The handle extends from 1.37 m to 2.5 m, so you can neaten up hedges as well as tall trees. Weighing just 1 kg in total, it’s easy to use these pruners comfortably for long periods of time. They’re chrome-plated and made from carbon steel, resulting in a high-quality tool that can comfortably cut branches up to 6 mm. In some instances, the blades can cut up to 10 mm. The pole is extendable from 130 cm to 200 cm, and is suitable for both mid-range pruning, and cutting higher up. I liked the fact that the pullies and mechanisms were all internal. I’ve used loppers before where the rope has got tangled or frayed and the mechanism dusty and dirty; this won’t happen with this tool. While the initial testing period was four days. The Gardena Starcut 410 has been used several times since and as of February 27th 2023, there are no issues to report.

Telescopic tree pruners make neatening up your garden easy. They’re convenient, safe and easy to use; however, there are a lot of different styles to choose between.If you also want to use the pruner for some close-range jobs, make sure that its non-extended length is manageable. Extendable pruners tend to be over 1 m long even on their shortest setting, so there may still be jobs that will still require a pair of smaller hand pruners. The tool has two handles which activate the cutting blades, and I found myself using the one at the end of the pole for higher branches and the sliding handle on the shaft of the pole for the lower branches. Most telescopic tree pruners for residential use will extend up to approximately 2 m. This tends to give enough reach for the majority of small trees and bushes without needing to use a step or telescopic ladder. Of course, if you have some trees that are slightly larger, you will be able to use the pruner in conjunction with a ladder as well. However, for the most part you won’t need to. It’s lightweight at only 2.1kg (4.6lbs), which is important as I recently spent the best part of two whole days pruning dozens of trees and bushes. I’ve seen competing products that weigh double and even triple this and I can only imagine how much arm ache the user would experience!

Of note is how easily the blades chopped through the branches; I didn’t need to use much strength due to the gearing system, which increases the pressure on the wood by a factor of twelve.Whether you need to prune roses, or cut high-reaching bamboo canes, the Garten Primus Rose Cavalier Pruner makes it easy to do all the jobs around the garden without requiring multiple tools. The presence of a motor increases its weight, so it’s not the lightest pruner at 3.8 kg, but there is a shoulder included to help make it more manageable. Whilst the strap does help to some extent, using the RPP750S still requires a fair amount of upper body strength. The internal rope pully system is what assists with closing the blades and causes them to cut. Instead of a squeeze handle, which is what many other tree pruners have, this method is easier on the hands. It’s quite a revolutionary way of cutting, and sets the Fiskars pruners apart from others on the market. There are also pruners on the market which extend further, up to 4m, and are ideal for taller trees.

Some telescopic/extendable pruners are manually powered. They have a ‘squeeze’ handle that causes the blades at the top to close and cut. As long as the blades are sharp enough, this shouldn’t be too hard on the hands. These manual pruners are usually best suited to cutting fresh, live stems/branches as opposed to woodier ones. They’ll work best on bushes, hedges and small, young trees.

Razorsharp Advantage Telescopic Tree Pruner

The Fiskars Pruner was selected as an alternative as it’s very similar with only subtle differences. The rope is external, and I believe it will likely fray after prolonged use. I found that the rope sometimes caught on the branches; I never had this problem with the Gardena Starcut 410 as that had an internal mechanism. It only extends to 2.34m (7.64ft), and the average user will only be able to reach around 4m (13ft), which might not suit every garden.

Manufacturers often overstate how high you can safely prune branches and while I’m 6ft2 and with a long reach, I was unable to reach any of the stated heights, even when I was standing on my toes! I suggest you look at the extended length of the pole rather than the “up to” cutting height, which is an estimate. 2) Only choose a cheap product for occasional use, they aren’t built to the same quality Nevertheless, it’s a powerful tool and can be invaluable whilst pruning bigger branches – it’s just a case of making sure you can control it properly.They are also fairly comfortable to hold, although noticeably less strong when fully extended. There’s a comfortable non-slip foam grip at the end and in the middle of the handle, so it can be operated with two hands. Nevertheless, weighing just under 1 kg, it’s one of the best telescopic tree pruners in terms of manageability; not only because it’s easy to hold, but also because it’s well balanced and allows good control whilst pruning. They come with a 330 mm saw which gives the user extra cutting power on larger branches, although it’s worth noting that this saw is a little weak and not particularly effective. The saw also occasionally gets caught on branches and needs to be removed.