Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a savvy gardener, you’ve likely come to understand the importance of pruning and having the best pruning tools. This one simple task can prevent disease, encourage flower and fruit production, and have your plants looking in tip-top shape.

However, if your current pruning tools are looking a little worse for wear, and you’re eager to have the best of the best, you may want to consider the following information.

How to Choose the Best Pruning Tools

Aside from looking at the price tag and brand, there are a few things to consider before buying the most suitable pruning tools for the task at hand. What your friends and family find right for them may not be ideal for you.

Weight

Firstly, consider its weight. When you’re spending a long time pruning your roses, you don’t want to experience pain in your arms and wrists from an overly heavy pruning tool. If you’re purchasing in a shop, you can compare the weights of multiple pruning tools. Online shoppers can typically find weight information in each product description.

Sharpening Process

If you’ve got quite an extensive garden clean-up project on your hands, the sharpening process is also worth considering. Are they easy to sharpen? Can you replace the blades?

Left or Right-Handed

Only around 10 percent of the world’s population are left-handed. If you’re in the minority, pay attention to whether the pruning tools you choose are suitable for your pruning style. Unfortunately, not all gardening tool manufacturers cater to the lefties among us.

Secateurs

You might think purchasing secateurs is as easy as finding the cheapest pair and buying them. However, there can be much more to the process. You have to consider whether you want bypass or anvil blades. Both allow you to perform different cuts.

Bypass blades make up the majority of secateurs types. They allow you to perform scissoring actions because they have a beak-like cutting blade. This blade type also allows you to cut close to the stems of your plants.

Secateurs with anvil blades have both blades sharpened to make easier cuts through thick foliage. They are ideal for removing dead wood, but not so much for getting close to stems. What’s more, if you don’t sharpen them, you’re at risk of damaging the cut branch.

The best secateurs are comfortable to hold, don’t open too wide, and don’t have a stiff spring. It may also be helpful if they have an ergonomic handle for comfort.

Loppers

If you have tough foliage to deal with or an unruly hedge, loppers may be worth adding to your pruning tool arsenal. They have long handles, robust blades, and some even come with ratchet systems and extendable handles.

These handles allow you to reach further without having to rely on ladders. You can choose from bypass or anvil loppers, and both may be suitable for branches up to 45mm thick.

Pruning Saw

Branches that are much too thick for secateurs and loppers but much too small for chainsaws may require a pruning saw. The market is full of different options, but most have angled teeth that allow you to push and pull against the branch to make quick cuts.

The best type of pruning saw to buy is one that comes with sharp triple-teeth blades, a blade cover for protection, and a comfortable handle.

Hand Shears  

If you often admire the beauty of your neighbour’s box hedging, then you’ll likely find that they’re using hand shears to get the job done. Such a tool is helpful for hedge trimming, cutting topiary, and giving Buxus hedges a much-needed haircut.

If you have tall hedges to contend with, the best pruning tool in this instance will be hand shears with extendable handles.

Long-Reach Pruners

Out of the most common ACC claims, ladder falls are near the top of the list. You can reduce your risk of becoming a statistic by investing in long-reach pruners. They are, without a doubt, one of the best pruning tools to own.

This handy tool is essentially a pair of secateurs attached to a pole. They often have a lever or rope on the end that you pull to perform a cut. In most situations, but depending on the brand and quality, they can perform cuts on branches up to three centimetres thick.

Do I Really Need These Tools?

If you’ve got plenty of get-up-and-go and a passion for gardening, these five pruning tools above are going to be the best additions to your garden shed. However, you’ve still got options if you don’t like gardening.

You can leave your tree trimming, rose pruning, hedge trimming, garden clean-ups, and even lawn mowing in the capable hands of lawn care and gardening business owners. You may be surprised at just how many experts in your town or city are ready and waiting to lend a helping hand.