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Nowadays, a lot of equipment is produced that runs on electricity or internal combustion engines, which makes the gardener’s work easier. Despite this, hand tools always remain in demand. Most often, garden shears or pruning shears are used to care for green spaces. They are used to remove dry and excess branches, trim bushes, and make grafts on trees. There are many varieties of this instrument. Each of them is designed to perform specific tasks.
Types of instruments
If you think that pruning shears and garden shears are one tool, then you are very mistaken. Another mistake of an inexperienced gardener is the opinion that pruning shears are needed only for trimming branches and its different shapes are just a whim of the manufacturer. Speaking about these garden tools, it should be noted that they are divided into two main groups:
- Secateurs are really necessary for trimming branches on trees and shrubs. But the question is why you need to trim them. This may be the usual removal of unnecessary and dry shoots or grafting. For each task at hand, there is a specific design of pruning shears, differing in blades, handles and overall shape.
- But garden shears are not intended for cutting branches. They are used to trim soft vegetation. There are many types of garden shears.They are all designed to perform specific tasks.
Now you understand the difference between garden shears and pruning shears. But these are only two large groups. Now we will look at what type of instrument is included in each of them.
The video provides an overview of garden pruners:
Types of secateurs
All pruners have one purpose - cutting branches, but the specifics of this action are different. This group of garden tools is divided into five subgroups:
- Models for performing vaccinations. The purpose of the tool is already clear from the name. Secateurs are used to cut a branch from a tree in order to graft another variety, for example, pears, into this place. It has very sharp knives of a specific shape, which make even cuts.
- A pruner with long handles is called a two-handed tool. It is designed for cutting thick branches. Due to the ratchet gearbox, a lot of force is transferred from the handles to the knives.
- To remove branches at height, a rod tool is used. This type of pruner is also called a lopper. The principle of its design is similar to a two-handed model. The force on the knives is transmitted by a telescopic rod.
- Removal of knots and dry thick branches is carried out with pruning shears, the blade of which has an anvil. The tool is capable of cutting through wood up to 3 cm thick. If the hand effort is not enough, the anvil is hit with a hammer.
- The universal model is used simply for trimming thin branches. This tool is usually called standard. For a novice gardener, such pruning shears are suitable for pruning any greenery.
Select pruning shears based on the intended work in the garden.For a large farm, it is advisable to have all types of tools available.
Types of garden shears
In the garden, you have to trim not only trees, but also other green plants with soft stems. Garden shears, characterized by the elongated shape of their knives and handles, are designed for these purposes.
Among the garden shears there are the following varieties:
- The shape of a hedge trimmer is similar to ordinary household scissors, only in larger sizes. Instead of the usual finger rings, the tool has elongated handles. The knives are also oblong, like simple scissors. There are different types of hedge trimmers. They mainly differ in the length of the handles and knives. There are also brush cutters with wavy blades. They are convenient for cutting thick branches of bushes.
- For cutting grass, there are garden shears with long handles and a curved blade. They can replace an expensive trimmer if you need to care for a small lawn. They work with scissors while standing. Only knives positioned horizontally to the ground move through the grass. Different models of scissors differ in the length of the handles and blades, and there are also models with rotating knives.
- Electric garden shears work when connected to an outlet. Although, most models have a battery so that they can work autonomously. In addition to cutting lawn grass, the tool can cope with large weeds. Electric shears are used for cutting roots and trimming ornamental shrubs.Like any power tool, scissors are divided into household and professional models. Electric shears differ in power, duration of continuous operation, frequency of movement of the knives, as well as other parameters.
From all the existing variety of garden shears, you can choose a suitable model that can satisfy the needs of every gardener.
Popular Fiskars pruners
Fiskars pruners are a reliable garden tool. The Finnish manufacturer is famous for the quality and reasonable cost of its products. Secateurs can be powered by a lever drive. Special sharpening of knives allows you to cut branches from trees without much effort, which will not be difficult for representatives of the fairer sex to use the tool.
Fiskars presented users with two types of pruners:
- Flat-type models are convenient for quick work in the garden. The main purpose is to trim young branches of trees and shrubs. The shape of the knives is as close as possible to the blades of scissors, which allows for a perfectly even cut. The knives are made of hardened steel that is slightly susceptible to corrosion. A coating is applied to the edge of the blades, which reduces the degree of damage to the branch during cutting.
- Contact type models are used for pruning hard trees and removing dead branches. The blade is equipped with an anvil that can be struck with a hammer. The knives are made of hardened steel and the cutting edge is Teflon coated.
Secateurs from Fiskars, as well as from any other company, should be stored and used correctly so that the knives stay sharp longer. The tool must not be thrown into the ground or left in damp conditions. When sharpening, use only a whetstone.A grinder or sharpener overheats the steel, causing it to become soft and quickly dull.
