Lopper: features, types and subtleties of choice

A garden lopper is necessary when working in the country or in your own backyard. Thanks to this device, tall fruit trees, conifers and shrubs are pruned, and there is no need to use ladders and ladders. With such a pruner at its disposal, crown molding and removal of old branches can be carried out directly from the ground without any special effort.

Pruners are used to form the crown of plants, remove damaged branches, twigs and grafting.

Among gardeners, the following lopper options are in great demand.

• Standard secateurs - differ in the presence of a knife and a base plate, which is slightly offset along the cut contour. Such a pruner deforms only part of the cut branch, and the whole procedure takes place in a rather gentle way. Such a device is optimal for removing still living small branches.

• Scissors - as the name suggests, these devices visually resemble ordinary scissors, only larger. The design is equipped with two cutting panels, so the cutting point comes out quite even. The only drawback of using such a tool is considered to be a slight compression of the wood tissue.

• Shrubs - equipped with reinforced cutting blades, which are placed on a rather elongated handle. The device is optimal for working with hard wide branches, old dry forest and large bushes.

• Bar pruner - Ideal for tall fruit trees, as a rule, this tool comes with a regular garden saw and a small fruit collector.

• Grafting lopper - used for grafting work on fruit and coniferous trees, as well as in the vine. The curly blade allows you to form a mirror-like smooth cut, and this work is done almost "jewelry".

• Curly brush cutter - it is used to form a crown in small shrubs, the device has straightened blades, so the cut will turn out to be even.

Loppers can have a wide variety of modifications. However, the basic principles of their work are about the same. The largest cross-section of branches removed with the tool usually varies from 2.5 to 5 cm.

The device works more efficiently if the secateurs are supplemented with a special blade holder, such a device reliably protects the operator from injury, since the sharp cutting inserts are closed and do not pose a danger during their movement and long-term storage.

The weight of the product can be different - from 0.5 to 1.7 kg. The lightest options are optimal for use by the elderly, adolescents and women, but the heavier models are optimal for young people and physically strong men who can hold their hands up for a long time.

Ratchet loppers are suitable for beginners, it is versatile, since it allows you to effectively cut both dry and still growing living branches. Due to the special mechanism that does not allow the axis to rotate in the opposite direction, the operator will apply much less physical force when cutting.

Loppers have sharpened cutting surfaces made of corrosion-resistant metal. Due to this structure, when the plants, when cut, emit a lot of resin or juice, the tool does not rust and is used for many years.

All models released in recent years, as a rule, are equipped with a reinforced lever, so when using the tool you have to exert less muscular effort, so even the largest branches with a diameter of up to 5 cm can be cut.

Many novice gardeners do not see the need to purchase a pruner and it is completely in vain, the lopper is an indispensable tool in the arsenal of any garden owner, because thanks to this adaptation, the plants acquire an aesthetic appearance, and most importantly, their healthy state is maintained.

Let us dwell in more detail on the feasibility of acquiring delimbers.

As the plant develops, it grows old and is often affected by garden pests, fungi and bacteria. Sick and dried branches weaken the vitality of the tree, if they are not removed in a timely manner, this can lead to the death of the entire plant.

Living branches should also be cut from time to time in order to properly form the crown, if you do not pay special attention to this, then the plant will not be able to withstand the weight of the fruit and will simply throw off some of the fruit, which will have a most deplorable effect on the overall yield.

It's no secret that in strong winds, dry branches can fall and thereby become a potential source of injury to gardeners. That is why every summer resident annually takes care of their plants, conducts winter, spring, summer and autumn pruning.

The main purpose of spring pruning is to form the crown in the form of a bowl, in this case, all branches and fruits will receive a sufficient amount of sunlight, so necessary for the growth and ripening of fruits.

In the summer, branches are removed as needed if they are damaged or affected by fungal infections and pests.

Well, autumn work is carried out in order to prepare the garden for winter, at this time all dry and old branches are removed.

If we are talking about low trees, then you can use a pruner and an ordinary hacksaw, but if the plant is tall, then you can simply not get branches from the ground.

Garden hedge trimmers are classified according to several criteria. According to the principle of operation, tools are divided into two types.

• Plane Are scissor-type devices. They are equipped with two sharp edges sharpened on one side, which move towards each other in a single plane. At the same time, the cut turns out to be quite even, it is not so traumatic for plant tissues and heals quite quickly. The blades can be straight or curved, however, in most models, one blade is straight, the other is curved in the shape of a hook.This structure allows you to securely hold the branch and does not allow it to slip out during pruning.

• Contact - in terms of the mechanism of their work, such tools rather resemble an ax, since the structure consists of a special stop panel and a moving knife sharpened on both sides. In this case, much less physical effort is needed during the cut, but at the same time the device squeezes the branch rather than cuts it off. The cut is not particularly smooth, as a result of which the plant becomes vulnerable to infection.

According to the method of driving the mechanism, pruners are divided into the following types:

• mechanical - use the physical efforts of a person;
• electrical - work from an alternating current network;
• accumulators - battery operated.

Mechanical manual loppers work strictly by applying the physical effort of the operator. This is the cheapest and easiest model to operate, however, and its power is low. The kinematic device in this case is located inside the handle and looks like a ratchet wheel equipped with a tension lever, it converts the reciprocating and rotational moments into intermittent rotational ones.

The cutting surface is lightweight and compact, which makes mechanical pruning shears very manoeuvrable and can be used in the most difficult-to-reach places.

As a rule, a “T”-shaped stopper is attached to the handle, which reliably protects against slipping of the tool. Mechanical loppers are not tied to the mains power supply, nor to the need to recharge the battery. Electrical devices during work must be connected to the power source at all times. Such a device does not produce hazardous emissions, has small dimensions and is easy to operate.

Of the shortcomings, we can note the presence of a rather long power cord, which from time to time has to be pulled out of the branches.

Cordless loppers combine all the best features of a mechanical and networked device. They usually have high performance, good maneuverability and functionality.

The electric motor of such a tool is usually powered by a battery.

These modifications are good because they allow you to work in places where there is no electricity or there is no way to stretch the network cable. Cordless models run almost silently and in most cases have good power.

Gasoline pruning shears are also distinguished; it belongs to professional tools and is designed to serve a large number of plants.

In trade enterprises engaged in the sale of garden equipment, a wide selection of a wide variety of loppers is presented. The most popular models include such product modifications as Alligator, Raco, Wolf-Garten RR 900T, Stihl, Bosch, Grinda, Mr. Logo, Tsentroinstrument, Nikona, Worx WG307E, as well as Patriot and Palisad.

Let's take a closer look at the most popular secateurs.

This is a German-made chain attachment. The length of the device is 21 cm, the knives are made of high-carbon hardened steel with a protective anti-corrosion coating. Aluminum handles, have a special vinyl coating, while the lower one can rotate 90 degrees in one direction, at the moment when the handles begin to diverge, it gradually rises to its original position. Usually the knives can be fixed in a static position using metal elements.

Even if such a hedge trimmer falls, this structure does not open, which makes the device especially reliable and safe. The device is used for cutting branches with a saw cut up to 2 cm.

This is another product of German manufacturers, one of the most expensive models. The length of the lopper is 19.5 cm, weight is 225 g. The blade is sharp, made of hardened steel, has a special Teflon coating that prevents leaves from sticking when cutting branches. The handle is made of enamelled aluminum, equipped with a rubberized ergonomic handle.

The retainer is plastic, the type of return spring is tape. Allows you to cut branches to branches up to 2 cm in diameter.

Another popular Finnish pruner. Its length is 17 cm, the blades are made of stainless steel, treated with a special Teflon coating, so that juice and dirt do not stick to the cutting blades. Plastic handles, reinforced with fiberglass. The type of the return mechanism is lever. The device weighs 130 g.

This is a tool of a Russian enterprise, however, the production facilities of the company are located in the eastern countries. The weight of the product is 250 g, the length is about 20 cm. The knives are made of Japanese steel, there is no additional protective coating, the handle is rubberized, the type of return mechanism is spring.

In the event of a breakdown, spare parts for this brush cutter can be purchased at any store.

The lopper is a very handy tool. However, the effectiveness of their use directly depends on how correctly you have chosen the model of the instrument.

When buying a hedge trimmer, focus on some of the intricacies of using these devices.

• The blade must certainly be made of strong hardened steel and must be perfectly sharpened, otherwise you cannot avoid deformation of the wood tissue, and the tool itself will not last long.

• Preference should be given to models with a stepped or ratchet mechanism. It allows all work to be carried out with convenience. These loppers can stop the cutter inside the wood, but then a spring will push the blade back into place.

• It is desirable that the handle is wooden, flat, composite or aluminum. However, regardless of the material used, it must in any case be covered with high quality rubber - this will prevent slipping, so it will be much more convenient and efficient to work with the tool.

• Professionals recommend choosing a tool whose blades are treated with a special coating that is resistant to resin and vegetable juices. Such models are protected from sticking branches and leaves, usually such a layer is chrome-plated or Teflon.

• Special attention should be paid to the unit dimensions and its weight. The more compact the hedge trimmer, the less physical strength you need to exert to hold it in your outstretched arms. Before purchasing, be sure to hold the device in your hands and make sure that it is comfortable.

See the next video for more details.