Re:Felco vs. Corona

Awhile ago I wrote this brief article
for the Master Gardener newsletter-

The cutting edge

Nipping marketing hype in the bud, I went to the
dirty fingernail crowd to find out what to use
for pruning. I sent out a survey to various
gardening listservs on the web. Here are the
distilled results of that survey.

>From #2's to swivel handles, Felco was the clear
winner. Although pricey, they are recommended by
the RHS (and almost everyone else) because they
come in a variety of sizes; have replaceable parts;
cut cleanly with scissor-like action; have clip or
beltloop leather holders; do not chip, rust or fall apart;
fit left or right handed people; have good spring action.

Other cutting implements people mentioned in the
survey were:
ARS long-arm pruner #180R - lighweight, sharp,
       good balance
ARS saw
Corona florist shears - fit hand well
Corona pruning saw
Fiskars bypass
Fiskars mini shears - perfect for dead heading azaleas
       and rhodies
Fiskars short handled loppers - lightweight but do the
       work of long handled, use gearing for power,
       fit in back pocket
Ikebana scissors - sharp point for details but will cut
       a 1/4 inch stem
Makita cordless shears, clippers
Sandvik pruning saw - great for 2 to 4 inch branches
Sears Craftman bypass loppers - free replacement
Snap-cut 19T at Ace Hardware
Spear & Jackson loppers
Woodsig cordless pruner

Among the budget minded entries were the single edged
razor blade box-cutter one gardener used and the
$4.98 pruners another gardener liked because, "I get
to spend more money on plants. I constantly abuse tools
by trying to get them to do more than they were designed
for, and they break. Also, replacing them is much less work
than sharpening them."

In addition to tool suggestions, some respondents
included advice like; get something comfortable to use;
bypass is best; buy quality; keep tools clean; never leave
tools out in the rain; A.M. Leonard has the best prices for
parts and holsters.

And there was one fellow who preferred, "The pruners
Chris and José . . . who live up the street. Not only did they
cut down a huge diseased elm tree for me a couple of years
ago, they also cut it into fireplace sized chunks, and they
give me loads of woodchips whenever I ask."

Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey,
you were most generous with your time and advice.
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index