TOH Tested: Pruning Tools
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Chop, Chop, Time to Lop
Chop, Chop, Time to Lop
If you need to shape overgrown trees and shrubs, you need heavy-duty pruners. Thankfully, this suite of serious tools lets you stay on the ground as you work.
The best time to do a major pruning of deciduous trees and shrubs is in the winter, when their leaves have dropped and you can clearly see the branch structure. "When woody shrubs, like lilacs, become old and overgrown, they need a major-renovation pruning to encourage flowering and vigor," says TOH landscape contractor Roger Cook. "That means removing the thick branches—not just the small water sprouts—a few at a time over a few years."
What to Look for in a Lopper
(1) Bypass blades: Their scissoring action severs live limbs cleanly, so cuts heal quickly.
(2) Compound-action jaws: They multiply force to make it easier to muscle through a branch.
(3) Unbreakable handles: These are steel, but fiberglass works well too.
(4) Contoured rubber grips: Paddle-like projections provide a comfortably wide surface to press against.
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True Temper 2353700 Bypass Lopper
True Temper 2353700 Bypass Lopper
Best for: Live branches up to 2 inches in diameter and up to 8 feet high.
The verdict: Compound-action jaws triple however much power you apply. That advantage allowed us to get through tough wood in one clean squeeze most of the time. Rubber bumpers keep the steel handles from slamming closed on your knuckles. One drawback: They're heavy.
Fine print: 31 1/4 inches long.
Weight: 4.5 pounds
Price: $34;
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Fanno Fi-1311 Pruning Saw
Fanno Fi-1311 Pruning Saw
Best for: Limbs up to 4 inches in diameter and up to 7 feet high.
The verdict: The curved 13-inch blade bears teeth with a clipped edge at each point to remove wood on each pull. It leaves a surprisingly clean kerf, more like what we'd expect from a saw with a higher tooth count. Its laminated wood handle won't break, giving it an edge over the plastic competition.
Fine print: Six teeth per inch.
Weight: 0.4 pounds
Price: $28;
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Stihl HT 101 Gas-Powered Pole Pruner
Stihl HT 101 Gas-Powered Pole Pruner
Best for: Limbs up to 5 inches in diameter and up to 16 feet high.
The verdict: A chain saw on a stick? Sounds...inadvisable. Yet this nicely balanced number is easy to operate even fully extended, and a chip deflector lets you keep your eyes on the target. Starting it was painless, even on a 28-degree morning. Bonus: The chain and 12-inch bar are oiled automatically.
Fine print: Telescopes from 7 1/2 to 11 1/2 feet; 1.4-hp engine.
Weight: 16.3 pounds
Price: $680;
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Gilmour 418Tcs Telescoping Pole Pruner
Gilmour 418Tcs Telescoping Pole Pruner
Best for: Limbs up to 10 inches in diameter and up to 20 feet high.
The verdict: A saw-and-lopper combo head on the end of a telescoping fiberglass pole lets you elevate your pruning. When extended to its full 18 feet, the pole flexes quite a bit and can tire your arms. But once the blade lands where you want and establishes a kerf, it cuts like a demon.
Fine print: 16-inch blade, 1 1/4-inch lopping capacity.
Weight: 9.2 pounds
Price: $67;
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Green Mountain CS-48 High-Limb Chain Saw
Green Mountain CS-48 High-Limb Chain Saw
Best for: Limbs up to 14 inches in diameter and up to 25 feet high.
The verdict: It's just two 25-foot ropes tied to a chain that cuts both ways, but it spells doom for branches beyond a pole pruner's reach. Toss one rope over the limb using the weighted throw bag, then use both ropes to pull the chain back and forth. To make neat cuts in one pass, stand to one side as far as you can and saw until the chain bites into the limb's underbelly. Repeat from the other side and cut through.
Fine print: Includes throw bag.
Weight: 2.75 pounds
Price: $50;