Lately my used-to-be favorite pruning shears haven’t been seeing any sunshine as it hasn’t left the drawer for weeks.
It’s not that I have given up on it.
It still has the raw power and force that makes pruning so easy and satisfactory.
But I have switched to the lighter and slimmer garden snipper. And found that a lot of the things I used to do with bypass pruning shears, I can do just as well with pruning snips, if not better.
Being much less heavy, it’s easy to maneuver. And slimmer blades make delicate cutting that much more precise.
And if I come across a task too big for a snip to handle, I can just bring out the big guns in the form of anvil lopper and have it solve my problem.
No need for secateurs.
Here are some of the best snips to use for your garden.
1) Fiskars Softouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snip
Fiskars is one of the market leaders in the gardening tools industry. So it’s no surprise that they have the best overall pruning snips.
This product comes with stainless steel blades, very comfortable grip for handles, and an ergonomically engineered spring that reduces fatigue.
It easily enable the user to do the most meticulous of snipping tasks.
- 0.8 x 1.8 x 6 inches
- 2.56 ounces
It also comes with non-coated or non-stick blades.
I don’t know how high expectations people have on these things.
But at below $10, it’s a steal.
2) Hydrofarm HGPP400C Precision Curved Blade Pruner
While Hydrofarm brands this pair of scissors-like tool as a pruner, it is a pair of snips in my opinion.
It is extremely light.
- 9.8 x 4.3 x 1 inches
- 1.6 ounces
They come with 3 options for blades.
- straight stainless steel
- curved stainless steel
- curved titanium
If you observe the design detailing on this gardening tool, you’d think doctors can use it for minor surgeries.
3) FLORA GUARD Micro-Tip Pruning Snip
While other snips on this list are available in only one color, essentially deciding the color for you, this item from Flora Guard come with a variety of 5 colors for the buyer to choose from.
The precision cut steel has a polished coating and user will have no problems using for trimming shrubs and hedges.
It’s handles are made of zinc alloy while the rest of the frame retains that steely strong look.
- 9 x 1 x 3 inches
- 5 ounces
Surprising that this is one of the lower priced pruning snips around.
4) Gardenite Ultra Snip
After the Fiskas model, this one from Gardenite has the shortest length at 6.7 inches.
So gardeners should take note of that if length is a concern, maybe due to storage issues.
What caught my attention about this item is that it has overwhelmingly positive reviews from hundreds of buyers.
- 6.7 x 2.3 x 0.5 inches
- 3.2 ounces
A chromed carbon steel spring makes the constant gripping and squeezing hand action a breeze.
5) TABOR TOOLS K7
The K-7 has a slender long reach specially designed as floral shears to pick flowers and deadheading.
The embedded spring also absorbs shocks very well. Tight spaces won’t be a problem for this tool.
- 7.9 x 2.8 x 0.6 inches
- 3.2 ounces
It also comes with 4 blade choices:
- Carbon steel
- Japanese style
- Stainless steel
- Stainless steel with metal clip
While carbon steel is probably not as rust resistant as stainless steel, it retains sharpness better.
Although available in only one color combination, the red and black is slick looking indeed.
Finally, I’m not advocating that you use snips for everything you do for grooming your plants in the front yard.
Every gardener should have a gardening tool set with essential tools like shears, loppers, cutters, etc.
It just that a lot of people don’t use snips. And I find it amusing as they are more comfortable than shears and scissors. While being just as effective in getting the job done.