruners are sized for larger hands than some other brands are. With the Felcos, which come with a limited lifetime warranty, you can cut down the last year’s growth on your yew hedge, trim your roses, give them a quick clean, and then snip a few basil leaves to pretty up your plate of spaghetti. The main difference was that the ARS HP-VS8Z cut large branches slightly more smoothly than the Felco 2, requiring a little less force, and making a flatter, cleaner cut. We stuck to bypass pruners because they’re more flexible for a variety of garden tasks, and can cut your living plants without damaging them. I got recommendations for seven pruner models (the Felcos were mentioned more than once), a small chainsaw, and an “extendable pruner-gun” from a Quebecois orchardist who I’m not entirely sure I understood correctly. Fiskars Softgrip Bypass Pruner (79436997J). They may be more expensive than other pruning shears on this list, but they’re built to last. They could not cut anything without hard squeezing, even raspberry canes, and they just barely cut the ½-inch dowel and ¾-inch buckthorn branch. They moved on to the second round, when we cut hardwood dowels measuring one-quarter inch, one-half inch, and one inch in diameter. The Gardenite also required more ratchets to cut through branches: four to cut the ⅜-inch Norway maple branch, five to get through the ¾-inch buckthorn. It’s hard to shut the latch one-handed. Strengths: At $18 for a two-pack, the Bugui pruning shears are the least expensive shears we sampled. The action was smooth enough—and the blade was sharp enough—that I was able to cut through a ¾-inch branch single-handed with the Coronas. The ARS HP-VS8R Signature Heavy Duty Rotating Handle Hand Pruner resembles the ARS HP-VS8Z but has one handle that swivels on a pin in a 90-degree arc as you close your fingers. Still using same pair and they still work as good as new!” This extreme level of durability sets Felco products apart from all the cheaper pruners you can get (and really, most products in the modern world). Bonus features: For this price, you don’t get bonus features. The main drawback is availability: ARS isn’t that common in the US, especially compared with Felco models, which have been widely marketed for decades in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Corona does offer a smaller model, the Corona BP 3130 Classic Cut Forged Bypass Pruner, but it’s rated to cut branches only up to ½ inch in diameter. The lock is easy to close with your thumb, but can be hard to re-open one-handed. You may need those parts sooner, though, as some owners claim that this pruner is prone to rust. For the ¼-inch dowel, only the ARS HP-VS8Z pruners provided effortless, clean cuts; all of the other models mashed and flattened the wood as they severed it. Felco pruners are also easier to grip than cheaper models, with contoured handles and a modest open width. These pruners shut more roughly than the ARS, Felco, and Bahco models. Women testers preferred the ARS over the Felco because of the way the ARS handles fit in their hands. (The ARS HP-120EU 8-Inch Hand Pruner we tested has a plastic handle, but it also costs $20 less than their premium pruner, the ARS HP-VS7XZ.). ARS crafts its VS-series pruner handles out of cast aluminum coated with plastic, so you don’t have to worry about the handles snapping off, unless you keep a metal-chomping Pulgasari for a pet. Bonus features: Fiskars states that the low-friction coating resists rust. Makita DUP361Z Cordless Pruning Shear is powered by two 18V batteries giving this unit high cutting performance and smooth cutting similar to that of a hand pruner. If you’ve found different results in your own research, email us and we’ll compare notes. Unfortunately, ARS does not make left-handed pruners; for that, you’ll have to get a Felco 9. It sounds like marketing hype to say that, but they really can work like new for as long as you need them. The first criterion we considered was the quality of the blades. Reviews, In testing, the PowerGear2 tended to crush live branches and dowels slightly, and it required more force to close than other pruners.
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