Nothing resists staining and rust quite as well as stainless steel. Some loppers contain a coating to protect the blade, preserve its edge, and to provide easier cleaning. Like many pruning shears, lopper blades are made from steel, but not all steel is the same. Choose a bypass lopper for trimming back green growth, such as shaping an overgrown shrub. But cutting through stiff, dead branches with bypass loppers can dull the blades or even leave nicks. Bypass loppers are best for making sharp cuts on soft, green branches.

They’re not optimal for trimming soft green branches because they tend to crush and tear the limbs rather than make a clean cut.īypass loppers work much like scissors two sharpened blades overlap one another to make a clean cut. Anvil loppers are suitable for cutting dry, brittle branches and dead stems, snapping them in half with ease. They have a movable sharpened blade that presses into the groove when trimming branches. Each type works better on different types of stems and branches.Īnvil loppers feature a stationary base (anvil) with a groove. Loppers are categorized based on their blades, either anvil or bypass. But there are substantial differences between models. Photo: Glenda Taylor What to Consider When Choosing the Best LoppersĪt first glance, loppers all look pretty much the same-with two handles that open wide to manipulate their scissor-like blades. ALSO CONSIDER: Wolf-Garten Power Cut Telescoping Bypass Lopper.BEST FOR BROKEN BRANCHES: Spear & Jackson 8290RS Heavy Duty Telescopic Loppers.BEST FOR DRY WOOD: TABOR TOOLS GG12A Anvil Lopper with Compound Action.BEST FOR GREENERY: Corona SL 6500 32-inch Super-Duty Bypass Lopper.BEST COMFORT GRIP: Corona Tools 31-inch DualLINK Bypass Lopper.BEST COMPACT: TABOR TOOLS GB19A Anvil Lopper Compound Action.BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Fiskars 391461-1003 Bypass Lopper, 28 Inch.BEST OVERALL: Kings County Tools Double Ratcheting Anvil Lopper.Ahead, find out what to look for when shopping for this landscaping tool and learn about the pros (and cons) I uncovered when testing the following landscaping loppers. I put the loppers through their paces-snipping, nipping, and pruning the trees and shrubs in my yard. I tested several loppers from various top manufacturers to find out which ones lived up to their reputations. While some of these tools are excellent, others are just so-so. Garden centers and online retailers offer a wide array of loppers, all billed as the best loppers for home landscaping projects. In effect, loppers are the beefed-up version of pruning shears, offering more reach and cutting power. Handheld pruning shears are great for nipping off narrow stems and branches up to ½-inch in diameter, but for pruning thicker branches up to 2 or 3 inches, loppers are a better fit.

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