Do you remember last year when we reviewed some Fiskars tools and gave a few away? Remember those PowerGear Loppers? I wrote about them here, and Gen wrote about them at North Coast Gardening. Now that I've had a pair for a year or so, I can tell you that they are quite sturdy and very useful--they're big enough to be able to whack back anything in my garden, but they're also surprisingly light and easy to carry around. Good stuff.
Well, Fiskars just wants you to have more tools. So they asked us if we'd give another pair away. Uh--yeah! Sure, why not?
Here's the video we did last year if you want to know exactly how these things work. To win, just post a comment with any pruning-related tale, or any sob story about why you so desperately need to upgrade your pruning tools.
Oh--and--Gen's giving away a pair, too, so head over there if you want a little more action.
It seems like every year for Mother's Day, I volunteer to do pruning for my mother-in-law. Year Number One, I realized that I needed to bring my own tools; Year Number Two, I realized that I don't have the right tools; Year Number Three, was glad it was raining on Mother's Day; Year Number Four, came up with another excuse...
Year Number Five? That lilac is looking pretty scruffy. And oh, those loppers would be just the thing to get me back on track...
Posted by: Riva | April 26, 2012 at 06:54 AM
Being the resident Master Gardener in my neighborhood, I'm often summoned to "help" prune shrubs and small trees. It's a good thing, because I'm a compulsive pruner and my own poor shrubs would be nibbled down to nubs if I didn't have this outlet. Now that I've passed the half-century mark I find it challenging to do rejuvenation pruning using only my regular loppers. These fiskars gear-powered loppers look like just the tool I need!
Posted by: MiSchelle | April 26, 2012 at 08:07 AM
(A nod to Mary Poppins...)
For every job that must be done,
there is a tool to be won.
Explain why and you might get one, too.
My loppers, old and rusty now
cannot cut a twig or bough.
A brand new pair
my aching hands would spare!
Posted by: Marla | April 26, 2012 at 08:19 AM
Need to upgrade my pruner to keep up with the growth of my rose bushes and citrus trees. The standard Fiskars standard hand pruners I have been using are no longer able to span and cut the fat branches. These loppers will be perfect.
Posted by: bth | April 26, 2012 at 08:32 AM
I would love to have these to prune my lilacs and wisteria!
Posted by: Pam | April 26, 2012 at 08:46 AM
Last year I watched the "landscapers" at work pruning a beautiful redbud. With an Electric Chainsaw on a stick! They were using this contraption like a hedgetrimmer, "shaping" the tree. When I couldn't stand it any longer I went out and asked them what the heck they were doing. They proceeded to tell me that they were doing their jobs as instructed by the owner. I tried complaining about this to the person at work that hired them and was told that they were professionals so they must know what they are doing.
Seriously. It about broke my heart to watch.
I'd love to win these pruners and donate them to my church. They have lots of beautiful trees on site and a couple retirees that do the pruning. They are doing a pretty good job considering they aren't professionals!
Posted by: CindyP | April 26, 2012 at 09:29 AM
I would love some pruners of my own. My husband has a pair that are horrible. I can't even squeeze them together. I usually am the one who prunes everything but I use little hand pruners. So all the big viburnums etc that need to be pruned now are cut bit by bit! Even if I don't win I am asking for the Fiskar pruners for Mother's Day!
Posted by: Kathy DiTanna | April 26, 2012 at 01:33 PM
Another person renovating a neglected garden and finding it to be hell on the tools...can use all the help I can get!
Posted by: Megan | April 26, 2012 at 01:59 PM
I would adore to add them to my arsenal. My husband and I are working on plumbago in Southern California. About 12 foot high and deep and 100 foot long. Aaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh.
Posted by: BooksinGarden | April 26, 2012 at 02:48 PM
I would like to win these so that my brother-in-law won't come over and help with the pruning by cutting down the things I have been trying to nurture!
Posted by: Kay | April 26, 2012 at 05:26 PM
Just love pruning whether it's thoughtful reshaping of a plant or crazy whacking it back after it's grown like mad (my wisteria????). Seems like my felco pruners are not strong enough for some of the branches I would like to lop off...these fiskars seem like they get good mileage...:-)
Posted by: Teresa | April 26, 2012 at 05:53 PM
Sing to the tune of Cyndi Laupers "Like A Virgin"
Love my prunin'!
Prunin' for the very first time!
Love my pruuuuuuunin'
with the loppers I won online!
Posted by: kdav | April 26, 2012 at 05:55 PM
Fiskars are the best!! My butterfly bush is pleading for a wacking!
Posted by: kathy holmes | April 26, 2012 at 09:34 PM
i could use a new pair of pruners. when we moved into this house, the previous owner didn't believe in pruning. so, while pruning an azalea that had spread into the carport, i managed to cut a not-to-code live electric wire that was laying above the ground, but under a few years of leaves (prev owner didn't rake either). i burned a hole in the blade of my pruners. the good news is that the azalea is out of the carport, the leaves are gone, and the wires are gone also. and my children believe that garden pruners are the same as wire cutters.....
10750coupons at gmail dot com
Posted by: ten b | April 27, 2012 at 06:29 AM
We live on 2 acres in Wisconsin and could desperately use a great pair of loppers. My current set is used for EVERYTHING - apple trees, lilacs, the grapevine, overgrown raspberry bushes, and the forsythia (yes, our forsythia is so out of hand we need loppers, not pruners for it!)... And trust me when i say everything, I mean EVERYTHING!. Last October, we purchased chickens from our neighbor across the street and discovered on thanksgiving morning that they still had their necks!! Rather than cook the chickens with their unsightly gangly necks for my family, I fetched my poor old loppers out of the garage and went to it!
I think it'd be great to have a proper outdoor set and retire the old, tired ones just for "kitchen" use!! :)
Posted by: Judith | April 27, 2012 at 08:28 AM
I'd love to get my hands on a pair of those... :)
Posted by: bebe | April 28, 2012 at 06:39 AM
As a dedicated frugalist, I have been making due with the same pair of loppers my mother got me over 20 years ago. One of the handles pulls out of its joint on pretty much every cut. I say a bad word, put it back in its socket and make another cut. Rinse and repeat. I can't just drive a screw through it because the handles are metal tubes I can't drill a straight hole through, and the glues I've tried haven't held. I just keep sharpening the blades and saying bad words. Please help me out of my rut!
Posted by: Cynthia | April 28, 2012 at 07:45 AM
I love fiskars and I really really need to own more pruning tools.
Posted by: Anne | April 28, 2012 at 08:55 AM
Please count me in, this is another tool I can seriously use. Thanks!
Posted by: Evelyn | April 28, 2012 at 12:48 PM
Would love to replace my mom's old dull, rusted pair. *crosses fingers and hopes*
Posted by: Cynthia Chen | April 28, 2012 at 09:41 PM
I think my loppers must have come from somebody's "free" pile... not sure. Anyway, I live on a rental property and can't call the landlord every time I think something needs trimming...like my lilac bush, which hasn't seen a trimmer since it was a baby. And the forsythia, which is bigger than my shed. So these would be a lovely addition to my collection of do-it-myself tools. And, they are Fiskars, of course!
Posted by: Elaine Sumner | April 29, 2012 at 11:21 AM
Would love to win these!Have been working out in the yard everyday
Posted by: Amy Jarratt | April 29, 2012 at 02:10 PM
I need to upgrade because the crappy trees that are growing into my yard from the rental house next door need some serious pruning.
Posted by: Stacey | April 30, 2012 at 06:25 AM
Forget upgrading tools...I just need to tools in general. I'm a first-time home owner and the maintenance learning curve is steep!
Posted by: Lindsay | April 30, 2012 at 04:20 PM
I'm using my father-in-law's rusty pruning tools...save me. I have a lot of shrubs & bushes that block the sun from my veggie garden and these loppers would let the sun shine down. Thanks!
Posted by: Lisa D. | May 04, 2012 at 02:03 AM