Of all the BAHCO pruners I’ve tested to date, the P126-22-F 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. Continue Reading
With wider, contoured and fully rubberized handles, as well as an integrated spring and bumper, this pruner has some nice improvements over the typical bypass pruner. However, those with smaller hands may find the handles too large and it won't readily cut more than 1/2-inch material. Overall, the FATMAX Hybrid Forged Bypass pruner is a good performer with a ½ inch diameter cutting capacity. Continue Reading
With the Convertible Pruner + Lopper, Corona tried to create a 2-in-1 tool that could take the place of both a pruner and a lopper. Unfortunately, it tries to be all things to all people and ends up not being particularly good at any one of them. Corona gave it a good shot, but missed the mark on this one. Continue Reading
If you’re ready to cut the cord on your electric trimmer or want to upgrade your underpowered 20V rechargeable hedge trimmer, get the Redback E522D. It’s priced right between the least and most expensive trimmers in its category, and this sturdy tool feels built to last for many seasons. It easily cut through everything I threw at it, is easy to maneuver, has good battery life and doesn’t feel any heavier than a corded model. Continue Reading
The BAHCO PX-L2 bypass pruner has quickly become one of my go-to pruning shears. The cutting blade is incredibly sharp, the ergonomic design causes less wrist and hand stress, and it easily cuts through ¾ inch branches and stems, even when pruning hard wood. Overall, this is a very high quality, professional grade bypass pruner. Continue Reading
The technology behind the pruner design is an honorable attempt at making something better. It just missed the mark. Instead of making pruning easier, it turned it into a struggle that required a lot of grip strength. Overall, the problems outweighed the positives. Continue Reading
This pruner has excellent fit and finish, fit comfortably in my hand, and made clean, precise cuts in wood up to 3/4 inch in diameter. However, it wouldn’t cut through stems and branches over that, despite Corona’s claimed cutting capacity of up to 1 inch. It’s built with high quality materials, the cutting blade holds a sharp edge and the overall performance is very good. Plus, the ergonomic rotating handle definitely reduces hand, wrist Continue Reading
Melnor’s Talon lopper has some nice features, like strong, curved aluminum handles, a very sharp cutting blade, and extendable handles for extra leverage. And it cuts cleanly through 2-inch branches. But the extendable handles slipped constantly, the bumpers fell out, a handle grip fell off and the blade developed burrs. If Melnor can clean up the quality control problems, this would be a very nice lopper. Continue Reading
The Fiskars Ratchet Drive lopper does an exemplary job at pruning branches and cutting up brush and deadwood that’s 1 ½“ in diameter or less. In the 2” diameter range cutting is more difficult and takes a lot of strength, especially through deadwood (which is what an anvil lopper is ideally suited to cut). The curved handles are a nice feature; you don’t have to open your arms as far to get the blades Continue Reading
The Greenworks G-MAX 40V Lithium-Ion Cordless 8” Pole Saw (model 20672) is a generally well made product that makes clean cuts through smaller material (under 4” in diameter) but has battery overheating problems when cutting larger branches. There’s no shoulder strap included in the saw package (a definite miss) and the owner’s manual really needs some revisions. Overall, it’s a respectable mid-grade 40V saw but wouldn’t be a good replacement for a gas-powered pole chainsaw. Continue Reading
Overall, this saw operates very much like its commercial grade, higher end, gasoline driven counterparts. The power to weight ratio is great, making the saw powerful but not too heavy (particularly if wearing the shoulder strap). It makes very clean cuts and the fit and finish suggest quality throughout. In my tests, the motor never lacked the power to cut through the thickest woods (up to the saw’s maximum cutting diameter), including incredibly Continue Reading
If you’re looking for the crème de la crème of loppers, look no further than the Florian Maxi Lopper. It is extremely well crafted, strong, agile, and it can cut, and cut, and cut – all without requiring you to use a lot of force. Continue Reading
Shearing hedges by hand can be a tedious business, especially if your shears are not up to the task. Having the best tool can make all the difference! Continue Reading
The Fiskars PowerGear II hedge shears is a low-end, mid-priced tool with several problems, including blade slippage and extra weight, that make it tiring to use. Continue Reading
The Fiskars Ratchet Action Anvil Pruner can make clean cuts through ½ or less and can easily cut through ¾ inch deadwood and mesquite, although cuts through larger diameter wood aren’t as clean. We had problems with the lock position (it pinches your hand) but appreciated the squeeze-to-open feature. Continue Reading
