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Keeping up a home, homestead, or hunting property requires plenty of work, and having the right tool for the job can make that work easier and faster. You need chainsaws and axes for trees and firewood, hand saws and hatchets for big limbs and smaller trees, and loppers for saplings, overhead branches, overgrown bushes, and more.
Loppers are the right tool for a lot of jobs outside. Saplings growing up through a chain link fence? Loppers. Overhead branches that move when you try a saw? Loppers. Overgrown bush taking over your porch? Loppers. Need something quick, clean, and quiet for clearing lanes in front of your stand or blind? Loppers. Clearing small saplings for a micro food plot? You guessed it, loppers. So, to help you find the right loppers for what you&#;re doing, I put a pile of them to the test to see which ones worked best for a variety of jobs.
All of these loppers were tested on a variety of wood types and thicknesses from ¼ inch to 2 ¼ inches. Anything larger would be best tackled with one of the best mini chainsaws. I did most of the cutting on green wood, but there was some dead wood mixed in. Here&#;s a list of tasks these loppers helped me complete:
Photo by Drew Conover
Key Features
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Cons
The Corona XSeries Pro impressed in every way. These have a lifetime warranty that I&#;m sure I will never use because they are built like a tank. The cutting performance was just as impressive as the build quality, and that makes them my top pick.
Corona makes some great hand saws and folding saws, and that same quality transfers over to their Loppers in the XSeries Pro. The XSeries has full-length, forged-aluminum arms that are heavier than the hollow arm loppers, but they feel great in hand. I never had to worry if I was pushing or squeezing these loppers too hard. They felt like they could take anything. Even when cutting at the maximum diameter that I could fit in the blades, I never felt like the tool was stressed.
The rubber grips extend halfway up the arms for a variety of grips for lighter and heavier work. I did put a small nick in the blade when I accidentally hit a chain link fence, but it didn&#;t noticeably affect the cutting performance. The rubber bumpers dissipate some of the shock if you snap shut with force on a harder cut, but other bumpers were better.
Photo by Drew Conover
Key Features
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The Fiskars PowerGear 2 32-inch loppers were amazing on large branches. They claim the PowerGear system gives three times the cutting power, and I believe it. When you get near the limit on most loppers, the force required to cut is astronomically high. On the Fiskars though, there is no need to worry. If the branch or sapling fits in the jaws, you can easily cut it.
The steel gears are made from thick stock and feel very sturdy. The only drawback for the PowerGear 2 is that the arms open nearly 180 degrees, which makes it hard to get into tight spaces if you&#;re cutting a branch close to the max diameter.
You&#;ll mostly forget about the wide arc needed to use these once you cut a few branches that other loppers can&#;t handle. Chomping through thick stuff with these loppers actually brought a smile to my face. As I was using these, it also occurred to me that someone with an injury could benefit from the mechanical advantage the Fiskars PowerGear 2 Loppers offer.
Photo by Drew Conover
Key Features
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For most jobs, the 23.75-inch Felco loppers are everything you need and nothing you don&#;t. They won&#;t handle the biggest branches, but they are well built and cut very smoothly on all branches under their max cutting diameter.
The Felco Loppers ooze quality, and they have nice touches that the others don&#;t. The pivot nut has a ring with gears cut into it that mesh up with a lock gear so it can&#;t loosen once the tension is set. Remove the lock gear if you need to service the pivot or remove the blade. The blades bolt directly into the aluminum arms and are easily removed, unlike many others, which cannot be changed or serviced.
These loppers are designed to last a lifetime like things used to be. It&#;s like an old car, simple to work on yourself with basic hand tools and designed to be fixed, not replaced. They cut very smoothly and came very sharp. If you appreciate quality, don&#;t need the full-size loppers, but need a little more reach than the compact ones offer, the Swiss Made Felco 211-60&#;s might be just right for you.
Photo by Drew Conover
Key Features
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The 15-inch Fiskars feature the same PowerGear Technology as the 32-inch ones, and they easily chomp through bigger branches because of it. They are super lightweight and compact, but pack a big punch.
The Fiskars PowerGear 15-inch Super Pruners work as advertised. They get through branches easier than loppers twice the size, thanks to the PowerGear advantage. They are unbelievably lightweight and compact, and they come with a lifetime warranty for only 25 bucks.
I had no issues when I pushed them past what they were intended for. But, when I really looked at them, I couldn&#;t help but think that they couldn&#;t take it for very long. The handles and gears are all molded from the same fiber-reinforced plastic, and only the cutting blade and pivots are made of steel. There is some wiggle in the pivots and you can open the handles too far and pop the gears out of sync without much effort. They go back in just as easily, but it&#;s not confidence inspiring.
Now, a lifetime warranty comes with these loppers, so maybe that&#;s not a concern for you. I like these Fiskars Loppers a lot in hand and in use, but the materials fall short of others on the list. However, if you want super lightweight loppers that require the least effort and strength to operate, the Fiskars 15-inch PowerGear Super Pruners are the top dog.
Photo by Drew Conover
Key Features
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The Corona 30-inch ComfortGEL Loppers look, feel, and perform like premium loppers, but they come in at less than half the price of many others.
The one drawback is that they can only cut branches 1.5 inches or smaller. Others in this size range can cut 2-inch branches. Cutting was nice and smooth, and they went through basically anything that fit in the jaws.
The way things are lately, it&#;s actually hard to believe that Corona is putting out a tool of this quality for this price. These had the best bumpers in the test and delivered the least amount of hand shock when you finish the cut, and they snap shut. The rubber grips with the gel overmold were very comfortable and very grippy even with sweaty hands. The blades aren&#;t replaceable, which keeps production cost down, but they are easily sharpened. These loppers come in at a budget price with a much more premium feel. Corona has a lifetime warranty on them which makes the price even more attractive. If you have a champagne taste and a beer budget, grab a Corona 30-inch ComfortGEL Bypass Lopper.
Photo by Drew Conover
Key Features
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The Tabor Tools GG11A loppers performed well for cutting, and were somewhere between regular single pivot designs and the PowerGear system for ease of cutting larger branches. They have a mechanical advantage, just not as much as the PowerGear. The linkage was a bit too tight and gave extra resistance when open and closing, though it did help on cuts overall. With a bit more refinement, these loppers would have done better overall, and perhaps with some more break-in, they would be higher up on the list. Although these cut well and had more power on big branches, I feel that there were tools that were better to use for less money. But if you&#;re looking for extra power and solid construction, the Tabor Tools GG11A loppers are certainly a viable option.
Photo by Drew Conover
Key Features
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The Fiskars 28-inch Bypass Loppers are about as basic as loppers can get, which means there is very little that can go wrong with them. That also means that they don&#;t have some of the features of other loppers. The bumpers are functional in that they keep your hands from colliding after the cut, but they are made of such hard material that it does almost nothing to soften the shock. With no extra linkage and a basic blade shape, they cut fairly smoothly. Yet they lack some cutting power and require extra pressure so that the branch isn&#;t squeezed out of the front of the blade and jaw. Overall, these loppers are solid and functional, and they are less expensive than others, but some outshined them for nearly the same price.
Photo by Drew Conover
Key Features
Pros
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The YRTSH (Yer-Tish?) 18-inch Anvil Loppers cut well, and had the same capacity and cutting power of much longer loppers. The compound action linkage adds power to the cut, and makes smooth cuts with less effort than traditional designs.
These are great for tighter areas where longer loppers won&#;t fit, but you need the power of longer loppers. These cut well, and I was happy with the extra power that is afforded, but they were held back from the top spot by some fit and finish problems. The linkage was stiff to operate, but at the same time a couple of the pivot points had play and slop in them. If something brand new has play in it, it will only acquire more play with use. However, I do prefer the all-metal construction of these over the plastic/polymer of the Fiskars 15 inch. These were a close second to the Fiskars, and narrowly missed first place because they don&#;t have a lifetime warranty and don&#;t have quite the mechanical advantage that the Fiskars had. Overall, the YRTSH 18-inch Loppers are solid and performed well for their size.
This applies to both the size of the branches you will cut and the size (length) of the loppers. Generally speaking, larger loppers will handle larger branches. And longer handles give you more power and reach. If you&#;re trimming overhead, longer loppers can extend your reach. But, if your jobs are smaller, a more compact set should be all you need. For gardening and pruning bushes, a smaller set should do just fine. However, if you&#;re clearing shot lanes or clearing land to reclaim a yard or build a food plot, a larger set of loppers will be more versatile and handle the bigger limbs and saplings.
A professional who uses a tool every day will generally spend more on a tool than someone who might only use it a few times a year. So, if you&#;re planning on using loppers a whole lot, it makes sense to spring for a more expensive pair that will hold up better and be more serviceable. If your loppers only get pulled out a few times a year, you can probably save some money and buy a more budget-friendly set. The $70 Corona XSeries Pro would make a lot of sense for a landscaper or a homesteader who wants them to last forever, whereas the Fiskars 28-inch Bypass loppers will be plenty for the average homeowner at only $29.
A: Bypass loppers have a sharpened blade and an unsharpened jaw that will pass by each other while cutting very similar to how a pair of scissors work. Anvil loppers have a sharpened blade that stops on an &#;anvil&#; of a softer material, similar to using a knife and a cutting board. Generally, larger loppers are bypass style, and smaller ones tend to be anvil style. Bypass loppers need bumpers or another means of stopping the handles from coming together, and anvil-style loppers stop when the blade contacts the &#;anvil&#;.
Q: How can I sharpen my loppers?A: It depends on the type. Bypass loppers will only be sharpened on one side, like a pair of scissors. The blades are chisel ground- flat on the side that passes the jaw, and sharpened on the opposite side. They can be sharpened with a flat file or a belt-style sharpener like a WorkSharp Ken Onion. Anvil Style blades are more like a traditional knife blade, and will be sharpened on both sides of the blade. You can use a flat file or diamond stone or a belt-style sharpener like with bypass blades.
Loppers are great cutting tools that are faster than a saw, and more precise and safer than an axe or hatchet. A good pair will save you time and energy and help you keep your property in top shape.
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Essentially supersized secateurs on long handles, garden loppers are invaluable for tackling thick or out of reach branches. But choosing the right pair can be a minefield since they vary so much in weight, size and performance.
Like secateurs, loppers come with different cutting actions and the one you choose depends on the sort of work you need them for. For everyday use, you&#;ll want a pair of bypass loppers. These cut with a scissor action, with one blade crossing over the other. They tend to be the lightest so are good if you struggle with heavy tools or need to do a long session of pruning without your arms getting tired. They cut beautifully through green, living wood in a slicing motion.
For dead or brown wood, a pair of lightweight loppers with an anvil cutting action is the one to go for. These also handle living wood so are a good all rounder. With an anvil model, a blade presses down onto a curved anvil, crushing the wood inbetween the blades.
For thicker branches you need a more heavyweight pair of loppers with a geared or ratchet blade mechanism. These increase the power of the cut, taking the effort out and making short work even of branches you&#;d normally tackle with a pruning saw. The mechanics at the head end make these loppers relatively top-heavy so they&#;re best for really hefty jobs or shorter bursts of pruning.
For really high branches, consider a pair with extendable or telescopic handles. These are easy to operate and will extend your reach to almost a metre. The material of the handles can make a difference too. Wooden handles feel warm and comfortable while tubular aluminium or plastic is the lightest.
An important distinction between loppers is the impact they put on the arms when you snap the blades together. If there&#;s a hard jolt every time you close them it can lead to aches and pains so look for a rubber buffer between them for a soft finish.
We tested 10 leading garden loppers on a variety of garden shrubs and trees from willow to damson, eucalyptus, hazel to ornamental grasses. We considered their cutting performance, comfort, aesthetic appeal and value.
Bulldog Compound Bypass Lopping Shears
If you only buy one pair of garden loppers, you could do a lot worse than this bypass pair which weigh under a kilogram. With tubular aluminium handles and a small, cutting head, they feel particularly lightweight at the top end making them comfortable on the forearms and wrists to use for long periods. At 73cm long, their handles are relatively long for bypass loppers and this gives you powerful leverage for the cut. The blade is sharp enough to manage surprisingly thick stems (it advertises as coping with up to 3.8cm diameter) and branches with no trouble at all thanks to its compound cutting action.
We like: the large chunky grips at the bottom of the handles
RRP
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Garden Loppers Manufacturer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
£42.11
Available from Thompson & Morgan
Shop NowDarlac Heavy Duty Geared Lopper
These quite serious looking loppers have an unusual vertical cutting action with a curved upper hook to grab onto branches (or thick roots?) and then a 5mm blade that cuts down like a guillotine. We were astounded at how easily this managed thick branches 5cm in diameter, cutting through eucalyptus and dead damson tree wood without much effort on the arms at all. It made us all feel quite bionic, its extra power thanks to the heavy duty rack and pinion geared cutting action. Though the aluminium handles are lightweight, the chrome plated steel head makes them quite top heavy (the whole thing weighs in at just over 1.5kg) so these are best for using in short bursts, when you want to tackle really hefty branches.
We like: their power
RRP
£47.95
Available from Amazon
Shop NowGardena Supercut All Purpose Loppers
Of all the loppers we tested these were the ones I couldn&#;t wrench off my 75 year old mother. Weighing only 620g she found this German-made bypass model so light and easy to use she was coppicing the willow at lightning speed. The chunky glass-fibre reinforced plastic handles are fairly short making them easy to manoevure, though not ideal for high branches, while an innovative gear mechanism gives the cutting action twice the power so they can manage stems up to 3.5cm diameter. Shock absorbers between the handles give them a nice soft-close finish, protecting the wrists from impact. They also come in a Hardwood version which have an anvil cutting action.
We like: how easy these were on the wrists
RRP
£29.95
Available from FFX UK
Shop NowBurgon and Ball Ratchet Lopper RHS Endorsed
These have telescopic handles that extend to 80cm so are great for really tall branches. They have a powerful, large ratchet mechanism to handle large branches and an anvil cutting action so can manage dead as well as living wood. We found it cut very well, the ratchet mechanism taking the strain as it cut through thick branches of dead wood up to 4cm in diameter in a series of five stages. Though the blades are straight, there&#;s a curved portion at the tip to grab onto branches. When the handle are fully extended the leverage power is even greater.
We like: that it can handle both living and dead wood
RRP
£48.99
Available from Burgon & Ball
Shop NowSpear and Jackson Razorsharp Advantage Telescopic Ratchet Bypass Loppers
I&#;ve had a pair of these heavy duty ratchet loppers for several months now and they&#;ve cut through hundreds of hazel branches and suckers with no trouble so I can&#;t fault them. They&#;ve also been thrown around in the boot of the car so proved their resilience. The telescopic handles extend up to 80cm by twisting the ends of the handles so you can reach high branches. If used for longer periods they are easiest on the wrists used unextended. The ratchet takes the strain as you cut through wood up to 4.2cm In diameter with a sharp carbon steel blade.
We like: their reliability
RRP
£23.98
Available from Argos
Shop NowWilkinson Sword Ultralight Bypass Loppers
These are by far the lightest of all the loppers tested, weighing only 450g. You can carry them around with one hand and lop away for ages without getting tired. The curved bypass cutting head is small and light so it&#;s easy to get it into the right position for cutting each stem, speeding up the whole pruning process. Their weight and precision would make them ideal for tackling fruit tree suckers or bamboo when you are leaning down but they would be just as good with overhead pruning. These loppers would be ideal for anyone who struggles with heavy tools or who does a lot of lopping of stems and branches up to 2.5cm in diameter.
We like: the non-slip grips are particularly nice to hold
RRP
£30.43
Available from Amazon
Shop NowNiwaki Loppers
These very stylish-looking pair of loppers made in Japan have a carbon steel head and beautiful white oak handles that are a pleasure to handle. The bypass blade is robustly made with a shiny sharp cutting blade crossing over a matt black lower blade. The weighting is good and the wooden handles have a bit of flex in them as well to absorb the impact when you cut. They can cut branches up to 2.5cm in diameter though thicker wood should be cut at a 45 degree angle. With their relatively short handles and shallow curved cutting head we found these particularly excelled when pruning shrubs, large grasses or topiary. As with all Niwaki products, these arrived in a beautiful cotton drawstring bag.
We like: the high-end Japanese design
RRP
£99
Available from Niwaki
Shop NowArs Professional Lopping Shears LPB-30M
Ars (which stands for &#;Always Really Sharp&#;) is a Japanese made brand of cutting tools aimed at professionals. These sleek black, silver and red bypass loppers have 63cm long tubular aluminium handles, matt plastic non-slip grips and, of course, extremely sharp high carbon steel blades. The lower blade even has a metal &#;step&#; halfway down to strengthen and stabilise it. The closing action is a little on the snappy side, but this is a great pair of loppers &#; lightweight (975g), well-balanced and able to handle living wood up to 3.6cm. Ars has a good spares department too, if necessary, so these should last you a long time.
We like: the no-nonsense efficiency
RRP
£71.95
Available from Amazon
Shop NowSophie Conran for Burgon & Ball Lopper
The combination of chunky carbon steel and graceful ash handles make these loppers perhaps the most elegant looking on trial, and certainly the best suited to be teamed with a straw hat. Interior designer Sophie Conran&#;s range of garden tools always combine grace with efficiency and these are lovely to hold, the 70cm long handles moulded to give a particularly comfortable grip. At g, these are not the lightest bypass loppers around but that&#;s down to the beautifully curved large drop forged carbon steel blades which effortlessly slice through living wood up to 2.5cm diameter.
We like: the ergonomic ash handles
RRP
£38.99
Available from Sophie Conran
Shop NowAlpen Weisshorn 260 Loppers
From the sister company of Felco comes Alpen, a new range with a lighter price tag but still featuring the performance and precision we&#;ve come to expect from the Swiss brand. Rather than the trademark Felco red, Alpen&#;s new range of tools come in a striking black and warm tangerine. These 975g bypass loppers have nice squidgy hand grips and a generous double shock absorber. The curved blade is hardened carbon steel and the 60cm handles tubular aluminium making them feel light and well balanced. Effective and comfortable to use even for long periods, cutting through wood up to 3.5cm in diameter.
We like: these are really comfortable to use
RRP
£49.99
Available from Alpen
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