Unlike pruning shears, which are also for cutting thick branches, lopping shears are mainly used for twigs and thin branches. In addition, pruning shears are designed to be operated with one hand.
Pruning shears are among the indispensable cutting tools of garden owners. With pruning shears you quickly trimmed the rough and can easily reach high and distant branches.
There are numerous factors that should be considered when deciding to buy a lopping shear to avoid making a bad purchase.
Advantages offer pruning loppers
The lopping shears are mainly used in tree care. The pruning shears are an indispensable tool, especially for pruning fruit trees, because in most cases the work has to be done very precisely. In order to promote optimal growth and obtain a good fruit yield, even thin branches must be brought into the correct shape. Here, both a saw and pruning shears would take up too much space.
Another advantage becomes apparent when tree care requires climbing a ladder or climbing directly into the tree. Since it is necessary to hold on with one hand here, work must be done one-handed. With other types of cutting tools, however, this is only possible to a very limited extent or not at all.
The spring mechanism already named makes it necessary to open the pruning shears by a kind of clamp. Once this is done, the pruning shears are held in the hand with the blades spread apart. When looking at the blades, the special shape of the same is striking. These are beveled at the sides so that a branch or twig can be cut quite easily. A special form of lopping shears has a kind of anvil, i.e. a flat plane, as an alternative to the second blade. The first blade meets here in the middle. This is to additionally reduce the force required for cutting.
Advantages of lopper:
- Long lever arms reduce the amount of force required (leverage)
- Causes smaller cuts than when using saws or regular pruning shears
- Allows cutting of higher branches
- Telescopic attachment allows even treetops to be cut without the need for a ladder
- Low maintenance and care requirements
Lopper - The Best Choice
TABOR TOOLS Anvil Lopper with 2 Inch Clean Cut Capacity
4,9 Rating
Excellent tool for both green and hard/dry wood. This tool was designed with comfort and functionality in mind, featuring ergonomically contoured grips, innovative mechanisms, and coated blades for a sharper, longer-lasting cut. Anvil lopper has one straight blade that cuts as it closes onto a flat edge or ‘anvil’ (think about it like a knife on a chopping board).
How to choose a lopper for pruning?
Buyer’s guide for the lopper
This review and guide provide information on the best lopper you can find.
There are quite a few manufacturers of a lopper on the market, and the prices vary greatly. From a pure price point of view, the type of lopper can be priced from $40 to $70.
The best lopper for the money
Related posts about hand tools and repairs:
All our reviews are based exclusively on expert judgments or practical experience with most of the lopper we have tested. We strive to make our guide as independent and as detailed as possible.
Loppers in comparison
TABOR TOOLS Bypass Lopper with 1 3/4 Inch Clean Cut Capacity
- Triples your cutting power.
- The ergonomically handles.
- Comfort grip and extra leverage
4,8 Rating
Clean cuts and comfort grip
They have a “pulling cut”, which means easy, accurate cutting without leaving pressure marks on the wood. This lopper powers effortlessly through 1 3/4″ diameter thick branches with a quick chop. The lopper is designed for fast, precise clean cuts that will preserve the health of your plants and trees. Triples your cutting power with unique compound cutting action. The low-friction non-stick coated gliding blade makes every cut a joyful experience. The tools is easy to use, even for the elderly gardener or if you have arthritic wrists.
THANOS Extendable Anvil Loppers Tree Trimmer
- Extensible aluminum handle.
- Sharp and durable blade.
- Ideal for cutting through 2″ tree branches effortlessly.
4,9 Rating
The heavy-duty lopper
The lopper blade made of SK-5 steel straight blade coated with Japan Teflon treatment, fully hardened precision-ground blade stays sharp even after some heavy use, low-friction, rust-resistant, the non-stick coating helps ratchet shears glide through the wood. It is designed with a telescopic rod that can be adjusted from 27-40Inch,6 sections telescoping with a safety release lock button, ideal for cutting through 2″ tree branches effortlessly.
YARTTING Extendable Anvil Loppers & Forged Pruners
- Blade made of SK5 steel.
- Construction with 3/4 Inch clean-cut capacity.
- The pruner features an anti-slip rubber handle.
4,8 Rating
Lightweight and sturdy
The pruning lopper blade made of SK5 steel are fully hardened precision-ground and stays sharp even after some heavy use, treated with TELFON surface. The anvil loppers are designed with an extendable rod that can be adjusted from 28 to 41 inches. It can be easily extended and retracted by 6 steps with a button. The rod retractable rod is made from aluminum alloy, which prevents rust and offers you a comfortable gripping feeling.
Different types of loppers
In loppers must be divided into several subtypes. There are differences in size, blade shape, and mechanics. Here we will first discuss the shape of the blade.
Bypass lopping shears
What types of lopping shears are available in a test? Similar to ordinary household pruning shears, the blades in bypass lopping shears are shaped so that they slide past each other when cutting. This creates clean, precise cuts that can also be made directly in the branch fork. A stump is not left behind when using the bypass pruning shears. However, it should be noted that when using the bypass lopping shears, it is not possible to cut with quite as much force. This may prove to be a problem with thicker branches.
Anvil lopping shears
Since an anvil lopping shear has a sharp blade striking a smooth surface, i.e. en anvil, the wood is partially cut, partially crushed.
Gear lopping shears
The gear lopping shears represent a special form. Thanks to special power transmission, cutting with these lopping shears is particularly easy. Some stronger branches, which could not be cut with ordinary lopping shears, can be easily cut with the gear lopping shears. The disadvantage of a gear lopping shear is the higher price. In addition, the more complex technology can be damaged during prolonged use, so that the lopping shears may no longer be usable at all.
Separate aspects of loppers
Due to the differences in the nature of loppers already described, they cannot be subjected to a uniform test procedure. Direct comparative tests are only ever possible between loppers of a specific product type. However, some aspects can be mentioned that are generally included in every lopping shears product test.
Type and sharpness of the blade
Depending on the type of lopping shears, they may have two blades or one blade plus an associated anvil. The material from which the blade(s) are made and how far they can be opened is always tested. In this context, the testers are also interested in how quickly the blades become blunt and whether they can be sharpened. If not, it must be possible to replace the blades with a good product.
Are spare parts available?
The blades are not the only wearing parts of a pruning shear. The handles and, if present, the power transmission are also subject to wear, so that a replacement would be necessary after some time. Also, important: Can this replacement be done by an experienced layman or must a professional be entrusted with it?
Handle texture
Of course, pruning shears must be comfortable to hold. Especially if they are used frequently and over a long period of time. A completely metallic handle would be quite uncomfortable after a while, so many manufacturers rely on plastics or rubberized surfaces. However, there are also differences here that the testers are interested in.
A positive aspect of lopping shears is one-sided finger protection. Here, the handle has a closed oval on one side, through which is gripped when cutting.
This protects the fingers, for example, if you get too close to another branch.
Processing
How well is a lopping shear made? In every test, loppers are also discovered that are blunt, bend or even fall apart after just a few cuts. Good loppers, however, are permanently reliable. These are not only made of high-quality material but are also processed accordingly.
What should I look for when buying loppers?
Before purchasing a lopping shear, there are a few key questions. For example, it must be clarified in advance what a lopping shear is needed for and how often. Someone who only wants to prune a single small tree occasionally will therefore need a different lopping shear than a professional who is busy in the plantation every day.
Related to this is the question of handling, size, and texture of the lopping shears. Tend to thicker branches need a here different tools than the thinnest branches. In addition, an experienced gardener will handle loppers differently than an elderly pensioner. It is therefore important to correctly assess your own strength and dexterity and to select the right lopping shears based on these factors as well.
As a general rule, a lopping shear that is too cheap is also of inferior quality. In the product test, there are only a few outliers that offer a correspondingly excellent price-performance ratio. As a rule, good quality simply has its price. In return, however, you can enjoy it for many years.
Lopper Price:
Under $50
- TABOR TOOLS Bypass Lopper with 1 3/4 Inch Clean Cut Capacity
Under $100
- THANOS Extendable Anvil Loppers
- TABOR TOOLS Anvil Lopper with 2 Inch Clean Cut Capacity
- YARTTING Extendable Anvil Loppers & Forged Pruners
