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.
If left to grow without any sort of pruning, your plants are not going to look anywhere near as attractive as they should. Pruning is essential for removing dead and dying parts of the plant that look unsightly, not to mention draining valuable energy that can be put to better use.
Even if the branches arenβt dead or diseased, pruning is required to keep it under control and pleasing on the eye.
After all, nobody wants a wildly overgrown plant in their garden, while the overall appearance may be stunted because the plant is trying to feed too many parts, which is why regularly pruning away excess growth is a must for countless types of plants.
Also, youβll find fruits and flowers produce much higher growth when regularly pruned. Instead of spreading energy across many parts, the plant can focus on producing high quality fruits, vegetables, or flowers when its properly pruned.
Leaving plants to grow wild on their own often leads to quantity over quality, which rarely desirable in a garden – who wouldnβt rather have fewer flowers that are healthy and vibrant rather than lots of smaller and less attractive blooms?Β
Of course, pruning isnβt always easy, especially when there are lots of different plants that have branches and stems of varying thicknesses, which is why a good set of secateurs is recommended.
The best secateurs produce quick and clean cuts on various types of plants throughout the garden, helping to better maintain the growth of the plants to ensure they look their best and remain as healthy as possible.
The Felco Model 2 is one of the top anvil secateurs currently available. Made from premium quality materials and providing unrivalled strength and durability, if youβre looking for a strong pair of secateurs suitable for thick wooden branches and thinner green branches, the Felco Model 2 is a fine choice.
An anvil blade made from high-quality hardened steel cuts branches up to one inch in diameter, so it offers one of the best cutting capacities. The blades are razor sharp and make short work of thick and thin branches, although they are at their best when removing wooden growth.
The blades are even replaceable, along with every other part of the secateurs, with a lifetime guarantee highlighting just how confident Felco are in their product. Replacement blades donβt cost much and you probably wonβt need to replace them for many years to come.
Much like the blades, the handles are made from high quality metals, this time an alloy aluminium that helps to make them lightweight yet very durable. The nonslip coating offers decent grip and comfort, while also acting as a shock absorber when pruning larger growth. Β
Other very useful features include a sap grove on the anvil blade, which means less time cleaning and more time cutting, while a hardened steel centre bolt lets you adjust the blades as required. There is also a safety catch to ensure the secateurs remain closed when not in use, which is certainly useful given how sharp the blades are!
- Anvil secateurs suitable with 1-inch cutting
- High-quality hardened steel blades
- Robust aluminium alloy handles with nonslip coating
- Comfortable, lightweight, sturdy aluminium alloy handles
- High quality hardened steel blades, forged aluminium alloy handles, wire cutting...
- Anvil blade with sap groove, rubber cushion shock aborbers
Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Professional Heavy Duty Bypass Secateur
The Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Heavy Duty Bypass Secatuer is strong, lightweight, and versatile for various pruning around the garden. A popular choice among professionals, the secateurs come with impressive cutting power that make it better equipped for thicker branches, which is something that bypass secateurs often struggle with.
This means you can prune both thicker and thinner growth, with the secateurs featuring a 20mm cutting capacity. The blades feature a two-step locking mechanism that that lets you set two different cutting positions.
Both the wide and narrow settings give you the perfect starting position for pruning thick and thin branches alike, highlighting the Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Heavy Duty Bypass Secateursβ versatility.
The overall build of the secateurs is also impressive, with the bypass blades made from high-quality carbon steel, and as the name suggests, being razor sharp. As bypass blades, the cut is very clean and easy to get flush with the stem, making it especially good for pruning flowers and smaller branches that require more precision.
There is also a blade tension adjustment setting, although this does require some practice to get the ideal setting, so unless youβre an experienced gardener you may want to avoid adjusting it too much initially. Doing so may reduce the cutting efficiency if you get it wrong!
The handles are ergonomically designed, being made from strong yet lightweight aluminium and featuring a rubber shock absorber for added comfort when using the secateurs. They also come with a 10-year guarantee, although you can expect the secateurs to last much longer with some minor maintenance.
- Bypass secateurs with a 2cm cutting capacity
- Carbon steel blades with a sap groove
- Lightweight aluminium handle
- Professional level bypass secateurs
- High carbon steel blade with cutting notch and sap groove
- Ergonomic forged aluminium handles
Davaon Pro Switch 2 in 1 Ratchet Secateurs
The Davaon Pro Switch 2 in 1 is a highly versatile set of ratchet secateurs that is suitable for pruning both thin and thick branches. A unique feature of the secateurs is the fact that you can easily switch from ratchet to single cut actions as the situation demands it.
For example, the ratchet cutting action offers much more cutting power, being suitable for removing thicker wooden branches up to 1-inch in diameter. In this mode, you make a cutting action, wait for a click, release the handles and then cut again, which provides some serious cutting power needed for tougher growth.
Of course, not all growth requires this type of power, in which case you simply flick the switch and the secateurs return to a single cutting action like with geared secateurs, which is suitable for growth up to 18mm in diameter.
This gives you the best of both worlds – plenty of power for thicker branches and precise cutting for thinner growth. You can also save a lot of time and effort by switching to the mode that is most suitable for the pruning task at hand.
The secateurs blades are incredibly sharp and made from heat treated and hardened carbon steel. These are coated with non-stick Teflon to reduce sap build ups, ensuring smooth cutting motion time after time.
The handles are made from aluminium, making them strong yet lightweight, which is useful when there is lots of pruning to do. Cutting in ratchet or single cut mode is quick and easy, especially if your hands are suffering from aches, strains, or even arthritis.
- Powerful ratcheting anvil secateurs
- 1-inch maximum cutting capacity
- Switches from ratcheting to single cut action
- High quality hardened steel blades
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Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Ratchet Anvil Secateurs
The Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Ratchet Anvil Secateurs is a strong and lightweight tool suitable for thicker growth on woodier plants. While itβs not as fast as a single cut action, the ratchet action provides impressive cutting power, with the secateurs easily cutting through wooden branches up to 20mm. Β
When using the secateurs, you squeeze the handle up to four times in a single cutting action, removing much of the strain needed for pruning thicker growth. This is especially useful if your hand strength isnβt the best or youβre dealing with conditions like arthritis or carpel tunnel syndrome.
However, it also means that the secateurs arenβt the best at producing a clean cut on greener growth.
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. Itβs 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. Β
The blades are made from high quality carbon steel while the handles are made from aluminium, so the secateurs are very lightweight and easy to operate, while also being impressively durable. Also, a PTFE coating provides the blades with added resistance to rust and a smooth cutting motion with every squeeze.
- Ratchet anvil secateurs with lots of cutting power
- Quality carbon steel blade and aluminium handles with nonslip grip
- Maximum cutting capacity of 20mm - suitable for woody branches
- Quality carbon steel blade and aluminium handles with nonslip grip
- Ratchet action allows for easy pruning in four short simple steps
- Suited to dead or thicker woody stems, easily copes with material of 20 mm...
- High quality carbon steel blade, PTFE coated for smoother cutting and resistance...
Bosch Electric Secateurs EasyPrune
While secateurs are traditionally manually operated garden tools, Bosch have provided a welcome innovation to the market with the EasyPrune – an electric powered set of bypass secateurs.
You may be wondering why an electric motor would ever be needed for secateurs but the answer is quite simple – effortless cutting power. The EasyPrune produces clean and precise cuts on both green and wood growth, making it one of the most versatile secateurs currently available.
While manual bypass secateurs traditionally struggle with thicker wooden growth, the EasyPrune is the complete opposite, easily cutting through wooden branches that are up to 1-inch in diameter. It doesnβt use a crushing motion like anvil secateurs either, so the cut is clean and precise on any type of plant.
Powered by a micro electric motor, the EasyPrune completely eliminates any fatigue from frequent pruning. The motor gives the stainless-steel blades all the power they need to cut through branches of varying thicknesses, with enough power to produce around 450 cuts on a single charge.
Recharging is fast and easy using a micro USB, while you can even adjust the cutting power to suit each plant. For instance, setting the Power Assist function to low means you can prune thinner stems without draining the battery as much, while medium and high settings let you cut through branches that are a bit tougher.
In any case, you wonβt struggle to operate the EasyPrune or ever feel the effects of pruning on your hands. It does all the hard work for you, leaving your plants looking better than ever.
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- Includes an electrical motor for effortless cutting
- Adjustable power settings to suit different pruning requirements
- 1-inch cutting capacity
- Up to 450 cuts with a single charge
- included components: Bosch Easy Prune; Micro USB Charger
Buying Guide
There are some important considerations to make before you decide to a buy secateurs for the garden, as you want to ensure you buy something that is suitable for your needs. Not all secateurs are suitable for every plant, so check the buying guide below for all the info you need to choose something suitable for your garden:
Types
Bypass Secateurs
Bypass secateurs offer the best precision for pruning although they are also great for general pruning around the garden. This type of secateurs consists of a sharpened blade on one side that bypasses a curved metal component, much like a pair of scissors.
Perhaps the most versatile type of secateurs, they do perform best on thinner growth from and less woodier plants, although they can certainly cut through wooden branches but may require a bit more force – just make sure never to cut anything thicker than the recommended cutting capacity.
Anvil Secateurs
Anvil secateurs offer more cutting strength so are better suited for thicker wooden branches on trees, bushes, and shrubs. This type of secateurs features a cutting blade sharpened on both sides that meets a flat metal anvil when cutting – think of the action being like a knife cutting down onto a chopping board.
This action makes them more capable of cutting thick wooden branches with larger diameters, although they arenβt as effective on thinner growth. This is because the cutting action crushes rather than slices, so the final cut isnβt the cleanest and may result in poor pruning on thinner plants.
Ratchet or Geared?
Youβll find that secateurs are labelled as either ratchet or geared, so it helps to know the difference as each type is suited for different types of pruning. For example, most anvil secateurs use a ratchet system that delivers powerful cutting, making them especially useful for thick and woody branches.
Geared secateurs lack the same cutting power but are usually easier to use, so if you struggle to cut through branches then a geared secateurs is recommended. Just remember they arenβt as strong as ratchet secateurs, although this may not be an issue depending on your pruning needs.
Pruning Requirements
You should always check what type of plants you need to prune before choosing secateurs, as each type is designed for specific types of pruning. For instance, if you want to prune flowers, vegetable plants, and bushes that have thin branches then bypass secateurs with a geared system should suffice.
If your garden has trees, shrubs, and bushes that require a lot pruning and have thicker and woodier branches, then anvil secateurs with a ratchet system are better suited for the task. Remember that the cutting capacity can vary from each type and even the strongest anvil secateurs may struggle with very thick branches, in which case loppers or pruning saws are recommended.
Shape and Size
While the shape and size of secateurs may not appear important you need to consider this as lot of pruning occurs in very tight spaces. For instance, if youβre pruning the stem of a rosebush, you want to make a vertical cut that is as close to the stalk as possible.
Anvil pruners arenβt 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.
If you need to prune both thin and thick growth, buying two sets of secateurs that are suited for each type is a good idea. Alternatively you can get yourself a good pruning saw. If you need to cut at any height, a platform for cutting hedges, which is basically like a multi purposed ladder comes in very useful.
Last update on 2024-09-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
