The reason I was thinking of getting new pruners was my old Felco's have been sticking closed when you make a cut. Not every time, but it's annoying. I've tried oiling, cleaning etc but have been unable to figure out what is wrong.
I have mowed walking paths around my fields and through my woods. I keep the branches, briars etc trimmed back on each side of the paths and that is a job a couple times a year.
I found the Fiskers with the rotating handle at Lowes a couple weeks ago. I think they were about $22.
Found out they are not nearly the pruner that the Felco is. They were rated for cutting up to 5/8". First I tried cutting some low hanging small twigs on a crab apple - they could not have been more than 1/4" - and the Fiskers struggled with this. I had to be sure that the pruners were at exactly 90 degrees to the twig or it did not want to cut easily. These were live twigs, not dead, which are always harder to cut. Went down one path and tried cutting blackberry canes and the Fiskers did cut those ok. Canes are easier than tree branches and twigs. But actual wood seems to be a struggle for these pruners.
Thinking it was my weaker hands, when a friend came over a couple days ago, he tried them. He had the same problem. He brought his old Fisker pruners - maybe 10 years old - and they were much better. Maybe the quality has declined.
He did feel that the new Fiskers were not sharp and that was part of the problem with them. Thinking I was returning them, we did not sharpen them. He felt that the material of the blades would not hold sharpening like the old Felcos.
He looked at my old Felcos and thinks the spring between the handles is worn out. While testing out the problem with my old Felco pruner, my friend was cutting some 1" branches on a London Plane tree. I can order a new one, so will try that.
I will return those Fiskers to Lowes. I hope they take them back.
