Spear & Jackson 8290RS Razorsharp Advance Heavy Duty Telescopic Ratchet Anvil Lopper

This is honestly the best thing I have bought for the garden in years. I bit heavy but super easy to use and cuts through thick branches without too much effort from me. Sturdy construction and extendable arms are great for overhead branches.

Probably the best purchase I've ever made! I had a large hedge that had become overgrown, it had become about 12 ft high, I cut it back down to 6ft using these. It cut through branches like butter, I couldn't believe how strong and tough they are. I love the ratchet mechanism, it takes a lot of the effort of chopping away, and I really enjoyed using them. The handles extend and extending the handles is very easy to use, a simple twist to extend, twist back and they are locked in place. The handles are also very easy to grip. After using them to cut over a hundred individual branches, they still perform like new, so they are durable. They are well worth the price, excellent value for money.

Great garden loppers these are seriously heavy duty with a ratcheting mechanism so it's not as hard for you to cut through thicker branches. The only niggle I had was the handles are extendable and it's not as easy to use fully extended. Would still highly recommend.

Out of all ratchet loppers I have used in the past, these are the best ever. Well worth the money and well made. I recommend this product to anyone. Im impressed how long they extend. I am using them to prune the fruit trees in my brothers allotments. They are brilliant for long reach pruning.

These are a brilliant piece of kit. I’d heard people say it cut through wood like butter and never really understand that. My of my I do now. Where I was struggling before with small loppers or awkward saws, these make light work of branches up to inch and half thick. For anyone whose garden is getting out of hand these are the kit for you.

I'm very badly disabled so my limits are without a doubt significantly lower than the full capabilities of these loppers and all I could manage was a single test cut to take a photo. I managed to cut through a branch roughly 43mm (1.7 inch) despite the digital calipers claiming 45mm. But, I still wouldn't be able to use them myself in any capacity. I just can't stand and work with tools as it's far too painful for me with severe spinal issues and I need to use walking sticks or crutches for support as well. What I can very occasionally and briefly help with is shortening the serious branches already on the floor that others have cut down with these loppers to fit them into the gardening bin. Obviously, said branches are considerably thinner towards the middles and ends so I use a set of smaller bladed, lighter Draper heavy duty telescopic anvil loppers I also have here. These Spear & Jackson heavy duty ratchet loppers are for the seriously thick and tougher stuff and they easily cope with it and they are surprisingly well balanced when the handles aren't extended. Branches of 50mm (2 inch) are not a problem for these ratchet loppers and even those getting longer in the tooth who are still relatively fit and healthy can quite easily cut through 40-45mm (1.5 - 1.7 inch) branches and still find these loppers reasonably easy to work with. The fit, young and healthy could very easily cut through 50mm (2 inch) and more, although this is at the top end of their intended use and repeatedly cutting much more than 50mm branches would seriously increase the wear and tear or end up damaging them, ideally a pruning saw or chainsaw would be better there. If you only need to tackle a handful of the considerably thicker branches however, and for the most part you're lopping off annual growth that you keep on top of, these loppers are absolutely ideal. I'm completely reliant upon the help of family, friends and neighbours to help with my gardens so the least I could do was make their lives easier by having these tools available here for them to use. They've done so well that they're frequently borrowed now too and earn high praise every time. It's bad enough having to be so reliant upon others for help as it is without them having to struggle to actually help me too, these loppers are complete game changers and have certainly made life much easier for those that so graciously help me out. The lock is also very handy for storing these loppers with the handles closed. The twist mechanism for locking and unlocking the telescopic handles are a little small and fiddly, but to my mind if your hands can't cope with them then chances are you're not really going to want to be working with these loppers period!! All in all, excellent tools. *** EDIT. I've noticed from observing others that the handles need to be almost fully opened to engage the ratchet and continue cutting, making them quite awkward to use in a cramped or confined space. To disengage the ratchet and fully re-open the blade, the handles need to be opened to the maximum. With the handles extended both actions require a lot of travel. It's a shame they couldn't set the ratchet to engage without the handles having to travel as far. In most cases this shouldn't be an issue but if you're specifically purchasing these loppers for use in an area where your arms may be cramped for space you may struggle. This is the ONLY drawback I can find with these loppers however!! 5/5. I've been told to highly recommend them by those that are really using them to their full potential on my behalf. For their price too, excellent tools to have when required.

I've given them a few uses over a couple of months and wanted to leave a review as some of the reviews I'd read before buying initially put me off - but with experience I don't think they any should be put off - just learn from experiences. Weight The arms are light aluminium and the cutting head is an anvil ratchet device. These are not bypass loppers. But all of the weight is in the head, so bear that in mind if you are not strong and especially if you extend the arms. The anvil and the ratchet makes cutting through limbs easy and you can cut through thicker limbs than bypass cutters. Bending Arms I don't think this is a product fault. I've never bent mine through lots of use. I think however, that when the arms are extended you have to remember that the force you are exerting is increased (you are using longer levers) and use accordingly. Also it's possible to have cut through a branch but still feel resistance - this could be because you are pressing the blade against the closed anvil (perhaps above your head and out of sight) - if you feel a hard stop, stop and reset! Summary These are excellent cutters. They aren't overly heavy, but all of the weight is in the head. They cut thick branches easily using the ratchet. They extend well. What these are not are lightweight bypass cutters for trimming the thin branches of a hedge. These are best for removing branches from trees.

Really pleased. Look good and sturdy, but light to use. 2 safety buttons. One to lock the head and one on each handle to lock into extension mode. Used them to lop quite thick branched fruit trees. Went through with ease. Sharp directed cut. The rachet mechanism takes few goes to get use too, but once you've got it your away. Saves so much time and amazon had the most competitive price. Other outlets were sometimes £10 ,more. Have a 10yr guarantee which is a bonus. Very pleased