Cut and Hold Long-Reach Pruners

In the first part of this series of posts I introduced the cut and hold pruner along with its benefits for all gardeners, especially those with disabilities or special needs. In the second part I presented a number of cut and hold hand pruners. The third and fourth parts will cover pruners that extend the reach of the pruner by inserting an aluminum pole between the squeeze handles and the cutting head. These are often called "long-reach" pruners and range in length from about 1' to 10' long.

I will cover these long-reach pruners in two posts - those that are 3' or less in length in this post and those greater than 3' long in the final post of the series. I made this distinction because I believe the shorter pruners can be used a little differently than the longer ones. Specifically, due to their length and weight, the shorter pruners can be easily operated using just one hand. This is quite important to me and others that may only be able to use one hand since the other hand is required to maintain balance. This could include wheelchair gardeners and scooter gardeners or other gardeners with a disability that limits their mobility.

Cut and Hold Long-Reach Pruners - 3' or Less

I will present seven pruners from four different companies. All of the pruners are by-pass type pruners with hardened blades. They all have aluminum extension poles. I'll list them by company and summarize a portion of the information in a table at the end.

Giraffe

The Giraffe cut and hold pruners are made in the USA and are unique in that they have a triangular shaped pole rather than the typical round one. This purports to be stronger than other pruners. They have a 1 foot model called the Giraffe GIR101 and a 3 foot model called the Giraffe GIR103 in their product line. They have the capacity to cut heavier wood than the other pruners since they are able to cut 3/4" diameter soft woods like pine. The reviews I've read on these have all been very positive. There is also an optional Giraffe 100 T-Rex 15-Inch Saw Blade Attachment available for both pruners which would provide the capability to trim much larger branches.

ARS

ARS stands for "Always Really Sharp" and they are located in Japan. They have a large selection of cut and hold long-reach pruners, three of which are less than 3' long. The first is model LA-15006 called the ARS Long Reach Rose Pruner. It's 2' long and designed primarily for trimming rose bushes. The revolving arm allows you to turn the pruner blades in any direction without moving the hand grip. Reviews on this pruner were oddly on opposite ends of the spectrum from "love it" to "hate it" and nothing in between.

The ARS LA-160R035 and ARS LA-160R06 are identical except for their length. The first is about 1' long and the second 2'. These pruners also have a revolving arm that allows you to turn the pruner blades in any direction without moving the hand grip. They are relatively light in comparison to the competition.

All these pruners have the capacity to cut branches up to 1/4", which is less than most others. However, these have become a favorite for water gardening; the blades, aluminum pole, and zinc alloy rod are all rust resistant.

Berger

Berger crafts a small but powerful line of long-reach pruners. They are great traditionally-designed lightweight tools that you can depend on for stability and durability time and time again. Berger pruning tools are made in Germany.  Their shortest model is the Berger B4075 which is 20" long and weights 14 ounces. One negative I've heard on this was that the handles are spread fairly wide apart creating discomfort for individuals with smaller hands.

Wildflower Seed and Tool Company

Wildflower Seed and Tool Company has been in business for 23 years and is located in Napa Valley, CA. They sell a proprietary line of garden tools that are designed to be ergonomically friendly and manufactured of the highest quality of material. Their cut and hold long reach pruner is 2' long, weighs 14 ounces, and has a cutting capacity of 3/8".

Summary

The following table summarizes some of the key parameters of the cut and hold pruners that are 3' or less in length. 

The pruners presented in this post have an aluminum pole that provides some extension compared to the hand pruners. This allows you to reach either higher or lower making these pruners more useful. A second important advantage is that you can reach into the middle of a bush and make a cut without getting your hand or arm stuck or scratched.

If you don't have very tall plants and you would prefer a pruner you could use one handed, a pruner from the above table would probably meet your needs. If you need a long-reach cut and hold pruner with a longer reach, I'll cover those in my next post.