For proper wrist alignment and reduced strain, these topping grass shears from Q-yard help gardeners clip grass at an ergonomically correct angle. Suitable for trimming grass along the edges of flowerbeds and driveways, or topping areas of the lawn, these professional-grade shears offer a lightweight and comfortable option. Admittedly, there are a few pruning shears that beginning gardeners may confuse with long-handle grass shears as they also resemble scissors with long handles. These models, however, feature excessively large and long blades. While they could be used to trim grass evenly in a pinch, they are designed for delivering a level cut to hedges. Key considerations The handles on long-handle grass shears are typically made out of aluminium or steel. Steel is the tougher material and is the material you should consider for heavier-duty use. Aluminium is lighter and the material of choice for people who are looking for a tool that is less fatiguing to use. Swivel head File the blade. Using a flat sharpening file, match the angle of the bevel on your blade and file the edge – if you do not match the bevel while sharpening, you may ruin the shears. Some grasses are tougher than others, requiring stronger shears. For stubborn coarse grasses, leaves, and stems, use these swivel-blade shears from Kings County Tools. The blades rotate either 45 or 90 degrees, giving more options for trimming than a fixed blade but less flexibility than shears with a 360-degree rotation.

Even in a large garden, you may need smaller blades to effectively cut a shallow verge . I also recommend these short blades for working in any fiddly, intricate areas. If you’re looking to cut the tops of your grass, in places where perhaps the mower can’t reach, you’ll want lawn shears. If you want to sort out the edges of your lawn, go for lawn edging shears. You can’t easily use one type of tool for both tasks. Topping shears have horizontal blades, resembling scissors with blades that are on sideways. This style trims down the grass to a particular height so it’s flush with the rest of the lawn, clipping areas the mower might have missed. Topping shears with adjustable features simplify cutting in areas where the lawn sits at an angle. Remember that shears with long handles (which aren’t telescopic) will require more storage space. Weight and Manageability Shears that weigh between 1.5 – 2 kg can still prove difficult to manage for a lot of gardeners. Naturally, they are slightly more manageable, but the weight will become noticeable after a while and more rests may be required than with lighter shears.Even so, these are some of the best lawn edging shears on the market due to their quality and the results that they offer. In most gardens, they will work well to crisply neaten up grass edges – just make sure the weight will be manageable. The orange handle is easy to spot, minimizing the risk of misplacing these shears. A loop-handle design helps maintain a secure and controlled grip for each snip. Weighing just under half a pound, these shears’ light weight reduces the labor necessary when manually trimming the grass. While not all grass shears are built with identical purposes in mind, they all should cleanly slice through fresh grass and other fine herbaceous vegetation that a lawn mower leaves behind. Some of the more robust shears are built for multipurpose garden trimming, such as clipping stray shoots on a hedge or harvesting cut flowers and culinary herbs. For each tool, we considered the way it was marketed, what the manufacturer promises, and how a consumer may actually use and abuse it after the newness wears off. Unlike some edging shears, that catch on themselves whilst cutting, these glide past each other without excessive friction. It’s also possible to adjust the blade tension, with a dial on the blade if necessary. No tools (like a screwdriver) are needed to adjust the tension, which makes it very easy to do.

Clean your grass shears first. Before sharpening, make sure you remove all the dirt, grime, sap, and other substances that may have accumulated on your grass shears. The shears weigh 1.48 kg, which is ‘midweight’ for this style of tool – there are lighter models available, but lightness can compromise durability. For the most part, these Wilkinson Sword shears are considered a manageable weight, although more rests may need to be taken depending on mobility and arm strength.Even after mowing your lawn from top to bottom, the edges can still look a little wobbly and untidy.