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We tested a range of tools to find the best pruning shears you can buy Lathe

Whether it's spring or fall, every keen gardener needs a pair of the best pruning shears. While the blade’s sharpness is paramount to its performance, its security, sturdiness and ease of cleaning are equally important factors. Then there’s the comfort in use, the provided reach as well as the weight to consider. All in all, the experience can vary substantially between pruners, and while the primary function is simply to cut through foliage, there’s a lot more to these designs than meets the eye. 

The best pruners are not easy to find. That’s why we called in Farmer Rich, a seventh-generation fruit and vegetable farmer, to help test a selection of models. He made it his mission to find the best options for every keen gardener, whether you’re shopping on a budget or looking for a model which is easy on the hand. He tested both bypass and anvil style pruners to find the winners for each. Looking at ease of use, longevity as well as consistency, these models were all put through their paces before coming up with this definitive list. These are the best pruners.    

After extensive testing, we found the best bypass pruner for lawn and garden work to be the Felco 6. This durable, yet light-weight pruner scored highly across all of our test categories. The Felco 6’s incredibly sharp blade and quality engineering offered smooth, consistent cutting performance well past 100 cuts. Its ergonomic design for medium to large-sized hands combined with easily found replacement parts cemented this tool to the top of our list. The Felco 6 is a great all-around pruner and will offer years of solid performance. 

If you are on a budget and looking for a solid, no-frills bypass pruner, the Corona ClassiCUT ¾” is an excellent alternative. What it lacks in ergonomics, it more than makes up for in durability and easy, clean cuts.

The Felco 32 was the best anvil pruner we tested. The hardened steel blade, metal anvil and wide grip smoothly cut through 1-inch thick sticks of dead wood. The blade on this well-engineered tool closes precisely on the anvil, making a complete cut with minimal crushing or stripping of bark. Overall, this heavy-duty pruner performed consistently well with a wide assortment of sticks and branches and would be a great pruner for anyone doing moderate to heavy lawn and garden work.

Multi-Purpose Metal Craft Tool Set If hand strength is an issue, we highly recommend The Gardener’s Friend ratcheting anvil pruner. Its quality design made cutting thick sticks a breeze. This pruner is well deserving to be listed as one of the best anvil pruners for lawn and garden care.