With a pair of pruning shears, you can also get through thicker branches where normal pruning shears fail. You can find out what to look out for when buying the practical garden helper and which models are particularly recommended in our guide.
There are different types of pruning shears
Our recommendations
our recommendation
Fiskars PowerGearX anvil gear shears for dry and hard wood, non-stick coated, hardened precision steel, length 80 cm, black/orange, LX99-L, 1020189
EUR 62.50 To the product| Type | Anvil with gears |
|---|---|
| cutting thickness | 55mm |
| length of arms | 80 cm |
| handle material | aluminum, plastic |
| blade material | stainless steel |
| non-stick coated | Yes |
Most Amazon reviewers are enthusiastic about the Fiskars anvil pruning shears. Thanks to the gearbox, the effort required to cut thicker branches with a diameter of four to five centimeters should be very low. Furthermore, many customers comment positively on the cutting result. This is supposedly - despite the anvil mechanism - surprisingly clean. Some buyers even prove this with meaningful pictures. The handling is also described as pleasant. Some quotes about these Fiskars pruning shears: "luxury for gardening", "scissors cut excellently", "every branch is a match".
our recommendation
GARDENA Pruning Shears TeleCut 650-900 B: Telescopic bypass pruning shears, ideal for cutting fresh wood, ErgoTec handles (12009-20)
EUR 55.90 To the product| Type | bypass |
|---|---|
| cutting thickness | 42mm |
| length of arms | 65-90cm |
| handle material | aluminum, plastic |
| blade material | stainless steel |
| non-stick coated | Yes |
Gardena's Telecut bypass pruning shears are also extremely popular with the majority of Amazon reviewers. It is true that their cutting strength is lower than that of the other two pruning shears that we recommend; However, since it is only suitable for fresh branches and twigs anyway, this is hardly a problem. The execution is considered by many to be a top model that is better than some other variants. Thanks to the practical telescopic arms, the arm length can be varied. The locking mechanism should be surprisingly stable.
our recommendation
WOLF-Garten - Anvil pruning shears »Premium Plus« POWER CUT*** RS 900 T; 73AGA009650
EUR 84.00 To the product| Type | anvil |
|---|---|
| cutting thickness | 50mm |
| length of arms | 65-90cm |
| handle material | aluminum, plastic |
| blade material | stainless steel |
| non-stick coated | Yes |
The Premium Plus anvil pruning shears from WOLF-Garten earned third place in our pruning shears comparison based on real Amazon reviews. Like the Gardena model, it comes with telescopic scissor arms. In terms of materials and workmanship, there are no significant differences to the first and second-placed pruning shears. In most cases, buyers on Amazon speak of a "top part" and "very high quality". Some add that women can use the pruning shears without any problems, as they are said to require very little effort.
In short, all three pruning shears can be recommended without reservation.
Purchase Criteria
Type
Anvil Pruning Shears: The anvil pruning shears are the classic pruning shears and the most popular variant. This is probably due to the fact that this type of gardener requires comparatively little effort.
Pruning shears with an anvil mechanism have a sharp blade at the top and a wide (smooth or serrated) blade at the bottom. The latter is called the anvil. When cutting, the sharp blade presses the respective branch against the anvil. Ideal for cutting hard wood and for more delicate hands.
But be careful: With an anvil pruning shears, you cannot cut as cleanly as with a bypass pruning shears. It should therefore only be used for old, dead wood. Fresh shoots and other sensitive plants could be injured, which in turn is associated with an increased risk of fungal or pest infestation.
Bypass pruning shears: In principle, the bypass pruning shears works like ordinary household shears. It is equipped with two sharp blades that pass each other closely when cutting and cut through the wood.
A lopper with a bypass mechanism ensures a clean, smooth cut. This protects the wood fibers - cuts heal relatively quickly. The only disadvantage: cutting with a bypass pruner requires more strength from the gardener. Suitable for young shoots or basically fresh, living wood.
Gear Lopper: The geared pruning shears make cutting branches and twigs even easier. With this variant, the scissor arms open wide - this distributes the force required for the cut over a longer distance and the gardener has to exert less effort at work. Of course, geared pruning shears are a little more expensive than models without this "gear ratio".
Ratchet Loppers: The ratchet lopper works similarly to the geared lopper. She also has scissor arms that open wide. The real highlight here is the built-in step mechanism, called the ratchet. Stronger branches are divided effortlessly by repeatedly pressing the pruning shears.
Note: Both geared and ratchet loppers are quite bulky due to the generous opening angle of the scissor arms. This means that the gardener always needs a certain freedom of movement when cutting. However, this space is often not available - for example, when a bush with dense branches is to be thinned out. Thus, the most convenient solution at first glance is not always the best.
cutting thickness
The cutting thickness indicates the maximum thickness of the branches to be cut (diameter in millimeters or centimetres).
Length of the scissor arms
In principle, a distinction is made between pruning shears with fixed and those with telescopic shears. Versions with telescopic arms can be adjusted in length as required - within a certain range. This flexibility is an advantage, but field testing shows that the locking mechanism is often unstable, allowing it to come loose during cutting - annoying and also dangerous. Therefore, when comparing pruning shears with telescopic arms, you should definitely read customer reviews on the models to find out whether the locking mechanism works properly.
Guide value: A fixed pruning shears should have scissor arms with a length of at least 80 centimeters, so that you can also get through thicker branches without too much effort. Telescopic arms are usually adjustable between 60 and 100 centimeters.
materials
blade material: Blades are commonly made of stainless steel or drop-forged aluminum. Both variants are considered to be particularly robust and resistant.
tips
Usually at least the top blade has a non-stick coating (teflon or ceramic), ideally the bottom blade will have this feature as well. Thanks to the coating, the blades slide better. In addition, it increases the precision of the cut, which protects the wood fiber texture. And no plant parts get caught on the non-stick coated blades, which minimizes the risk of spreading infection from one plant to another and also makes cleaning easier.
handle material: The handles of a pruning shears are usually made of aluminum. The light metal greatly reduces the weight of the garden tool - without compromising stability. Alternatively, the manufacturers use polymers - partially glass fiber reinforced for more robustness.
tips
Models whose handles are covered with soft elements made of non-slip rubber or plastic at the crucial points are particularly easy to grip. These extras ensure a plus in ergonomics.
frequently asked Questions
What are pruning shears?
The pruning shears are gardening tools that you can use to handle thicker branches and twigs up to a diameter of around five centimeters. With normal pruning shears you would probably fail with such chunks of branch. Compared to pruning shears, pruning shears have particularly long scissor arms of 40 to 100 centimetres. Thanks to the leverage, you can cut through thicker branches very quickly and without too much effort.
tips
If the branch is 50 to 60 millimeters thick, you should use a pruning saw.
Which brands offer good pruning shears?
Gardena, WOLF-Garten, Fiskars and Grüntek are some of the best-known and most popular brands for pruning shears.
Where is the best place to buy a pruning shears?
You can find pruning shears in every hardware store - whether OBI, hagebaumarkt, toom or Hornbach. However, Amazon offers the largest selection. Depending on the season, pruning shears may even be available at discounters such as ALDI or Lidl.
How do I maintain and sharpen my pruning shears?
The following video shows how to properly maintain and sharpen your pruning shears:
youtubeIs there a pruning shears test by Stiftung Warentest?
Yes, the last test and comparison of garden shears and pruning shears by Stiftung Warentest dates back to June 2015. The Fiskars PowerGear 94 took first place. The Gardena Classic 680-B came second.