The Gruntek garden loppers are extendable and have 7 pre-set lengths of which they can be extended to. The leaver arms are made from strong rounded aluminium and are coupled with non-sliding handle grips to ensure safety and comfort during extended use when cutting. That being said some users may feel that they are a little heavy when fully extended, if the shrub is slender I often revert to garden shears. The telescopic pole as an adjustable length from 1.3 to 2.4m, providing upwards of 6m in reach when accounting for the user’s height. This makes it a good choice for pruning higher branches or hedges without needing to use a ladder. Loppers perform a very tough task, and even the nicest ones on the market are occasionally prone to deterioration. A satisfaction guarantee or a lifetime warranty is even better than readily accessible replacement parts. Just make sure that you have options for protecting your investment when you buy a nice pair of loppers, as high-quality gardening tools are far from cheap. There are two types of loppers and we are going to review both. Firstly, we have bypass loppers ( Gardena well worth a look in this review). These have been designed to produce an extremely clean cut. These work similarly to a pair of scissors as the jaws of the device cross when closed. This type of lopper should mainly be used on shrubs, hedges, bushes and plants that are still alive. They should not be used on dry branches or deadwood as this will sometimes damage the cutting blade.

A geared mechanism offers additional leverage when cutting, with the gear system engaging each time you open and close the handles. You do need to open and close them several times to get the necessary pressure for larger branches, so they are not the most suitable for working in confined spaces as they need to be opened wide a few times over. Ratcheting You do sometimes have to forfeit a bit of accuracy when using telescopic loppers. It can be harder to have complete control over the exact cutting point from so far away. There is a fair amount of confusion, and crossover, in the branch-cutting world when it comes to the difference between loppers and pruners. Being sure of each tool’s purpose can help when it comes to choosing which one to use for the job. These anvil loppers have a 5 cm cutting diameter and also employ extra leverage though compound action power. With the multiple parts and the multiple leaver system cutting is made with ease and the forces are not exerted on the body making pruning bushes, hedges and small branches a pleasure without the blades bending or breaking. The Blade material it made from a high-quality SK5 carbon steel from Japan which stays sharp even from prolonged use. Construction: In general, loppers are typically made of either aluminum or steel. Both of these are durable but have their pros and cons, as well. For example, aluminum is going to be more lightweight than steel. An aluminum tool also is more rust-resistant.Unless you’re cutting a branch far away, make sure your arms are at a comfortable handle and tightly grip each handle. If you extend your arms, you’ll get tired very easily. When using bypass loppers, don’t let them twist as they will naturally want to due to the cutting motion. How do I maintain my loppers?

Choose loppers with telescopic handles if you want maximum versatility . These are incredibly useful, but their maximum cutting diameter may reduce when fully extended. Look for aluminium handles for a balance of lightness and strength . Alternatively, some handles are made from fibreglass – this is also strong, but the fibreglass loppers are unlikely to be telescopic. Silicone handles are a great choice, offering the most comfort and grip while being water-repellent, which further improves safety when using in wet conditions. Also, it may help to choose bright coloured handles as they are easier to find when you set them down somewhere in the garden.

My Top Recommended Tree Loppers

To maintain shape. Sometimes bushes, shrubs and trees will take things into their own hands (branches?) and start to grow in unexpected directions. To keep things looking neat, pruning and lopping is necessary. Specification: Total Length: 68.5 – 101.5 cm, Blade length: 7.8 cm, Maximum cut: 4.8-5.1 cm diameter, Weight 1.37 kg You can set the extendable length at any position between 27 to 39.5 inches, which allows you a usable length of 25.5 to 38.5 inches. With the cutting capacity of 1.75-inch diameter, the ratcheting mechanism ensures you finish your gardening chores in pretty less time. Due to lightweight handles, cutting and pruning become not only easy but also enjoyable.

If you’re keen to avoid hiring professional help to deal with overgrown trees and hedges, the Davaon Store Telescopic Ratchet Loppers works through some pretty tough areas without too much difficulty. In fact, Davaon claim that this lopper has 5 times the cutting power of regular tree loppers. At just under 4 pounds, these loppers are on the heavier side, which means you may experience some fatigue when working overhead. For heavier loppers, you can expect them to tire out your arms if you’re not used to using them for a long period of time. Keep in mind that length can also affect the weight of a lopper since it’s adding more material to the lopper itself. Maintenance and Support

One difficult landscaping chore is removing overhead branches. The force it takes to clamp down and cut the limb is considerable. This is where ratchet loppers come in handy. It is not just lawn care, either. Cutting through other materials can be very difficult if you do not have something to keep the cut steady. As the handles are made from aluminium the tool remains lightweight at just 1.2kg, so it should be easy to operate for longer periods without feeling fatigued. Padded grips help to avoid any aches and pains after prolonged use.

Anvil loppers, on the other hand, have one straight blade that cuts as it closes onto a flat anvil edge. Since the blade crushes branches and stems when cutting, anvil loppers are best used on hardy and dead wood.

TABOR TOOLS GG12A Compound Action Clean Cut Anvil Ratchet Lopper

This cutting strength is attributed to the compound action mechanism, which helps to increase the power of the tool beyond most others in the market, offering around a 50% higher cutting capacity than similar sized pruning shears. For pruning small trees, look for handles around 38 – 45 cm long. You’ll need loppers with longer handles (>50 cm) for reaching the tops of taller trees (over 200 cm). Made from premium quality heat treated carbon steel, the blades are razor sharp and make short work of both green and wood growth. This is impressive as not many tools are suitable both green and woody growth, highlighting how versatile the product it is. The 8290RS lopper needs a lot of space when you use it with handles fully extended. Some users find it annoying. However, you can get used to it with little practice. Other than that, there are hardly any downsides of this highly rated lopper. The best bit is the still yet to come, the handles will extend out about 30cm more and of course, this give you further leverage to cut larger branches. The handles are nice and comfortable, but with tubular aluminium, and a soft foam like rubber grip which helps give plenty of assistance when you need to hold tight for the bigger cuts.