Felco 231 Anvil Loppers May 2012
Felco 231 Anvil Loppers first look
These new Felco Anvil Loppers (£169.99) promise to be reliable, efficient and ergonomic. Which? Gardening put them through their paces to see if they are worth their high price tag.
What does Felco claim?
These loppers are made from high-grade forged aluminium and tough steel blades, and Felco claims they cut effortlessly through branches and timber. The curved cutting head is designed to keep the branch close to the central axis. It's claimed they make cutting, especially on hard or dry wood, easy.
Are these loppers comfortable to use?
It is clear from a quick glance that these loppers are built to a very high standard. They have strong yet lightweight tubular aluminium handles, soft red grips and a sturdy cutting mechanism. They weigh 1.2kg, about 200g lighter than our current Best Buy anvil loppers (Wolf Garten RSP4, £35).
How well do these loppers prune?
These loppers were a pleasure to use and sliced through live and dead wood up to 40mm thick with ease. The curved anvil holds the piece to be cut in place while the cam system gives increased cutting power at the blade. Our testers felt that they took less effort than our Best Buys to cut timber of a similar diameter and they left an extremely clean cut with no crushing of the wood.
The long handles mean you should be able to reach all but the highest branches easily and they give plenty of leverage if you’re cutting tougher wood. However, they would be awkward to use in a tight spot.
Our verdict
Pros: built to a high standard, strong, light, curved anvil gives increased cutting power.
Cons: expensive, awkward to use in tight spaces.
- Take a look at our pruning saws review
- You might also be interested in our secateurs review
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