A good set of tree loppers is an essential piece of equipment for gardens with trees and shrubs. Sometimes hand pruners don’t have the strength to tackle thicker branches, which can be rather troublesome if your shrubs and trees require frequent maintenance.
Many popular garden trees and shrubs need constant pruning, even more so during autumn, spring and summer, so it’s always a good idea to invest in quality tree loppers. They make pruning thick branches easy, and are designed to reach high spots that hand secateurs are not able to.
There are two main tree loppers available – anvil and bypass loppers.
Anvil loppers feature a single blade and a flat edge which are used to crush the branches, and are best suited for dry and dead wood. Bypass loppers feature two blades not unlike scissors, making them better at cutting through living wood.
Here’s a few things to consider that can help you decide what the best garden tree loppers are for you:
Length: There are various lengths available for tree loppers, so think about how long you need them to be. High trees require long handles while smaller shrubs should be easy to prune with a shorter handle.
Weight: Many tree loppers are quite heavy, so be mindful of this as you may feel the effects of repetitive use over long periods. Lightweight products are available and work well, so be sure to check these out if you’re concerned about them being too heavy.
Handles: You always want a comfortable handle for your tree lopper. Hands get rather uncomfortable after frequent use, so make sure the handle is comfortable enough!
Here are what we consider to be some of the best garden tree loppers worth buying:
FISKARS FSK112590 BYPASS LOPPERS
- Bypass design for cutting fresh wood
- Long handles for high pruning
- Strong and lightweight
- 45mm cutting capacity
These bypass loppers from Fiskars are perfect for cutting thick living branches. With a 45mm cutting capacity, you can cut even the thickest of branches with relative ease using this tree lopper.
The tree lopper also includes the patent Power-Gear mechanism from Fiskars, a feature that helps to increase cutting power for removing thick branches, making them generally much easier to use.
By distributing the cutting power throughout the lopper, cutting thick living branches will not cause any strains, which can often be an issue with some products. Also, as the blades are PTFE coated friction becomes much less of a problem when cutting.
Furthermore, it comes with PowerStep technology, which allows the user to remove branches using a single cut or over several cuts – whatever works best for the individual. It’s another great feature that makes pruning much easier when using the Fiskars Bypass Loppers
The entire lopper is made from fibreglass reinforced polyamide. This makes them surprisingly lightweight (it weighs only 540g!) despite their incredible cutting power, so you can easily use them for long periods without concern for repetitive strains or aches and pains.
Because the handles are 69cm and can’t be extended, they may not be the best for higher branches, and they do require wide openings to get a powerful cut, which can be a little pernickety in tight spots.
Still, the cutting power is nothing short of brilliant, and the features and design make it one of the best tree loppers out there.
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Wilkinson Sword RazorCut Bypass Loppers
- Bypass Loppers with 40mm Cutting Capacity
- Premium SK5 Japanese Steel Blades
- Drop Forged Steel Lower Blades
- Aluminium Handles with Soft Grip
If you’re looking for a quality bypass tree lopper for pruning living branches from trees and shrubs, then be sure to check out the Wilkinson Sword RazorCut. A quality tree lopper made from premium materials, it has the strength to cut back even the toughest growth with ease.
For instance, both blades are manufactured from quality steel, with SK5 Japanese Steel upper blades and drop forged steel lower blades. This produces incredibly strong and durable steel blades capable of dealing with all pruning maintenance for years to come.
Living branches can often take their toll on loppers that use poorer materials, but this isnt the case here, as the metal is very sharp and durable enough to withstand years of use without becoming bent or damaged.
It’s not just the blades that are made from the best materials possible either, as the handles of the lopper are made from extruded aluminium. This makes them impressively lightweight, with the RazorCut weighing little over 1kg, which is certainly helpful for anyone that may struggle to use heavy tools for extended periods.
Better still, the handles come with a soft grip cushion to ensure to no strains develop from repetitive use, so its safe to say the RazorCut is designed to be user friendly for every type gardener. This also makes it easier to get more leverage for those branches that require a little more force to cut down.
The 40mm cutting capacity is more than enough for most living tree and shrub branches, even those on the thicker side. Combined with the impressive strength and cutting ability of the lopper, there are few branches you will struggle to remove with this powerful lopper.
Considering the quality materials and great performance of the lopper, the Wilkinson Sword RazorCut is a worthwhile investment for anyone seeking a reliable tree lopper.
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WOLF-GARTEN POWER CUT BYPASS LOPPER
- Bypass design for cutting fresh wood
- Telescopic handle (64cm to 90cm)
- 50mm cutting capacity
This bypass lopper from Wolf-Garten as some serious cutting power, while adjustable handles make them suitable for various cutting heights – a great all-round tree lopper for living branches.
If your branches are especially thick, then you will certainly appreciate the 50mm cutting capacity of this tree lopper. It can make short work of branches with 50mm diameters, which happen to be some of the thickest, thanks in no part to the cutting head technology.
This impressive design features two pivot points that make cutting thick branches a walk in the park, so there’s no need to worry about injuring or straining yourself when trying to cut back thick branches!
The cut produced is very accurate, so you can expect to get a quality finish on all the pruning throughout your garden. Better still, the telescopic handles make it perfect for both high and low branches.
So, whether you have trees, shrubs or a combination of both, this is a tree lopper than can tackle both. The adjustable handle length ranges from 64cm to 90cm, which should offer plenty of leeway when reaching for higher branches.
A fine tree lopper for thick living branches, there is a lot to like about this product. It makes short work of traditionally tough pruning, while the extending handles make the good for a lot different jobs – a great product!
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PRO TELESCOPIC ANVIL LOPPERS
- Anvil design for cutting dead wood
- Compound action for reduced cutting effort
- Comfortable telescopic handles (63cm-95cm)
- Lightweight aluminium construction
If you are in the market for reliable, high quality anvil loppers then look no further than this fantastic product. Designed to tackle enough the toughest dry and dead wood, this anvil tree lopper features a lightweight design and cutting technology that make tree and shrub maintenance simple.
A highly efficient compound action design and a very sharp blade allows the lopper to be used with much less effort than most other tree loppers. Thick branches should not be an issue with this feature, and you can remove a lot of branches without feeling the strain in your arms.
The lightweight design also makes pruning less of an effort. As the handles are made from aluminium, the lopper is so lightweight that you don’t have to worry about getting fatigued after a short while using it.
As a very durable material, this tree lopper will last many years to come even with constant use, highlighting just how premium a product it is!
Comfort is clearly a big focus for this product, as the handles even come with soft padding to make them that bit easier to use. The handles can also be adjusted thanks to the telescopic design, with the length ranging from 63cm to 95cm – perfect for tacking high branches!
This anvil tree lopper is one of the best in the market. Offering the upmost comfort and ease of use, this is a product that makes your gardening that bit more enjoyable.
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TABOR TOOLS GG12 COMPOUND ACTION ANVIL LOPPER
- Anvil lopper design for cutting dead wood
- 4cm-5cm cutting capacity
- Carbon steel blade
- 75cm handles with comfort grip
The GG12 Compound Action Anvil Lopper from Tabor Tools is a premium tree lopper that will make short work of any dead, dying, and dried out wood. Made from quality materials and designed to cut thick branches, this is a fantastic tree lopper worth every penny.
With a cutting capacity between 4-5cm, this is the perfect tool for the removable of thick branches from hard, woody, and dead wood. In fact, despite its anvil design this tree lopper can also cut living branches up to 5cm rather effectively, although they do perform best on dead and dying wood that are up to 4cm thick.
Still, this makes them a great option if you want to enjoy the best of both worlds. The compound cutting action ensures that cutting isn’t too strenuous, so you can remove event the toughest branches without feeling fatigued.
The carbon steel blades are of the highest quality too, and will stay sharp for quite some time, even with constant heavy-duty use.
A low-friction non-stick coated gliding blade also helps to make cutting that bit more comfortable, and comfort grips make frequent use a non-issue, so it is certainly a tool suitable for elderly gardeners.
One of the most versatile tree loppers available, the GG12 Compound Action Anvil Lopper from Tabor Tools is a quality product suitable for all kinds of tree, hedge, and shrub maintenance.
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SPEAR & JACKSON RAZORSHARP HEAVY DUTY TELESCOPIC LOPPER
- Ratchet anvil lopper design
- Durable carbon steel upper blade
- Serrated anvil blade
- Tubular telescopic aluminium handles with soft grip
The Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Heavy Duty Telescopic Lopper is a brilliant anvil lopper than can remove all dead, dry, and hardy woods from your garden.
Utilising a ratchet action ensures that very thick branches can be cut without forcing too much strain on the user, with branches as thick as 50cm capable of being cut with this tool. It works by advancing the spring load cutting blade towards the anvil blade in multiple cuts, making it simple to cut away even the thickest of branches.
The cutting blade is made from a high-quality carbon steel material, making it very durable and allowing it to retain its sharpness for some time. As it is also PTFE coated, the blade is resistant to rusting and ensures minimal friction when cutting.
Not only that, the anvil blade (which is made from a softer metal to ensure it doesn’t damage the cutting blade) features a serrated design that prevents branches from becoming twisted in the blades.
Both blades combine wonderfully, producing very precise cuts that don’t require much exertion!
The telescopic handles also help to improve the usability of the lopper, allowing you to reach impressive heights, removing the need for ladders when pruning high levels. They can extend from 40cm to 80cm, while the tubular aluminium design helps to keep the lopper from feeling too heavy.
Better still, the Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Heavy Duty Telescopic Lopper even comes with a ten-year guarantee!
Read our other guides on garden cutting tools on garden multi tools, hedge trimmers, garden shears,secateurs and if you need a stable platform for your gardening tasks check our reviews of hedge cutting platforms.
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Last update on 2023-04-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
