Q: I’m in the market for hand pruners, but I went to the store and there are so many different kinds. How do I know which to buy? —L.T. Westhampton
A: Good question, L.T.! It always pays to be an educated consumer and this is especially true when it comes to purchasing tools. My father always told me, “Buy as good quality a tool as you can afford.” It will last you for many years if well-chosen and maintained.
There are a few key points to consider when purchasing hand pruners including physical hand characteristics, type of construction, and type of blade.
Pruners need to feel good in your hand. You will be using them with one hand for many productive hours. If they do not feel good, you won’t use them and what’s the point in that? To minimize fatigue, pruners should be a proper weight and fit.
Here is a “good feel” checklist to use:
■Do you need left-handed or right-handed pruners?
■Do you have a small hand or large?
■When you hold the pruners open, is the spread between the handles comfortable?
■Are the pruners a comfortable weight?
Pruner handle construction influences thumb and overall hand well-being. A handle contoured by the thumb and then smooth into the hand is recommended as small joints in the thumb can become irritated with repeat motion, especially for those over 40 and the contour supports them. A smooth comfortable surface allows the hand to slide easily along it while in use.
Regarding blades, you will see different types. The two most common ones are the bypass blade and the anvil blade. The bypass blade is slightly curved and the blades pass by each other like scissors as you cut. They are best for most work in the garden, such as removing spent flowers and trimming stems up to ½” diameter. Cutting with bypass blades leave a nice, crisp cut that heals well. Always use sharp blades as dull ones will rip the stem and injure the plant, allowing an opening for disease. Ideally, cut stems at a 45 degree angle for a more aesthetically pleasing cut than a simple flat, truncated one.
Anvil blades are straight and pinch material between a cutting blade and a backstop, similar to using a kitchen knife on a cutting board. They are best used for cutting up dead branches and plant debris into disposable sizes as they tend to crush branches and stems. Crushed stems do not seal well, again leaving them open to disease. There is also a ratchet style pruner which is similar to an anvil pruner, but with a mechanism that enables the pruners to need less hand pressure when cutting tough stems and branches.
Hope this helps your decision process, L.T. Thanks for asking a local Master Gardener.
Have a gardening dilemma? Please send questions, along with your name/initials and community, to the Western Massachusetts Master Gardener Association at AskAMasterGardener@wmmga.org. One question will be selected and answered per week.
wmmga.org