Why Ryobi's Pole Lopper Is A Game-Changer For Effortless Pruning
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Pruners, loppers, and pole saws (or pruning saws) are all useful tree-trimming tools you need to keep your trees in the best possible condition. Loppers are similar to pruning shears in that they have thick, solid blades that look similar to scissors but can go through tree branches. The primary difference is that loppers are far larger than pruning shears. They have long handles that give you more leverage to cut thick branches and those that are higher in the tree. Both are manually powered tools. Pruning shears are made for use with one hand, while loppers (with their long handles) require two-handed operation.
If you want even more reach with the ease of one-button operation, consider swapping out manual-powered loppers for an outdoor power tool like the Ryobi 18V Pole Lopper Kit, available for $279 at Home Depot. The kit ships with the tool, a ONE+ 18-volt 2.0 Ah battery, and a charger. Electric pruners offer several advantages, including saving time, simplifying cutting thick stems, and making clean cuts that don't tear the bark. Ensuring clean cuts is one of the ways to prune your trees the right way without having to call a pro. Clean cuts heal faster, helping the tree stay healthier. This lopper tool sits at the end of a telescoping pole that extends up to 9 feet in length, allowing you to reach difficult spots high in the tree.
Why customers say Ryobi's telescoping lopper is so easy to use
For people who have tall or medium-sized trees on their property, clipping branches many feet off the ground can feel like an almost impossible chore. Climbing a ladder to do DIY branch trimming can be quite dangerous because of the fall risk. If the limbs and branches are too close to your house or are broken and could drop to the ground and injure someone, this Ryobi lopper's extension pole allows you to reach branches far off the ground more safely.
YouTube reviewer Live Free and Tool On says the metal parts in the cutting section of the tool make it a reliable product, and you can easily work with precision when cutting with this lopper compared to a pole saw, where "you really do lose a lot of control. [With] this [lopper], you just press a little button, and it closes the jaws." Many customer reviewers on the Ryobi website agree about how easy it is to use this power tool, making it safer to trim branches high in the tree without a ladder. "So, I'm addicted to this," one TikTok user says. "I don't think I could live without it. It's very convenient."
With an overall star rating of 4.2 from almost 400 reviewers at Home Depot, customers echo the positive sentiments, with many users agreeing that the loppers work reliably. Home Depot is the exclusive retail partner for Ryobi products, and Ryobi is one of the best power tool brands at Home Depot, giving purchasers confidence in the quality of the products. The product ships with a 3-year limited warranty from Ryobi for added peace of mind.
Even though it's easy to use, some people will want to skip this tool
Managing battery compatibility may complicate using this tool for some people. The lopper runs from the Ryobi 18V ONE+ battery system. The 18-volt battery is commonly used with Ryobi's indoor power tools, so you might already own some of these batteries, making it convenient to buy the power lopper without having to invest in a new battery system. However, many of Ryobi's outdoor power tools, such as mowers, chainsaws, and hedge trimmers, use Ryobi's 40V batteries. If you've already invested in the 40-volt system, these batteries are not compatible with 18V tools. Using the lopper would mean you have to buy both types of batteries, increasing your operational costs.
One disappointing aspect of the Ryobi lopper is its limitation on the diameter of branches it can cut. According to the manufacturer, the tool has a 1.25-inch diameter cutting capacity, but one Home Depot customer says the jaws didn't spread widely enough to cut branches even 1 inch in diameter. "That may not seem like a big deal, but it is; 20% less capacity than advertised," they commented. The lopper's limited cutting capacity is a significant disadvantage compared to a 40V Ryobi chainsaw, which users attest will cut down 8-inch oak limbs.