The Fiskars SmartFit L86 is a telescopic bypass lopper for green wood, cutting branches up to 40mm with handles that extend from 665mm to 915mm. Bypass blades slice past each other like scissors, leaving a clean wound on living growth instead of the crushed stub an anvil head produces. It is the lopper most gardeners reach for first.
What it does
-
Bypass blades for living wood. Steel bypass blades cut branches up to 40mm and leave a clean face that seals over quickly.
-
Handles that extend to suit the cut. The telescopic shafts run from 665mm to 915mm, short and controlled up close, or long for leverage and reach.
-
Hooked blade profile. The hook catches the branch and holds it against the blade rather than letting it roll out of the jaw mid cut.
-
Comfort and longevity. SoftGrip handles cut hand fatigue over a long session, the steel is corrosion resistant, and Fiskars backs the lopper for 25 years.
How to use it
Extend the handles fully for thick branches, since the extra length is where the leverage comes from, and shorten them for accurate work in a crowded shrub. Seat the branch deep in the jaw against the hook, then close both handles in one continuous squeeze, cutting just outside the collar at the base of the branch. If the handles stop moving under firm pressure, switch to a saw rather than twisting the blades free.
Wipe sap off the blades after use, store the lopper retracted in a dry place, and oil the blades lightly from time to time.
What it suits
Use on trees and shrubs. Shaping, thinning and general pruning through green growth up to 40mm, which covers most of what a home garden asks for in a year.
Use for branches just out of reach. The extended handles take in the lower canopy without a ladder. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95.
Not for dry or dead timber. Bypass blades are made for fresh wood and can jam in hard, dry material, where an anvil lopper is the right tool. There is no rotating head and no shock absorbing bumper, so line the tool up with the branch.
Related products and reading