How to Buy Pruning Shears

Pruning shears are used to trim the shrubbery found on your property. A good pair of pruning shears can last you a long time and will allow you to efficiently maintain your plants. Pruning shears for the most part are inexpensive and can be found for under $30.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Visit a home and garden store. Pruning shears are a product that is best bought in person. This way, you can examine the shears to make sure that they suit your needs and will cut effectively.

2. Pick a pair that is comfortable and easy to use. Pruning can be uncomfortable on your hands if you have a bad pair of pruning shears. The Fiskars Pruner is lightweight and has a comfortable grip.

3. Compare the cutting capacity. You want a pair of shear that can cut the thickest of branches. On average, the shears should have a 3/4 inch cutting capacity or more.

4. Check to see what type of plants the pruning shears are meant to be used on. Models like the Gardena Pruner work on several different plants, including flowers, shoots and branches.

5. Get a ratchet pruner. Pruning shears with a ratcheting action makes pruning much easier for the gardener. You no longer need to manually cut through thick branches. Corona Clipper has a low cost ratchet pruner.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that the pruning shears that you buy work with your primary hand. There are left and right handed versions of pruning shears.
• You may need to oil the pruning shears from time to time after you buy a pair. This keeps the shears from rusting.

Resources

• You can browse Ace Hardware's selection of pruning shears online.