Find out which tree pruning tools you should use for everything from lighter trimming to make out off large branches .
Marty Baldwin
If you ’ve everstruggled to cut through a branchthat was a shade too thick for a duo of hand pruning hook , you know that choosing the correct tree pruning puppet for the chore matters . wiggle the pruners back and away try on to fill in the too - vainglorious deletion can confuse the blades out of belt . Besides damage the pruners , the result rally - edge stems look unsightly and will have fuss seal properly . This scout explains how to choose between the most common tree pruning tools so you could dispatch your project successfully and safely .
Credit:Marty Baldwin
1. Hand Pruners
Hand trimmer , or pruning shear , are practically a necessity for home gardener . They ’re utilitarian for everything fromdeadheading spent bloomsto take away twiggy undergrowth . Some hand pruners are designed to be lightweight , ergonomic , or to fit left - handed gardeners or those with small hand — important consideration for anyone who practice them a mint .
The two primary types of hand pruners are anvil and electrical shunt . Anvil lopper have a straight blade that closes against a backstop , or small anvil . Bypass pruners feature a scissors action with a curved vane that skid past another brand for a close , precise cut . This nominate them complete for rationalise living stems . However , anvil trimmer can bust or crush industrial plant tissues , so they ’re well suited to prune dead stem . Both style of deal pruners typically can switch off stems up to 3/4 in in diam .
To debar tearing a branch , position the mitt pruners upside down and cut upwards instead of downward , hold impinging with the deepest portion of the blades rather than the tips for better leverage .
2. Loppers
Thicker branches require something large than hand pruner . Loppers , sometimes called sever shears or secateurs , are like heavy tariff hand pruners with swelled blades and longer handles . Loppers occur in a wide-cut variety of sizes and types , let in anvil and shunt . Some offer ratchet activity to cut large stems in incremental bites .
Loppers can easy handle branches ¾-1½ inch thick , depend on species ( for instance a softwood tree diagram like willow tree is easier to cut than a hardwood tree like oak ) . Some models have thick , larger blades or a closure by compartment trim down natural process to cut back branches up to 2 inches heavyset . Others do with telescoping handle that extend your range .
3. Pruning Saws
Pruning saws bridge the gap between lopper and chainsaw . One pop option is the fore proverb , which has a bowed frame and straight , toothed blade that easily cuts through branches . There is also a Japanese pruning adage , which has a curved blade to work around competing branches and other close spaces a bow saw ca n’t reach .
Some Nipponese pruning adage are strict , others fold up for easy transferral and greater safety . Most feature sturdy blade with a razor - tooth design that well cuts through branches up to 4 in in diameter .
4. Chainsaw
When it come tocutting down trees , a chainsaw ca n’t be beat . For general pruning , however , a pruning saw is preferable because it ’s easier to make more precise cuts . Where achainsaw does come in handyis working with larger branches , especially on hardwood trees , which would be labor - intensive to cut by hand . In that typesetter’s case , a cordless shelling - operated unit with a 14- or 16 - column inch bar is a great aid . A large gaseous state - power unit with 16- or 18 - column inch bar can handle really big jobs — but it ’s probably more than most citizenry need for pruning purposes .
5. Pole Pruner
With a pole pruner , you could reach into atree ’s canopy to prunewithout a ladder . While that sounds promising , the drawback is that it is sometimes difficult to place the pruning mechanism at the right angle to ensure a confining , white cut . A perch pruner has a cutting activity similar to pruning hook , with a hooked steel move across a straight blade with the pull of a circle . While the pruners typically handle 1 - 1¼ column inch branches , bet on the exemplar , many are mounted with a curved saw blade to remove larger branches .
When using a pole trimmer or rod saw , wear safety goggles and helmet , and take fear to avoid being hit by falling branches as you trim .
Pole pruners typically have 5- to 6 - foot wooden , fibreglass , plastic , or aluminium handles that stretch out 10 - 12 foot . Professional models can reach well over 20 feet , but these can be unwieldy and not really suitable for homeowners . An choice to a pole pruner is a barrage fire - power pole saw , which is like a modest chainsaw on a stationary rod . It makes fast employment of branches too heavyset for a terminal pruner or its confiscate see blade .
