Spear & Jackson 8215RS Geared Bypass Loppers (21-inch) May 2012
Spear & Jackson Geared Bypass Lopper 21" first look
Which? Gardening takes a first look at Spear and Jackson's new Advance Geared Bypass Loppers. Their features include fibreglass handles, an SK5 steel blade and a PTFE-coated upper blade, all of which come as standard in the new collection of tools added to the brand’s Razorsharp range. Retailing at £25.99, these loppers promise to give a smooth and clean cut.
What do Spear & Jackson claim?
Spear and Jackson’s new Razorsharp Advance Geared Bypass Loppers promise to give a smooth and clean cut, thanks to the following features:
- Lightweight but strong nylon/fibreglass handles
- Geared action for easier cutting
- Carbon steel blades for lasting sharpness
- Non-slip comfort grips
Are these loppers comfortable to use?
These are a very lightweight set of loppers - at 720g they’re less than half the weight of our Best Buy pair of bypass loppers. As they are so lightweight and have quite short handles (420cm) we felt they would be ideally suited for lighter work around the garden, such as pruning rose bushes or small fruit trees.
The handles' non-slip comfort grips are made of hard plastic, making them easy to hold, but after using them for a couple of hours we felt that they weren't particularly shock absorbent or comfortable.
Are these loppers easier to cut with?
These loppers have a geared mechanism which means that the handles need to open very wide to open the blade to its full extent. They can be used to cut branches up to 40mm, but we felt that to cut this size was a struggle - 35mm is more achievable. As they open so wide, they’re tricky to use in confined spaces.
Do the blades stay sharp?
These loppers give a very clean cut on both live and dead wood, with no crushing. Unfortunately, after just a couple of hours of use, we noticed that the blade had picked up a few burrs and notches. As the blade is non-replaceable it would need to be sharpened regularly.
Our verdict
Pros: Well-suited for lighter work around the garden, they give a good clean cut and don't crush the wood.
Cons: Tricky to use in confined spaces, the blades are non-replaceable and the handles are not very comfortable.
- Take a look at our pruning saws review
- You might also be interested to read our secateurs review
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