Spear & Jackson 8175RS Geared Shears May 2012
Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Geared Shears first look
It is claimed that Spear and Jackson’s new Razorsharp Advance Geared Shears (£24.99) cut smoothly and easily thanks to their SK5 steel blades and fibreglass handles. Which? Gardening takes a look at them to see if they live up to the claims.
Are the shears comfortable to use?
These shears are remarkably light – they weigh in at just under 0.8kg. Their light weight means that they're not tiring to use and their curved handles give extra comfort
The non-slip grip worked well though we felt that the handle's hard plastic coating wasn’t particularly comfortable.
Do the blades stay sharp?
The Razorsharp Advance Geared Shears have a 20cm cutting blade made from toughened tool steel. They’re very sharp and slice easily through most types of hedge. They seemed to stay sharp during our use - we didn’t notice any deterioration in their cutting while we were using them.
How well do the shears prune?
The geared mechanism gave us plenty of power for trimming. It took very little effort to cut thick branches, and they gave a clean finish on woody, deciduous and conifer hedges. They were easy to move around and a pleasure to trim some box topiary with.
Our verdict
Pros: Lightweight, easy to grip handles, the blades stayed sharp throughout use and the geared mechanism provided extra power for trimming.
Cons: Plastic handgrips gradually became uncomfortable during use.
- Watch our video about how to prune
- Read our top tips on when and how to trim a hedge
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