Buying Gardening Tools – Secateurs

On Saturday I outlined what you need to look for when buying hedge shears/clippers. Today I am going to outline what you should look for when buying secateurs. I had said this would be a three part series but it looks to me now like it will be more, so stay tuned.

When it comes to gardening you really won’t get far without a good pair of secateurs. But what makes secateurs good? What should you look for when you are shopping for secateurs? One thing many gardeners don’t know is that there are actually three different kinds of secateurs, Anvil, Bypass and Parrot Beak. Very quickly, Anvil secateurs have an upper blade which pushes down onto a flat lower ‘anvil’. Parrot Beak secateurs have two blades which cut by meeting together in the middle and looks like a parrot’s beak. The third kind of secateurs is called Bypass secateurs.  They work by having two blades which bypass each other in a similar way to scissors. The big difference between Bypass and Parrot Beak secateurs is the shape of the blades, with Parrot Beak having two identical blades compared to Bypass which has one large and one small blade, the large blade being convex in shape and the small blade being concave in shape. Bypass secateurs are the main type used and sold and will be the focus of this entry.

When buying secateurs there are a few things to consider. One of the most important things to check out is how they feel in your hand. When you are out shopping pick up a few pairs and see how they feel. Feel for weight, feel for grip. Most secateurs handles will be shaped with little divots for your fingers to go in, find the pair whose divots best fit your hand.

Another key tip is to make sure the secateurs you are keen on have a safety latch that is easily engaged and disengaged with one hand. When you are pruning a plant, if you have to stop and use two hands to engage the safety latch it is more likely that you won’t. A safety latch is only useful if it is likely to be put to use.

Try and look for secateurs with plastic covered metal handles. Metal handles are strong but are cold to work with and plastic handles are a sign of cheap manufacturing and are not likely to last as well as metal handles.

There are three different blade types, stainless steel, coated steel and carbon steel. My preference is for stainless steel but carbon steel works well two. Either of these kinds will stay the sharpest for longer periods of time. The only real upside to coated steel is that it cleans more easily. Cleaning your secateurs after use is extremely important but having blades that remain sharp are better for the job at hand.

The general rule of thumb with secateurs is, strangely enough, don’t try cutting plant limbs that are thicker than your thumb. If you try and cut limbs that are too thick you will damage the blade and therefore your tool that you have invested in will not last as well for as long.

Prices range from $5-$10 at the cheap end right up to $150-$200. Again for a household gardener I’d say a you could probably get a pair that will work ok for $20-$40 but a good pair at around $50 may well last you a decade or more. My Grandma had a pair that I know was much older than I was when I was 10, good tools well looked after last a while.

Good luck with your shopping for secateurs!

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