In large gardens and dachas, tree crowns require careful care, and loppers are used for these purposes.
This tool was created to increase the convenience of seasonal pruning of branches, while gardeners in their business can use several of its types simultaneously, depending on the height of the tree and many other factors.
To facilitate the operation of loppers, most of them are manufactured using modern technologies and materials, which results in increased productivity with reduced effort spent on work.
Among the many models and modifications, each buyer can choose a tool that meets personal requests and needs.
Purpose of loppers
The lopper is used for emergency or seasonal pruning of branches, in particular shoots, on tall shrubs and trees.
This tool was created to enable a person to care for the crown of tall plants directly from the ground, without resorting to a ladder.
The advantages of this approach are obvious, since if you have a suitable lopper, there is no need to constantly move the stepladder from place to place.
The task is especially simplified when several dozen plants are pruned.
What is a lopper used for?
This tool is used for sanitary, spring, autumn, or emergency pruning of fruit trees, ornamental and berry bushes. And it is designed to allow gardeners to shape the crown of trees without the help of a stepladder. This is also convenient because there is no need to rearrange the garden stairs. This is especially true if there are many plants on the site that need pruning: fruit and decorative deciduous trees and shrubs, green hedges.
Device and characteristics
The simplest lopper works on the principle of garden shears, that is, it has a cutting part and two handles, which can be simply elongated or telescopic.
The cutting part consists of a main blade with a crescent-shaped cutting edge and a concave counter blade, which not only cuts through the wood from the opposite side when the handles are brought together, but also supports the branch itself.
Instead of a counter blade, a stop in the form of a hook is often installed, which supports the branch being cut.
The design with two blades is comparable in principle to scissors. Options with a blade and a counter stop work similar to the actions of a kitchen knife on a cutting board.
Material
Classic mechanical loppers can cut off branches up to 55 mm thick.
For this reason, the tool must be as durable as possible.
On the other hand, the instrument is constantly held in weight, often above the head, and therefore manufacturers are constantly struggling with the excess weight of their models, making them from special materials.
The cutting elements of mechanical loppers are always metal; the blades themselves are made of chrome-molybdenum vanadium (CrMoV) steel and have a protective Teflon coating that prevents aggressive environmental influences and reduces friction (anti-friction coating).
Also, the material used here is often carbon, stainless or tool steel.
Handles with a power mechanism that increases the cutting effect and, as a result, reduces the required physical force applied to the handles, the use of durable but lightweight materials is allowed in their manufacture.
Thus, almost every lopper from a self-respecting manufacturer is equipped with aluminum handles, and some models even use fiberglass in production, especially when it comes to structures longer than 2 meters.
For ease of use, the handles can have a soft anti-slip coating.
Dimensions and weight
The total length of loppers is from 0.3 to 4 m, and this tool weighs on average about 0.2 - 2.6 kg. The cutting diameter of most models is 30 – 55 mm.
NOTE:
Chain loppers, a subtype of loppers, can weigh up to 7 kg and cut branches with diameters up to 300 mm.
Choosing a lopper
To choose the right lopper for work on your site, you should be guided by a number of tool parameters:
- Size and weight. The lighter the lopper, the easier it is to work with, and the less fatigue there is.
- Size of the area and scope of work. If you only need to trim a few trees and shrubs, then there is no need to purchase an expensive gasoline-powered device. An electric model or a universal garden pruner will be sufficient.
- Bar height. If you need to trim tree branches at a significant height, then it should be sufficient. Professional high-altitude loppers have a length of up to 450 m. However, they are heavy. For a garden plot, household loppers fiskars with a rod less than 3 m long are suitable.
- Quality of material: blades must be made of high-strength steel or titanium, be absolutely even and smooth.
- Proper sharpening of blades.
- Oil pump. Loppers equipped with it work more efficiently, without interruptions and have a long service life.
- Noise level. The documentation indicates this indicator. Electric loppers produce significantly less noise than gasoline ones.
- Convenience. The handle should be positioned so that the tool can be held firmly and reliably. It is also desirable to have a device for turning the saw.
- The kit should include a special belt that increases the ease of use of the device.
Types of loppers and their prices
A standard lopper is a mechanical tool consisting of one or two handles and a cutting part with one or two blades.
It is easy to use and requires physical effort to operate.
This manual version, in turn, is presented on the market in several types, depending on the design features.
Before we begin to analyze the existing types of loppers, it is necessary to clarify some definitions related to the design of the handles:
- An option with fixed-length handles is a short lopper, which is used for working with low-lying branches and bushes. The total length of such models is only about 1 m. Most often, the design is a lopper-secateur, that is, a classic design with two blades and two elongated handles. The cost is approximately from 800 to 3000 rubles.
- Option with extendable handles. In fact, any model with a sufficiently long handle, designed for trimming tall trees, is a so-called pole saw. The cutting part can have absolutely any design, and the total length can exceed 4 m. The cost varies widely, on average 2 - 4 thousand rubles. The best professional tool will cost 7–9 thousand.
Based on the way in which the length of the handle is increased, the tool can be:
Rod
A special rod is included in the kit or purchased separately, which is connected to the lopper through a special fastening.
There are stacked options, when the total length is formed by connecting several short rods in series.
In some models, the cutting head rotates relative to the rod for ease of operation, and the mechanism itself is driven by an extended chain or rope, which you just need to pull.
The price is approximately 800 – 2000 rubles.
Some manufacturers offer only cutting heads for this price, and the rod will have to be purchased separately.
Telescopic
The handle(s) extend to a certain length.
A similar design can be either a long one-handed lopper or short two-handed models.
Interestingly, for some products the length of the handles can be adjusted within a wide range.
Garden
One of the types is called a garden lopper, which is one long handle with a cutting element at the end in the form of a pruning shear.
This option is designed for branches of small thickness and works on the principle of biting them.
It is activated by pressing the lever with one hand, while holding the long rod with the other hand.
The most widespread is the double-lever version, consisting of two blades with two handles, which, according to the principle of cutting off branches, can be:
Planar (bypass)
A parallel-action lopper is used for cutting living branches, as it ensures an even cut.
As a result, the plant receives less trauma, which means that the place where the branch was cut off heals earlier.
Here the principle of operation is similar to conventional scissors, where two knives move counter-moving in the same plane.
The cutting edges of the blades are curved and straight. Often this tool has one straight blade and the other a concave blade, resembling a hook to make it easier to hold the branch.
The option in which the reciprocal concave part does not have sharpening, and the main blade slides parallel and at the same time past it, is called bypass, sometimes bypass.
Actually, this applies to both the lopper and the related tool - the pruner.
Contact (anvil)
Used for cutting dry branches.
The principle of operation here is not so much in cutting branches, but in squeezing and thereby cutting them.
The result is a not particularly neat cut, although it requires less effort than in the first case.
The design of the cutting part has one blade with double-sided sharpening, which in operation comes into contact with an anvil - a reciprocal flat contact pad.
To reduce the force required in work, double-lever models come with a ratcheting mechanism, which is often equipped with garden shears, or the design has another kind of power drive that increases the applied force by 20 - 40%.
To work with large diameter branches, use a reinforced tool that can withstand heavy loads.
Reinforced options can also be made lighter through the use of aluminum and various alloys.
Some professional models have a design that allows you to change the performance characteristics, for example: an adjustable lopper with variable drive transmission force or cutting angle.
Universal lopper
It has a wood hacksaw designed for cutting thick branches.
Such rod models are good because they allow you to trim tall branches in a wide range of diameters.
This option has proven itself when pruning both thin and thick branches, because... It is enough to lean the saw teeth against the branch and cut it with several translational movements or cut through a thin branch with the appropriate mechanism.
Combined
The design with replaceable rod attachments is called a combisystem and is available in many options, including models with a rotating cutting part, and bypass-type products, where the curved mating part is located in such a way that the tool can be hung on a branch.
The movement of the blade is transmitted from the cord through a system of blocks, and return to its original position is ensured by a spring.
This design is called a caterpillar lopper.
In addition to mechanical tools, there are other types of them:
Electric loppers
Built on an electric motor.
There are networked models that require a constant source of electricity, such as a household network or a generator, as well as battery-powered options, which are designed to have a built-in or removable battery.
The first ones are cheaper, but for comfortable work even in a small garden you will have to buy an extension cord.
The latter do not have such a drawback, but the time they work with them depends on the battery capacity.
Electric loppers come in both rod-type with a chain saw and with a saw blade - this is a small version designed for cutting down branches located below.
The average cost of a power tool: 10 – 20 thousand for battery options, and 7 – 15 thousand for networked models.
Gasoline
These models belong to varieties of small chainsaws and pole-cutters that operate on the basis of a two-stroke gasoline internal combustion engine.
They require fuel costs to operate.
Among the advantages of gasoline tools, one should note a much greater working life and power, as well as mobility.
Such a tool is optimal for carrying out delimbing work on large areas of garden plots and it will cost the gardener 20–50 thousand rubles.
NOTE:
In the world of electric or gasoline-powered tools, there are also combination systems that include a chain polecutter, hedge trimmer, and other similar tools.
You can also purchase a separate attachment for the trimmer in the form of a chain lopper, thereby saving on the purchase of an independent lopper.
Lopper and pruner: what's the difference?
Secateurs and loppers are designed to solve essentially one task: trimming branches and twigs.
However, these are two different tools.
Secateurs are similar to scissors, have short handles and are effective where you can easily reach with your hands, that is, for trimming low-growing branches and young shoots.
Loppers have much longer handles, and therefore they are great for working in hard-to-reach places, for example, in dense bushes.
Rod options even allow you to trim branches at a height of up to 6 m, depending on the length of the rod itself and the height of the gardener.
NOTE:
Due to the elongated handles, which act as levers, loppers are suitable for cutting off branches of a larger diameter than pruners.
In the end, the only actual difference between these two tools is the length of the handles.
Accordingly, the pruning shears can be used with one hand, because it is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
With a lopper, regardless of its model, all work is performed with only two hands.
Which lopper should you choose?
When choosing a lopper, you should first consider the purpose for which you are purchasing the tool.
So, for example, if there are more shrubs and young trees in the garden, it is more advisable to buy a model that can cope with branches with a diameter of up to 25 mm.
On the other hand, when the farm is dominated by mature and old trees, it is impossible to do without a lopper capable of working with diameters up to 50 - 55 mm.
When choosing a lopper, it is advisable to pay attention to the following parameters:
- Weight. As you know, the lighter the tool, the more convenient it is to work with it. This is especially true for vertical cutters. To care for a large garden, light weight will be one of the main selection criteria, since the lopper will have to be held in your hands for several hours at a time. For this reason, preference is given to options made from lightweight materials.
- Blade lock – secures the blades in the closed position. A useful device for safely carrying and storing tools.
- Telescopic handle - allows you to trim branches located both low and high, without resorting to a ladder, due to the ability to adjust the desired length of the handle. True, such smooth adjustment is not available in all models.
As you know, the maximum height at which a gardener can trim tree crowns depends on the length of the lopper handles.
Inexpensive models, most often, do not have telescopic handles, so you need to take into account the total length of the tool and correlate it with the planned work.
It is important to remember here that the handles of double-lever models that are too long will be extremely inconvenient to use, since they will have to be spread to a fairly large angle in order to grasp the branch.
A medium-sized tool is good for working with bushes and small trees.
Also recommended for selection are loppers, the blades of which have precision sharpening, ensuring high sharpness of the cutting edges.
NOTE:
Professional loppers have the following characteristics: the use of high-quality steel, hardened blade, forged blade, two-component handle with a stopper, low-friction blade coating, etc.
When choosing, it is recommended to hold the lopper in your hands and make sure that it operates smoothly and that there are no backlashes.
The presence of a special Teflon coating on the knives reduces friction between parts; fresh wood does not stick to such blades.
To summarize, we can draw the following conclusions:
- To care for a small garden, a simple mechanical lopper is sufficient; for large areas, it is more effective to use electric and gasoline variations of lopping tools.
- To remove dry branches, special loppers with a thrust plate are intended, and for pruning young trees, parallel action models should be used.
- The presence of a ratcheting mechanism in the design of a mechanical tool significantly increases the applied force. As a result, the speed of gardening also increases.
You should also remember that not all models are equipped with an extension cord.
Sometimes it will have to be purchased separately.
What is a lopper and why is it needed?
A lopper is a hand-held garden tool designed for cutting branches of trees and shrubs. If your site has tall trees, thorny bushes, or other plants with hard branches, we recommend purchasing a hedge trimmer. With its help, you can easily and quickly trim the branches of raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, and rose hips without fear of getting scratched. When caring for tall trees, you don’t have to constantly move a ladder or stepladder around the garden - loppers are designed specifically for processing tall plants from the ground. Even if your plot is very small, a manual lopper will come in handy on the farm. When caring for a large garden plot with several dozen trees and shrubs, you simply cannot do without this tool. Any professional gardener will confirm this.
What you need to know about loppers?
Despite the fact that a mechanical lopper is a structurally simple tool, there are still rules for its operation and care:
- When using the tool, you should protect yourself by wearing safety glasses and gloves. Work clothes should not restrict movement.
- Before starting work, it is necessary to conduct a visual inspection of the lopper, check the reliability of its fasteners, and the serviceability of the tool. It is recommended to perform a couple of test presses.
- To avoid injury, operate the tool in a stable position.
- Upon completion of work, the lopper must be cleaned of dirt and wiped dry to remove any adhering tree sap.
If the tool is made of metal that is subject to corrosion, it must be periodically disassembled, the internal surfaces cleaned of dirt, and then lubricated with oil. Otherwise, its performance may be reduced.
