Corona BP 3180D Forged Classic Bypass Pruner with 1 Inch Cutting Capacity, 1″, Red

I haven’t found the perfect pruner yet. I bought the Corona BP 3180D because I was looking for a pruner that has solved the two design problems with my current pruner, the Felco 2. First, the mechanism that locks the Corona pruner into the closed position never sticks or slips because it consists of a little metal hoop on one arm that fits over a hook on the other arm. In contrast, my Felco has a metal pointer that is screwed to one arm and fits into a gear on the other arm. This pointer keeps coming loose, dropping onto the gear and preventing the pruner from opening. If I tighten the screw firmly to keep the pointer from dropping into the gear, it becomes too tight for me to move with my thumb when I want to lock the pruner. If I loosen the screw a little, after a few minutes of pruning it loosens even more and jams the pruner again. Very frustrating.Second, the Corona is designed so that I can’t pinch my thumb between the two arms when I close the blade. I have received several nasty blood blisters on my thumb when it was pinched between the two arms of my Felco pruner.Do these design superiorities make the Corona the perfect pruner? Unfortunately, no. The strongest cutting power of a pruner is achieved when the twig is placed as deep as possible between the blades and when my hand grips the pruner as far back as possible, a condition that produces maximum leverage. This optimum position of twig and hand is not achievable with the Corona because, when the blades are wide apart the two arms are so wide apart that my hand is not long enough to grip both arms at once. I should mention that I have a typical male hand, 9 inches from pointer finger to thumb when spread out. Of course, I could slide my hand toward the blades, gripping the pruner arms closer to the blades. And I could back the twig off a bit between the blades, but then I would lose a lot of leverage, reducing the cutting power.I also bought the Fiskars pruner (EA0223). Like the Corona it has a fail proof locking mechanism. Unfortunately, if you grip the Fiskars pruner with your thumb in the wrong place it will deliver nasty pinch. I guess eventually I could train myself to place my thumb out of harms way but I’m not always aware of my thumb position when pruning lots of shrubs.There is one other result from my testing that you might find interesting. I tried all three of these pruners on my most frequent task, clearing dead wood out of trees and shrubs. None of them could cut a 1/2 inch diameter twig unless I used two hands. The 1 inch maximum diameter that the manufacturers claim must have resulted from testing on soft, green, wood like Rose canes or willow twigs. In contrast, I’m cutting perennial shrubs and hardwood trees. On this kind of wood all three of the pruners could cut 1/4 inch diameter twig easily, 3/8 inch diameter with some difficulty and 1/2 inch only by switching to my lopper.

Well made shears. My wife loves to garden and these shears are great. They are the third pair I have gotten for her as she has a tendency to loose things while in the garden.Well made and sturdy with very nice blade that sharpens nicely.

Fits my hand perfectly. Cuts very well and has lasted for a while now.