Tried & Tested: Loppers
As the weather turns milder, it's time to get out into the garden and give it a thorough pruning. Worried that your favourite secateurs may not be up to the job? Then get your hands on a good pair of loppers. Like secateurs, you can choose from anvil (better for cutting dead wood) and bypass (better for cutting live wood) types or how about telescopic handles, particularly useful for cutting high branches?
To help you choose the right set to suit your budget and gardening demands, the Gardening Which? team have been busy testing loppers to bring you the pick of the best. This is our guide to the ones that came out on top for performance and ease of use.
Ranging in price from under £14 to over £50, the models tested were put through their paces, first being lab tested to measure the effort required to cut standard branches or dead wood, taking in any crushing or bruising to the wood being cut.
The experts then assessed all the loppers for a range of pruning tasks and rated each tool for how easy they are to use in a variety of situations. We bring you the five that came out on top.
For inspirational ideas coupled with reliable, research-based information subscribe to Gardening Which?. To receive three issues of Gardening Which? for just £3, visit www.which.co.uk/gardening.
Best Buys:
Wolf-Garten RS P4, £23.99
These were the best of the anvil loppers on test with a maximum cutting diameter of 44mm and long, 68cm handles. They performed really well for cutting both dead and live wood and for an anvil pair, they also managed to reach into the tightest corners.
Available from: WOLF Garten
Gardena 860AL, £59.99
Another good pair of anvil loppers, best at cutting dead wood, but also making relatively clean cuts, so they're suitable for live branches too. A smaller version is also available (Gardena 760AL).
Available from: Gone Gardening
Gardena 780BL, £43.99
The best of the bunch if you want to choose a bypass pair of loppers and an excellent choice for cutting both live and dead wood. You can get this model in both larger (870 BL) and smaller (510 BL) versions too.
Available from: Gone Gardening
Wilkinson Sword PowerGear Large Bypass 220133, £33.05
This model has a gear system which means cutting is easier, although you do have to open the handles very wide. It was slightly let down by its hard, smooth hand grips and lack of replaceable blades.
Available from: Tooled Up
Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Telescopic Ratchet Bypass, £31.44
The only pair of extendable loppers to reach Best Buy status, they extend from 570mm to a decent 810mm, making them a good choice if you have tall shrubs that need regular pruning. They also have a ratchet mechanism which means you have to use less effort to make a cut. They take a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of it they're easy to use.
Available from: Tooled Up
The experts then assessed all the loppers for a range of pruning tasks and rated each tool for how easy they are to use in a variety of situations. We bring you the five that came out on top.
For inspirational ideas coupled with reliable, research-based information subscribe to Gardening Which?. To receive three issues of Gardening Which? for just £3, visit www.which.co.uk/gardening.
Best Buys:
Wolf-Garten RS P4, £23.99
These were the best of the anvil loppers on test with a maximum cutting diameter of 44mm and long, 68cm handles. They performed really well for cutting both dead and live wood and for an anvil pair, they also managed to reach into the tightest corners.
Available from: WOLF Garten
Gardena 860AL, £59.99
Another good pair of anvil loppers, best at cutting dead wood, but also making relatively clean cuts, so they're suitable for live branches too. A smaller version is also available (Gardena 760AL).
Available from: Gone Gardening
Gardena 780BL, £43.99
The best of the bunch if you want to choose a bypass pair of loppers and an excellent choice for cutting both live and dead wood. You can get this model in both larger (870 BL) and smaller (510 BL) versions too.
Available from: Gone Gardening
Wilkinson Sword PowerGear Large Bypass 220133, £33.05
This model has a gear system which means cutting is easier, although you do have to open the handles very wide. It was slightly let down by its hard, smooth hand grips and lack of replaceable blades.
Available from: Tooled Up
Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Telescopic Ratchet Bypass, £31.44
The only pair of extendable loppers to reach Best Buy status, they extend from 570mm to a decent 810mm, making them a good choice if you have tall shrubs that need regular pruning. They also have a ratchet mechanism which means you have to use less effort to make a cut. They take a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of it they're easy to use.
Available from: Tooled Up
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