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As your new trees and shrubs grow to maturity, or if you already have established plants, you will need to invest in bypass loppers. Bypass loppers are a must-have tool to keep your trees and shrubs well-shaped. They work similar to scissor blades and are best for cutting green, healthy, soft branches that need trimming. For stiff dead branches, anvil loppers are more appropriate.
Bypass loppers are designed to cut thicker branches up to 2 to 3 inches in diameter. They also offer more reach and power for longer, thicker branches and provide a clean cut. These features make them better suited for cutting bigger plants since the limbs may be too large for smaller hand pruners and hedge shears.
Loppers have two handles with sharp blades that open wide and close by overlapping each other. You can select from manual, ratcheting, and compound action loppers.
- Manual loppers use the basic open and close motion mentioned above.
- Ratcheting loppers allow the blade to partially cut through a branch. The tool can then be reopened wider to get a tighter grip on the limb without releasing pressure on the branch.
- Compound action loppers have a pivoting arm between the two blades, which provides more force. Compound action loppers are great for cutting thicker branches. But they are heavier since there is extra metal for the pivoting arm.
Bypass lopper blades are made of various steels, such as stainless, carbon, and titanium. Each metal offers different benefits, like rust protection, stain resistance, and/or sharper, sturdier blades. Bypass loppers also have ergonomic designs, which we love. These features include shock absorption and padded grips to reduce slipping, hand fatigue, and blisters. Telescoping features are also available, enabling you to extend the tool to reach higher branches.