Customer Reviews for Fiskars PowerGear2 3/4 in. Cut Capacity Titanium Coated Blade with SoftGrip Handle Bypass Hand Pruning Shears

1st time used these pruners, they fell out of my coat pocket to the driveway and the lock broke. Lock is plastic. So buyer beware, handled carefully and don't drop on any hard surface. Not covered by Fiskar's “life time” warranty: “accident.” Though I feel it happen because they are a poorly made tool. Also even though these pruners are said to be able to cut 3/4”, the blades only open to 3/4” at the very tip of the blades, so you would have to make multiple cuts around a 3/4” stick to cut it.

Swivels handle is odd to use and not easy to cut with. My issue is the blade. I have had them for a year with regular home use and the blade chips very easy. They will not cut cleanly.

I have had these pruners for almost 4 years now and have been very happy with them. The handle is very ergonomic and fits in your hand well for continuous pruning without getting tired. The pressure required to squeeze these is very minimal thanks to the sharp blade and cutting mechanism. This product does meet my expectations and and I haven't found anything that I dislike about them. Please hit the thumbs up if you find this helpful.

Right out of the packaging these felt a little off. The action (opening and closing) was not smooth and the blade all ready had a two very, very small nicks. Perhaps just one of those days when quality control is lacking. The picture is after pruning four sago palms and a few other light duty pruning. Nothing over the rated 3/4". Very disappointing.

This specific model is my favorite model, however it's been discontinued, and the redesigned and "Improved" PowerGear2 model that replaced it is terrible. My original PowerGear pruner worked flawlessly for years, until I dropped it into a large garden shredder/wood chipper. So I tried the PowerGear2 and found it to be horse manure. The gears and guides get out of alignment and jam so it no longer works, that's the pruner on the left and bottom in the photos, note how the cutting jaws are partially open. Even before it jams, I found the the new latch location on the top of the pruner (left and bottom pruner in the pictures, note the orange lever) very inconvenient and the new gear location repeated caught and pinched the skin between my thumb and forefinger. I definitely recommend Fiskar products -- the vast majority are great -- and any version of the original PowerGear -- with the latch on the left side -- if you can find one, even used. I do NOT recommend any version of the PowerGear2 hand pruner with the latch on the top, unless someone is going to pay you to take it. I have a dozen different Fiskar pruners, loppers and their pole pruners and they all work great. Additionally Fiskars does stand behind their lifetime warranty without questions or excuses.

I actually purchased these to trim my pot bellied pig's toenails! They were perfect, very sharp and easy to use! The handle rotates, allowing even my small hand to cut toenails like butter! I've recommended them to all my friends who also have pigs.

It barely cut a 1/2 inch green tree branch. I had to use 2 cuts and twist with two hands. It provided ZERO gear mechanical advantage. It's not any better than my 25 year old Fiskar pruner. Very disappointed!

The extra power transmitted to the cutter makes them easier to use. On the down side, the gear in the handle became disengaged and it took a while to figure out what happened.

These pruners look nice, are sturdily constructed, are sharp, and have good leverage. BUT: the design is failing when it comes to safety. My thumb kept getting pinched such that I now have several large blood blister on the inside of my thumb (right hand) next to the nail. So I had to add an improvised guard, as you can see in my uploaded pictures, to keep my thumb out of the pinch point hereafter.

Not having a bottom blade makes them very difficult to shear. It tends to crush more then cut.

Don't let the compact size fool you. This is a tough and rugged little pruner which is ergonomically comfortable and super-efficient in its function. I've been using it a great deal in the last few weeks and it's still very sharp and quickly/easily cutting through some thick branches with minimal effort and just as well as it did on the first day I purchased it. Overall, it exceeded my expectations!

This review is of the Fiskars PowerGear2, Model #P552. These are great cutting pruners and feel good in the hand; I really wanted to like them. I bought them due to the lifetime warranty, as I wanted some that would last. Unfortunately, these didn't last. I only used these a few days, but each day I probably trimmed 5-6 fruit trees (lots of trimming those days). The plastic that holds the rotating handle into the gear broke, and rendered these useless. Without that piece, they don't cut (much less stay together). They have a lifetime warranty, so they can be sent in for repair. It seems like the manufacturer is responsive, with an easy claim process online for even needing new blades, so we'll see how this goes.

I am a big fan of Fiskars. I have their lawnmower, 2 lopers, garden knife and an old hand pruner. I have recommended their products to friends. So I am sorry to report that I am disappointed with my new pruners. Every time I cut with the pruners, they stick closed. Very frustrating. I cannot recommend this product.

This was the second delivery from Peapod (online grocery service) I have received. And after the driver's first trip up our porch steps I realized I had never trimmed my "guardian rose bush" like I'd meant to after last week's delivery. So while PP Driver headed back & forth between truck & kitchen, I quickly trimmed back the yellow rose bush so it would no longer pick visitor's pockets. The Fiskars PowerGear pruners worked beautifully. I had no trouble at all snipping through woody branches as thick as my pinky finger. The gear design is a wonderful addition to pruning shears - very helpful.

I liked the feel of these cutters right out of the easy to open package. They are light and feel very comfortable in the hand. It has a unique cutting drive system powered by a gear to amplify the cutting strength As you close the cutter the bottom handle rotates slightly as the power gear turns and makes cutting thicker branches much easier and cutting all branches with less fatigue. It works the same in both hands but feels more comfortable in the right hand due to the power gear action. Made of high strength plastic there is no worrying about rust either. It also has a handy lock on top that's easy to use and is brightly colored making it easy to see or find

This is by far the best hand pruner I have ever used. It is extremely sharp and provides a great deal of leverage considering the small size of the pruner. The pruner cut through every branch/plant i attempted to prune with ease. The one caveat to all of this is that the pruner appears to be exclusively designed for right handed individuals and is much more comfortable to operate with your right hand. This is the only CON, being that I am left handed I noticed this immediately. The motion of the pruner is not conducive to a left handed individual. The mechanics operate in the exact opposite direction as one would expect. I am not sure if there is a right hand and left hand specific model for this pruner but if there is, I would run out and buy a left handed version too.

I was excited to try these Fiskars pruners, but as soon as I opened the package and held them in my hand, I was disappointed. The first problem is that I'm left handed, but the PowerGear feature is designed for the right hand. So for anyone out there that is left handed or if you like to switch between left and right hand use, these are not for you. The product description on the Home Depot site doesn't appear to have any mention that these are right handed, and there is only one small mention of this on the bottom corner of the package. The second problem is the design of the PowerGear mechanism and the resulting ergonomic compromises it causes. While it's a novel concept, I think the downsides of the design outweigh any potential benefits. The size of the PowerGear mechanism means that your hand is 2 inches away from the hinge. While this theoretically helps to improve leverage, it means that the handles of the pruner are very far apart when fully opened. I am barely able to grab the bottom handle of the pruner with my fingertips when the handle is extended. You first have to stretch your fingers to grab the bottom handle, then pull it closed slightly, then regrip and reposition your hands on the handle every time. It's just not practical and gets old very quickly when using it. Next, the rolling or rotating movement of the bottom handle means that it is moving in your hand as you close the pruners. In theory, as you close your fingers, the handle is rolling with your fingers and it seems like it should be a natural fit. But it is a strange feeling and doesn't feel natural. When trying to use the pruners, I just wanted to stop. After decades of using standard pliers, wire cutters, pruners, and other hand tools, it's really hard to get used to a tool that moves in your hand as you use it. Last, the PowerGrip design limits the opening of the tip of the blades to 1". While I don't plan on cutting large branches with a pruner, the smaller blade opening means that plant stems or branches must be directed into the smaller opening. I have a pair of cheap pruners that have a blade opening of over 1.5". It may sound trivial, but it's just one more compromise of the PowerGrip design. If you are constantly cutting tough 1/4" tree branches, maybe you would get some benefit from the PowerGear leverage. But the vast majority of my pruning is for easy to cut items, so the potential benefits of the PowerGear design aren't worth the compromises and awkward ergonomics. I am going to try the Fiskars Titanium Bypass Pro Pruner, as that is a more conventional design and is for both left and right hand use.

Fiskars PowerGear Titanium Pruner is an excellent addition to your garden tools especially those with arthritis. The pruner looks different from when you first open the packaging. It has a gear and cam mechanism with mechanical advantage to use less direct force. The really different thing is that one of the handles is a contoured rolling handle that rotates slightly outward as you squeeze the tool. I found it worked best with small to middle size stems using steady even pressure to close. Those others that reported problems may have been too aggressive forcing it instead of using a larger tool. The titanium mentioned in the title is really a coating on the top of the anvil blade to keep it clear of sap. I have arthritis so this pruner felt more comfortable using as well as doing a good job on pruning the scrubs.

The titanium blade and the roll out handle make this a thing of beauty. Your hand does not get tired from squeezing because the handle rolls with each cut. The sharpness of the titanium blade makes cutting branches and other material so easy. I have cut a bush to trim it up and I cut for several hours, because of the rolling handle my hand was not worn out and not sore from all of the cutting. It cut through dowel rods with ease, Clean cuts, not broken half way through. The same with the branches. It cut like a sword through air. 1 inch and 2 inch branches were made quick work of when shaping a series of bushes. The rolling action actually adds strength to the cut. Smoothe usage and follow through. I just had to count my fingers when I was finished cutting to insure I still had all of mine. Great tool for the professional or your DIYer. Use IT SAFELY.

I have used Fiskars' PowerGear pruners for many years now, and over the last several years have found that they are about the only pruner I use anymore (even though I own other nice, name-brand pruners that aren't geared). These pruners come with a lifetime warranty. That's good piece of mind, but better yet I've never used the warranty on any of my Fiskars pruners. These PowerGear 2 pruners are a nice evolutionary improvement on what I already considered a good product: the gears are slightly larger (which should make the more durable), the lock switch is now much larger and on located on the top, I think the handles are slightly more comfortable for my hand, and I think the cutting blades stay a little closer together (when cutting large branches, they can push the two blades apart so they don't cut well--these seem slightly less prone to that). The claimed cutting diameter for these is 3/4". What you can actually cut will depend on how dry or green the branch is, and on your hand strength, but I can certainly say that I can cut much larger stuff with these hand-pruners than any non-geared pruner I have used. Most of what I cut is oak, which is not a soft wood (especially when dry). I certainly have cut 1/2" oak with these, although if I have many cuts that size, I change to loppers. I probably have about 3 hours of use on this new pair of pruners on fallen oak branches in my yard, and I haven't found anything I like less well than my older pairs of these pruners. I use my pruners a lot, and despite the titanium coating they do dull over time. I do sharpen them periodically and they continue to work well, but never quite as smoothly as a new pair, so I do get a new pair every few years. So in summary, the PowerGear pruners have been my go-to pruners for big jobs for years, and I think this PowerGear 2 is the best version yet.

the pruner has a very interesting design!! it feels the same as a regular pruner & slightly different mechanism for closing! I would recommend for anyone that has larger pruner needs. The pruner cuts through anything! Amazing how sharp these are. After owning several generic pruners & always replacing, I would strongly recommend to anyone that does a lot of work outside!!!

These are handy little pruners. They are small enough to put in a pocket. They have a gear built into the handle that improves the leverage for cutting branches. The only downside of these pruners is that they don’t have a good way of hanging them up on the garage wall

The top handle of this pruner pivots with your hand allowing for comfort and long-term ergonomic use. Comparing with other clippers without the pivoting handle, my hand does not get sore after reasonable use. It also locks and unlocks single-handedly, as the locking mechanism is located near where the thumb goes. I am right-handed, so I'm not sure how well this would do for left-handed folks as the pivoting handle turns inwards towards the palm of my hand (which would be opposite to what a left-handed person need). This pruner is excellent for herbs. It provides just enough cutting power to easily and cleanly cut stems of herbs. Also great for pruning stems of tomato plants. The pruner does not do well on larger stems such as rhododendron, nor is it efficient for trimming many stems at a time (such as with hedge trimming and shaping). I recommend adding this to your garden tool kit, but also be sure to have a larger set of pruners for thicker stems and branches.

This pruner uses a unique “rolling handle” design along with a gear drive that does actually multiply the leverage of these pruners; thereby requiring much less hand strength than conventional pruners. They make a clean easy cut on branches up to ¾ in; when held perpendicular to the branch. I like the fact that the lock is located on top of the handle and out of the way; preventing accidental locking while in use. The challenge I have with these pruners is ergonomics. They are too large for my wife to use with one hand. I find it difficult to open them completely in my hand and I have large hands. The rolling handle takes it's toll on your hand when used for a long period. Leather gloves help make the “rolling handle” easier to adapt to. These shears are for right handed use only as noted on the package.

Overall, I'm pleased with these pruners. I've used these to trim up some several plants around the yard and even parts of my mesquite trees. The rotating handle is a bit unique and the "PowerGear" is supposed to make cutting easier, however I'm not sure I totally buy into that. They still cut well as a general use pruner, but as you start get branches in the 1/2" to 3/4" range I feel it still takes the same effort that my old non-"powergear" pruners took. In addition if you're cutting dense/hard wood (like my mesquite trees) I would opt for something bigger once you get into the 1/2"+ range. Still, for most of my general pruning of bushes and shrubs, these work great.

After moving to a new house, I needed a new pair of bypass pruners. Of course, nothing anymore is the same as what I had from 20 years ago that still worked but lost in the move... Anyway, these pruners were great....for the first two months. Then the PowerGear handle started slipping, so the gears would slip not allowing the blades to fully open. After finagling it back, the screw holding the two halfes together started to loosen causing more slippage, and the branches to pass BETWEEN the blades, not cutting anything. Submitted a Warrenty to Fiskars, but I really don't want another pair...I'd rather a refund!

I have for my gardening needs several various pruners various quality from those from dollar store to better ones . Fiskars is reputable brand and this pruner has different feature then those others: Rolling handle and bypass blades titanium coated for better rust resistance. This tool is made to be very comfortable to hold in the hand. From the beginning rolling handle felt little bit strange during trimming. But as they say, one gets used to good thing fast. According to manufacturer this pruner should manage branches and stems up to 3/4 inch thick. I used this pruner for juniper to get rid of damaged twigs and it cut off without any effort twigs slightly over ½ inch thick. Then I used it on removing (chopping off) several by winter damaged bamboo plants about 1/2 inch thick. Bamboo is very tough, I had to squeeze hard this pruner, but the pruner made it. After two afternoons of working around the garden it became right the way my most favorite pruner in the house. It clips dry sticks or twigs with ease. It chops off easily practically everything; just few times it chewed on very thin green stem. Another great thing: Fiskars covers this product with full Lifetime Warranty.

This pruner has 'leverage' during the close to make pruning thicker stalks easier. The blade is sharp and strong. We found the rotation of one of the handles (the 'powergear' action) disconcerting and awkward. Another issues we had was that the gear slipped while cutting a hard stalk and we had to figure out how to re-align the gears (loosen the blade, re-align the gears, tighten the blade). I would probably buy the next level of pruner with a handle that doesn't rotate to provide the extra leverage.

I enjoy using this style prunner and like the innovated rotating grip

These pruning shears provide strength with little effort. Excellent!