Review on 🌳 Fiskars PowerGear2 394801-1003 Bypass Lopper - 32 Inch - Black/Orange by Patrick Clifton

Traditional pruning shears have long handles and very short blades on opposite sides of the axis. This is a form of leverage where a small force on the long end exerts a much greater force on the short blade, the end in this case. So you can put say 20 pounds of force on the handles and it will put say 200 pounds of force on the branch you are cutting. This thing has a gear in the swivel mechanism. Much like downshifting in your truck, the power the engine (your hands) is producing now creates more torque (cutting power) at the wheels (the header). The problem is that if you want triple the power (as they tout) you need to open the handles three times as wide as a regular pruner. For the largest branch you can cut, you have to rotate the handles almost 180 degrees. Even with nothing in your way, it's awkward, and with handles outstretched there's no "reach" and what you're cutting may be inches from you. Of course, with smaller diameter branches, the problem is reduced. , but this extra power is also needed. The correct design would include a ratchet that would translate that 180 degree grip opening into 18 ten degree increments. Hand shears do this very efficiently and can easily cut one-inch branches. I don't think any of the ones I've seen fit in 2 inches so it's a tough target for now but I'll keep looking.