Garden pruners

It's no secret that any work can make easy and pleasant a properly selected tool. Care of the garden in this matter is no exception. In order for the pruning of the garden to pass without excessive effort, the gardener simply has to acquire a good pruner. About the types of garden pruners and how to choose this tool correctly, and we will discuss this article.

Types of secateurs:

1. Secateurs with one blade - are best suited for pruning living branches. There are modifications with a notch on the support blade, designed to better fix the branches.
2. Secateurs that have an anvil are designed for cutting dry branches. Ideal for large amounts of work, as it significantly reduces the burden on the hand. Not suitable for pruning living branches, as it traumatizes them.
3. The garden shears are a pruner with two cutting blades. Used for cutting flowers and young shoots. Not suitable for pruning living branches, so it traumatizes them, squeezing them with blades.
4. Secateurs with ratchet mechanism - a universal kind of pruner, which can be used to prune all branches: both live and dry. Suitable for pruning branches up to 30 mm in diameter. This tool works in several stages, allowing you to cut thick branches and branches with a minimum application of force, while obtaining an ideally smooth cut.
5. Shrub Secateurs (brush cutters) - secateurs with long handles, designed for trimming bushes. Long handles of this type of pruners can significantly reduce the applied force. The brush cutter can cope with branches up to 50 mm thick.
6. The rod pruner is a tool designed to cut high branches and branches. In addition to the pruning shears, this device is usually completed with other garden tools: saw, fruit picker.
7. In addition, the secateurs are mechanical and electrical (battery). Electric pruners allow you to perform large amounts of work in a short time, while leaving perfectly smooth cuts.

Choosing a pruner

What points should I pay special attention to when choosing this garden tool?

1. The main criterion for reliability of the pruner is the properly selected material for blades. The cutting part of a real good pruner should be made of hardened steel, coated with Teflon. It will not be superfluous to conduct a small "test drive" for the attracted secateurs - to check how it cuts on any improvised material, for example, a piece of paper. If the secateur does not cut the paper, and it tears to buy it, it's definitely not worth it.
2. The supporting blade of the pruner should be curved, which will make it comfortable to work with branches of different diameters. Also, on the supporting blade there must be a special groove for the outflow of juice, so that the blades do not stick.
3. A good pruner should be ergonomic: it is convenient to lie down in the hand, have special rubber lining on the handles to prevent slipping, and the lower handle should have a notch for the index finger.
4. All parts of the pruner must be securely fastened, nothing should hang out, and the blades must close tightly, without gaps.
5. Secateurs should have a handle for opening the handle, which will allow it to be adapted to different palm sizes.
6. If the pruner is supposed to be used for large amounts of work, it is better to choose a model with replaceable cutting elements.
7. The pruner must have a fixator for the position of the cutting elements, which will help protect your hands from injury and the tool from breakage. This part of the pruner is very important, so it's worthwhile to check its performance several times with the purchase.