First off, these cut WAY better than any other shears I own. Friskars seem like children's safety scissors by comparison. They cut through dead thick woody canes with ridiculous ease. My only complaint is that they are meant for small MENS hands, not women's hands.
I have average sized lady's hands. Typical caucasian size, I guess size small glove and a size 5 ring. These clippers are still almost too big to keep a grip on when you open the blades. Essentially, if you hold your hands as if to grip imaginary clippers, as wide as you can, if this gap measures less than 4", there is no way you're going to be able to open/close these clippers fully with gloves on. They barely fit my hands bare, and with gardening gloves, I have to adjust my grip so my middle, longer, finger is doing the closing action. My index finger is too short to wrap around the handle without sliding off. The handles are not especially grippy, they're smooth rubber. So, unless they are small enough for your fingers to really wrap around them solidly, you will have to adjust your grip awkwardly.
I needed two new pairs of bypass pruners, one for home and one for the school garden. Based on my research, I ordered the Felco 6 and the PrecisionPro. I just took them both out of the box and have the following observations: 1. The Haus & Garten pair feel A LOT heavier. I got out my scale and weighed them and there is only about 30 grams of difference between them, but in the hand it feels like more than 100. I did a blind comparison and could pick the lighter/heavier pair every time. Maybe they are weighted differently? It feels like much more than 30 grams of difference. 2. PrecisionPro has a different mechanism that lets the blades open halfway or fully. That is nice. A point for the PrecisionPro over the Felco. At the half way point, I don't have to apply constant pressure in my hand. At the fully open point, I do. If I was pruning something with bigger branches I wouldn't mind the extra pressure for a while. I would not want to have to maintain it whenever I was using the pruners. (Note, with the Felco 6 I don't have the constant pressure even in fully open position) 3. The PrecisionPro is a lot harder to close. Tighter spring. More force required. Very noticeable. That would lead to hand fatigue. 4. The blades both open to the same size aperture. 5. At fully open, the PrecisionPro is fighting my hand. The Felco does not exert pressure. It seems like the pressure lessens right at the edge of the most open position. 6. Measured shoulder to shoulder, the handles of the Precision Pro are about a 1/3 inch longer and 3/4 inch wider at the widest part. That is probably why the PrecisionPro exerts the pressure. Just a little tiny bit too big for my hand. I wear a woman's medium glove. 7. Obviously, the price point is better on the PrecisionPro than the Felco. 8. They both seem like quality tools. If my hand was just a tiny bit bigger I would keep them both and see which one I liked best over time. But with the extra weight and extra pressure, I'm going to send the PrecisionPro back and embrace the Felco!
I purchased this pruner recently, only because I lost the Felco pruner I owned previously. I had it many years and it performed wonderfully. The good thing about the second purchase is that the price has come down considerably since those earlier days. This pruner is perfect for a small hand, and in my case, an arthritic hand. I have had issues with both arthritis and trigger thumb and this pruner allows me to work and not experience discomfort or severe limitations.
These little pruners are a smaller version of their other popular pruners. They work really well for me and my small hands. Just because they're small, though, doesn't mean they aren't powerful. I did some extensive pruning, even on branches about an inch thick. These are great for getting into smaller spots, too. I get good clean cuts. I can get really close in to the base of a branch with these smaller pruners. Just make sure you care for them each time you use them and they'll last a long time. Wipe them down, put a little WD40 or something similar on your blades, and put them away. You can sharpen the blades. If anything wears out, you can order and replace just the worn out part, so you won't have to buy a whole new pair. Get these, a pair of loppers, and a nice pruning saw and you're pretty well set for years of pruning.
One thing to note: The Felcos used to have a problem with the locking latch. It would slip back into the locked position sometimes, which was annoying. This doesn't seem to happen with this pair. I would imagine Felco has improved this feature.
I bought these for my wife. She wanted the $10 dollar ones from the big box store that are made in China and probably wouldn't last one season...
I was deciding between these and the F-2's. Everyone said these are for smaller hands and honestly they are. Some people stated these are still TOO large and I would have to disagree with that. I am an average man, 6'2" `180lbs. These are tiny in my hands.
They seem to fit my wife's hands fine and overall these are small. I am going to pick up the F-2's for me.
These are extremely sharp and cut/trim her rose bushes like it's butter. She enjoys using them. Once I get my F-2's I'll post comparison pictures in the review since I had a hard time deciding since I couldn't find pictures of them side by side.
Feature Product
- This is one incredibly well made bypass pruner
- It is comfortable to use yet every bit as sturdy and powerful as any other of the Falco pruners
- This great tool is ideal for small pruning work such as grape vines, shrubs and young trees, and is also the first choice of many florists
- Ideal pruner for small pruning work such as grape vines, shrubs, and young trees
- Made for smaller hands.
- Lightweight metal handles
- Blades are made of high-quality hardened steel and have a 0.8-inch cutting capacity
- Limited lifetime warranty
Description
Falco Small & Light Hand Pruner with 0.8-inch Cutting Capacity 7.25in Designed for those with smaller hands who may prefer a smaller, lighter pruner. This is one incredibly well made bypass pruner. It is comfortable to use yet every bit as sturdy and powerful as any other of the Falco pruners. This great tool is ideal for small pruning work such as grape vines, shrubs and young trees, and is also the first choice of many florists. The anvil blade is screw-mounting for easy replacement. The shorter blades facilitate closer cutting to the stem of the plant.
These Felcos are great for smaller hands. I am a Master Gardener and prune frequently while tending our garden and the park garden.
These are my second pair of F-6 Felco Pruners. I keep one pair in my travel garden tote and wanted one pair for our home garden.
I have tried many other pruners, but always come back to this pair. They sharpen up nicely with my Corona pocket sharpener.
Love these!
I currently work at a vineyard and I have small hands so I needed pruners that fit in that spectrum. The Felco 6 has exceeded my expectation. I like my blade really sharp so I usually end up sharpening it every row or about every hour. I've had them for a couple months and have seen a lot of use. Definitely like it more than the 8 which was what I was borrowing before hand. I know they are kinda expensive for pruners but if you ever lose or break a pice you can go on felco and reorder that piece. Which is sweet.
I have had a pruner exactly like this one for 30+ years, and recently misplaced it, so I ordered this one because I cannot do my pruning chores without this Felco Pruner. To my great joy I found the original pruners and was able to compare them to the new ones, and they are exactly the same. The quality is exactly the same. There’s something to be said to that in this day when so many manufacturers are degrading the quality of their products in order to maximize their profits. These small pruners are perfect for small hands, come apart very easily for sharpening, and are very ergonomic on the hand. Highly recommend them.
These Felco pruners are amazing. I have the F-2s, as well, and I'm happy with both. The F-6 is a little nicer for smaller hands, but both have the same high quality construction and give the same stellar results.
I'd recommend sharpening your pruners when you get them, just to get the blade at its best. It helps get the cleanest cut possible, which of course is good for the health of your plants (less damage means less vulnerability to pests or disease).
What makes Felco so great is that you can take them apart to clean and sharpen them. Each pair of Felco pruners comes with a small thin tool (almost the same size and shape as a standard rectangular razor blade) that lets you remove the main bolt on the pruners. The pair I was shipped, however, arrived in an open package and, no surprise, that little tool was missing. So I sent them back and bought the pruners at my local store. Not the end of the world, but make sure you get the tool! And then don't accidentally throw it away...
Over the years, I've grown exceeding tired of products sized for men's hands, men's arm and leg length, men's thigh length (can we talk deep sofas and chairs???) and on and on. What a great product this is! Easy to hold and fits my medium size hand (size 7 fingers if that helps) so well. BTW, also great mechanically. THANKS, FELCO, for recognizing there are women in the world, and they aren't just little men--particularly since we are likely the dominant gender in home gardening...my husband's idea of pruning is closer to bombing. ;)
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