Electric Pruning Shears: What To Know Before Buying

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Many of the trees and shrubs in our yards need pruning regularly, and it can be difficult to keep on top of it all. Although some gardeners may love getting their pruning shears out and tidying up, you're not alone if your wrist starts to cramp at the thought of this chore. If you fall into this category, you might have heard of electric pruning shears. These gardening tools are exactly what they sound like: pruners, but electric. Instead of having to rely exclusively on your own strength to push down on your pruners, the magic of electricity does it for you, reducing effort and hand fatigue. As they are powered by a battery, these pruners tend to be stronger and more powerful, allowing you to cut thicker branches with less effort. 

Before ordering the first electric pruning shears you see online, you'll want to realistically consider your pruning needs. Are you doing minor shrub maintenance and need to give your aching wrists a break? Or do you have an extensive yard that will need more than a few weekends to tackle? You'll also need to consider the type of tree and shrubs that you'll be pruning. Thicker and denser branches will naturally need a higher-quality tool.

Beyond the obvious things to look for, there are also some extra bells and whistles to consider when shopping for the pruning shears of your dreams. If you're the type of person who gets anxious about battery life, some products feature digital displays of the length of time (or even number of cuts) left before the battery needs to be replaced. And if you prioritize safety, you may want to keep an eye out for pruning shears that offer blade covers when not in use.

Finally, the last thing to weigh when shopping is the, well... weight. Almost all electric pruning shears weigh in at around 1-3 pounds, depending on how heavy duty the tool is — a longer-lasting battery and higher voltage will be heavier. The difference of a couple of pounds might seem negligible in the moment, but if you plan to hold the tool for hours at a time, your body might notice the difference between one pound and three pounds pretty quickly — especially if you're 10 feet up a ladder.

Finally, and most importantly, you'll need to balance cost and the product's drawbacks against the projects you're likely to use these tools for. If you're looking for something relatively dependable and cheap to make pruning basic shrubs and twigs a bit easier, than something like the YAWV electric shears might check the box for you. These shears will last 900 cuts on one charge and work well for occasional backyard maintenance. With a cutting diameter up to 1.2 inches and a weight of 1.6 pounds, this relatively inexpensive tool will easily handle most of your regular landscaping and gardening needs.

On the other hand, if you need a tool that can handle everything from trimming rose stems to cutting through thick, errant tree branches, it will be worth splurging a bit more for something like the DeWalt pruning shears. Weighing in at only a pound with a cutting diameter of 1.5 inches and a battery length that pushes the needle at 1,100 cuts, this is a tool made for professional (and prolonged) pruning. It also has the ability to swap blades if the shears' sharpness starts to dull over time.