BAHCO P126-22-F Bypass Pruner: Product Review
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Not what I would have expected from a high end brand
Available on Amazon
Buy ItBypass pruners are such a personal choice and folks have their favorites. One of my favorite brands is BAHCO so, in the interest of comparison, I tested the BAHCO P126-22-F bypass pruner. For the most part I love BAHCO pruners (manufactured in France) but this model was not my cup of tea.
HANDLES ARE SLIPPERY
I do a lot of work pruning in spiny shrubs and trees so I always wear gardening gloves. Even with good gloves, I found that the handles on this pruner were very slippery and my hands continuously slipped up the handles toward the cutting blades. As a result, I lost a lot of leverage because my hands were not back at the best leverage point of the pruner.
The handles do not have very large recesses so there was nothing on which to rest my thumb and index finger. This exacerbated the slipping problem. Slipping was reduced somewhat when I used my bare hands but then I had the problem of sweaty hands.
On a positive note, the pruner is ambidextrous. Most BAHCO pruners come in both right- and left-handed models, but this one will work for either hand.
LOCKING MECHANISM GETs IN THE WAY
The locking mechanism kept flipping down and getting in the way of the handles closing. This made for incomplete cuts, particularly when cutting with the tips of the blades. It would be much better to have the locking mechanism incorporated into the head of the pruner where it wouldn’t get in the way.
PRUNER does NOT CUT THROUGH ¾ INCH MATERIAL
The stated cutting capacity on this pruner is ¾ inch. But, try as I might, I just wasn’t able to achieve this. The best I could manage was 5/8 diameter inch wood and even that was difficult, requiring all my strength to make it through. This surprised me. Other BAHCO pruners like the PX-L2 have no problems cutting through ¾ inch wood. I wish pruner companies would give more realistic cutting diameter ratings. On the bright side, the cuts from the F126-22-F bypass pruner are nice and clean even at 5/8 inch.
SUPER SHARP TIP EXTENDs BEYOND END OF PRUNER
The fit and finish of the BAHCO P126-22-F could be better. In particular, the sharp end of the blade sticks out beyond the end of the pruner when the blades are in the locked position. This is a cutting hazard for hands and fingers. I also found that the tip of the pruner would catch on the inside of pants pockets. This was a good way to ruin a pair of clothes and get cut in the process. As mentioned earlier, BAHCO blades are very sharp – it’s one of the things I love about their pruners. But this defect is something the engineering department should address.
VERY GOOD BUMPER AND SPRING MECHANISM
The two bumpers (one on each handle) are excellent; they provide outstanding cushioning when pruning. Additionally, there is a coil spring that keeps the handles at the perfect tension.
SHARPENING TIPS
The BACHO P126-22-F Bypass Pruner packaging gives a specific set of sharpening instructions. I found these useful when sharpening became necessary.
Learn More >> Bypass Pruner Care and Maintenance (Clean, Lubricate, Tighten, Sharpen)
NO REPLACEABLE BLADES
Because of the way the BAHCO P126-22-F bypass pruner is constructed, there are no replacement blades.
WARRANTY
BAHCO offers a limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
RECOMMENDATION
Of all the BAHCO pruners I’ve tested to date, the P126-22-F bypass pruner is my least favorite. The handles are slippery, the locking mechanism is problematic and the sharp tip protruding from the end is a safety hazard. This is not the type of product I have come to expect from a top quality manufacturer like BAHCO.
WHERE TO BUY
The BAHCO P126-22-F bypass pruner is available from Amazon for $27.51.
Last update on 2024-05-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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