How to choose garden shears: features of tools and their use
A beautiful site that arouses admiration and delight is the result of careful and competent care. Therefore, how to choose garden shears is of interest to many novice craftsmen. Indeed, even a small lawn requires constant attention. Among the most labor-intensive processes are regular lawn mowing, trimming shrubs and trees, shaping hedges... But comprehensive care of the site cannot be carried out without the use of garden tools.
Specialized shops offer the widest range of tools that every gardener needs. Their use reduces the cost of effort and time, maximally facilitates the care of green spaces. Next, let's look at what garden shears are and how to choose the right one.
Features of garden shears
In the arsenal of an experienced gardener, as a rule, there are several models of such a tool:
- Gardening scissors. They have 2 working blades. Such scissors are used for cutting flowers, grass, trimming soft parts of plants. Many people confuse them with secateurs. They differ from the latter not only in the reliability of the cutting blades (secateurs are stronger), in their purpose, but also in the length of the blades and handles.
- Secateurs... Designed for pruning thin branches and harvesting grapes. Outwardly they look like scissors, they have 2 blades, but only one of them is working, the second is persistent. Can be reinforced with telescopic handles and ratchet mechanism.
- Loppers. They differ from pruning shears with long handles (up to 90 cm), which allow forming the crown of young trees and tall bushes. If the site is framed by a large number of hedges, choose a professional tool. The design of the large pruning shears makes it easier for the hands.
What to look for when choosing
Grass clippers handle lawn trimming on small lawns and areas that are difficult to reach. lawn mowers (near flower beds, trees, near fences). It is preferable to choose models with a swivel mechanism that allows you to adjust the angle of the blades.
Blade length is an important parameter when choosing a tool. The longer the metal blades, the more shoots can be cut at the same time. Garden shears with long handles and blades are commonly used for trimming low-growing shrubs and lush trees. Pruning shears with short knives do better with precise pruning when single shoots or dry branches need to be removed.
Scissors with a curly edge hold the shoot more firmly during trimming and prevent the blades from slipping. Winding canvases are indispensable for pruning climbing plants and coniferous shrubs. And scissors with serrated blades can handle large, sturdy shoots more easily.
The thickness of the blades also matters. A tool with thin blades is suitable for working with herbaceous plants. Only thick blades can effectively cut sturdy branches.
How to choose garden shears for large areas
To care for large areas, it is advisable to use modern electric, gasoline and battery models of tools. They allow you to more efficiently with less effort and time to complete all the necessary work.
Electric garden shears
The ideal companion for pruning shrubs, trimming hedges, creating curly forms and garden sculptures from plants. Trimming is done with a knife with 2 rows of serrated blades.
Before choosing an electric garden shears, you need to pay attention to characteristics such as:
- power;
- distance between teeth;
- knife length.
By the distance between the prongs, you can judge the maximum permissible thickness of the branches to be cut. The greater the distance, the thicker the branches you can trim. The length of the knives is selected, depending on the complexity of the work. Large metal canvases will quickly cope with simple trimming, and short knives are needed for curly haircuts. Among the disadvantages of electric garden shears for shrubs is the need to connect such a tool to the electrical network and the potential danger of injury.
Petrol Garden Shears
They are the most powerful tool in this group. They work on the electrical principle. The only significant difference is the energy source. Such scissors, unlike electric ones, can be used in any remote part of the garden and in any weather.
Before choosing a gasoline-powered garden shears, you should pay attention to the power, the length of the knife (tires), the width between the prongs and the mass. Large weight (on average 5 kg) is a significant disadvantage of such a tool. Since it needs to be held on weight with outstretched arms during pruning, it is more suitable for male gardeners.
Gas-powered garden shears are more difficult to operate, require constant refueling and generate exhaust fumes during operation.
Pruning with such a tool is accompanied by strong noise and vibration. For frequent use, it is better to choose a garden shears for trimming bush with ergonomic handles, which during operation will minimize the load and compensate for vibrations. It should be remembered about the high power and injury from the tool, strictly follow the safety rules.
Cordless scissors
Such a garden tool has a very narrow direction - cutting grass in a small area. They are simple and convenient to use. The operating time depends on the capacity of the battery and is, on average, 60 - 90 minutes of continuous operation. In order to avoid the forced interruptions associated with recharging the battery, it is advised to purchase a spare battery. Especially noteworthy are the grass shears with telescopic handle and swivel mechanism for cutting blades.
Choose the right gardening tools and garden maintenance will bring you maximum pleasure with a minimum of hassle!