|
 Outdoor
Shears – Common Types
and Uses
By Dan Fenstemaker,
Inventor of the Original
INTELETOOL
There are three common
types of outdoor shears
that are really helpful
in yard maintenance. I
will discuss only
hand-tool models in this
article, avoiding power
tools. When you are
considering what shears
to purchase, you should
first think in terms of
the types of work you
expect to do, and after
that, think in terms of
weight, comfort and
price.
Lopping Shears
Lopping shears have long
handles, require both
hands to operate, and
are more heavy-duty than
other single hand shears
or hedge trimmers. They
are great for thicker
branches, and can
typically cut diameters
up to about 3 inches.
They can have scissor
type cutting ends
similar to hand held
bypass sheers, or they
can have the single
blade anvil-type cutting
ends. The strength and
length of the long
handles allows for good
leverage, which means
making powerful cuts is
easier.
If you purchase the
anvil design, know that
the cut typically will
be more like crushing or
pinching the branch
first, and then severing
it. In other words,
green branches will
usually be crushed on
one side and sliced on
the other, which can
create a more damaging
cut. Anvil designs, as a
result, work really well
for cutting dead
branches.
Scissor-Type or
Bypass Shears
Bypass Shears work like
scissors and are really
good for precision
cutting and closer cuts.
The profile of the
cutting blades looks
like a smiling duck bill
with an upper blade with
a convex curve slicing
past a lower blade with
a concave curve
(sometimes the lower
blade is straight).
This cutting blade
design allows you to
make easy, clean cuts of
branch diameters of
almost 1 inch. They are
smaller, lighter, and
very easy to carry with
you, so they tend to be
the most widely used
type of shears. Quality
steel and good
craftsmanship are the
keys to Bypass Shears
and other outdoor
shears, so don’t
compromise quality
because of price. If
you’ve ever used cheap,
easily dulled bypass
shears, you know
difficult and
exasperating pruning can
be.
Hedge Shears
Hedge Shears are
basically just that.
Hedge Shears. They
really can’t be used for
anything else, but they
have long blades, cut
multiple, small branches
at a time, and are great
for pruning and shaping
your hedges. Because of
this, they are an
outdoor shear essential.
Believe it or not, a
high quality, well
lubricated, and well
sharpened pair of hedge
shears will cut almost
as fast as power hedge
clippers and you don’t
have to worry about
dragging an electrical
cord around with you.
If you own quality
lopping, bypass and
hedge trimmers, you will
be able to handle about
90% of all your trimming
needs. You may also want
to check out the various
tree trimmers on the
market, as well, if you
want to reach high
distances without a
ladder. Remember to buy
well made outdoor
shears, keep them in
great shape, and they
will last for many
years.
---
Dan Fenstemaker is an
outdoor shears expert. For more great
information on
outdoor shears, visit
http://www.inteletool.com. |
