What is the difference between garden shears, pruning shears?
Garden shears and pruning shears are quite similar, so it’s easy to get the two mixed up. The main difference lies in their purposes and how they are tailored to help with this.
- Garden shears: this tool is used for lighter cutting tasks around the garden, such as cutting stems or trimming small bushes. They have lighter handles and typically have bypass blades to make clean cuts.
- Pruning shears: these shears are made for tougher jobs. With longer handles and thicker blades, they are used to cut thick branches and bushes regular garden shears can’t handle.
Are hedge shears the same as grass shears?
These two types of shears main differences lie in what they are designed to cut:
- Grass shears: these shears tend to be narrower and lighter, designed for cutting thinner grass and leaves. You can find variations with long handles to prevent you from leaning down or hunching over too much.
- Hedge shears: made for cutting through stems rather than leaves, these shears have stronger blades than grass shears.
What shears are best for tall branches?
The best shears for tall, far to reach places in the garden are long reach shears with long handles. These shears allow you to reach these parts of your garden without the risk standing on a ladder may pose. We recommend our ‘Telescopic Garden Tool Tree Pruner Shears’ for easy to store shears with an extendable handle up to 4.5m.
What do you sharpen garden shears with?
If your garden shears are blunt, there are a few ways you can sharpen them and bring them new life. One way is using a whetstone. This involves separating the blades of your shears and rubbing it on a whetstone of increasing grits until you reach the desired sharpness. Another way you can sharpen your shears is using a file or a multi purpose sharpener. Your choice of method depends on which is the easiest, safest and most convenient for you. Make sure your shears are clean before sharpening and use oil afterwards to prevent rust.
What do you clean garden shears with?
It’s important to regularly clean your tools to prevent rust, as well as a build up of sap. Both of these can affect the performance of your blades. All you need to do is clean any product off your shears with a scourer. If you are finding the dirt difficult to remove, add oil or water. Once you remove all the dirt, make sure to wipe the shears dry.