Best of the Best

It’s the same as asking if Ford is better than DaimlerChrysler or General Motors. Are Bypass prunes better than anvil or ratchet types? All of them will cut off a dead rose bloom. But not all of them will do it the same way. Anvil type pruners have one sharp blade and one fixed, non-cutting surface- the “anvil”. The sharp blade swings against the plant stem and with pressure cuts the stem. When anvil pruners get dull they tend to crush the stem instead of cutting it. Ratchet pruners use a gear type mechanism to multiply hand strength to make the pruning job easier. Often ratchet pruners are also anvil types. Bypass pruners cut like scissor with one sharpened blade passing another duller one. The bypass cutting action, using a properly adjusted and sharpened pruner will give a very clean cut. Many gardeners prefer the clean cut of a bypass pruner.

And what is a secateur? It’s a French word dating back to 1881, derived from the Latin word secare meaning “to cut”. The British have adopted secateur as a term for hand pruners.

So when choosing a great pair of secateurs (or pruners as well) additional considerations should include…

* Comfort, size and weight in your hand
* Pruner adaptation to provide extra cutting power?
* Ease of dismantling for cleaning, sharpening and replacement parts
* How long it holds its edge and stays tightened? Will the pruners make a clean cut without twisting and tearing?
* Sap and rust resistance and the convenience of a wire cutting notch
* Durability of handle coverings, springs, shock absorbing bumpers, and other parts
* Strength of blade material to resist nicks from accidentally pruning wire or stones
* Is it pocket or holster sized?
* How easy is the locking mechanism to use? Can it be used one handed? Is it durability and secure? There’s nothing more frustrating than a pruner that won’t stay locked!
* Can you find your pruners in the garden after you put them down?
* Is it slim design for reaching tight areas? Perhaps two sizes of pruner are needed
* Ergonomically designed to keep the hand in a comfortable neutral position to ease strain on wrists, arms and hands?
* Left and right handed models (or ones that can be used by both)

Know the size of your pruning job. Check the pruner branch diameter rating. Maybe loppers are a better choice instead of causing arm, wrist and pruner strain by cutting a branch too large for the pruner.