Ratchet Pruning Shears - Sharp Garden Hand Pruners - Easy Ratcheting Action - Best Anvil Gardening Secateurs for Small to Medium Jobs - Simple to Lock or Unlock - 100%

I bought these pruning shears specifically because there was an out of control bush/tree thing trying to take over the flower bed by my porch. My husband wouldn't ever cut it (I found out later it was because he thought I planted it lol). But I wanted to have small a pair of pruning shears handy in the house to do things like this because all our gardening tools stay across the street in his shop. This pair would stay with me in the house. The ratcheting effect is okay it took a little bit for me to get use to it and I think if I had stronger hands it would have worked better but it cut a rather large (quarter sized+) tree for me. It took three or four good attempts but the shears got rid of that pesky tree for me. On smaller items like my knock out rose and althea bush one snip and they were history. I wasn't familiar with racheting pruners so my husband had to show me the concept behind them and he and I both agreed this was a good solid piece of equipment and nice to have in our home.*A sample of this product was provided to me free for testing and review. If you have any questions please feel free to ask me below. Thanks for reading.

My wife likes it a lot and that is the important thing. She does not have the strength to cut through on regular shears and she was quite impressed with the ratcheting action. Both she and I found that the ratchet does not always seem to engage. Even with my larger hands, it did not appear that the handles were opening wide enough for the ratchet to engage in the next slot. So, at times we had to spread the handles open wider with both hands. Despite this, my wife likes it since she is at least able to use it. My other comment would be that the angle of the cutting blade should be a bit straighter - i.e. more in the same line as the handle. The bend makes it just a bit more difficult, I think, to slide the opening of the cutter over the branch. But I am not really much of a gardener - so maybe better gardeners prefer the angle - I am not sure!

Have only used them once, but they seem to cut branches up to 1 inch or so quite easily. It feels good in my size large man's hand, and the cutting action is smooth. The metal casting is a little rough, and blade seems thin and somewhat flimsy, but overall it works well.Update July 2015: the flimsiness of the blade has become a problem. As other reviewers reported, the blade frequently misaligns with the slot in the anvil and fails to cut through the branch. Doesn't seem like adjustment is possible, so cutting becomes a two handed operation, one to squeeze the handle, the other to guide the blade. This is unacceptable, but I haven't found a way to contact the manufacturer about it.

I've been using these for six months and have been very disappointed. While living in Europe I bought a pair exactly the same as these only in orange. Worked wonderfully for years except I lost them. I found these on Amazon and was so excited, they looked exactly the same. But the quality in this pair is lacking. When trimming the locking device catches constantly and I don't get a nice clean cut. I tried the spare blade that I bought in Europe and it was like it was made for this pair, except it also did not give me a clean cut. I don't know who the manufacturer of the orange pair was but their trimmer was far superior in quality. The ratchet concept is great, just not brought to it's fullest potential in this case.

I found the pruners to work well enough, but I consider the construction to be a bit on the weak side. The mechanisms are loose, so there is a bit of shucking to the side when one tackles a difficult branch, perhaps that is the main flaw. The locking mechanism also is loose, occasionally locking up the works while in progress, and the ratchet action is sometimes slow to engage. The feel of the tool is light, but except for perhaps dropping it onto concrete, I would expect the aluminum to hold up well.

I ordered these shears after the gardening season, so I've used them only once, but I like them better than any of my previous shears. They fit comfortably in my hand and are easy to use, something my arthritic hands appreciate. One feature I didn't spot in the pictures on Amazon but do appreciate now that I've used them, is the serrations on the anvil part; they keep the wood from slipping or rotating and make for a secure cut. I also like the finger grip; it keeps the shears from moving around in my hand while I'm ratcheting down on the wood. My previous ones kept sliding backward, requiring me constantly to adjust my grip.

"I have searched for a pair of shears to cut woody flower stems, as I often put flowers in my paintings, which often wilt and need to be replaced. So I'm cutting a lot of stems at times. The Ratchet Pruning Shears work wonderfully well! I am so pleased with them. They are very easy to use and don't cause problems with my hands at all. I highly recommend them."

These pruners function as advertised. There is less strain on my hands and they cut smoothly and cleanly. Beyond that the company is extrodinarily responsive. The first pair I received was obviously defective. I contacted the company and they responded within 4 HOURS. Sent me know pair immediately and and apology note as well. Would recommend both the product and the company.