Pruning Shears/Snips?

Anyone know of any good and affordable pruning snips/shears for use on our beloved plant?

I’m having a hard time finding cheap one’s, maybe 6 inches long total, that are ‘Full-Tang’ snips. As-in, the metal scissor extends all the way to the end of the handle and not just 1/4" into it like most seem to be.
image
Thats not my pic but same exact issue I’m seeing. I’m not really trying to use ALL Metal scissors, I like the rubber padding/grips on 99% of them, just most I’ve found fall apart :confused:

I had grabbed some AC Infinity snips hoping they’d be good, and those fall apart at the screw holding the two scissor blades together.
image
They, like HP in their infinite wisdom, decided to screw a metal screw into cheap plastic. So they just fall apart after a few uses or a tough branch. Sadness.

Fiskar seems to be the same way on that style snip and they’re also $20 each, not trying to pay that much for some scissors…

10 Likes

Check out Chikamasa. Stainless + Fluorine coating. While they are not the cheap option, they are excellent and will last longer.

10 Likes

Like these Chikamasa?
image
Or are these Chikamasa also good?
image

They both seem to be around $15 each which isn’t too bad. Or are you saying basically any scissors/snips they have should hold up?

6 Likes

Outta likes but couldn’t agree more for light duty trimming. I have tendinitis in my hands and if I squeeze them too much with the repetitive use of scissors or squeeze spray bottles then the next day my thumbs and pinky lock up here and there and my hands hurt all day. The chikamasa are great for trimming in small bursts but without the spring it gets a bit tasking on me to continually open the scissors back up just adding to extra motion and more pain down the road. I like using piranha scissors for my trimming that gets really involved like around harvest time. Curved blades are the way to go in my opinion but I have both and found there are better spots for curved than straight blades and vice versa. Neither of these options are cheap but they last! I just checked Amazon and it looks like $16 for a basic pair of chikamasa with the fluorine coating not bad! The pink pair I just got were $35 shipped. I would look into the chikamasa brand they are very high quality tools from japan
CHIKAMASA B-500SF Stainless Steel Fluorine Treated Grape Care Shears https://a.co/d/0f92NOT
Piranha Pruner Trimming Scissors - Curved Titanium Blade https://a.co/d/9xBU91A

6 Likes

I’m mostly using the trimmers but they have a variety all the way through the heavy duty tree pruners. The ones in the image I wouldn’t call pruners, per se. I did buy something similar to the top image. Not sure of the bottom image, doesn’t look like them.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UHNI8S?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

For bud trimming, check out these (different blade profiles):

8 Likes

They’ll hold up much better than what is typically out there. One set on three years and they are still sharp and working. After the first experience, I bought several just to have them on hand. These do not have the spring but the ergonomics reduces hand cramping.

Carbon steel snips will be much sharper but will rust. Get the stainless ones. Get the Fluorine coating for bud trimming.

4 Likes

Fiskars Micro-tips are my go to for the fine tunning.
Fiskars or Corona larger ones do the heavy lifting.

4 Likes

I absolutely love my Chikamasa trimming scissors. The sharpness and quality of the blades are second to none. Curved tips and fluorine coating make final trim a breeze.

6 Likes

Awesome! Thank you much and same @HighTilliDie ! I’ll check these out and see ^^

4 Likes

If you are looking for pruning shears, I love these Amazon.com : MEPEREZ Garden Clippers, Premium Germany Pruners, Work 3 Times Easier, Professional Pruning Shears, Cutting Rose, Flower, Hedge, Stem, Sharp Scissors Gardening Tools, Arthritis Weak Hand Snips : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Since they are ratcheting, you can get through some HUGE trunks and branches, even if you have hurt hands or no strength.

5 Likes

The Chikamasa are great for trimming.
I’ll also add, for heavier pruning than the Chikamasas, I love my Barnels

5 Likes

Glad to help @HolyAngel

3 Likes

I like my cheapo generic ones i just have a bunch of them.

3 Likes

My favorites at the moment are these two:

And of course my old reliable, I have the uncoated version but the double pack of nonstick is a great deal:

When I can someday afford a splurge?

4 Likes

Chikamasa snips are great, really smooth and fast action, sharp as hell. I’ve had a pair of the bent style ones going strong for 4 or 5 years now

3 Likes

I will also add a vote for chikamasa. Ever since I got my first pair, I haven’t bought fiskars since. The orange is hard and cleans up very well with iso

6 Likes

For heavier pruning I use either Florian ratchet cut anvil trimmers or some forged bypass jawns that are massive:

The seconds are pretty impeccable from what I’ve seen and these are the ones that all the modern knockoffs are copying. The company just got restarted and I got my partner a pair for Christmas, liked them so much I got my own! They’re probably the ones I’d pick if you said one pruner for everything for the rest of my life, they’re light and ride in a pocket really well, and still a lifetime warranty, still made in the USA, and they honor the warranty on the old ones too.

I got these on sale for like $25, at this price it would be a harder choice between these very solid ones or some Felcos

5 Likes

The Japanese make some damn good metal ehh? Definitely added this to my wish list maybe I’ll grab one next year and let you know how they work

5 Likes

Oh dude I love that website, Daitool has really nice Japanese tools of all sorts at some of the better prices for a reliable dealer, I want so many things on there if I was a rich man, like some Aogami Blue pruners, I don’t get into Japanese knives just Western but they make some incredible carbon steel knives with that stuff and Hitachi steels, look at these sexy beasts:

Though there’s decently priced options too, these Okatsune are supposed to be awesome and they’re only $32 after the 20% first order code, though shipping is not insignificant

5 Likes

Dammit. I wish I didn’t see that site.

3 Likes