I was really surprised at how well these cut branches. When I unpacked them I immediately went out in the yard to test them out. I kept cutting increasingly thicker branches and saplings and nothing would stop them. Basically, if it's wood and it fits in the jaws, they will cut it. These have replaced my chain saw for cleaning up in the woods bordering my yard.
One important thing to note is that since they are ratcheting loppers, they function a little differently than traditional loppers. Opening the handles fully releases the jaws to their full open position and then it takes four cranks of the handle to cut through a branch. Open the handles and the blade pops open, four cranks to close it back to the anvil. There's no other way to operate them, so they're not very useful for small branches where you don't need the power of the ratchet action. If you don't need to cut thicker branches, the three cranks to close down to cut a small branch will be frustrating. I bought a pair of small 15" loppers from the local orange store to complement these and use on the little stuff. Bypass loppers will serve many people better than these, but if you need the cutting force, these are awesome.
Another great feature is the side plates that enclose the ratchet mechanism. I've used other loppers with an exposed compound gear action that often got hung up in the branches, especially when trying to chop branches to condense a pile of brush. With the mostly smooth outside surface of these loppers that hasn't been an issue.
The extension handles allow you to reach higher branches, but again be aware that the handles must be fully opened to operate the ratchet, so it can be a stretch if you're trying to reach something very high. Fortunately the handle locks were easy to use and held securely without any issues.
One more tip - since these are anvil loppers, the handle with the anvil remains stationary against the branch and the handle with the cutting blade moves toward it. This is different from bypass loppers where you squeeze both handles and both jaws cut through the branch to meet in the middle. When I adjusted the placement and the force on the handles to account for this difference in motion it made using them much easier.
Overall, if you need the power these are hard to beat. If you're trimming a bunch of smaller branches a set of bypass loppers will work better.
| Brand | Spear & Jackson |
|---|---|
| Color | Multicoloured |
| Item Weight | 4.2 Pounds |
| Style | Ratchet Anvil |
| Product Dimensions | 27.76"L x 8.07"W |
| Blade Material | Carbon Steel |
| Blade Length | 3.8 Inches |
| Handle Material | Aluminium,Steel |
| Blade Type | Anvil |
| Hand Orientation | Ambidextrous |
| Point Style | Round point |
| Cutting Width | 2 Inches |
| Manufacturer | Spear & Jackson |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 05012095076711 |
| Part Number | 8290RS/SIOC |
| Item Weight | 4.2 pounds |
| Country of Origin | Taiwan |
| Item model number | 8290RS |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Material | Mixed Materials |
| Power Source | Manual |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Included Components | 1 x Spear & Jackson 8290RS Razorsharp Heavy Duty Telescopic Ratchet Anvil Loppers |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 10 Year Guarantee against Manufacturing faults & defects |
