Who knew?!? I have been using my old traditional Fiskars Pruning Shears for years. They are perfectly good. They are comfortable in my hands and cut well through the smaller branches. This year, however, I needed to tackle a few larger jobs. I had several forsythia and burning bushes that had been left on their own for too many years. When I trimmed up the forsythia I ended up feeling my age with hand and arm cramps the next day.
Before I tackled the burning bushes I decided to go online and see if any engineers who were into gardening had also gotten older like I had and had invented a better pruner. I found this Gardenite Power Drive Ratchet Pruning Shears that claimed to be just the thing. They said they would do more with less work from me. That is just what I was hoping for! They are about twice the price of the Fiskars, but I was willing to try.
Comfort-wise, they were very similar. The feel in my hand was about the same, but I could tell that the Gardenite were lighter. Almost too light it seemed, but I knew in the long run it would be better for my hands. I decided to try them out on a branch that had been too much for my Fiskars. With the Fiskars you just have to force your way through. If the first cut doesn't make it, you turn the blade or just squeeze harder. I didn't fully understand how the ratchet worked at first. The first squeeze took the blade partway through the branch and then stopped. The important part is that it stopped and latched. This meant that when I went to squeeze the handle the second time, instead of just having to add pressure to my initial cut, I was starting a new cut from that spot. It turned one large branch into 2 or three small cuts.
These will be my new go-to pruning shears. They worked well on the fresh and dead branches. I didn't have anything thicker than 3/4 inch, but it went through it like butter. I am sure it will tackle thicker branches (up to a point) equally well. Maybe I should look and see if they make a bigger version of loppers so I can do the pear tree next. ;)
| Brand | Gardenite |
|---|---|
| Color | Silver, Green |
| Style | Classic |
| Blade Material | Carbon Steel |
| Handle Material | Alloy Steel |
| Blade Edge | Serrated |
| Blade Type | Anvil |
| Hand Orientation | Ambidextre |
| Point Style | Round point |
| Manufacturer | Gardenite |
| Part Number | FGFGHRTS |
| Item Weight | 8 ounces |
| Package Dimensions | 9.9 x 3.4 x 0.7 inches |
| Item model number | GT-3142 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
