Although not a professional or even a keen gardener, I have in the past needed to prune some larger plants and to trim some tree branches, roots etc and bought a pruning saw for the purpose where pruning shears would not work. It was borrowed by a friend some time ago as he was impressed with its performance when I used it to remove some annoying lower branches from a tree and he wanted to try it for himself with some offending hedges of privet and other bushes before buying one of his own. So far he has not returned it and I had to purchase another as a replacement or fill-in.
The original item was of a different brand and styling and with a fixed blade, although this is clearly not. The handle employs a locking mechanism that engages when closed and when open. The blade is easily opened once disengaged. The mechanism is easy to operate, and reasonably child-safe, and should therefore be safe when in use or not. The orange handle is large enough and sufficiently bright to stand out in accidentally dropped onto soil or grass or left in among greenery. There is a small hole at the extreme end either for a hook or for a loop of string or leather to be threaded through for hanging.
The 19cm (7.5 inch) blade is long enough to cut branches of around half its length, and perhaps a little more, but a bigger saw would be needed for anything larger. It is certainly effective within its working range.
The blade is fairly stiff but does have a small amount of flexibility. The teeth are straight (in line with the blade) and appear to be sharpened on both forward and rear edges and it therefore cuts in both directions. There is no clear marking on the packaging or on the blade itself to confirm this action. However, it is normally considered safer and preferable to have a pruning saw cut only on the pull stroke although this saw should in theory be slightly quicker. Used initially to remove a stump of something that has so far defied recent efforts to dig it out (the ground is too hard and dry), it cut through it cleanly and quickly and without tearing. Replacement blades are available if needed and will require some tools, primarily a large Philips screwdriver.
Although not inexpensive, I preferred to pay a little extra in order to avoid the cheap and nasty equivalents available for around 1/3 of its price and which will probably need to be replaced after a couple of uses.
| Product Dimensions | 28 x 28 x 18 cm; 200 g |
|---|---|
| Part number | BAHPG72 |
| Item display height | 18 centimetres |
| Item display length | 28 centimetres |
| Item display width | 28 centimetres |
| Item display weight | 0.4 Kilograms |
| Power source type | AC |
| Manufacturer | Bahco |
| Item model number | 396-JS |
| ASIN | B000QD1726 |
