Loppers

Tree loppers are a scissor like device used to trim branches and twigs, they have two long handles and should be manoeuvred using both hands. Each handle is around 65 centimetres long to allow efficient movement. You can also use a lopper with telescopic handles which extends to two metres in order to reach high branches.

There are two main style of loppers; an anvil lopper and a bypass lopper.

Anvil Loppers

An anvil lopper crushes the twigs or branch instead of cutting which can give an untidy finish when pruning trees or shrubs. They are however very strong and are less like to become jammed quickly.

Bypass Loppers

Bypass loppers are more scissor like with two blades that are both sharp and will bypass when the user chooses to close them. The 'jaws' of a lopper can vary in style, they can be curved, straight or one can be straight and the other may be curved.

Tree Loppers

Trees should be lopped by a professional unless you are completely confident in doing it yourself. Like many other tools a tree lopper can cause injury when used incorrectly and can also cause lasting damage to the tree. It is advised that you do not just trim a tree in order to get a little extra sunlight because you may end up with the branches growing back extremely densely and may even end up losing the sunlight you craved, not to mentioned spoiling the look of the tree. Always remember to wear gloves and eye protection when undertaking maintenance in your garden, this is especially important when pruning a tree as for example wood chippings can at times fly when cutting.

There is no specific season suggested for being the best for trimming a tree however many people enjoy pulling out their garden tools when the weather is dry. Pruning can be done in order to get rid of diseased limbs and although tree such as birch or maples can often 'bleed' when cut in Spring, this is nothing to be too concerned about as it will not damage the tree.

You should be careful with the amount of the tree that you prune, you must remember to take into account the size, age and species of the tree in order to avoid over-thinning. Over-thinning will reduce the sugar production in the tree and result in tree branches that are prone to failure.

A tree lopper should be used efficiently in order to preserve the tree and also make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible for your garden. Always follow the instructions that come with the tree lopper and put your safety first. A lopper may look just like a large pair of scissors but they are very strong and can cause injury to you or damage tree growth when they are not used in the proper manor.