Pruning Tools

To do a good job of pruning, you will need quality, sharp tools that are designed for the type of pruning to be done. Tools you will find handy include a pruning knife, hand clippers, looping shears, and pruning saws. Optional equipment includes hedge shears, pole pruners, and wood rasps.

A pair of hand clippers (some times called hand shears or pruners) are good for pruning branches up to 3/4 inch in diameter. Attempting to cut larger branches risks making a poor cut and damaging the clippers. The two types of hand clippers are anvil and scissors. Anvil clippers have one sharp top blade that cuts against a flat plate of softer metal. The branch is cut on one side and crushed on the other side. While anvil clippers are lighter and less expensive than scissors clippers they do not work as well. Scissor clippers have two sharp blades that overlap in making a cut. They usually costs more but make cleaner, closer cuts.

Hedge shears have long, flat blades, and relatively short handles --- one for each hand. Electric powered hedge shears are also available. Shears are designed for clipping foliage to create a formal appearance. Hedge shears are often misused to prune shrubs into round balls and squares that do not enhance shrub growth or appearance.

Lopping shears have long handles to provide leverage needed to cut through branches up to 1 3/4 inch in diameter. Handles vary in handle length from 20 to 36 inches. Lopping shears are useful for pruning overgrown shrubs and small tree branches. Ratchet and geared type loppers exert more leverage for cutting thicker branches but are more expensive.

Pole pruners are used to cut overhead branches that might otherwise be difficult to reach. They have a cutter with a hooked blade above and a cutting blade below. The poles can either be in sections that fit together or telescoping. Wooden poles are heavy; aluminum poles are light but can conduct electricity if they touch an overhead wire. Fiberglass or plastic is probably the best material. Use of pole pruners can be dangerous, as material cut overhead can fall on the operator (unless it gets caught in other branches) --- exercise caution and wear head and eye protection.
Pruning saws can be used on branches larger than 1 3/4 inches. There are many makes and models of pruning saws. Some saws have teeth on both sides --- one for course cuts, the other for fine cuts. A disadvantage of this type is the possibility of cutting the bark of unintended wood when working in tight locations. A narrow, curved pruning saw can be used on branches up to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. They allow you to get into areas that might otherwise be too dense or crowded to prune. Pruning saws have narrower blades and coarser teeth than carpenter saws. The teeth are designed to cut on the pull. Fineness of cutting edge is measured in points (teeth per inch). An 8-point saw is for delicate close work on small shrubs and trees. Average saws are about 6-points, while 4 1/2-point saws are for fairly heavy limbs.

A wood rasp can be used to smooth the rough edges of large branches after making a large cut. The idea is to reduce ragged edges so the cut will heal quicker.

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