Choosing the best lopper for the job

Loppers are an essential tool for keeping trees and large bushes healthy and tidy. The long handles reach far into the plant or tree, and exert high leverage with minimal effort, making it easier to cut thicker branches.

As with pruners, there are two categories of lopper; bypass and anvil, each being suited to cutting a different type of branch.

Bypass loppers, are perfect for green wood, as they give precise, clean, cuts and avoid damaging the branch, with blades that are designed to pass each other smoothly as they cut.

The General Purpose Geared Bypass Loppers (1111135WF) from Wilkinson Sword have two high-quality carbon steel blades, with non-stick coating, that slice together like a pair of scissors. The lightweight aluminium handles make it easier to work for longer. An added advantage of this model is the geared mechanism, which allows users to cut through thicker material with minimal effort. With a cutting diameter of 35mm, this tool can tackle the toughest of green branches.

If the branches are too high to reach with the Geared Bypass Loppers, Wilkinson Sword’s General Purpose Telescopic Bypass Loppers (1111132WL) provide extra length to deal with them. With a cutting capacity of 40mm, and the same high quality carbon steel, non-stick blades, this tool has handles that will extend from 300mm to 800mm, increasing the user’s reach, without having to climb a ladder, whilst also increasing the leverage for the cut.

If it is dead wood and dry, hard old growth that needs cutting back, anvil loppers are required.

Anvil loppers have one sharpened blade that cuts down on a flat metal block, like a very small chopping board. The General Purpose Telescopic Geared Anvil Loppers (1111136WL) from Wilkinson Sword are perfect for cutting thick, woody branches, where a clean cut is not important, with the 10mm flat block, together with the geared mechanism, making it easy to cut through wood of up to 35mm in diameter.

General Purpose Geared Bypass Loppers – £29.99
General Purpose Telescopic Bypass Loppers – £29.99
The General Purpose Telescopic Geared Anvil Loppers – £39.99

All Wilkinson Sword garden tools carry the reassuring Wilkinson Sword 10-year guarantee.
Available to buy from www.wilkinsonsword-tools.co.uk.
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