Hand pruners or garden shears are the most-used tools by gardeners. Depending on its material and how often a gardener uses it daily or within a season, pruning shears may last for a year and even longer. If you're spending a reasonable amount of time pruning your plants, it's necessary to get a pair that works well for you and your gardening tasks.
What makes a great pair of pruning shears? From its types, blades, features, and design to its usage, you'll find the valuable information you need when looking for the best pruners on the market.
Pruning shears are also often called clippers, pruners, or garden scissors. They are usually used to trim and cut stems or branches up to one inch thick, ranging from perennial flowers to small fruit tree limbs. Garden scissors vary in size, shape, grip strength, and features, each depending on the type and amount of pruning it can handle.
There are three types of pruning shears:
Anvil pruners have only one sharpened blade that cuts as it closes on the stationary base or anvil. These pruners act like a knife on a chopping board, making them best for deadwood as they tend to crush the stems when cutting. They are also larger than most bypass pruners, so users may find it difficult to navigate the pruner into narrow spaces.
On the other hand, bypass pruners have two sharpened and at least one curved blade that move past each other, comparable to how a pair of scissors work. These pruners are the most popular among gardeners, as they're very reliable when it comes to producing clean and precise cuts on live plant material.
Although recognized as an anvil pruner, ratchet pruners are the third type of gardening shears. These pruners have an additional mechanism that allows users to exert less effort while making tough cuts. The ratchet mechanism performs with an extra step rather than one swift motion and best for those with less hand strength. It is also perfect for cutting larger dead branches that regular shears cannot handle.
Hand sizes vary from one person to another. While others may have large, strong hands, some people have small and weaker hands. Aside from hand size, consider the weight you're able to handle. There are pruners made from heavier materials, although specifically for small hands, so make sure to check these factors to see which size and weight work comfortably for you.
Most companies provide a range of garden shears with varied hand sizes and weight. For example, the Haus & Garten PRO series have a drop forged aluminum body, giving them a solid yet lightweight feel. The collection includes hand pruners that fit different hand sizes, ranging from small to large.
Gardeners require pruning shears with blades that will remain sharp for a long time and won't rust or damage easily. The best hand pruner have strong and high-quality steel blades, which ideally are high carbon steel. However, high carbon steel does not have a natural resistance to rust and corrosion, which explains why a proprietary protective coating such as a Titanium coating is added to keep the blades from rusting.
Garden shears like the Haus & Garten PRO series use Japanese-grade high carbon steel blades protected by a Titanium coating to prevent them from rust and corrosion. Thus, the perfect balance between tenacity, elasticity, hardness, and sharpness is achieved for users to enjoy the superior cutting performance for years.
The gardening shears' center screw holds the two blades together. Its responsibility includes controlling the distance between the blades and keeping the pruners from closing correctly. An easily adjustable center screw gets the pruning shears back in place after cleaning and maintenance sessions. Hence, the center screw needs to be well-tuned upon purchase but also easy to adjust over time, so you can change its setting once you've noticed that the branches are getting stuck in between the blades of the garden shears or when it's being too hard to use.
The best garden scissors have a well-positioned spring that's tightly attached to the handles: so it does not slip out of place when not in use or accidentally pop off during pruning activities. A heavy-duty spring makes up a quality locking mechanism that enables users to easily open and close the pruners to reduce workload and minimize the risks of hand fatigue.
The nickel-plated high carbon steel spring of the Haus & Garten Titanium Bypass Pruning Shears are securely attached upon purchase, providing the right amount of tension, long-lasting durability, and rust resistance for gardeners to enjoy comfortable and efficient pruning. It's also easy to install after cleaning and maintenance, making it the heavy-duty spring that can withstand years of use.
A good locking mechanism keeps the shears in a closed position when not in use and prevents the pruners from constantly locking during pruning sessions. This safety feature keeps its users from potential accidents caused by the sharp edge. It is also often located near the blade rather than the grip.
The perfect pair of one-handed trimming scissors often incorporates an ergonomic design, helping gardeners to enjoy extended pruning periods with less pain and discomfort. Pruners with this design often use soft and anti-grip handles, slightly curved shapes paired with angled blades to reduce risks of wrist train, hand fatigue and minimize the pressure required when opening and closing the handles.
For example, the EnduroPRO pruning shears from the Haus & Garten PRO series are shaped to neutralize wrist bending with contoured, anti-slip handles for comfort and easier grip.
Pruning shears are easiest to clean when disassembled. Sap, dirt, and sticky residue build up on the individual parts over time, so garden shears that can be taken apart for cleaning and maintenance allows gardeners to clean each component, lubricate the moving parts, and sharpen the blades easily.
Quality pair of shears perform hard work, especially during long periods of pruning. Hence, some parts will eventually wear out, get damaged, and need to be replaced. Companies like Haus & Garten offer cost-effective solutions to this: allowing gardeners to purchase replacement parts instead of a brand new pair every time.
At Haus & Garten, we recognize the aspects making up the best pruning shears. Whether you're performing general day-to-day pruning, light precision work, or extended periods of pruning, there is a pruner designed for your pruning needs and demands. Our choice of material and manufacturing process is made to give you the highest quality possible to give you the best pair of pruners you can use for years to come.
We strongly believe our gardening shears are some of the best pruning tools you'll find on the market today. With our pruners, avid and professional gardeners can have a quality tool built to last.
The Choice for the Toughest Gardening Challenges, These Pruners are Made for Hard Use, Whilst Still Delivering Smooth, Precise Cutting Action That's Easy on Your Hands.
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Ergonomically Designed For Optimum Comfort And Shaped To Neutralize Wrist Bending, Ideal For Regular And Day-To-Day Pruning.
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Compact Size Pruner Built For Smaller To Medium Hands! Easy To Use, Lightweight, Versatile Pruner Designed For Lighter Pruning Work, A Solid Compact Tool For Faster & More Efficient Pruning.
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Compound Action Bypass Loppers Designed To Provide 3X More Power Than Traditional Ones, Built With Long Handles For Added Leverage, Ideal For Tougher Branches.
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