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Hand Grass and Hedge Shear UK Reviews 

By  Enda

In this article we look at the top rated hand garden shears that can be used to cut grass or hedges. There are plenty of these to pick from in the UK market. Here we look at that we believe to be the best, according to our summaries of actual buyer reviews. We hope that you find this helpful, as it should help you cut down on research time.

We have include shears that cover a range of prices. Hopefully that will allow you to pick a set that is best suited to what you can afford to buy. These vary in price from around £10-35.

As you may know, this type of grass shears or grass clippers as some people call them, have been around for many years. Manufacturers have also been improving these over the years, and these days they include sharper blades, better designed handles and in many models they also have gears that make them much easier to use.

My Top 5 Recommendations

1. Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Geared Hedge Shears - Our Recommendation

Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Geared Hedge Shears

The best seller on Amazon by a long way and the ones that we would highly recommend. On average these cost between £29-35 depending on where you make your purchase. They are from a very well respected gardening brand who make high quality products.

These are tough and durable clippers, that are light in weight and with very sharp blades - the blades are carbon and PTFE coated to prevent rusting. What makes them so popular, is that they have gears to make light work of cutting grass and hedges.

Key Specifications

  • Hardened carbon steel blades and the upper blade is PTFE coated for smoother cutting
  • Lightweight tubular aluminium handles
  • Geared mechanism that gives mechanical advantages when cutting and makes it easier on the user
  • Weighs 0.7kg

Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £28.54 - 94% buyer satisfaction based on 1,500+ online buyer reviews

2. Draper Tools Straight Edge Garden Shears

Draper 36800 Soft Grip Straight Edge Garden Shears (190mm)

If you are looking for a set of shears that are a little cheaper, then these are considered to be a good budget set. They have an average cost of between £20-25 depending on where you make your purchase. Draper always try to make good quality and affordable tools.

These are light in weight, compact and the blades are very sharp according to buyers.

Key Specifications

  • Hardened and tempered straight edge blades.
  • Non-stick blades, coated for corrosion-free operation.
  • Triangular steel handles with soft grip and shock bumpers
  • Weighs 0.98kg

Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £19.44 - 90% buyer satisfaction based on 1,200+ online buyer reviews

3. Darlac Lightweight Garden Shears

Darlac Lightweight Shear – Lightweight, Razor Sharp Garden Shears – Ideal for Precision Hedge Trimming & Topiary – Wavy Edged Carbon Steel Blades for Trapping Growth – Comfortable Grip – Easy to Use

Dralac is one of the superior gardening brands. Their shears and other garden tools may cost a little more, but they are known for their high quality. These shears have an average cost of between £27-33 depending on where you make your purchase

These are long handled shears, that are the lightest in weight, and very comfortable to use. The blades are very sharp, and also easy to sharpen, and are coated with carbon steel to prevent any worries of rusting.

Key Specifications

  • Carbon steel blades with wavy steel blades that can grip cut stems for easier collection and disposal
  • Alloy handles with non-slip rubber grips
  • Weighs 0.58kg

Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £16.95 - 86% buyer satisfaction based on 300+ online buyer reviews

4. Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Telescopic Hedge Shears

Spear & Jackson 8120RS/09 Razorsharp Telescopic Hedge Shears

If you have a high hedge, or indeed a wide hedge, then a set of telescopic shears, will be a very good choice for you. As the name would suggest these extend, and that allows you to reach a longer distance. These shears have an average cost of £26-30 depending on where you make your purchase. They are from the excellent Spear & Jackson brand.

Specifications

  • Lightweight aluminium handles, soft feel grips and shock absorbers that help prevent wrist jarring.
  • The blades are made from carbon steel and coated with PTFE.
  •  Easy to use twist and lock telescopic mechanism - Handle extends from 340mm to 500mm for cutting higher and hard to reach growth
  • They come with a 10-year guarantee.
  • Weight 1.32kg

Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £26.00 - 94% buyer satisfaction based on 1,500+ online buyer reviews

5. Fiskars 114790 HS72 Power Gear Hedge Shear

Fiskars PowerGear II Hedge Shear, Non-stick coating, Stainless steel blades, Length: 57 cm, HS72, Black/Orange, 1000596

Many UK buyers like using the Fiskars brand. They are probably better known for their axes or log splitting equipment. They are certainly a well known forestry brand

These shears cost around £45-55 so certainly not a cheap option. These are geared shears and that does make cutting a great deal easier.

Specifications

  • Stainless steel blades which have been coated with PTFE, which helps reduce friction.
  • The gears increase the power of a stroke from 1 to 3, so really useful.
  • Weighs 0.72kg

Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £45.00 - 92% buyer satisfaction based on 1,000+ online buyer reviews

Hand Shear Buying Guide

We have put together a handy buying guide that covers off the most important features of what to look for when it comes to buying hand shears.

Sharp Blades

Above we have shown what we believe to be the best hand shears on the UK market. The key to buying a good set of shears, is the blades. For effective and efficient hedge or grass cutting, the one thing you need is very sharp blades.

Ideally they should be made from either carbon, or stainless steel. The blades should also be coated with something like PTFE. That helps reduce friction when cutting, and also helps prevent the blades from rusting.

Weight and Length

Hedge shears are of course a manual tool. That means that the user has to complete a physical action to make them work. When it comes to cutting hedges, or grass, then the weight of the toll becomes important. That is because if you have to use a heavy tool, for a long period of time it can cause user fatigue.

It can also cause the muscles in the arms, legs and the back to get tired and start to ache. In the longer term, that can lead to all sorts of medical problems. The older shears used to be made of wood, with heavy metal blades. That made them difficult to grip, and they were also pretty heavy.

These days, most handles are made from aluminium tubing. That makes them very strong but also light in weight. I would recommend buying something of that nature.

Telescopic or Standard Size

If you have higher hedges, or wide hedges, it is worthwhile considering a telescopic option. Typically having that feature, will give you an additional 6" of cutting length. Now I know that does not sound like a lot, but it can make a huge difference.

How To Use Hedge Shears

Below you will find a great video on how to get the best use from your hedge shears.

Maintaining Your Garden Hand Shears

If you buy a good quality set of garden shears, they really can last you for a lifetime. Most shears will easily last you for 3-5 years, even if you don't look after them that much. However, with just a little love and care, they can last a great deal longer.

Here are some very simple tips to add years of life to your garden shears.

Tip 1 - Clean After Use

A simple wipe with a cloth will remove sticky sap from your blades. Most blades are designed to be rust free. However they can stick quite easily. A simple wipe with a cloth can remove any hedge or grass sap, and that keeps the blades gliding very easily.

Tip 2 - A Little Oil from Time to Time

A little 3-in 1 oil will go a very long way to keeping your clippers in great condition. Normally I place a little oil around the centre nut, and then move the clippers in and out, allowing the oil to get right inside the tightening nut.

When that is done, I add a tiny amount of oil to a cloth, and simple wipe that over the blades. That will keep everything running smoothly and ready for their next outing.

The two simple tips above take less than one minute, but will add years to the life of your hand clippers.

Tip 3 - Keep the Blades Sharp

Not much can really go wrong with hedge clippers, other than the blade going blunt. Many of these manual shears should come with a protector for the blades. So when you have wiped the blades and added a little oil, then make sure they go back in the protector.

Again many of these products have self sharpening blades. If they do that is good and save you the trouble of having to sharpen them. If you have to do it yourself, then I would recommend sharpening about once a year. You can either learn how to do this yourself, or leave them in with a professional and get it done right.

Avoid trying to cut really thick twigs or small branches with your good hedge clippers. Pruners or loppers are best for that. Your normal hedge clippers are not designed for heavy work of that nature.

Enda


I am someone who enjoys a little gardening. Now I am not someone who spend hours in the garden, but I do like both my front and back gardens to look really nice. Well kept lawns, neatly trimmed hedges, and borders filled with plants, make a huge difference, to how your property looks.

Enda McLarnon

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