Now a lot of equipment is being produced that runs on electricity or internal combustion engines, which facilitates the work of the gardener. Despite this, hand tools are always in demand. Most often, garden shears or secateurs are used to care for green spaces. They remove dry and excess branches, cut shrubs, and graft trees. There are many varieties of this tool. Each of them is designed to perform specific tasks.
Tool types
If you think that a pruner and garden shears are one tool, then you are greatly mistaken. Another mistake of an inexperienced gardener is the opinion that a pruner is needed only for trimming branches and its different forms are just a whim of the manufacturer. Speaking about these garden tools, it should be noted that they are divided into two main groups:
- A pruner is really necessary for trimming branches on trees and shrubs. But the question is why you need to cut them. This can be the usual removal of unnecessary, as well as dry shoots or grafting. For each task, there is a specific pruner design that differs in blades, handles and the whole shape.
- But garden shears are not intended for cutting branches. They cut soft vegetation. There are many varieties of garden shears. All of them are designed to perform specific tasks.
Now you understand the difference between garden shears and secateurs. But these are only two large groups. Now we will consider what kind of instrument is included in each of them.
The video provides an overview of garden pruners:
Varieties of secateurs
All secateurs have the same purpose – cutting branches, but the specifics of this action are different. This group of garden tools is divided into five subgroups:
- Vaccination models. The purpose of the tool is already clear from the name. A pruner is used to cut a branch from a tree in order to plant another variety, such as a pear, in this place. He 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 intended for cutting thick branches. Due to the ratchet gearbox, a lot of force is transmitted from the handles to the knives.
- To remove branches at a height, a rod tool is used. This type of pruner is also called a pruner. The principle of its device is similar to a two-handed model. The force on the knives is transmitted by a telescopic rod.
- Removal of knots, dry thick branches is performed with a pruner, on the knife of which there is an anvil. The tool is able to bite wood up to 3 cm thick. If the effort of the hands is not enough, the anvil is hit with a hammer.
- The universal model is used simply for trimming thin branches. Usually this tool is called standard. For a novice gardener, such a pruner is suitable for trimming any green spaces.
Choose a pruner based on the intended work in the garden. For a large farm, it is desirable to have all types of tools available.
Varieties of garden shears
In the garden, you have to cut not only trees, but also other green spaces with soft stems. For these purposes, garden shears are designed, characterized by an elongated shape of knives and handles.
Among the garden scissors, there are the following varieties:
- The brush cutter is similar in shape to ordinary household scissors, only in larger sizes. Instead of the usual finger rings, the tool has elongated handles. Knives are also oblong like ordinary scissors. There are different types of hedge trimmers. Basically, they differ in the length of the handles and knives. There are also brush cutters with wavy blades. They are convenient to cut thick branches of shrubs.
- For cutting grass, there are garden shears with long handles and a curved blade. They are able to replace an expensive trimmer if you need to care for a small lawn. Work with scissors while standing. Only knives that are horizontal to the ground move along the grass. Different models of scissors differ in the length of the handles and blades, and there are also models with rotary knives.
- Garden electric shears work from connection to the socket. Although, most models have a battery so that you can work autonomously. In addition to cutting lawn grass, the tool will 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 scissors differ in power, duration of continuous operation, frequency of movement of knives, as well as other parameters.
From all the existing variety of garden shears, you can choose the right model that can satisfy the needs of every gardener.
Popular Fiskars secateurs
Fiskars secateurs are reliable garden tools. The Finnish manufacturer is famous for the quality and moderate cost of its product. Secateurs can work from the lever drive. Special sharpening of knives allows you to cut branches from trees without much effort, which will not be difficult to use the tool for the fairer sex.
Fiskars introduced two types of secateurs to users:
- Planar 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 the scissors, which allows you to perform a perfectly even cut. Knives are made of hardened steel with low corrosion resistance. The edge of the blades is coated to reduce damage to the branch during cutting.
- Contact type models are used for pruning hardwoods, as well as removing dry 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.
Fiskars secateurs, as well as any other company, should be properly stored and used so that the knives stay sharp longer. The tool must not be thrown into the ground and left in dampness. During sharpening, only a bar is used. A grinder or grindstone overheats the steel, as a result of which it becomes soft and quickly becomes dull.