Written by Terry Smith
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Best garden shears to make light work this summer
This article was last updated on April 23rd, 2022 at 4:41 am
8 Best Garden Shears
Simple but versatile, a pair of garden shears is something no self-respecting gardener should be without. It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional landscaper or simply someone wanting to keep the garden looking tidy, owning a good pair of garden shears is a must. So what makes a good pair of garden shears? Well, there are several types of shears to be used for special jobs such as pruning shears, edging shears, hedge shears and not to be confused with loppers or secateurs that have different uses, but what they should all have in common is being sharp (and staying that way), reliable, hard wearing and not easy to break, and of course comfortable to use.
Comparison table: Best garden shears to make light work this summer | ||||||
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| Product | What We Think | Price | ||||
ARS ARS-KR-1000 Ultra Light Professional Multi-Purpose Shears     |
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Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Hedge Shears, Blue     |
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Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Telescopic Hedge Shears    |
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Silverline 231405 Hedge Shears   |
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Green Blade BB-GT103 Heavy Duty Hedge Shear
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Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Steel Lawn Shears    |
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Amtech U0700 Garden Shears Wooden Handle for Hedges, Shrubs, and Grass     |
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This page is dedicated to reviewing the best garden shears out there. We have selected the products we feel offer the best value for money, given them a short write up and bullet pointed their most outstanding features for you. Should you wish to buy any of these products, or just want more information on them, you can click on the links we have provided for you.
1. Davaon Pro Geared Garden Hedge Shears
The first pair of garden shears reviewed come from Davaon, priced at £24.29.
This excellent product has a geared cutting mechanism that reduces the amount of physical effort needed by the user and so prevents your arms from getting tired too quickly, of course if you want to really cut down the exercise you would buy cordless hedge trimmers no doubt. It also adds power to your cutting, so most of the time only one cut is needed and this helps speed things up.
The chance of fatigue is also lowered by the fact that these garden shears only weigh 820 grams. This is thanks to the body’s rust resistant aluminium construction keeping the weight as low as possible.
Sharpness is assured because of the non-stick coated SK5 carbon steel which is known for keeping an edge for longer than a lot of other materials. The blades themselves have a wavy design to stop branches clumping together when you cut them.
The aluminium handles are covered with non-slip grips for added safety and comfort.
At 56cm long they give you a good amount of reach so you can target some of those high branches without the need of a step or ladder.
- Excellent quality
- Geared cutting action helps make cutting easier
- Low weight aluminium body is also resistant to rust
- SK5 carbon steel blades will stay sharper for longer
- Non-stick and anti-rust coating on the blades
- Wavy blade design prevents branches slipping and clumping together
- Non-slip grips for safety and comfort
- 56cm long
2. Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Hedge Shears
On sale at the moment for £20.00, and saving you £17.99 off the recommended retail price, are the Spear & Jackson Razorsharp garden shears.
Instead of a gear system like Davoan shears above, these have a shock absorber in its place instead, so you won’t get that clunky jolt when you bring the blades together.
The 23cm blades are made from hardened and tempered C50 carbon steel, that is not only very sharp, but also very strong and will give you years of excellent cutting performance. To stop any rust build up, the blades have been chrome plated and this has the bonus effect of giving them a nice looking finish.
The body and handles are made from aluminium to make them lightweight and under 1 kilogram to prevent your arms tiring prematurely.
The handles have soft covers that give you a good grip on the shears and stop slipping.
These shears come with a 10 year guarantee.
- Trusted brand
- Shock absorber between the tops of the handles
- Hardened and tempered C50 carbon steel blades are sharp and durable
- Chrome plated for rust resistance
- Lightweight aluminium body
- Soft grips for comfort
- 10 year guarantee
3. Silverline 231405 Hedge Shears
If you’re just after something cheap and cheerful, then the Silverline hedge shears might be for you.
Costing just £15.94, they are easily affordable and are up to day to day home gardening tasks.
Of course, being priced so low, they don’t have special features like our previous reviews and the materials used might not be so high end, but for your average Joe, who just wants something to trim the hedges every now and again, and you don’t want to invest heavily in buying hedge trimmers, this is a good choice.
The blades are made from hardened steel, with a wavy design to prevent branches slipping for a clean cut. The handles and body are also made of steel and not aluminium, but the overall weight of the product is still very light at 789 grams at measures just under 50cm long.
The handles are rubber coated plastic over the steel frame and also have bumpers on them so handle well but gloves wouldn’t hurt.
- Very low price
- Hardened steel blades
- Steel body and handles
- Lightweight at 789 grams
- Rubber coated plastic grips with bumpers
- 50cm long
4. Hamble Green Blade BB-GT103 Heavy Duty Hedge Shear
Our next garden shears review is also a very cheap product, but these are surprisingly great quality for only £12.99.
The 8 inch, non-stick, wavy blades are made of carbon steel just like more expensive models ensuring that they are easy to sharpen and that they stay sharp for a long time.
Not that they need sharpening. These shears arrived sharp and cut through branches cleanly and quickly. While using them, they feel well balanced, robust and durable and not at all flimsy like some low priced tools.
Gripping this tool is comfortable thanks to ergonomically shaped rubber handles and as they are lightweight, you can use them for a while without getting achy arms.
This product really is excellent value for money and I would certainly recommend them.
- Very Low price
- Excellent quality for such a cheap product
- Sharp 8” carbon steel blades
- Wavy blade design
- Well balanced and robust
- Comfortable ergonomic handles
- Lightweight
5. ARS-KR-1000 Ultra Light Professional Multi-Purpose Shears
If you’re serious about your gardening and don’t mind shelling out a bit more for your tools, then this review of the ARS-KR-1000 shears is worth a look.
As the name implies, these shears are light and weigh just 780 grams. However they actually feel lighter than that when you use them because they are so incredibly well balanced. Even with an overall length of 653mm, they feel completely under your control at all times.
When it comes to sharpness, the 180mm long, 3.8mm thick, high carbon steel blades are something else and slice through even the toughest hedges. I honestly think I preferred using these to my electric trimmer, as I felt I could go on all day without tiring. The blade tension is adjustable through the pivot bolt.
The shock absorber has been enlarged since previous models and does a good job of taking some of the strain off the hands.
Ergonomically designed handles are not only comfortable to hold but they feel extremely durable and will last you a lifetime.
- Professional shears
- Very lightweight
- Amazing quality throughout and will last you a lifetime
- Super sharp 3.8mm high carbon blades
- Perfectly balanced
- Adjustable blade tension
- Comfortable handles
6. Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Steel Lawn Shears
Looking to give your lawn that perfect finish? If the answer is yes then these lawn shears from Spear & Jackson might be just the thing you are looking for.
With any lawn shears, length is important. You don’t want a pair that is too short or you’ll be feeling it in your back later, too long and you might find it awkward to get the right balance and angle for comfortable use. Spear & Jackson’s razorsharp lawn shears are around a metre long which I find is just about right. You can have your arms hanging naturally by your sides and get just the right feel for grass trimming.
At 1.42 kilograms they are not the lightest shears, but they are very well balanced and with that extra weight comes more durability.
The tubular steel handles really give these shears a lot of strength so they won’t bend as easily as some of its competitors. C50 carbon steel has been used for the blades to make the tool live up to its ‘razorsharp’ name and the blades have been polished and lacquered to make them last longer and prevent rusting.
These shears come with a 10 year guarantee.
- Specialised lawn shears
- Just under a metre long so you can stay upright while trimming the lawn
- Tubular steel handles for strength
- Comfortable grips and well balanced
- Polished and lacquered C50 carbon steel blades
- 10 year guarantee
7. Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Telescopic Hedge Shears
Here is yet another product from Spear & Jackson, and it is on sale for £25.00 on Amazon at the moment, saving you 18% on the recommended retail price.
These are telescopic hedge shears, meaning the length of the handles can be changed to suit the users needs. The adjusting mechanism is easy to use, all you have to do is unlock the adjusters, which are situated at the base of the handles, and then slide out the handle poles to the desired length (either 340mm or 500mm) and lock them again, much like a long reach hedge trimmer.
The handles are made from tubular aluminium and this helps to keep the tools overall weight down to 1.3 kilograms.
230mm long carbon steel blades are more than sharp enough to do the job they’re intended for. If anything, you should be careful when using these shears as the blades really are razorsharp. The upper blade is coated with PTFE to give you smooth cuts every time. You can also adjust the blade tension using the tensioning nut that is found at the base of three blades.
Stress on the hands has been reduced by the good sized shock absorber and soft grips, that also keep your hands from slipping in wet conditions.
This product has Spear & Jackson’s 10 year guarantee.
- Telescopic shears can be adjusted from 340mm to 500mm
- Telescopic adjuster is at the base of the handles and is easy to use
- Tubular aluminium handles make this product lightweight and rust free
- 230mm carbon steel blades are super sharp
- PTFE covered upper blade
- Adjustable blade tension
- Shock absorber and soft grips reduce the stress on the hands
- 10 year guarantee
8. Am-Tech Amtech Grass Trimmers
Our Final Garden shears review is of these very cheap traditional looking shears that can be used for hedges, shrubs or grass. They are available for only £4.70.
Weighing in at only 680 grams, you’ll have no problems wielding these for prolonged periods. As expected from such a low cost product, the wooden handles aren’t made from the finest hardwood, but they should be ok for occasional garden use and they have a lacquered finish to improve longevity.
In contrast, the 10 inch blades are actually very good and are made of drop forged carbon steel, very surprising for shears under £4.70.
The overall balance of the shears is good and the wooden handles are shaped to fit in the hands better.
To sum up, these are cheap shears that would suit the casual gardener who just wants to trim the grass or hedge every now and again without breaking the bank. If you are more serious about your gardening, you should probably opt for a product in a higher price range.
- Very cheap at £4.70
- Easy to handle for long periods as they so lightweight
- Classic look with wooden handles
- 10 inch drop forged carbon steel blades
- Good overall balance
That finishes up this article on garden shears reviewed for now. We have tried to offer you information on products that span the price range as much as possible so as to make it inclusive for all our readers. We hope you have found this page informative and helpful in some way and would like to invite you to view similar pages on this site when you have time. We have pages on a huge range of gardening products so we are sure that you’ll find something of interest to you. Until next time, see you again soon.
