How to Choose the Right Secateurs (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)
Ask any serious gardener what they’d save first from their tool shed, and nine times out of ten the answer will be their secateurs. A good pair goes with you into the garden every single time – roses, herbs, fruit trees, topiary, the odd overgrown shrub that got away from you over winter. They’re the tool you reach for most, which makes choosing well genuinely worth your time.
The good news: once you understand the differences between types, the decision becomes pretty straightforward.
Bypass Secateurs: The Everyday All-Rounder
Bypass secateurs are the most widely used type for good reason. Two curved blades pass each other like scissors, making a clean, precise cut that causes minimal damage to the plant tissue. That matters more than it sounds – clean cut heals faster and is less vulnerable to disease entry than a crushed or torn one.
Use bypass secateurs for pruning living, green growth: roses, shrubs, fruit trees, perennials, herbs. They handle stems up to around 25-28mm depending on the model. For most gardeners, a quality pair of bypass secateurs will cover 90% of what they need.
Our top picks:
Anvil Secateurs: Built for the Hard Stuff
Anvil secateurs work differently – a single straight blade comes down onto a flat anvil surface, like a knife on a chopping board. The cutting action is more forceful, which makes them ideal for tough, woody, or dead material that would put strain on a bypass blade.
They’re not the right choice for delicate, living growth (the crushing action can damage soft stems), but for old hardwood, dead branches, and dense shrub pruning, they’re exactly what you need.
Our picks:
Wolf-Garten Professional Anvil Secateurs RS5000
The professional step up, with increased cutting capacity and the same build quality. A tool that genuinely lasts decades with proper care.
$103.95Add to cart
Ratchet Pruners: Gentle on Joints, Tough on Stems
Ratchet pruners are the tool of choice when you need to cut through thick, stubborn stems but can’t — or don’t want to — apply a lot of force in a single squeeze. The ratchet mechanism works in stages: each squeeze advances the blade a little further, so you’re never overloading your hand or wrist.
They’re particularly well suited for gardeners with arthritis, reduced grip strength, or anyone doing heavy-volume pruning where cumulative strain is a real concern. Best used on dead or hardwood growth rather than soft green stems.
Burgon & Ball Anvil Ratchet Pruner
Rated 5 stars by customers, and it’s easy to see why. The ratchet mechanism takes the effort out of cutting through tough material, and the build quality is exactly what you’d expect from Burgon & Ball.
$62.00Read more
Precision Secateurs & Snips:Detail Work Done Right
For floristry, topiary, orchids, fine pruning, and harvesting delicate herbs or flowers, precision is everything. These lighter, finer tools are designed to get into tight spots and make cuts where a standard-sized secateur would be clumsy.
Our picks:
Original price was: $11.95.$9.56Current price is: $9.56.Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Secateurs for Small Hands:
Most secateurs are designed around an average hand size, which doesn’t work for everyone. If standard pairs feel too wide to grip comfortably, a pocket pruner is the answer – compact, fully capable, and much easier to control.
Our picks:
How to pick the right size secateurs?
When you can’t try before you buy, hand size is your best guide:
Secateurs for small hands:
Small hands (palm width under 8.25cm / 3¼ inch): Look for a 15mm cutting capacity. Try the Burgon & Ball Pocket Pruner
Secateurs for medium hands
Medium hands (palm width 8.25–10cm / 3½–4 inch): A 20mm cutting capacity suits most tasks. Try the Felco 6 Compact Bypass Secateurs
Secateurs for large hands:
Large hands (palm width over 10cm / 4 inch): Go for 25mm capacity. For living plants, try Ryset Large Bypass Secateurs. For hardwood, try the Wolf-Garten Professional Anvil Secateurs RS5000
A Quick Note on Quality (and Why It Pays Off)
There’s a version of this decision where you buy cheap, replace them when they break, and repeat. And there’s another version where you invest in a pair that stays sharp, fits your hand properly, and is still in your tool bag in ten years.
The second version is a better deal – not just financially, but in how your plants respond to clean cuts, and in how your hands feel after a long day in the garden. All the secateurs we stock are chosen with that in mind: tools made to last, from brands that stand behind their products.
If you’re unsure which type is right for your garden, we’re always happy to help – reach us on 1300 206 459 or browse the full secateurs range here.
And once you’ve found your pair, take a look at our guide to caring for your tools – a well-maintained pair of secateurs really will last for decades.
