Pruning hedges
It is important to cut off unnecessary branches and twigs if you want to bring out the beauty of trees and shrubs , but it is a demanding operation. The wood is hard and unless you work with good tools, the operation can be exhausting.
Gardena StarCut 160 BL
Many innovations in the field of pruning have recently been realized. And the best tool does not look like what was expected of him; until I put it to the test, the Gardena StarCut 160 BL seemed insignificant. Made of plastic, he did not have the professional profile of metal pruners, which I have used for many years. This tool, which can cut branches 3.8 cm (1 1/2 inches) in diameter , has prompted a question at home, since it takes a robust pruner to tackle as much wood. I made a discovery: he can easily meet the challenge.
The StarCut features some nice innovations that make it less tiring to use. Here are a few:
- It has a 158 cm (62 in) straight shank with a set of pruning shears at one end;
- Instead of a joystick to move back and forth, it has a small handle T, plastic;
- The handle is connected to secateurs by a woven rope: this aspect led me to doubt the capabilities of the device.
The beauty of the lever
The real innovation of this tool is its leverage. That’s what made a smile on my lips the first time I used it.
You have to pull the handle 19 “(48 cm) so that the pruner’s jaws close 4 cm (1 1/2”), which is why this tool is so easy to use . Not to mention that it allows you to prune branches located more than 3 m (10 ft) high by devoting very little energy. You hardly realize that you cut branches up to 2 cm (3/4 in.) In diameter. The tool also has a secondary handle mounted at mid-height on the handle; it makes it easy to prune branches that are closer to the ground.
Fiskars Power Gear
No rigid handles here. The Fiskars is a pivot pruner that works when you close the instrument with your hand. This movement has a double advantage.
First, the swivel movement eliminates any friction between your fingers and the handle . It rolls with your skin rather than on it: you are less likely to get blisters. Then, the end of the pivot handle fits into the body of the pruner through a rack mechanism. This feature converts the pivoting action of the handle into cutting power in the jaw.