How To Choose The Best Pruning Shears

Whether you're a hobbyist or professional gardener, buying a quality pair of garden shears designed for your specific needs will make your pruning tasks much easier. Whether you're deadheading, snipping branches or cutting back bushes, a hard-working pair of pruning shears that will give you clean and precise cuts, are comfortable to use and give you added strength for effective pruning are an absolute must-have.

There are different kinds of pruning shears available on the market so before you choose a pruner, let me walk you through some of the considerations you need to be aware of. Let's start with the different types of pruning shears.

 

 

TYPES OF PRUNING SHEARS

There are 3 basic types of garden shears, each having different applications, blades, cutting action and features. 

• Bypass pruning shears are best used for green wood. Its cutting action is similar to a pair of scissors where the blades bypass each other to make a clean cut. This clean cut is best for live plant material as its blades slice all the way through the stem.

• Anvil pruning shears are best used for dry branches or old wood. The cutting blade comes down on a flat, wide surface or anvil. Its cutting action is similar to a knife cutting through a board, crushing live material which is why it shouldn’t be used for green wood.

• Ratchet pruning shears are known for its ratcheting mechanism, making it ideal for people who don’t have enough power in their hands. Most ratchet pruners have have one sharp blade and one flat blade, similar to anvil pruners. This versatile pruner performs its cutting action in stages, making it easier to cut through larger branches.

PRO TIP 1:

Regular cleaning and maintenance will help your pruners last long and save your plants from disease transferred through dirty tools. Most garden shears can be easily cleaned but look for ones that can be disassembled so that you can clean the individual parts and remove any residue that has built up over time.

WHAT MAKES A QUALITY PRUNING SHEAR

A premium pruner is comfortable and easy to use, has razor-sharp blades for effective cutting, and is made to a high quality standard. All these aspects combined will result in a smooth cutting performance that will last for seasons.

Most blades for pruners on the market are made of some type of steel; whether it's Forged Steel, Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel or High Carbon Steel each type have their own unique characteristics and offer different levels of wear resistance, sharpness, hardness and workability. If you're looking for a premium quality blade, our range of Titanium Coated High carbon steel blades used on our pruners offer a fine balance between razor-sharp toughness and hardness, plus we use a proprietary Titanium-coating for our blades which we have developed to help protect the blade from rust and corrosion, while reducing friction when pruning. This also increases the wear resistance of the cutting edge for longer and for the life of our blades. 

WHAT MAKES OUR PRUNING SHEARS DIFFERENT

Our engineers know that the steel of any blade will become more brittle as it becomes harder, this is because it loses its ability to bend or stretch. This is why hard steel tends to "snap" or be brittle, while soft steel will "bend." This can pose a challenge when making blades for pruners: a softer blade has a less resilient cutting edge, and a ultra hard blade will snap when exposed to stress or pressure and don't like to be twisted in the cut (due to its degree of hardness).

Every pruning shear manufacturer aims to find the perfect fine balance in the hardness/softness aspect of their blade. Cheaper pruners use softer steel for their blades as they can bend and stand mistreatment but are usually less sharper compared to high-grade pruners. On the other hand, premium pruners will always tend to use a harder blade, so that they have maximum hardness and high resilience.

At Haus & Garten, our blades are made from premium Japanese high-carbon steel, that achieve a hardness, which we have managed to develop over the years of research and manufacturing. Although it initially costs more to purchase, our pruning shears will stay sharper over a longer period of time. So even if the edge gets dull from frequent use, it is easy to restore its sharpness with just a few passes of a sharpening tool. 

PRO TIP 2: Are you putting too much force on the blade? To see if you're doing so, check the blade edge after doing a few cuts. If you notice the edge of the blade appearing to be slightly uneven, you may be exerting much effort or twisting your hand mid-way through the cut. To avoid this, make sure to use the right pruning technique.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT CUTTING CAPACITY

The cutting capacity of a pruner is determined by the distance between the blades. If you’re snipping flowers and small branches, choose a pruner with at least 1 inch cutting capacity. Always make sure that the maximum cutting size is right for the job or else you won’t be able to trim your plant or even break your pruner.

The Haus & Garten pruning shears have different cutting capacities of up to 1 inch from which you can choose from, making them the perfect pruner for trimming rose stems, vines, shrubs and small trees without exerting much effort.

 

 

PRO TIP 3: To maintain the sharpness and optimum condition of the blades, we suggest you use a sharpening tool on your pruner every time you take a break from your pruning task.

FIND AN ERGONOMICALLY DESIGNED PRUNING SHEARS

Whether you’re pruning daily or for long hours, having trimming scissors that doesn’t strain your hands will allow you to have a comfortable pruning experience.  Since pruning can tire your hands especially after extended hours, you should look for models with drop-forged aluminum handle bodies since they are solid yet lightweight, and easy to hold. Look for anti-slip cushioned handles with shock absorbing pads, which will help reduce the chance of repetitive motion injuries and ensures a safe grip.

Our ergonomic-styled gardening shears have a different shape or structure compared to regular pruner. This allows your hand to stay in a neutral position to minimize wrist injuries, give you enough control but still be gentle on your hands. Especially for people who have arthritis, carpal tunnel or who are prone to hand injuries, a proper ergonomic-shaped pruner would be your best choice.  

"I have arthritis in my hands and these pruners make it easier for me to prune my roses," GMD says after using the ClassicPRO pruning shears, one of the ergonomic-styled pruners Haus & Garten offers. 

TYPICAL PRUNING SHEAR FEATURES;

• Most pruners have a Safety Lock mechanism to keep the jaws closed when not in use. This prevents the blades from being wide open, posing a potential danger in your toolbox. Take note of this safety feature when looking for a pruner.

• Generally most good pruners have Sap Groove feature that prevents the blade from sticking and channels off debris, saves you time by keeping the blade clean after each cut. This prevents the blades from sticking and reduces the risk of transferring disease from one plant to another.

PRUNING SHEAR FEATURES YOU SHOULD CONSIDER;

Most premium brands like Haus & Garten add other features that will help users maximize the performance of their pruner while still keeping its longevity. This includes:

• FitAdjust Feature: Choose between partially open and fully open depending on the type of pruning work you're doing. Whether snipping flowers or trimming thicker branches, there's always an option for you.

• A Micrometric Adjustment System for adjusting the alignment and play of the blade to produce the most optimal cut. Clean cuts are a must for the health of your plants.

• A Wire-Cutting Notch allows you to cut wires without the need to carry around a wire snip. You can cut small to medium wires with this feature and not worry about damaging the cutting blade.

• The Availability of Replacement Parts is also essential when an original part malfunctions or wears out. This will save you from buying a new pruner every time a part is broken of fails to function well. 

At Haus & Garten, we recognize the specific needs and demands that you'll need for different pruning tasks. Whether it's; intensive day-to-day pruning, prolonged heavy use or light detailed precision work; there is a pruner thoughtfully designed to ensure you'll get the optimal comfort, durability, and performance that will allow you to enjoy pruning. Our choice of material and production process is made to give you the best quality possible so that you won't have to buy a new pair of pruners every season.

We strongly believe our pruning shears are some of the finest tools you’ll find on the market today and built to last. With our pruners, any gardener can have a quality tool that they can rely on that will allow them to prune like a professional!

Check Out Our Range of Premium Pruning Shears and Pick THE One That Suits You and Your Pruning Needs!