Buyer's Guide
Pruning Tools Buyer's Guide
From Silky folding saws and telescopic pole saws to STIHL cordless secateurs and professional loppers, this guide covers the full pruning tool range at Gustharts to help arborists, tree surgeons and serious gardeners choose the right tool for every branch size and reach requirement.
Silky Handsaws
Silky is a Japanese manufacturer producing the most widely used professional pruning saws in the UK arborist market. The Silky Zubat is the go-to folding pruning saw for arborists - available in 240mm, 270mm and 330mm blade lengths. The Silky F180 is a compact folding saw for lighter work. The Silky Hayauchi is a long-reach pole saw system extending to 6.3m and 8.3m. All Silky saws use impulse-hardened teeth that cannot be resharpened - replacement blades are stocked for all models.
Pole Saws and Manual Pole Saws
A manual pole saw extends cutting reach for high branches and crown work without a ladder. Telescopic pole saws like the Silky Hayauchi and Hayate extend from 2m to over 8m. A pole saw uses a pruning saw head on a pole; a pole pruner uses a bypass cutting head on a pole - the saw is better for branches over 30mm, the pruner for lighter, cleaner cuts. Fixed and extendable pole saws are available from Silky, ARS and STIHL.
Pruning Saws
Pruning saws use triple-cut or impulse-hardened teeth that cut on the pull stroke for fast, clean cuts through green and seasoned timber. STIHL produce a professional pruning saw range for arborists and gardeners. Silky Zubat and Gomtaro curved pruning saws are the most popular choices for professional arborists in the UK. Curved blades cut faster on the pull stroke; straight blades give more control in tight spaces.
Loppers
Loppers cut branches up to 50-60mm diameter depending on the model and blade type. Bypass loppers make clean cuts on living wood and are preferred for tree surgery and garden pruning. Anvil loppers crush the branch and suit dead wood removal. Ratchet loppers multiply cutting force for thick, tough stems with less effort. STIHL and Okatsune produce professional loppers stocked at Gustharts for arborists and serious gardeners.
Secateurs
Secateurs cut stems and small branches up to 20-25mm diameter. Bypass secateurs use two curved blades passing each other for clean cuts on living wood - the professional choice. Anvil secateurs use a single blade against a flat plate and suit dead or dry wood. STIHL produce the ASA 20 cordless battery secateurs for professional high-volume pruning. Okatsune secateurs - including the Okatsune 103 bypass secateurs - are Japanese-made precision tools trusted by horticulturists and arborists worldwide.
Silky Replacement Blades
Silky saw blades use impulse-hardened teeth which cannot be resharpened - when the blade dulls, replace it rather than sharpen it. Replacement blades are available for all major Silky models at Gustharts: Silky Zubat 240, 270 and 330 replacement blades; Silky F180 replacement blade; Silky Hayauchi and Hayate replacement blades. Fitting a Silky replacement blade: 1. Unscrew the pivot bolt. 2. Remove the old blade. 3. Fit the new blade and retighten the bolt to finger-tight plus a quarter turn.
Choosing the Right Pruning Tool
Branches under 20mm: bypass secateurs. 20-50mm: loppers or a folding pruning saw. 50mm+: pruning saw or chainsaw. High branches within reach: telescopic pole saw or pole pruner. High branches out of reach: a pole saw system like the Silky Hayauchi or powered STIHL HTA pole pruner. For arborists, a Silky Zubat folding saw in the saddle plus a Silky Hayauchi for ground-level high-reach work covers most pruning scenarios.
