Florian Ratchet-Cut Anvil Pruner Reviews

Florian Ratchet-Cut Anvil Pruner: Product Review

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GPR Recommendation

Ease of Use
Quality
Cutting Performance
Final Thoughts

An excellent all-round pruning tool that’ll do just about anything.

Overall Score 5

Available on Amazon

Buy It

When I first picked up the Florian Ratchet-Cut Anvil Pruner, I wondered what all the fuss was about. I’d heard such good things about Florian’s pruning shears but in my hand it felt like a cheap plastic toy. Then I used it – and my opinion did a 180!

Despite appearances, this is a quality tool that easily cuts through branches up to ¾” in diameter and makes regular garden pruning tasks a pleasure (although I suppose that depends on how much you enjoy pruning!).

lock and ratchet on Florian pruner

The metal lock stays out of the way when pruning and the sturdy ratchet mechanism makes cuts easier.

The high carbon steel blades mean that the cutting blade is extremely sharp and keeps a sharp edge for a long time, and a non-stick PTFE coating means that sap from sticky plants (like pine trees) is less likely to gum up the blades.

The downside with high carbon steel is that it rusts easily so be sure to dry off the blade after use and give it a light oiling occasionally. Although the non-stick coating should provide some degree of protection, I wouldn’t depend on it to keep the blades rust-free.

Florian pruner blades

The upper cutting blade is very sharp.

I like the design of the blades on this pruner – it’s fairly similar to a typical bypass pruner and so can easily get into tight spots.

The brightly colored handles are made from a fiberglass-reinforced nylon. They may look and feel like a child’s toy, but they’re tough! And at only 3.9oz, this pruner is incredibly lightweight.

The Florian Ratchet-Cut Anvil Pruner can be used right- or left-handed and it works just as well in either hand. I use both hands equally so I appreciated the ability to switch hands to make cuts from the optimal angle, rather than having to contort myself into an awkward position to get the cut right.

The pruner has a nice metal locking mechanism integrated into the lower handle to keep the blades closed. It’s well out of the way so won’t pinch your hand like some other models and stays put in both the unlocked and locked position.

lock on Florian pruner

The lock is easy to use and keeps the blades closed when not in use.

The ratcheting mechanism made it very easy to slice through ¾” mesquite wood (which is very hard). Florian claims that it will “multiply your strength up to 700%”. While we can’t measure the accuracy of that claim, I can report that Jack had no problem operating the pruners in large diameter wood, due to his larger hands. Gardeners with smaller hands can make it through ¾” material but it’s a little more difficult (I had to use both hands to get a good grip on the handles and exert enough force).

Cutting through deadwood was also easy, but the pruners maxed out at a thickness of about ½” and it’s not recommend as a deadwood pruner beyond ½”. Anything under that, the Florian Ratchet-Cut Pruner cuts through with no problem at all.

The Florian Ratchet-Cut Anvil Pruner makes both beautiful bias and straight cuts on live wood, including bias cuts in branches with diameters up to ¾”. The ratcheting mechanism isn’t engaged when cutting materials less than ¼” in diameter (it isn’t necessary – the cutting blade easily slices through thinner branches and stems). But when pruning anything larger than ¼”, the ratchet takes over and makes quick work of it.

I also tried the pruner on general garden cutting tasks, like deadheading, cutting back perennials and trimming roses and smaller shrubs. It handled everything with ease, including all cuts in soft material. That’s unusual for an anvil-style pruner so I kept going, trying it on every plant that needed trimming. No problems. Overall, the Florian pruner did everything I would expect from a high quality bypass pruner.

cutting with Florian pruner

I use my Florian pruner for just about every pruning task in the garden, from roses (shown here) to deadheading.

Made in the USA

Made in USAAll Florian pruners are made in the USA.

 

 

Lifetime Warranty/Replacements

All Florian Ratchet-Cut Pruners are warrantied for 1 year against defects in materials and workmanship.

After that, if anything happens to your pruner, just return it to Florian with $14 and they’ll send you a new one – no questions asked. You’ll find details on their policy here.

Recommendation

5 Shovels Rating from Gardening Products ReviewThe Florian Ratchet-Cut Anvil Pruner makes beautifully clean cuts in branches up to ¾” in diameter (both 900 and bias cuts). Don’t try cutting anything larger – that’s all that will fit between the blades when the pruner is fully opened to maximum jaw width. Deadwood cuts are easy to make in material ½” and below. With smaller diameter cuts under ¼”, the ratcheting mechanism isn’t needed. The Florian pruner makes clean cuts in everything from soft stems to hardwood, and is an excellent all-round pruning tool that’s the only pruning shear you’ll need.

Where to Buy

Florian products aren’t typically found in stores so your best bet is to purchase it direct from the company or buy it on Amazon. It sells for about $32 (without a belt holster), which is a very reasonable price and an excellent investment if you’re looking for a fantastic all-round pruning tool that will stand the test of time (Jack’s grandmother had one she used for almost 40 years!).

The Florian pruner is available in yellow, red, purple and pink (the company donates $1 to cancer research for each pink pruner they sell).

There’s also a stainless steel version for about $60.

Florian Ratchet-Cut Pruners can also be purchased with a belt holster.

Florian Ratchet-Cut Anvil Pruner
This is an excellent all-around pruning tool that cuts cleanly through up to ¾-inch branches. The smooth ratchet action and super-sharp cutting blade, as well as ultra light weight and strength, make this the only hand pruner you’ll ever need.

Last update on 2024-03-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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8 Comments on Florian Ratchet-Cut Anvil Pruner: Product Review

  1. Roy A. Myers

    Massively misleading review. I bought two pairs of these cheap, flimsy, pieces of junk based partly on this review. They failed 15 minutes into their first use (winter pruning peach twigs up to 3/8″) when the knurled stud that the action pivots on fell out. Turns out the stud is held in place not by a nut or a clip but by a dab of glue. Florian’s “guarantee” wants $14 + postage to replace them with the same junk, which would work out to more than half what I paid for them. How do you sleep at night?

    • Wow, Roy, I’m sorry you’ve had such a bad experience with the Florian pruners. I wonder if something has changed since I wrote the review. All I can say is that the review is based on my personal experience with the tool. After three years of frequent use, it’s still going strong – no problems at all. In fact, I just finished pruning grape vines with it and it performed flawlessly. I’m not sure which stud you’re referring to that’s held in place with glue? Nothing on my pruner is glued together that I can see.

  2. Linda Mace

    Love my Florian and have been using for years ~ wanted to get a new pair and the website is not found? Tried to use the link for replacement and same thing?

  3. Anna KORD

    Excellent. I love my ratchet pruner I have had 2 in the last 50yrs of gardening and this one beats all other types especially since I have very weak hands and arthritis and the ratchet mechanism is a God sent

  4. Carol Prygo

    I have used these pruners for years and have had them replaces for the $14 previously. Now, I need a replacement again and clicked on the link provided and this is what I get: Not Found
    The requested URL /net/f/l/floriantools/htdocs/lifetime-warranty-repair-policy.html was not found on this server. Where can I contact them for the warranty replacement? Thank you.

  5. Trish

    The Florian ratchet pruners are no longer available:( LOVE these pruners. Anyone have a suggestion for the second best?

  6. Jeanette Mehard

    I’ve had my pruners for years and have been trying to find another pair, apparently no longer available. I wonder if the blade can be sharpened. My hand is small and this Florian 7” is perfect, just getting a bit dull.

Comments are closed.