The 10 Best Telescoping Loppers

Editor's Notes

July 16, 2020:

Removed the Garrett Wade Anvil and the Troy-Bilt Comfort Max because of availability issues. Added the Corona SL 4364 and the Barnel BR7000.

If you're looking for loppers, you should keep in mind that there are two general categories and each has its intended function. Bypass loppers like the Wolf-Garten RR900T and the Corona SL 4364 have two blades (one may be blunter than the other) and usually, one of the blades moves into the other. This is very useful for live branches and limbs since they provide very clean cuts. Clean cuts are important since damaged and torn bark can lead to disease and infection in the plant. So if you're looking to manage growth and prune unwanted limbs, a bypass is probably the best option. The second major category is that of the anvil loppers like the Spear & Jackson 8290RS and the Barnel BR7000. These have a single blade with a second flat jaw. This makes them great for cutting and crushing hard dead limbs but if used on live limbs, it has the tendency of producing very rough cuts, which as stated before, promotes infection and disease.

While we looked for several beneficial properties like strong and thick blades, robust locking mechanisms, and thick pivot and retaining pins, one of the most important things we looked for were tubular poles. The inherent danger in telescoping handles is that you're leveraging heavily on relatively thin-walled metal. Round and long stock is particularly susceptible to buckling. Therefore we saw it as a very positive attribute if the manufacturer thought ahead and used tubular or trapezoidal handle stock, which substantially reduces the likelihood of buckling under load.

For other landscaping needs, pick up some pruning shears and hedge shears.