The Bottom Line
Pros
- Rotating action in handle definitely reduces hand strain.
- Sharp blades, easy to clean, sharpen, and adjust.
- Comfortable grip for those with large hands.
Cons
- Not very comfortable grip for those with small hands.
Description
- One of the plastic handles on these bypass pruners swivels as you cut, reducing hand strain.
- Bypass blades, perfect for pruning most things in the garden.
- These pruners are sized more for those with larger hands, though there is a model available for those with smaller hands.
Guide Review - Review of Fiskars PowerGear Bypass Pruners
Even though my pair of Fiskars PowerGear bypass pruners eventually fell apart, I can't in good faith give this product a bad review. In all honesty, I really put these pruners through the wringer, testing them to see how much abuse they could take. After two years of hard, and constant use, they did break -- but only when cutting through a branch that was about an inch and a half in diameter -- twice the recommended pruning thickness for these pruners.
For the two years that I used these pruners, they did a great job on everything from deadheading annuals in my garden to pruning rosebushes and even cutting thin bamboo to length. The blades remained sharp and straight -- a trait that is less common than you'd think among many widely-available pruners.
The key aspect of the Fiskars PowerGear bypass pruners is the unique swivel action of the handle. As you cut, the handle rotates slightly, naturally following the motion of your hand. This is supposed to result in less fatigue while pruning. I was doubtful that this feature would really make much of a difference, but found that I definitely appreciated the difference during long pruning sessions. My hand definitely was less strained using these pruners than with most pruners I've used.
The only drawback to these pruners was the plastic handles. I know that plastic was the easiest thing to work with to make the swivel action work, but they just didn't have a nice feel to them. Of course, that's a matter of personal preference, and you may find that these pruners are perfect for you. The plastic did make the pruners light (which also plays a huge part in lessening fatigue while pruning) so if that's important to you, you'll appreciate the plastic handles.
Overall, these were good pruners, and if you have a lot of pruning to do around your garden, I'd recommend the Fiskars PowerGear bypass pruners.
