These shears were amazingly easy to use and were well balanced, which may have even made them feel lighter than they really are. In our tests, they were highly capable, extremely comfortable to use, and less fatiguing than many of the other models. When extended, this pruning shear has a total reach of 84cm. Therefore making it easier to trim the top of taller hedges, especially when you can only get to one side of the hedge. Safety features included– The last thing we need is an accident! Yard work is dangerous and we love tools that are designed with safety in mind. They may come with a head that can trim your shrubs and hedges, and another that can edge lawn grass. It is really important to clean up the trimmings after trimming box and always make sure your blades are clean and super sharp. Your plants will thank you for it.

Maneuverability: An adjustable pivot bolt allows the user to adjust the blade tension to match the task at hand, making it easier to maneuver the shears when dealing with branches of different sizes. Manual hedge shears can be used for snipping leaves and small branches. Some manual hedge shears have notches on the blades which can be used for trimming larger branches as well. Most gardeners should be fine trimming hedges once or twice a year, although this depends on the species growing in your garden. If you prefer a cleaner, more formal finish, you can always increase the frequency of your trimming. What oil should I use with my hedge trimmer?

My Top Recommended Garden Shears

We looked high and low to compare and review the top long reach trimmers available on the market today. Take some time to review our list and then decide which one will work best for you. When sharpening manual shears (not electric ones) you can also use sharpening steels or whetstones. These will usually require you to manually sharpen one blade at a time.

As always, a decent pair of shears with super sharp blades is advisable and a good clean of your shears after trimming is advisable to keep in the best shape and prevent spread of disease. Box (Buxus) Due to the fact they’re reasonably long, regardless of whether they’re extended or not, these hedge shears are better for bigger jobs than smaller ones. For more close-range topiary they’re likely to be a little large and unwieldy. High-carbon steel blades are a combination of stainless steel and carbon steel, which makes them stronger and easier to sharpen. I am often asked by gardeners “what are the top hedge shears to buy?”, “do I need an extendable, telescopic shear?”, ‘what brand offers the best model pruning shears?” Whereas power tools often weigh several kilograms, these hedge shears are very light at under 900 g, making them a lot easier to use for an extended period of time. They’re also extremely sharp (so much so that you need to be really careful when cleaning them), so cutting branches manually can be done very efficiently.There are a few important things to know when thinking about buying this type of product. Many people buy these without really thinking it through. The vast majority of UK people will use a lawnmower to cut their lawns. They are then left with small areas of their lawn that still need tidying up.