Garden Shears

billyhead

Can someone recommend a quality pair of garden shears, for hedge cutting grass edge trimming etc. I seem to get through a set every year.

billyhead

billyhead wrote: »

Can someone recommend a quality pair of garden shears, for hedge cutting grass edge trimming etc. I seem to get through a set every year.

Anyone. I don't mind buying online either.

punisher5112

Buy an electric one.
Plenty of online stores to purchase from.

magicbastarder

what goes wrong with the ones you have that you get through a pair a year?

happyday

Can't you just get them sharpened? The Cobbler did it for me a few times.

billyhead

An electric one is out of the question as it's for my elderly parents however I will be the person cutting their hedge and they don't want me going electric due to the risk of injury. They worry too much.

Day Lewin

I love my garden shears, tool of choice for so many jobs.
Think I now have six sets, and use them all (three at home, three at summer place)

I've had some wrecked by careless workmen or over-enthusiastic sons who typically do...

a. Try to use them for much heavier jobs than they are designed for. Hedges, shrubs, twigs, brambles, rough grass - fine.
Branches thicker than a man's little finger - not fine. Use secateurs or get a Lopper - another brilliant, very useful tool (dangerous, too...)

b. They - having tried a too-thick cut - try to fix it by TWISTING the shears. Never do this, it will always pull them out of true. Use them square-on.

So...
a. If you are female - don't let men loose on your good tools, or warn them to let the shears do the work, not the biceps.

b. Get 'em sharpened every Spring. Find an old-fashioned little business that does sharpening, and make friends with them.

Some of my best ones are cheapies from Tesco, handled with care as above.
Also - my worst pair were the most expensive- Fiskars. Supposed to be a great brand, but they feel heavy and unbalanced in my small hands, don't have great leverage, I just don't like them.

I hope this helps!

PS What on earth are electric shears? I never even heard of those before. Sounds like a laddish boy-toy.

magicbastarder

i assumed that was a reference to hedge trimmers?

GinSoaked

If its hand shears then these are the gold standard C.K Legend Golden Shears only two things against them price and they are quite heavy. My pair is at least 30 years old and still cutting well.

punisher5112

billyhead wrote: »

An electric one is out of the question as it's for my elderly parents however I will be the person cutting their hedge and they don't want me going electric due to the risk of injury. They worry too much.

Battery operated then...

the hedgeman

I have the ars kr1000 hedge shears,cuts great and long enough handles for reach,Japanese made,only problem so far is the screws holding the blades in place could get loose and could fall out so have to keep a eye on them whilst using it.

listermint

If your cutting hedges get a battery operated hedge strimmer.