Pruning shears are more than just cutting implements they serve as precise tools in the hands of gardeners, crafted to mold nature while preserving its integrity. Unlike typical scissors or garden cutters, pruning shears are designed to engage with living plants, facilitating clean and deliberate cuts that encourage robust growth. Available in both manual and electric forms, contemporary shears fuse age-old gardening techniques with cutting-edge ergonomics and design, transforming them from mere hand tools into vital elements of horticultural science.
best pruning Shears
Pruning is one of the most important and beneficial practices in gardening, essential for maintaining plant health and promoting growth, flowering, and fruiting. Using the correct pruning tool is crucial, as the wrong tool can damage plants rather than help them thrive. Here’s a guide to various pruners and garden cutting tools, helping you choose the right one for your gardening needs.
Hand Pruners (Hand Shears / Pruning Shears / Secateurs / Garden Scissors)
a) Anvil Pruners
- Feature a straight upper blade that cuts against a flat lower plate (like an anvil).
- Best for woody or semi-woody branches.
- Tend to crush stems, so avoid using them on soft green branches.
b) Bypass Pruners
- Have curved, scissor-like overlapping blades.
- Ideal for softer, tender branches.
- Perfect for stem cuttings, especially when cutting at a 45-degree angle for propagation.
Lopping Pruners (Lopping Shears)
- Similar to hand pruners but come with longer handles for added reach and leverage.
- Suitable for cutting branches up to ¾ to 1 inch in diameter.
- Available in both anvil and bypass types.
Pole Pruners, pruning Shears
- Consist of cutting blades attached to hooks, mounted on long poles.
- Operated using a chain or cord connected to a spring-loaded blade.
- Designed to prune branches 12 feet or more above the ground.
- Ideal when using a ladder is not feasible.
Hedge Pruners (Hedge Shears)
- Used for trimming hedges and shaping bushes or borders.
- Feature long, straight or angled blades that cut multiple stems at once.
- Ensure a uniform cut for a neat appearance, great for shrubs like bougainvillea.
Pruning Saw
- Used for larger branches typically more than 1.5 inches in diameter.
- Comes in different sizes, blade shapes, and teeth types (fine, coarse, or folding varieties).
- A folding pruning saw is compact and handy for home gardening.
Flower Cutter (Floral Snips)
- Lightweight bypass pruners designed for cutting flowers and small branches.
- Equipped with a spring system for ease of use.
- Ideal for deadheading and the pinching technique to promote branching.
Ratchet Pruners
- Feature a ratcheting mechanism that reduces hand strain.
- Excellent for cutting thicker branches with less effort.
- Useful for gardeners with hand issues or those needing extra cutting power.
Garden Scissors
- A versatile and handy tool for various light cutting tasks.
- Inexpensive and effective for quick snips and general gardening work.
Overview and Initial Impressions of Pruning Shears
Battery-powered pruning shears, such as those from KevTech, present an intriguing alternative to traditional hand tools. Designed with professional landscapers and frequent gardeners in mind, these electric pruners aim to reduce the physical strain involved in repetitive cutting tasks. Unlike compact hand pruners, which are easy to carry in a pocket, electric pruners are bulkier and more suited for deliberate pruning sessions. One clear distinction is the blade opening: traditional pruners like Felco’s allow for a wider cutting diameter, enabling the trimming of thicker branches with effort. In contrast, electric pruners have a smaller blade opening, limiting the branch size they can handle.
Pruning Shears performance in the Garden
In real-world use, the electric pruners perform impressively within their range. When tested on branches near the maximum blade width such as those on a paperbark maple (Acer griseum) the tool cut through cleanly and effortlessly. A similar attempt with hand pruners required significantly more force. Even slightly larger cuts, including those near the collar of the branch, were handled with efficiency and precision by the battery-powered model. Maintenance remains essential; just like traditional pruners, electric blades must be kept clean and sharp to ensure healthy cuts and protect plant health.
Battery Life and Safety Considerations
These electric pruning shears are equipped with two battery packs, each providing around three hours of use. This allows for up to six hours of continuous pruning, making the tool suitable for long sessions, especially if one battery is charged while the other is in use. Safety remains a major concern; although traditional hand pruners can cause injury, electric models deliver significantly more power and speed, necessitating greater caution. It’s strongly advised to keep such tools out of reach of children and unauthorized users due to their potential risk. In practice, these pruners can significantly reduce wrist strain and make clearing overgrown garden paths faster and less fatiguing.
Milwaukee Pruning Shears
Milwaukee purning sheares known for its rugged power tools, recently entered the gardening niche with a line of professional-grade pruning shears that combine ergonomic design with industrial strength. Unlike traditional garden shears, Milwaukee’s shears often include:
Carbon steel blades for longer life and sharpness
Comfort grip handles that reduce hand fatigue
Ratchet mechanisms for easier cutting through thick branches
Electric pruning Shears
The gardening industry is experiencing a quiet revolution—electric pruning shears are becoming more popular among homeowners and professionals alike. These battery-powered shears allow for:
Faster trimming with minimal effort
Consistent cut strength, ideal for uniform pruning
Increased safety with automatic shut-off features
Comparisons
High-Quality Japanese Pruning Shears at an Unbeatable Price
After a lot of research, I finally found a deal that I believed was way too good to be true. I found these Japanese-made pruning shears on Amazon. I was blown away by the price.
Now, I don’t want to say exactly how much they are because prices fluctuate over time, but what I will say was these were about a 70% savings from the cost of those really popular Felco pruning shears that everybody loves, and I just didn’t want to spend that much money on the Felcos, so I thought I would give these a try, and boy am I glad I did.
Despite a price point that I believed was too good to be true, I’ve never been disappointed with anything I’ve ever purchased in my entire life that had a Made in Japan stamp on it, and I’m a believer in Japanese quality, so I figured I would give it a shot.
So this is the package that it came in. When you flip it over, you can clearly see Made in Japan down on the package right here, as well as Made in Japan. …and stamped on the pruning shears themselves, and pretty much everything on the package itself.
Superior Craftsmanship Compared to Budget Alternatives
The first thing that you’ll notice is that they are a high-carbon alloy steel. They are not stainless steel, and when it comes to knives and cutting tools, you definitely want a high-carbon alloy steel because it sharpens much sharper than stainless steel, and it will maintain its sharpness much longer than stainless steel.
A high-carbon alloy steel is always what you want in knives and pruning tools. The only downside is, because it is not stainless steel, it is more subject to corrosion. So when you wash these, you have to dry them right away with a soft towel, otherwise it could leave water spots if you let the water dry naturally.
And here, when you turn them around, you will also see the Made in Japan symbol. These are very, very high-quality, very beautiful pruning shears. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the Japanese pruners versus these old, made-in-China, questionable-quality pruners that I bought a couple of years ago.
As you can see, there’s absolutely no comparison. The quality of the Made in Japan pruners are above and beyond. The steel is higher quality. They’re clearly much better made. They’re larger, but what is absolutely incredible is, these Japanese pruners are only a few dollars more than these really cheap, kind of junky pruners