The Dynamic Duo of Pruning Tools

Apr 05, 2024

Photo Credit: Better Garden

Use a looper to prune trees and climbing vines

Byline: Braxten Breen,
Farms.com Intern

As anyone with trees on their property knows, pruning trees can be a difficult task. Pruning is about the removal of diseased or damaged branches, encourages airflow and healthy growth of the trees. It also shapes unruly trees to help improve their overall health.

If you have a few fruit trees located around your farm, pruning those trees can affect the overall size and shape, quality and quantity, health, and safety of those trees.

Experts advise that you should prune edibles in early summer for larger, healthier fruit. Keep in mind that dormant pruning invigorates a fruit tree, while summer upkeep allows for better airflow and light penetration.

Pruning is both a science and an art, but it is important to ensure you have the right pruning tools. Loppers are ideal for trees, climbing vines and large shrubs.

Better Garden Tools has your farm covered with the Heavy-Duty Ratchet looper and Sharpener.

Ideally there is no need to use a chainsaw for a limb under a 3-inch (7.5 cm) diameter. The Better Garden Heavy-Duty Ratchet is perfect for this type of task as it can cut a limb up to a 2-inch (5 cm) diameter.

All cuts should be made on the branch side of the stem collar, which grows out from the stem at the base of the branch. This protects the stem and other branches that might be growing and allows the tree to heal more effectively.

The Heavy-Duty Ratchet looper has a 30-inch (75 cm) handle of tubular steel that requires yet to no strength to make a proper cut. High carbon steel blade that can be resharpened or even replaced.

To help resharpen your looper, Better Garden Tools also offers a Sharpener for Ratchet Pruners and Loopers. It is lightweight, small, and above all easy to use; no angles are skill needed, just run the blade of your pruner/looper through the carbide “V” 5-10 times and your set!

If you are a farmer with orchard trees around the farm or like to prune your farm sometimes, this is a great duo of tools for the job by Better Garden Tools.

Video: TOUGHBUILT Reload Utility Knife + 2 Blade Mags_TB-H4S2-03

The ToughBuilt® Reload Utility Knife is an innovative quick-change tool expertly crafted from pro-grade materials with a groundbreaking, patented mechanism that allows it to receive spring-loaded blade magazines and autoload a fresh blade with just a flick after discarding the used blade with the push of a button. Just like a standard firearm operation, the mags drop away clear, and a new one can be charged into the chamber with a snap.

Replacement of worn blades is safe and straightforward with a one-button blade-release function that extracts used blades before charging in a fresh one by simply retracting the actuator and flicking it forward again. With a simple press of the mag release, a positive, spring-loaded magazine ejection drops mags clear from the tool or into an open hand. A new magazine can then be loaded inside, making it easy to switch from one kind of blade to another in a flash.

All Toughbuilt mags are integrated with a lower chamber indicator switch. Positions 1, 2, or 3 remind the Pro which kind of blades are loaded in a magazine without extracting the mag from a pouch or pocket. Designed for rigorous cross-platform use, the Reload Knife utilizes quality construction featuring smooth aluminum alloy and zinc alloy for corrosion resistance. It is wrapped in rugged, grippy, non-slip rubber soft-touch housing to protect the tool from shocks and drops while creating a more dexterous hand purchase on the instrument.

The integrated finger ridge guard helps keep Pros safe while cutting robust materials. It includes a five-pack of ToughBuilt universal straight-edge blades and a five-pack of ToughBuilt’s specialized hook blades, which use an intelligent, precision-milled proprietary edge design. The blades work interchangeably with both the Reload Knife and the ToughBuilt Scraper Utility Knife or any standard utility knife.