Spear and Jackson Razorsharp Professional Heavy Duty Bypass Secateur

Product Information

There are few things more frustrating in the garden than poor secateurs or those that fall apart after a few months. Depending on your needs, you cannot go wrong with any of the above options. Anvil pruners aren’t the best for this, as their rounded shape makes it harder for them to produce a flush cut, as does their cutting action that leaves a less clean finish. So, if you need to make precise cuts in tight spaces, bypass secateurs are recommended as they are thinner and produce a much cleaner cut. The best secateurs you can buy in 2023 1. Gardena 8798 Comfort Ratchet Secateurs: The strongest secateurs You can also replace the blades when they become dull after years of use, which makes this pruner a great investment in your yard maintenance routine. Types of Secateurs Bypass secateurs

Because they're made from Japanese carbon steel, the blades can chip, so they come with a baffling list of what you’re not supposed to cut - very hard wood, some bamboo fibres and stone (!) but don’t let that put you off. A very satisfying pair of secateurs that won’t break the bank. Blades are 55mm with a 15mm max diameter cut. The two blades work much like scissors, only with a bit more power and punch. When kept sharp they give a neat clean cut. They are better for green growth but can be used on slightly larger branches. •Anvil secateurs The F2 measures 8.5 inches in length, making it ideal for gardeners with medium to large hands. (If your hands are small, then the Felco F6 is your best option.) Every part of this Swiss-made tool can be replaced, so if you care for your pruners properly, they will last you for decades. This is a bypass pruner, meaning that the blades "scissor" past each other, rather than meeting directly together when clamped closed. That makes this a great tool for pruning through green stems, vines, and branches, as well as woodier branches up to 1 inch in diameter. Garden snips, like Fiskars Softouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snip, are a subset of bypass pruners. These tools have very short straight blades, both of which are sharp. Garden snips are useful for delicate work, such as deadheading flowers, snipping herbs, pruning houseplants, trimming very small vines or stems, shaping bonsai, or cutting flowers for bouquets.

We asked Brian Feldman, Sr. Director of Technical Operations at TruGreen, about the best time to prune plants. He said, "Timing is a very important consideration. Plant knowledge and identification is required before establishing the proper time to prune. If timing is wrong, flowering and fruiting can be sacrificed." These all-metal pruners have a three-stage ratcheting mechanism, which greatly reduces the force required to use them, meaning that they are ideal even for those with weak or painful hands. The handles are aluminum with a comfortable grip coating, and at 8.26 inches in length, they are a good fit for most hands. These are anvil-style pruners, so rather than the blades passing each other in a scissoring action, the moving blade chops straight down against the grooved surface of the stationary blade, which requires less hand pressure while increasing the cutting force. These sturdy pruners have a maximum cutting capacity of 1.5 inches.

If you want to cut larger branches or simply do not have the strength to cut too many medium stems, these should make life easier. The ratchet design means a bit less effort is needed to get the power you need.Depending on the brand and the model, you’ll find pruners with fairly straight blades, and pruners with blades that are at an angle. Anvil pruners usually have straight blades, but bypass pruners that are designed for a more comfortable, ergonomic grip often have somewhat angled blades, which reduces hand fatigue and effort. Secateurs are one of the more overlooked tools for garden maintenance yet their importance cannot be overstated. These tools are vital for long-term maintenance of plants, flowers, trees, shrubs, bushes and everything in between. Secateurs with bypass blades are best for cutting stems and live, green growth. This is because the blades slide past each other, resulting in a clean cut that doesn’t crush the stem. How smoothly the contraption can be manoeuvred one-handed will impact the efficiency of your green-fingered endeavours. Just make sure you invest in a quality product – which means good, sharp steel. The sharper the blade, the stronger the cut and the less force is required, which makes it the gentler on the wrists, says topiary expert Darren Lerigo who runs the Modern Mint online tool and gardening shop. If the blades can be sharpened, all the better.

They have rugged manganese steel blades that can handle heavy-duty cutting up to 1 inch in diameter. The body is aluminium so is light and will not rust. Pros: When it comes to working with arthritis, this reliable option is best for a less painful gardening experience. The importance of using sharp secateurs can not be overstated. Even the very best secateurs will perform poorly when blunt. The process is the same as any cutting blade but the design does make it a bit more of a challenge. Some can be dismantled making the process easier. They have clever red and white handles because - wait for it - red shows up in daylight and white at night! Made from stainless steel, this tool uses a clever scissor action to make sharp, clean cuts to reduce any damage to your plants, making gardening easier..The blade is 8cm and can handle branches up to ¾ inches. They are versatile and can handle heavy work as well as softer plants or precision work such as bonsai or topiaries. Yes, it will cut through green branches but because it uses anvil blades the secateurs crush the growth rather than producing a clean and precise cut. It’s not much of an issue on dead or woody branches, just be mindful that the cut may not be the cleanest when pruning green stems and branches. An essential tool for garden maintenance, secateurs can help you manage overgrown and unruly plants, shape plants in a desired way and help with cutting off dead leaves, flower heads and stems. What to look for in a pair of secateurs Weight and size. While there may not be much variety in size for secateurs, you should still make sure that its dimensions fit comfortably in your hand (or both hands if necessary). The weight of your secateurs is also very important because heavier tools require more physical effort from users when lifting as well as when repeatedly opening and closing them during work tasks such as pruning plants with tough stems.