Not Sure Which Pruning Saw You Need? Here’s How to Choose the Right One for Your Yard

You need a pruning saw for thicker stems and branches that are too big for pruners or loppers but do not require a chainsaw. You will discover lots of such wood when pruning trees and large shrubs in fall or winter.

Different pruning saws have curved or straight blades, and those blades are either folding or fixed. Each has pros and cons. Picking the best pruning saw depends on how much pruning you’ll be doing each year, the size of the wood, and whether you need to access tight spaces.

The best pruning tools fit your needs and budget. When you pick the right one and know how to use a pruning saw, it becomes an essential gardening tool for years to come. Below, we look at some of the best pruning saws on the market.

Best Folding Pruning Saw

I have always had a folding pruning saw in my pruning toolkit. I was given an older FELCO folding pruning saw when I started as a professional gardener – and that tool lasted me for many years. Now I have upgraded to a FELCO 602 and think it is one of the best pruning saws you can get.

A folding pruning saw has a blade that folds into the handle. They save storage space, are compact enough to carry in a tool bag or attach to a tool belt, and are great for general pruning around the garden. If you don’t have lots of shed storage space, you can’t go wrong with a folding pruning saw.

I have used my folding pruning saw for many different tasks over the years, including pruning fruit trees and ornamental trees and cutting thicker stems when rejuvenating old shrubs.

The FELCO 602 has a 4.7-inch chrome-plated blade that is designed to reduce friction and cut through branches easily. Its pull-cut teeth are also heat-treated to stay sharper for longer. As with all FELCO tools, all parts are replaceable, including the blade, so this tool can last for many years.

If you want a general-purpose pruning saw you can rely on each winter pruning season, this is a great option. At just 160g, it is light to use for long periods. The soft-touch coating on the handle makes pruning comfortable, and a contoured grip keeps you in control when cutting.

A good alternative I have also used and would recommend is the Stihl PR 16 folding saw available on Amazon. It is virtually the same as the FELCO in terms of length and weight, with sharp, three-sided chrome-plated Japanese teeth that glide through thick branches up to 65mm.

The only downside I have found with folding pruning saws is that the safety catch can be cumbersome. It always starts off stiff when you get a new tool, but it does loosen over time. It is an efficient opening and locking mechanism, but some brands do it better than others, so you may want to try out a tool before committing.

Best Curved Blade Fixed Pruning Saw

A fixed-blade pruning saw, as the name suggests, has a permanently secured blade and handle. They take up more space in a tool shed – but do have a hole in the handle to hang the tool if you want to declutter a shed – and aren’t as easy to carry around the garden in a bag or on a belt, but that extra size does mean more power.

If you do a lot of heavy pruning, a fixed-blade pruning saw is worth the investment. The Corona RazorTOOTH pruning saw is a powerful choice for pruning tree branches up to eight inches in diameter. The high-carbon Japanese steel blade has triple-hardened teeth to cut powerfully and stay sharp.

This pruning saw has a long 14-inch blade that cuts on the pull stroke. The extra length not only helps cut thicker wood, but the curved blade is great for cutting lower or higher branches and reduces bending and stretching.

The tool may look unwieldy if you’ve never used a fixed blade pruning saw before. However, I think it is suitable for gardeners of any level. The tool feels lightweight, and it has an ergonomic, non-slip grip that keeps you feeling in constant control while pruning even tough wood.

Best Straight Blade Fixed Pruning Saw

Curved blades help with power, but straight blades are best for precision. A straight-blade pruning saw is a great option for precise trimming of smaller branches between shoulder and waist height. It is also a better tool for tight spaces, where you need to trim at more awkward angles.

Japanese pruning tools are very popular nowadays. The brands Niwaki and Okatsune make some of the best pruners, and there are quality Japanese hedge shears and loppers available.

This Saboten Japanese pruning saw is also made with the same quality craftsmanship, with a straight Japanese high-carbon 240mm steel blade. It has a premium look, with a wooden grip – rather than the rubber ones you see on most Western pruning tools – and a wooden sheath to store the saw in.

The blade is fixed in place on the Saboten Japanese pruning saw, but you can get folding straight-blade pruning saws. That includes the FELCO 602 and this ARS folding turbocut saw on Amazon, which has a 5-3/4-inch folding chrome-plated blade. It is sharp, compact, and portable, plus the blade is replaceable.

Best Premium Pruning Saw

A pruning saw with a curved blade should be your go-to tool for cutting branches lower down or higher up. Whether that means pruning shrubs at the base or trimming higher tree branches, a curved blade is better and gives you a better purchase for efficiently pruning thicker wood.

Also, a good rule of thumb is that longer blades can cut thicker wood. The Silky Professional Series Sugoi pruning saw has a 16.5-inch curved blade capable of cutting branches up to 8.3 inches in diameter. The razor-sharp teeth are set at four angles along the blade for progressive cutting throughout each stroke, delivering strength from start to finish.

The rubber handle is designed to offer a strong grip even in wet or cold conditions. The tool comes with a protective sheath that has a locking mechanism to stop the saw from slipping out.

It is a powerful, professional Japanese gardening tool. Indeed, Sugoi actually means ‘incredible’ in Japanese. The blades can be resharpened or replaced; however, there is no denying it is an expensive option for any home gardener.

A more budget-friendly alternative is the Corona RazorTOOTH pruning saw, or the Fiskars Pro pruning saw, available at Lowe’s, if you want a strong curved TaperTooth blade that folds away for convenient storage.

There are two other categories of best pruning saws to consider. You can also get electric pruning saws and pole pruners, which offer specific benefits in terms of ease of use and reach.

These are beneficial in certain circumstances, but not all gardeners will have the need or budget to have one in their shed. Most can fulfil all their trimming needs with any of the tools above.

Electric pruners and pole pruners both have either shear or saw heads (or you can get extendable pruners with both for versatility) and can be crucial winter garden tools for all manner of trimming if you have a large garden.

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