F-12 Pruning Shears – 7.9" Garden Clippers with Anvil & Bypass Blades | Hand Pruners for Gardening | Garden Tool Cutter with Forged Aluminum Handle, Alloy Steel Blade, Medium Hand Fit

Quality construction, up for the job, comfortable -- does not cause me to overuse my hand strength. I am so happy that I read the reviews from seasoned gardeners/landscapers and opted for the Felco 2 instead of a cheaper brand on black Friday. It is so important to purchase products that deliver value. For me, value goes beyond the price tag. I look forward to enjoying many years of use with my Felco pruning shears.

A garden-loving friend had been exceptionally kind helping me out after an injury, and I needed a really good present to express my appreciation, something that might last longer than a huge box of extra-expensive chocolates, and ideally, of course, a gift that might inspire happy thoughts when used in a fond pursuit. There's no pretending Felco Pruners are inexpensive. There are dozens on the market at a small fraction of the price, but you'd be lucky if they lasted an entire season. Felco's are one of those increasingly rare items crafted to last a lifetime. The carbon steal blade can be removed for a serious sharpening. Or if they happened to be left out in the wet too long (or if you just can't be bothered & want super-sharp fast), replacement blades are readily available at a reasonable cost, as indeed are all the moving parts like the spring and the catch. These are the hand-pruners of choice for both professional landscapers and dedicated home gardeners who know that a tad of thoughtful care will pay off in a lifetime's enjoyment. I recommend also treating yourself to one of the two models of leather holster to keep them readily within reach on your belt every time you venture into the garden. For my friend, I chose the F-6, which is better scaled for smaller hands, and is an excellent all-around tool for everything from gathering bouquets to pruning roses and medium-sized shrubs. Felco makes a dozen or so variations designed larger or stronger hands and a variety of applications. Myself I own two pair: the first was a bonus on my first professional garden job over a quarter century ago, the classic Felco F-2 , and they are still the ones I reach for first. A dozen years ago, I treated myself to the larger, longer-gripped Felco F-13's , which are the only thing for pruning thicker branches in quarters too tight for the usual long-handled loppers or trimmers. Chose carefully, as you would for any friendship you expect to last a lifetime. Incidentally, if I find yourself in the kitchen and needing to cut apart some variety of fowl or game bird, a quick wash with hot water and dish soap allows the Felco's to make quick work the job. Myself, I send them through the dishwasher after use, just on general principles. Then afterwards I treat my shiny-clean clippers to a dab of 3-in-1 (or any sort of mineral oil--including baby (!)--works fine, even olive oil in a pinch) on the blade and any moving parts, and wipe down thoroughly with a soft cloth. Good as new!

I had a Felco pruner and loved it. But once my partner became interested in gardening, too, it disappeared. I'm not sure all women appreciate a good tool as some men do. Anyway, I missed my pruners, and bought a new Felco F2. Pricey: many times more expensive than all others. But I got it today, and spent some time examining it and smiling at its excellent, thoughtful construction. Unfortunately, those qualities seem to be declining in favor of meeting a specific price-point. You can take it completely apart. Felco even provides a small wrench tool to accomplish that (!). You can replace or sharpen the main blade yourself, which I enjoy doing. It's solid, even a little weighty for some folks. And Felco backs these pruners with a reasonable lifetime guarantee. Just amazing. I appreciate good tools that exhibit craftsmanship and quality, and this is a very, very good one.

Heavy duty, well made and great for lefties!

I’ve had most brands and Felco has proven to be the best & last the longest. Thank you Felco!

This Felco F-8 is an excellent bypass pruner. It is a little heavy and a holster ( Felco F-912 Leather Scabbard Holster with Belt Clip ) is a good accessory. However, the F-8 seems best for larger hands. I have short hands/fingers, and so I also tried a Felco F-6 ( Felco F-6 Classic Pruner For Smaller Hands ), which is the same pruner made for smaller hands. Frankly, the F-6 was not much of an improvement for me, so I stuck with the F-8. The F-6 has a significantly smaller cutting capacity compared to the F-8, although the difference might not matter for ordinary flower gardening. F-6 specs: Length 7 1/4 inches, Weight 7.5 ounces. Recommended cutting capacity is 0.8 inches. F-8 specs: Length 8 1/4 inches, Weight 8.7 ounces. Recommended cutting capacity is 1.0 inches. Sharpening this type pruner is easy and requires no dissassembly(see Felco's directions/instructions). Use the Corona Clipper AC 8300 Sharpening Tool . And if you don't keep them sharp (and lightly oiled) they will soon dull and rust and be no better than a much less expensive pruner that is dull and rusted. If you don't think you'll maintain the tool maybe get one of these instead: 1. Corona Clipper BP 3180 1-Inch Capacity Bypass Pruner with Vinyl Coated Steel Handles . I've used this compact pruner in the past and they work fine if maintained. If not maintained, they'll dull and rust too, but they're still less than half the price of the Felco. The quality is nothing like the Felco's, but they're cheap, small and light. 2. Corona Clipper 1-Inch Capacity Bypass Pruner With Vinyl Coated Aluminum Handles BP 6250 . I haven't seen these, but they look like a Felco knock-off. They might be the best value for the money regardless of brand. In my opinion, while I haven't used them, for the average gardener the Corona Clipper 1-Inch Capacity Bypass Pruner With Vinyl Coated Aluminum Handles BP 6250 is probably the most sensible choice out of all those listed herein (including the Felco's). Corona is a good brand for most homeowners, and their products are widely available at local stores selling gardening supplies. Honestly the Felco is overkill for most home gardeners. Really for pros.

The Mercedes of pruners for most branches up to 1" (if you're strong)! They work well - sharp, smooth, and easy on my 74yo arthritic hand. Somehow lost my 22yo Felco pruners and hated to spend $82 on new ones. They didn't sell Lt handed ones back then, so I am almost happy to spend the money. I have 3 pair of cheaper ones that I hate. They ship with a blade replacement tool, not that this set won't out live me.

Owning an orchard I do a lot of pruning. Felco makes some of the best pruners around. Just clean and dry after use and they will last a lifetime.