Secateurs are used to cut tough stems or branches in your garden, but they can also be used for deadheading flowers or harvesting vegetables. The right pair of secateurs can be a trusted friend for years, and our guide to secateurs goes into a lot of detail on what to look for when you’re hunting for some new ones. However an important factor for many people is price and with that in mind I’m going to look at some cracking clippers that you can buy for less than £25 that will not let you down!
Here’s my pick of the ten best secateurs for under £25
- Darlac DP1030A Expert Bypass Secateurs
- Spear and Jackson Heavy Duty Bypass Secateur
- gonicc 8″ Professional Secateurs
- Kent and Stowe Left Handed Bypass Secateurs
- Burgon & Ball House Plant Pruners
- Petal Power Advanced 2-in-1 Ratchet Garden Secateurs
- Flora Guard Micro-Tip Pruning Snip
- Davaon Pro Bypass Secateurs
- Spear and Jackson Geared Anvil Secateurs
- Fiskars Anvil Garden Pruners P361
I’ve chosen a range of tools that fulfil different needs from weaker hands to left hands, and from precision pruning to thicker threats, so if you’ve got a specific need for a certain secateur, I hope this will help. Let’s crack on!
Darlac DP1030A Expert Bypass Secateurs
The Darlac DP1030A Expert Bypass is a great option for the amateur gardener with small hands. The blades are made of high-performance carbon steel giving them an edge over other cheaper secateurs, though they lack strength when it comes to thicker stems – you would be better suited with ratchet secateurs or loppers if you were going into really thick territory!
One of the most important things about these clippers is their blade shape; the blades themselves are purposely shaped to make cutting easier and more efficient. This not only reduces your effort but also minimizes damage to delicate plants when they’re cut! They’re just right for smaller gardens where you don’t need to spend too much time pruning and trimming, though you might want to look at other options if you have a large garden that needs constant upkeep.
Our rating: 4/5 – these secateurs are great for smaller hands and delicate plants, but lack strength when it comes to thicker stems!
Spear and Jackson Razorsharp Professional Heavy Duty Bypass Secateur
Spear and Jackson Razorsharp Professional Heavy Duty Bypass Secateurs come with drop forged high carbon steel blades that are sharpened to perfection so they can cut through most stems in your garden without any major problems – note that I said stems though, these aren’t loppers! They also have adjustable blade tension which allows you to make them as tough or delicate as you need them to be – just pick whichever suits your needs best! And these secateurs also come with two step locking catch which means that once they’ve been used, they can’t accidentally open up again!
They provide more power to your hands than the Darlac pair, and the short blade length is useful for getting into the depths of your plants. Combine that with the adjustable tension and you’ve got a tool that can be very helpful for cutting away at the thicker innards of your plants!
Our rating: 4/5 – they’re a good tool for close quarters deep working, but not necessarily the most comfortable in the long run.
gonicc 8″ Professional Secateurs Premium Titanium Bypass Pruning Shears
Gonicc may not be one of those household names, but we were pleasantly surprised by these low cost bypass secateurs! This well engineered pair of pruning shears is made with super strong titanium steel blades. The handle has been drop forged for durability, and while the PVC wrapping isn’t the most beautiful, it held up well during our tests and was pretty comfortable.
These pruning shears can cut up to 3/4″ diameter size tree branches which makes them a good all-rounder and while they might not last as long as the high end brands, they’re pretty good value for money!
Our rating: 3.5/5 – not the best pair on the market, but not a bad pair for a beginner on a budget!
Kent and Stowe 70100483 8-Inch Left Handed Bypass Secateurs
These are the best left-handed secateurs we’ve found! They’re specially designed for people who want to work in comfort and get a great cut without struggling with smaller tools. The handles of these large scissors have non slip grips, so they won’t slide all over when you need precision while cutting branches or even small weeds from your garden bed – making them perfect not just around trimming taking care plants but also as an emergency weapon if someone tries stealing one off our front porch!
In all seriousness, these are the best buy under £25 for left-handed gardeners, and once you’ve made the switch, there’s no more suffering from awkward ergonomics!
Our rating: 4.5/5 – perfect for left handed gardeners, although a touch on the large size for some people!
Burgon & Ball House Plant Pruners Secateurs
These stainless steel pruners are perfect for indoor plants, rather than outdoor hedges. They’re small and light enough that even children can use them, and the deliberate design of the blades means you can prune with confident care – a must when it comes to caring for your houseplants properly. The safety guard on these little helpers will keep you from accidents too!
Plus at just over 150 grams they are easy to use and perfect if you’re in an indoor topiary or bonsai frame of mind!
Our rating: 4/5 – A great choice for indoor plants or small trimmings, but not suitable for the big jobs!
Petal Power Advanced 2-in-1 Ratchet Garden Secateurs
Ratchet mechanisms allow people to cut through thicker branches with ease, even if they have weak hands. This is because the ratcheting function multiplies one’s power by up to 5 times! The lightweight aluminium body paired with strong handles means less fatigue when working over long periods, while the ability to switch between Ratchet and Single Cut mode provides versatility without the need to change tools.
Petal Power is another brand that’s not likely to be in your high street retailer, but this pair of secateurs are a good pick if your hand strength isn’t what it used to be!
Our rating: 4/5 – Good design decisions to support those with weaker hands.
Flora Guard Micro-Tip Pruning Snip
This pair of snips is perfect for precision work in tight spaces. The ergonomic design makes it friendly to both left and right handed users, while the anti-slip cushioned handle reduces energy needed during each cut! It has an oxidation resistant coating for rust prevention and less oiling maintenance.
The small blades are great for fine work for those gardeners with a need for perfection, but you’ll still need a workhorse pair for the tougher jobs.
Strangely the orange pair pictured are not only the most easy to spot among your gardening tools, but they’re also the cheapest in the range!
Our rating: 3/5 – A very niche tool which does a specific job well.
Davaon Pro Bypass Secateurs
You will forget about the unusual look of these once you’ve used them for an afternoon! The auto-rotating lower handle allows for easy squeezing with minimum effort, minimising pressure sores and blisters, while the fingerguard that protects against painful scratches.
These bypass pruners have an adjustable lever that enables you to easily modify the width of 50% so they’re perfect if your hands are a little on the small side! The hardened SK5 carbon steel blades enable you slice through stems as thick 20mm without too much trouble at all, but as you’d expect from a budget pair of secateurs, you’ll start to struggle with bigger branches.
Our rating: 4/5 – Comfortable to use for longer periods, although the build quality could be improved.
Spear and Jackson 6758GS Razorsharp Geared Anvil Secateurs
These Anvil secateurs from the well-known Spear & Jackson are designed to tackle thicker stems. The light, ergonomic design makes them easy and comfortable for either left-handed or right handed operators with an ambidextrous catch that locks into place when you’re finished cutting stems from plants in your garden.
They have the power to get through tougher twigs thanks to the gearing mechanism although if you were tackling seriously big jobs, you’d be reaching for the loppers or chainsaw rather than these!
Our rating: 3.5/5 – A good complement to bypass secateurs for when you need to tackle bigger jobs, but maybe not the best every day driver.
Fiskars Anvil Garden Pruners P361
These anvil secateurs from Fiskars are a cheap and cheerful option for anyone who needs to cut thick stems. The steel blades get the job done without fail, and the design of this tool also makes it easy on your hands: ergonomic SoftGrip handles made from glass-fibre reinforced plastic ensure a secure grip.
This is the cheapest pair in our selection and in many ways you get what you pay for, but if you need something that can take care of most hand pruning tasks for not much more than a tenner, these are a worthwhile consideration.
Our rating: 3.5/5 – Not the best tool in our selection but pretty good value for not a lot of money!
So there you have it! There’s a great selection there and while you’ll always get better build quality with more expensive tools, if you take care with these and clean them properly, there’s no reason why any of these choices shouldn’t help you keep your borders in order for years to come!
