On Saturday I outlined what you need to
look for when buying hedge shears/clippers. Today I am going to outline what
you should look for when buying secateurs. I had said this would be a three
part series but it looks to me now like it will be more, so stay tuned.
When buying secateurs there are a few
things to consider. One of the most important things to check out is how they
feel in your hand. When you are out shopping pick up a few pairs and see how
they feel. Feel for weight, feel for grip. Most secateurs handles will be
shaped with little divots for your fingers to go in, find the pair whose divots
best fit your hand.
Another key tip is to make sure the
secateurs you are keen on have a safety latch that is easily engaged and
disengaged with one hand. When you are pruning a plant, if you have to stop and
use two hands to engage the safety latch it is more likely that you won't. A
safety latch is only useful if it is likely to be put to use.
When it comes to gardening you really won't
get far without a good pair of secateurs. But what makes secateurs good? What
should you look for when you are shopping for secateurs? One thing many
gardeners don't know is that there are actually three different kinds of secateurs,
Anvil, Bypass and Parrot Beak. Very quickly, Anvil secateurs have an upper
blade which pushes down onto a flat lower 'anvil'. Parrot Beak secateurs have
two blades which cut by meeting together in the middle and looks like a
parrot's beak. The third kind of secateurs is called Bypass secateurs. They
work by having two blades which bypass each other in a similar way to scissors.
The big difference between Bypass and Parrot Beak secateurs is the shape of the
blades, with Parrot Beak having two identical blades compared to Bypass which
has one large and one small blade, the large blade being convex in shape and
the small blade being concave in shape. Bypass secateurs are the main type used
and sold and will be the focus of this entry. Bypass
Secateurs
Try and look for secateurs with plastic
covered metal handles. Metal handles are strong but are cold to work with and
plastic handles are a sign of cheap manufacturing and are not likely to last as
well as metal handles.
There are three different blade types,
stainless steel, coated steel and carbon steel. My preference is for stainless
steel but carbon steel works well two. Either of these kinds will stay the
sharpest for longer periods of time. The only real upside to coated steel is
that it cleans more easily. Cleaning your secateurs after use is extremely
important but having blades that remain sharp are better for the job at hand.
The general rule of thumb with secateurs
is, strangely enough, don't try cutting plant limbs that are thicker than your
thumb. If you try and cut limbs that are too thick you will damage the blade
and therefore your tool that you have invested in will not last as well for as
long.
Prices range from $5-$10 at the cheap end
right up to $150-$200. Again for a household gardener I'd say a you could
probably get a pair that will work OK for $20-$40 but a good pair at around $50
may well last you a decade or more. My Grandma had a pair that I know was much
older than I was when I was 10, good tools well looked after last a while.
Good luck with your shopping for secateurs!