Loading...
Best Tools for Pruning

Best Pruning Tools for Your Garden and Yard

Some of the best pruning tools are Secateurs, Pruning Saw, Long-Reach Pruner, Loppers, among others. Eden has researched these pruning tools and has mentioned its features with pros and cons. Let’s look at some of the popular and most commonly used hand-held and extending pruning tools.

From selecting the right seasonal plants to installing an outdoor kitchen, our landscaping services can do it all for you. Contact us today for a stunning landscape!

1. Secateurs

Secateurs are a simple, hand-held tool ideal for snipping delicate plants and cutting away thicker branches or dead stems to encourage an overall clean look and healthy growth. While a good pair of secateurs with a steel blade can do a worthwhile job of pruning and trimming the plants or bushes, the features somewhat differ from one model to another. 

The three types of secateurs – bypass secateurs, anvil secateurs, and ratchet secateurs, are more or less equipped with the same features, but their sole purpose is to provide a clean cut for effective pruning. 

Bypass secateurs are perfect for everyday use since they offer a versatile design that gives them the ability to provide a clean cut to live plants or a plethora of shrubbery without causing any damage. On the other hand, Anvil secateurs are great for more demanding jobs, such as cutting deadwood and larger branches. 

Ratchet secateurs are of great importance for individuals with arthritis or someone who finds regular secateurs challenging to use. They allow you to cut through thick deadwood or bushes in a few steps.

The average cost of each type ranges between $13 to $150. However, the price can go over $150 if it comes from brands like Niwaki. 

There is a reason why secateurs are a popular choice among novice gardeners. Secateurs has many advantages, like its versatile usage, making it perfect for both thin branches and flower heads. Secateurs’ ergonomically designed handle and lightweight build render comfort. Eden suggests you get a good pair of secateurs with sharp, flexible, and rust-resistant blades that need minimal care. 

Before buying the appropriate secateurs, you should be familiar with the drawbacks that each type of secateurs possess. Bypass secateurs allow precise cuts, but they are not ideal for large or hard branches. Anvil secateurs can be a better option for harder and larger branches, but it also leaves room for less precision. Meanwhile, with a pair of ratchet secateurs, you may need some time to get used to this tool.

2. Pruning Saw

Pruning Saw

A Pruning saw is designed specifically for the task of sawing through unnecessary branches of trees to achieve a well-manicured landscape. 

The razor-sharp teeth of a pruning saw with an ergonomic handle allow an accessible take on trimming small branches and shrubs. However, various types of pruning saws are available in the market, each type intended for a particular kind of branch or stem.

Pruning saws are essential for thicker branches that need to be removed for the upkeep of your landscape. There are various types of pruning saws available with different blade materials and configurations, which are some of the factors influencing its price range. The price, however, starts from $10 but can go over $4000, given its size and intended use. 

Since pruning saws come in varied designs and types, it gives you the freedom to choose from several different options, such as hand-held pruning saws, curved blade pruning saws, pole pruning saws, or electric saws according to your needs. These pruning tools are solid and sturdy enough to cut more extensive and thicker branches. 

As far as the disadvantage is concerned, a pruning saw is one of the most delicate yet robust tree pruning tools, which is ideal for professional use. Pruning saws can easily slip and injure the wood unintentionally, which is usually a risk factor for non-horizontal branches.

Therefore, Eden recommends hiring landscape contractors with the right skills to efficiently handle and employ a pruning saw.

3. Long-Reach Pruner

Another tree pruning tool ideal for removing unnecessary tree branches is the long-reach pruner. This pruning tool comes with a long pole and is attached with bypass secateurs for the occasional pruning of tall trees. A long-reach pruner enables you to easily prune the branches of trees at a height and generally require a ladder. 

But, a long-reach pruner is not just a perfect pruning tool for trees. It is also great for getting rid of small branches or pruning the interior of a large plant or bush without stooping or bending. The long shaft allows you even to reach the other side of a fence line and prune at a right angle.

One end of these long-reach pruning tools is attached to a grip that gives you access to the prune shears at the other end of the long shaft. So, you have to work with the grip and reach wherever you wish to prune the branches or young trees quickly. 

You may also come across long-reach pruners that allow you to adjust the height of the pole or have a different kind of pruning shear on the other end, which sets its price range anywhere from $40 to $170. 

One of the best advantages of using a long-reach pruner is that it provides access to smaller or higher branches from ground level due to its lightweight and easy-to-handle attributes. Since you will be at ground level, you are mostly clear of those ants or thorns that might be up there. 

With a cut and hold system, the long-reach pruner is ideal for landscaping, but you should take precautions like wearing goggles or hats during the pruning process for eye protection. They come with various cutting edges, so choose according to your needs. Also, the shaft might not be as sturdy as you think for the height of the tree you intend to prune.

4. Loppers

Loppers

A Lopper is one of the best hand-held garden pruning tools that will be great for pruning thicker branches up to 2 or 3 inches. Lopper is preferable over other pruning shears due to its ability to offer more reach and cutting power.

Using the grip and extended handles, you can easily snip or prune the most challenging branches. The grips come with padded rubber or foam to reduce any slippage, blisters, among other accidents. 

Like other pruning tools, loppers also offer varied functions depending on their length, weight, cutting action and blade material. These features further influence the price range of a lopper. Nevertheless, the average cost can range from $15 to $280.

The main mechanical advantage of having a lopper is to prune any thick branch up to 3 inches. They offer an excellent pair of grip for the yard work. But loppers with carbon steel must be kept dry, or they will rust from the moisture. Stainless steel, on the other hand, can become dull over time.

5. Hand Shears

Hand Shears

Hand shears are heavy-duty scissors that are specifically designed for commercial-grade craftsmanship. Best hand shears for gardens and yards are always equipped with an incredible cutting mechanism. It allows you to cut larger branches with less effort and should be perfect for clipping hedges, bushes.

A hand shear or hedge shear may seem a simple instrument, but this garden pruning tool can come with a higher price tag with high-quality material. The price range is quite affordable and can range between $19-$90.

The cutting mechanism, cutting capacity, ease of use and even the price range of a hand shear are some of its advantages. Ideal for cutting thicker vegetation, such as thicker limbs and vines, a hand shear may require a lot of time to provide you accurate precision and perfect cuts.

6. Topiary Shears

Cutting

Topiary shear is a hand-held gardening tool that can be easily used by one hand. It is one of the simplest pruning tools employed in trimming perennial plants, soft shoots or cutting unwanted twigs from young plants or trees to achieve defined shapes in your landscape or yard.

Topiary shears (also known as sheep shears) are designed to perform detailed work on compact and delicate plants. Depending on the material quality and type of blade used, the price range of a topiary shear can go anywhere from $11 to $100.

The curved blades and ergonomic handle design, along with the anti-jarring technology, make a good list of pros when it comes to topiary shears. But again, this garden pruning tool has its limitations. 

7. Pole Pruner

Among various telescopic pruning tools, the pole pruner is one of the most popular extending pruning tools that allow you to reach greater heights. A pole pruner can render access to longer lengths than any powered pruning tool. A professional pole pruner, can reach up to 21 feet to prune and shape the trees at your convenience. 

The pole pruner comes with a pair of secateurs on one end of the pole, which works with a string to offer a fantastic cutting mechanism. By pulling down the string, you can control the blade that moves up and down with it, which ultimately cuts the unwanted branches at a height. 

It’s worth noting that a manual pole pruner is lightweight and can be easily handled from ground level. It offers an efficient cutting mechanism that allows you to reach great heights without using a ladder. 

However, the cutting mechanism depends on the sturdy string being correctly strung and the telescopic function effectively operating. If any of the features stop working, you may end up with just a long pole. 

What Trees and Bushes can be Pruned using Pruning Tools?

The professional landscapers of Eden have listed some of the required pruning and trimming tools best suited for certain plants and trees. 

  • Palm Tree: A pole saw, or a pole pruner and a set of bypass pruning shears are the best tools for pruning palm trees.
  • Crepe Myrtles: Hand pruners, loppers, and pole pruners.
  • Fruit Trees: Pruning or hand shears, telescoping tools such as a pruning saw and loppers.
  • Apple Tree: Hand pruners or secateurs, telescoping tools or folding saw, and loppers.
  • Agave: A curved pruning saw and loppers.
  • Mango Tree: Hedge shear, pruning shears, pole saw or pole pruner. 
  • Christmas Tree: Secateurs and hedge shears.

How to Clean and Maintain the Pruning Tools?

A well-maintained pruning tool always caters to your needs, gives cleaner cuts and lasts for several years. Tightening up any loose bolts on moving parts, replacing old parts, cleaning and sterilizing pruning tools are some of the most important tips to enhance the longevity of your tree pruning tools. 

Spraying the garden pruning tools with a tool lubricant and keeping them dry after a good wash prevents rusting.

To conclude, the best pruning tools you can use are Secateurs, Pruning Saw, Long-Reach Pruner, Loppers, among others. However, using heavy-duty pruners or hand-held tree pruning tools can cost you more manpower than you could spend on landscaping fees. Also, not every novice gardener or beginner in landscaping is familiar with all the pruning tools required by their perennial plants or garden. 

Hence, contact Eden today to get the assistance of an expert landscaper with the right knowledge of horticulture.

From selecting the right seasonal plants to installing an outdoor kitchen, our landscaping services can do it all for you. Contact us today for a stunning landscape!

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments