Alright, so I finally got around to testing out a bunch of different cordless pruning shears. Been meaning to do this for ages, ’cause my old manual ones were killing my hands. Seriously, after an hour in the garden, my wrists would be screaming.
First thing I did was hit up a few hardware stores and Amazon, scooped up like five different brands. Figured I’d give ’em a proper workout. Wasn’t really looking at price, more interested in comfort and how well they actually cut.
The Lineup: Had a DeWalt one, a Makita, a Ryobi (thought I’d give it a shot), some random off-brand one from Amazon that had decent reviews (yeah, I know), and finally, a Felco that was recommended by a buddy.
Then came the fun part, hacking away at everything in my garden! We’re talking rose bushes (thorny devils!), some overgrown hydrangeas, and even a few small tree branches I needed to trim back. I wanted to see how each one handled different thicknesses and types of wood.
The DeWalt: This thing felt like a tank. Super solid, lots of power, but a bit on the heavy side. Good for thicker branches, but my hand started to get tired after a while. Battery life was decent, lasted a good couple of hours of pretty heavy use.
The Makita: Lighter than the DeWalt, felt better in my hand. Cut well, not quite as much raw power, but still did the job on most things. Battery life was comparable to the DeWalt, maybe a tad shorter. The trigger action felt a little smoother than the DeWalt, too.
The Ryobi: Honestly? Was expecting it to be crap, but it wasn’t terrible. Definitely not as powerful as the other two, struggled a bit with the thicker branches. Battery life was surprisingly good, though. Would be okay for light pruning, but not if you’ve got a lot of heavy-duty work to do.
The Amazon Special: You get what you pay for, right? This thing was…okay. Cut fine for the first few minutes, then started to feel a bit clunky. Battery died pretty quickly, and the build quality felt cheap. Wouldn’t recommend it, honestly.
The Felco: Okay, this thing was in a different league. Super lightweight, incredibly sharp, and just felt amazing in my hand. It sliced through everything like butter, even the thicker branches. Battery life was good too. The only downside? Price. It was easily the most expensive of the bunch.
The Verdict:
- If you need raw power and don’t mind the weight, the DeWalt is a solid choice.
- The Makita is a good all-rounder, a nice balance of power and comfort.
- The Ryobi is okay for light pruning on a budget.
- Avoid the cheap Amazon one unless you really are desperate.
- If you’re willing to spend the money, the Felco is hands down the best. It’s just a joy to use.
In the end, I went with the Felco. Yeah, it was pricey, but my hands are worth it. Plus, it just feels like a quality tool that’ll last for years. Happy pruning!
