The next tool in Fiskars “Ease Of Use” range is the very lightweight pruners. Now I’m no slouch when it comes to speeding around the garden with a pair of secateurs in hand, pruning at will. Yet, the older I get – and I know I’m a long way from “OLD” – I feel the aches and pains of a day with a tool forcing the muscles in my palms to expand.
For gardeners twice my age I can only imagine the discomfort they must feel when attempting some home pruning. After using many secateurs, they all seem to force the webbing in your palm to breaking point and after an hour or so can almost cripple the most agile hand. The reason for the pain is the spring coil used to leverage the pruners. It’s natural tendency is to spring open after each cut forcing your palm muscles to expand beyond their normal capabilities.
Fiskars PowerGear™ Pruners work a little differently. Firstly, they’ve done away with that cramping spring and introduced a rolling handle. As you pull the pruners closed you can feel the outer handle rolling in your palm but with very little pressure applied.
In my trials I actually had to remind myself that a pair of pruners were in my hand. Their lightweight versatility and the lack of a zealous spring made it hard not thinking that this gardening tool was an extension of my arm. They felt so comfortable in my hand that I could have pruned for hours without any adverse effects. It wasn’t that they minimised the stretching feeling in my palms – they totally obliterated it.
However, while pruners need to be comfortable their real purpose is to cut plants. The Fiskars pruners weren’t any better or worse in this department but they did have one advantage of many versions of secateurs – the ease at which they can be dismantled and put back together. This is great for when your blade becomes blunt, or damaged, and needs sharpening.
My final opinion on these Fiskars pruners are that it’s going to be tough for other companies to try and better them. They truly are a magnificent tool and probably the best in the PowerGear “Ease Of Use” range.