The 10 Best Loppers for Pruning Tree Branches and Twigs

Last updated on January 4th, 2022 at 10:40 am

Loppers are very essential gardening tools for pruning twigs or tree branches in the yard. A lopper looks somewhat like a scissors or a garden shear, but with much larger or longer arms, and usually require two hands to handle properly.

The handles are purposely made long typically between 12 inches and 36 inches in length to give enough leverage to cut thick branches.

Some even come equipped with telescopic handles which can be extended further as long as 2 mitres not only to increase leverage, but mostly to enable the user reach higher branches on a taller tree.

There are two main types of loppers, which are Bypass and Anvil.

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Bypass loppers are very efficient when it comes to pruning tree branches that are 2 inches or less in diameter.

A typical bypass lopper usually consist of a scissors like cutting tool with one sharp edge that moves past a rather blunt jaw or hook which is meant for holding the tree branch while the sharp edge cuts through it.

The scissors-like jaws comes in different designs. It might be straight, curved or one blade curved and the other straight.

Newer or modern designs of bypass loppers are usually equipped with lever systems or gears that help to increase the force applied to the blade to allow the lopper cut through thicker branches efficiently.

Some bypass loppers are also fitted with telescoping arms which makes it possible to reach tall branches with it.

Anvil Loppers on the other hand have two jaws that don’t slide beside each other like the blades of a scissors, but rather closes against each other.

One of the jaws (straight or curved) is usually made of hardened carbon steel and sharpened to make the cut, while the other jaw is shaped flat like an anvil, and it’s usually made of a softer metal than the sharp jaw or blade. The sharp jaw closes against the contoured anvil surface of the other jaw to make the cut.

Because anvil loppers have one jaw shaped flat like an anvil, they have the disadvantage of tending to crush the branch instead of cutting it smoothly if the cutting jaw is not sharp enough.

However, they’re ideal for cutting thicker, harder and more fibrous branches as they have more relative strength than bypass loppers, and it’s also less likely for a branch to deflect the jaws or slide in and jam in between the jaws.

With that said, here’s the list of the top 10 best garden loppers you can use today for pruning tree branches, twigs and stems in your yard or garden.

1. Fiskars Quantum Bypass Lopper

Tool Specs
Length	32 inches
Cut Capacity	2 inches
Weight	3.25 lbs
Blade Type	Bypass

If you really want to do some heavy duty tree branch cutting in your garden or around your yard, then this 32 inche Fiskers Quantum Lopper is the one tool you need.

It’s more like a bypass lopper, but one with class. Compared with other loppers, it’s not on the cheap end, but it compensates with shear effectiveness and ease of making cuts with it.

With it, you can cut through thick 2 inch limbs and branches as if they’re not even there. All you need to do is apply minimal effort and it chops through branches just the way you want it to.

The premium European steel which the blade is also covered with a rust-resistant coating which helps prevent tree sap from sticking to the blade and also prevent rust from taking over the blade in the long run.

As for the handle, it’s made of durable aluminum alloy with handle pads made from renewable cork which provides a comfortable and steady grip of the tool while making cuts with it.

The renewable cock padded handle also helps to absorb and prevent shocks that usually occur at the end of every cut, ensuring a smooth cutting operation.

Talking about a smooth cutting action, what really makes that possible with the Fiskers Quantum loppers is the use of their gearing mechanism which ensures that the minimal effort you provide is multiplied through the blade to ensure that smooth low-effort cutting you desire.

With the Fiskers Quantum lopper, you might actually begin to look forward to seeing overgrown or sagging branches in your garden just to get a chance to put the tool in action.

2. EZ Kut G2 Telescopic Ratcheting Lopper

Most loppers nowadays are designed to cut up to 2 inch thick branches or even less. This one from EZ Kut is designed to cut up to 3.5 inch branches smoothly.

Although it has a price tag that’s a bit higher than similar units, it definitely makes up for it in built quality, cut capacity, reach capacity and effectiveness.

This here is a 6 stage ratcheting action tree pruner with patented oiler bolts that self-lubricates to keep all the key pivot joints working as they should constantly.

It has telescopic handles that can be extended from 18 inches to 42 inches, which provides more leverage and allows up 10 feet of reach above.

The body is made up of high quality cast aluminum to reduce weight, and the blades are made of high carbon steel with non-stick coating to keep it sharp as long as possible.

This is a must have tool you should get whether you’re a gardener, a hunter, landscaper, farmer or even a ranch owner with acres of land to take care of.

Both handles and blades are replaceable.

3. AIRAJ Compound Action Anvil Lopper

The AIRAJ compound action anvil lopper provides you with the capacity to cut 2 inch branches with ease.

It features a labor-saving lever system with 4 pivot points that multiplies the effort applied on the handles to the blade, thus reducing the amount of force you need to apply to cut down a branch.

Loppers needs to have long handles to increase leverage, but with longer handles comes the issue of weight. That’s why the AIRAJ compound action anvil loppers comes equipped with telescopic handles made of high-quality aluminum allow to improve reach, buy at a reduced weight.

As for the blade, it’s an SK5 hardened alloy steel blade coated with Teflon to prevent rust and corrosion. It stays sharp even after several use, and if it eventually gets blunt, there’s a spare you can swap in.

The telescoping handles can extend from 27 inches to 40.5 inches, allowing you to reach really tall branches, and there are rubberized to easy grip and comfort during use.

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4. Wolf-Garten RR900T Telescoping Bypass Lopper

Tool Specs
Length	26. 5 ” to 35.6″
Cut Capacity	1.97 inches
Weight	3.86 lbs
Lopper Type	Bypass

If you’re in need of quality German construction bypass lopper, then the Wolf-Garten RR900T telescoping bypass lopper will fit your mold of expectation.

It’s made with quality german steel blades that will cut through your tree branches and twigs like a hot knife through butter.

Not to make any exaggeration, but if the branches you’re hoping to cut are not more than 1.97 inches in diameter, then the RR900T bypass loppers will do justice to them.

The cutting head is a dual-pivot cutting head, which means it pivots at two joints which help to ensure that the cutting operation is smooth, requiring minimal effort.

Talking about minimal effort, the telescoping handles of the Wolf-Garten Bypass lopper ensures that’s what you get.

The handles extends from 25.6 inches in length to 35.5 inches in length, not only ensuring that you use minimal effort when cutting, but also affords you a greater leverage to reach highly positioned branches easily.

It also means that you don’t have to stoop so low when cutting branches or twigs that are way below your reach.

The tool weighs just 3.86 lbs which is fairly lightweight when compared to other loppers in its size range.

When it comes to quality, the Wolf-Garten RR900T is definitely not lacking as it’s a German constructed tool. The blades remain sharp even after heavy use.

It’s a bypass lopper you can definitely pass on to your kids when your time here is up.

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5. THANOS Telescoping Anvil Loppers

The THANOS (not the villain) extendable anvil loppers are a great buy for any farmer, gardener, hunter or rancher looking for an effective tool to prune tree branches, twigs and snip stems in the yard or garden.

Equipped with telescoping handles that extend from 28 inches to 40 inches in length, it is very ideal for pruning tall trees beyond the reach of a standard lopper or garden shear.

It can prune branches up to 2 inches in thickness, and remains sharp after several use. The blade is made with SK5 hardened steel alloy, and coated with Teflon to prevent corrosion and rust.

The telescoping aluminum rods are made with high quality aluminum alloy for reduced weight and also prevent rust, while the rubber handles improves grip and user comfort.

If you want to trim fruit trees, tackle some landscaping projects or even cut small branches to make a fire while hunting or camping, the THANOS telescoping anvil lopper is a very good tool you can go for.

6. Spear & Jackson 8290RS Telescopic Ratchet Anvil Loppers

A lopper with a ratchet action blade makes it easier for the user to make cuts, decreasing the amount of effort needed to make a cut.

That’s why the Spear & Jackson 8290RS telescopic ratchet anvil lopper is one of my favorite. The ratchet action engages immediately you start cutting, forcing the blade into the branch in a series of short steps and preventing them from going apart until the cut is complete.

With it, you can cut braches up to 2 inches in thickness, and the telescoping handles extend from 15.75 inches to 31.5 inches to help increase your reach and leverage.

The blade like few other loppers is made with SK5 hardened carbon steel alloy and coated to keep it sharp, corrosion and rust-free through several use.

The serrated anvil prevents the branch from slipping or twisting during a cut.

As for the handles, they’re made of tubular aluminum to keep them as light as possible with all that reach you get, while the soft-grip finish ensures you can hold it comfortably for long periods of pruning.

7. TABOR TOOLS GG11 Bypass Lopper

Tool Specs
Length	30 inches
Cut Capacity	1 3/4 inches
Weight	3.65 lb
Lopper Type	Bypass

The TABOR TOOLS GG11 compound action bypass lopper as the name implies makes use of a compound lever system for making cuts.

The Compound lever system has multiple pivot points which all work in unison to reduce the efforts needed from the operator, by multiplying the little applied force to increase the force applied to the blade.

All this makes it very easy to cut with the GG11 compound action bypass lopper. With it you can cut through ¾ inch thick branch without any trouble.

Even after heavy use, the blades remain sharp as it is made with hardened carbon still. It’s coated with a non-stick which makes the blade slide through cuts effortlessly.

A 30 inch length handle makes it easy not only for you to reach higher branches and twigs, but also affords you some extra strength as it increases your effort and helps makes cutting a lot more easier.

The tool ergonomics is also on point as the handles are rubberized with soft grip rubbers which makes it easy to hold the tool firmly and steadily.

Overall, the GG11 Compound action bypass lopper is great pruning tool.

In terms of quality it’s well made with hardened carbon still blades, cuts efficiently within the advertised tree branch sizes, and it’s definitely one of the best bypass loppers you can equip yourself with right now.

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8. Corona DualLink Telescoping Bypass Lopper

Tool Specs
Length	27 1/2″ to 37 1/2″
Cut Capacity	1 3/4″
Weight	4.15 lbs
Blade Type	Bypass

The Corona DualLink Bypass Lopper gives you the capacity to cut through limbs as small as 3/4 inch in size and as large as 1 inch in size.

With its extendable or telescoping arms feature, you get to be able to reach far higher branches with the lopper. Just flip open the red thingy on the handles to release the handles and extend them, and flip back to lock down the handles and you can start using the lopper.

Without extending the handles, they are 27 ½ inches in length, but after extending them you get a length of 37 ½ inches. That is an extra 10 inch increase in length, affording you more leverage to reach more limbs and branches from your position.

The Corona DualLink bypass lopper makes use of their PowerSource linkage system which is a kind of lever system that helps reduce how far you open the arms and also multiplies the effort you apply to make cutting with it a lot more easier.

Corona also employs a ShockGuard bumper system which helps reduce the snapping action of the jaws after cutting hence reducing user fatigue.

The Corona DualLInk bypass lopper is definitely one of the best ones you should look to when you need a lopper which can afford you more leverage when pruning with it.

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9. Jardineer 2 Inch Anvil Loppers

With 30 inch long handles, the Jardineer Anvil loppers gives enough leverage to prune branches as wide as 2 inches.

It’s a heavy duty lopper that is well-built and designed to make your tree pruning projects go as smooth as possible.

Apart from the leverage that the 30 inch arms gives, the Jardineer anvil lopper also comes equipped with a heavy duty ratchet jaw that will maximize every force applied to the handles to make cutting through thick branches a breeze.

The handles are made with solid steel to ensure they stand the test of time, and also paired with soft grip holders to ensure user comfort during operation.

Take note though that this Jardineer is kind of a light-duty lopper for branches 2 inches and below, nothing more. So, you should keep that in mind if you’re going for it.

You can use it for sniping light stems, pruning twigs, fruit trees and other landscaping projects.

It comes equipped with a non-stick carbon steel blade to preserve plant, and also to preserve the sharpness of the blade even after several cuts.

The Jardineer anvil lopper even comes with a spare blade you can swap in if the first one gets blunt, thus helping you get more work out of the tool before spending money on another lopper or another blade.

10. Fiskars PowerGear

Tool Specs
Length	32 inches
Cut Capacity	2 inches
Weight	2.55 lbs
Lopper Type	Bypass

What do you get when you put gears on a giant scissors? Well, you get the  fiskers PowerGear Bypass Loppers for pruning through tree limbs and branches.

With the Fiskers PowerGear bypass lopper, you get a premium cutting tool which gives you the ability to cut tree branches up to 2 inches in diameter with slick and smooth cutting action.

Fiskers employs their patented PowerGear technology on this lopper which multiplies your effort 3 times to make cutting through those branches and twigs even easier than you think.

It comes equipped with 32 inch handles which gives you more leverage to reach farther tree branches, and also decreases the effort you need to apply to make the cut.

A fully harded still blade ensures that the blade doesn’t get dull after a few cuts and can withstand heavy use. The blade is also coated as well to reduce friction when making cuts, as well as protect against rusting.

If you’re really in need of a good bypass lopper to do some serious pruning in your garden, then the Fiskers PowerGear2 bypass lopper is definitely one you should consider.

Lest I forget, the handles are rubberized to ensure that you have a good soft grip on the tool while using it.

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