There are Secateurs ( on handed bi-cutting tools ) and there are loppers ( two handed cutting tools ) - is there such a thing as a large hand and a half type secateur? or something that is capable of a wide jaw ( found some loppers terrible for mouth size ) and can let you if needed 'gruanch' up on it and tackle some more middle of the road Goldilock type tree limbs?
XL Secateurs
- Thread starter TeeDee
- Start date
How about these. I use them in my gardening business. Got them in a twin pack from Costco. They are a mid size.
PowerGear™ Anvil Lopper (S) L31 | Fiskars
Fiskars PowerGear™ Anvil Lopper (S) L31 is a handy-sized lopper for a wide variety of smaller cutting jobs but one which still packs cutting power above its weight. The handles are made from FiberComp to make them extremely lightweight and strong which is further enhanced by SoftGrip covered...
www.fiskars.com
The issue that you face here is that there are two types of loppers, geared and ungeared. Ungeared open the jaws wider but require far more effort to use. Geared can cut more easily but need the handles wider for the same opening in the jaws. I show how this works in the video below
I've used a mix of secateurs from cheap Aldi everyday garden types up to more expensive Felco's, and whilst there are certainly differences in quality of material / design, I can't find enough benefit to justify the sometimes eye-watering prices (the top of the line felco is £300). I have however found that ratchet-mechanism secateurs can be useful in situations where you don't want to go two-handed with loppers. The EasyKut GT452CAC Ratchet Secateurs on Amazon is very low-cost and does actually work, you just need some good arm and hand strength. The ratchet allows you to start a cut, and then release the grip to engage the next ratchet tooth, allowing single-handed cutting of larger branches, albeit with 2-3 squeezes of the handles. You do need to expect resistance in the cut (it's not going to just cut straight through it), and although it's not the first pair I reach for when gardening as it can be a bit fiddly for smaller stuff, they serve me well when I've got tougher work and plenty of it (e.g. when I'm doing Autumn work on fruit trees).
You mentioned in the video ( I did watch ) about working at height - and thats exactly what was causing me cussing whilst up a tree. Good Video Sir , keep cranking them out.
I use both of these depending on circumstances: -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Profession...901-4802-9fca-0517f93aba26&pd_rd_i=B0BS9Y5KGV
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KQK2YOE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The loppers only come in at around a pound in weight (as mainly plastic) but make cutting up to 35mm effortless and often carry them when fly fishing to cut branches trailing in water as you don't notice carrying them.
If you need to cut bigger, it is easier with a folding pruning saw.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Profession...901-4802-9fca-0517f93aba26&pd_rd_i=B0BS9Y5KGV
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KQK2YOE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The loppers only come in at around a pound in weight (as mainly plastic) but make cutting up to 35mm effortless and often carry them when fly fishing to cut branches trailing in water as you don't notice carrying them.
If you need to cut bigger, it is easier with a folding pruning saw.
Felco...pah 
While I doubt they have something that TeeDee was looking for, no thread on secateurs and pruning tools would be complete without mentioning Niwaki! Beware....can be like Axminster and Heinnie...habit forming!
www.niwaki.com
Felco make their premium models expensive by taking the standard Model 8 and giving it some fancy leather pants, superficial make up and a nice box..."Leather Handle covers, Sandblasted Blade , Anodized Handles and a presentation box".
The most premium from Niwaki are hand forged from Hitachi steel up a Japanese mountain. They are sharpened like fine Japanese wood working tools. Based on my experience even their basic Okatsunes are better cutters than Felco standard models.
While I doubt they have something that TeeDee was looking for, no thread on secateurs and pruning tools would be complete without mentioning Niwaki! Beware....can be like Axminster and Heinnie...habit forming!
Secateurs - Try Hand Forged Secateurs For Garden Pruning | Niwaki
Niwaki secateurs for the garden. Hand forged pruners from artisan craftsmen in Japan.
www.niwaki.com
Felco make their premium models expensive by taking the standard Model 8 and giving it some fancy leather pants, superficial make up and a nice box..."Leather Handle covers, Sandblasted Blade , Anodized Handles and a presentation box".
The most premium from Niwaki are hand forged from Hitachi steel up a Japanese mountain. They are sharpened like fine Japanese wood working tools. Based on my experience even their basic Okatsunes are better cutters than Felco standard models.
None of them seem to give the mechanical advantage of the ratchet mechanism though - which, I think, is what TeeDee needs for the job.
As a professional horticulturalist in the late sixties/early seventies I would not have used anything other than Felcos. My roll handle Felco 3 repaid the very expensive £2/18s over and over again. Felco have refurbished them twice @ a lot more than £2/18s a time.
I would agree, if secateurs won’t cut it, I’d use a pole saw.
Edited to add:
Probably my Ryobi chain pole saw but I have a long handled Bahco pull saw too.
I would agree, if secateurs won’t cut it, I’d use a pole saw.
Edited to add:
Probably my Ryobi chain pole saw but I have a long handled Bahco pull saw too.
Yeah, Niwaki stuff is very nice.Felco...pah
While I doubt they have something that TeeDee was looking for, no thread on secateurs and pruning tools would be complete without mentioning Niwaki! Beware....can be like Axminster and Heinnie...habit forming!
Secateurs - Try Hand Forged Secateurs For Garden Pruning | Niwaki
Niwaki secateurs for the garden. Hand forged pruners from artisan craftsmen in Japan.
Felco make their premium models expensive by taking the standard Model 8 and giving it some fancy leather pants, superficial make up and a nice box..."Leather Handle covers, Sandblasted Blade , Anodized Handles and a presentation box".
The most premium from Niwaki are hand forged from Hitachi steel up a Japanese mountain. They are sharpened like fine Japanese wood working tools. Based on my experience even their basic Okatsunes are better cutters than Felco standard models.
I don't have a pair of their secateurs but I do have some other tools: a hori-hori, hand hoe and nata. The cleaning/sharpening kit they do is great for garden tools and can bring a bog standard pair of secateurs up really well.
GC
Thanks everyone - I think I have enough suggestions now , but feel free to add if you find something amazing.
I think BR covered it off well - so the main considerations for me are Jaw size / aperture , mechanical advantage or gearing and ability to use and function within a small working environment
The main problem i was encountering whilst trying to prune Leylandii whilst at a top of a ladder was you'd need both arms at full spread to fully open the loppers at a right angle to the trunk of a tree main limb - placing oneself in a precarious working position.
I think BR covered it off well - so the main considerations for me are Jaw size / aperture , mechanical advantage or gearing and ability to use and function within a small working environment
The main problem i was encountering whilst trying to prune Leylandii whilst at a top of a ladder was you'd need both arms at full spread to fully open the loppers at a right angle to the trunk of a tree main limb - placing oneself in a precarious working position.
They work, but good ones are expensive & they do need PPE. I prefer pole chainsaws used from the ground
i bought a cheapish battery chainsaw fron screwfix it cost about £80. Get around 10mins use per charge cuts through branches easily enough guess 8 inch in diameter would be its maximum, found it okay for what I use it for.
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