Posted September 20, 2017
Secateurs come in many shapes, styles and quality. Most home owners and gardeners have some form of secateurs or hand pruner in their collection of garden tools. But the burning question is which pruner is the best?
Secateurs come in many shapes, styles and quality. One thing that we can say is that most home owners and gardeners have some form of secateurs or hand pruner in their collection of garden tools. It is very important to buy the right tool for the job, but the burning question is which pruner is the best? This is a question that can't be answered in just a sentence but we will explain in the following blog.
The biggest piece of advice we have is, buy the best you can afford. High quality secateurs such as ARS, Felco, WOLF-Garten, Metallo and Vesco offer the best quality in steel blades, and handle design. They are sharp and will stay this way for longer. The cut will be cleaner, helping to prevent disease in plants. The effort required will be less due to the superior edge of the blades. Further more, the high quality of the blades will result in 2 important things; 1. as previously mentioned they will stay sharper for longer and; 2. the better the quality, the easier they are to sharpen when this is eventually required.
The other important factor is the handles. Their shape and design will result in an enjoyable experience when cutting, and the effort required in the wrist and hand is actually reduced by the ergonomic features of the handles. Ergonomic handles help to reduce health related issues associated with RSI etc. Ergonomics are very important, so keep an eye out for these features when purchasing.
We make this simple by the following phrase: "Bypass for soft woods, Anvil for hard woods". Soft woods include new season growth on roses, grapes, and any other shrubs that have a fast growth rate in the summer season. Hard woods include all large species of tree, mature growth or dead wood on roses, fruit trees etc.
A bypass secateur or pruner consists of a cutting blade and a counter blade that cut down beside each other in a scissor action. The blades are curved and must be kept razor sharp. The curved blades are excellent for getting into tight areas, and the cut is clean and will not crush the stem or branch, especially if it is soft.
An anvil secateur or pruner consists on a cutting blade and a flat anvil plate. The blade cuts through the branch down onto the anvil plate which results in a smooth, effortless cut especially on hard woods. An anvil pruner will always have a smoother cutting action that requires less effort from the wrist. They are an excellent option for users suffering from Arthritus, Carpal tunnel syndrome or other RSI related conditions. The cutting blade must be kept sharp to maintain a clean cut.
One particular anvil pruner that has really turned heads is the Vesco A6 Curved Anvil Secateurs. Designed and manufactured in Italy, they have the same curved blades as typical bypass secateurs however they are characterized by their unique anvil cut. This design allows them to get into the same tight spaces of a bypass pruner but there is 25% less effort required when cutting, compared to a bypass pruner. The cutting action is smoother, and the curved anvil and blade hold the branch in place, making for a cleaner cut.
In conclusion, we emphasize that above all, quality should play the biggest part in your purchase decision. You don't necessarily have to buy the most expensive pruner as every brand we sell has its good, better and best categories of pruners and secateurs, however bear in mind that the more expensive styles have more options and features such as spare parts, roll handles etc. Our recommended brands are ARS, WOLF-Garten, Vesco and Felco. There are many other brands on the market and some of them are good but we run with these 4 as they are very reliable brands. They are manufactured in Europe and Japan (ARS) to the highest standards possible.
Check our range here for a comprehensive selection: METROGREEN SECATEURS, LOPPERS AND FRUIT SNIPS