Fiskars, famous for revolutionizing the scissors market with their ergonomic self-sharpening designs, has recently broken into the garden tools market. Once again their innovations are poised to start a design revolution. The patented 'PowerGear' technology gives the loppers three times the cutting power of similarly sized loppers which alone would be enough to recommend them, but the designers didn't stop there. These loppers have a hardened steel blade with a corrosion resistant non-stick coating, the super-lightweight ergonomic handles are made of a strong and durable reinforced nylon, and they have a ten year warranty. They also weigh less than a pound! It all sounds wonderful, but the true wonder is in how great these loppers perform.

I'm 5' 4” tall and not particularly strong, so when I needed to buy a new pair of loppers last year I looked around at my local hardware store for something that would make my pruning jobs easier. I had never seen the Fiskars loppers before, and I was curious. I read the packaging, checked out the gearing mechanism, opened and closed and got the feel of them. Knowing how good Fiskars scissors are I decided to give them a try and bought them. I was not disappointed.

First I tried the loppers out on some small dead branches, 1/2” in diameter or so. The loppers cut so easily I thought the wood must be especially soft. I gradually worked up in size on the branches I was cutting, and as long as I could get the loppers around the branch the cut was almost effortless on both dead and living wood. These small anvil loppers (15 inch long) are rated to cut up to a 1 1/4” branch, but I was cutting even larger ones cleanly and easily using a nibbling action. I couldn't believe it. I have used the loppers through last Winter and for odd jobs throughout this Spring, Summer and Autumn. They have held up extremely well and have never failed in their task.

I never thought I could get excited about a pair of loppers, but I sure am excited about these! A few months ago a professional landscaper friend of mine mentioned he had lost his loppers and needed to get a new pair, and of course I recommended the Fiskars. He purchased the large size bypass loppers (27 inch long with a 2 inch cutting capacity) and like me he has nothing but good things to say about them. He is amazed at how effortlessly they cut through even the hardest of branches, cleanly cutting through ones he only would have considered cutting with a saw before. The 17 inch and 27 inch bypass loppers have the same coated steel blades but with reinforced fiberglass composite handles and a lifetime warranty.

The Fiskars PowerGear loppers have exceeded all my expectations. If you are in need of a new pair of loppers, or want to make your pruning tasks a great deal easier, I heartily recommend these.