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Any lopper opinions?

Howard FillinghamHoward Fillingham Posts: 40
in Tools and techniques
I was looking at the Stihl PB30 at around £80 but are they any better than comparable brands and do I need to spend so much? I have other Stihl products and they are good I have to say. Obviously you're paying extra for the name, but I know many of you will have a view and some recommendations (I hope).
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  • WonkyWombleWonkyWomble Posts: 4,468
    I'm very impressed by Darlac as a make.  I've traded in my felco secateurs for Darlac and they do a brilliant sharpening tool also.  I'd recommend looking at them. 
  • B3B3 Posts: 26,428
    I have a friskar extendable. I'm very pleased with it. It's well balanced and cuts quite large branches cleanly
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • mollismollis Posts: 151
    Don't go for any with the twist top to extend them. I bought some a few years ago and if using short they extend, if using long the loosen and go short.

    They weren't expensive, I think from homebase about £25 a few years ago. Lovely sharp blades though.
  • B3B3 Posts: 26,428
    The ones with the twisty handles do that too and they're too heavy to use extended anyway
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Howard FillinghamHoward Fillingham Posts: 40
    Thanks chaps. I haven't heard of Darlac but Friskar I have. I bought some twist and extend loppers from Amazon in Jan 2019, only around £22 and sure enough the twist and lock function broke on one handle after only a little use. To be fair Amazon refunded the payment but I'm a wiser man now. Great recommendation gents or ladies, thanks very much. Any ideas on price? Do you get more for your money with an expensive pair?
  • B3B3 Posts: 26,428
    edited September 2020
    Are you able to get to somewhere  that you can try them out for weight and balance? I think mine was £80something. 
    Look at the ones where you can angle the blades. I find this really useful. I usually have them at 90° to the pole as it's easy to see what you're doing and get the branch between the blades. 
    For closer lopping I have a light aluminium one that is really a pair of secateurs with long handles
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Howard FillinghamHoward Fillingham Posts: 40
    B3 said:
    Are you able to get to somewhere  that you can try them out for weight and balance? I think mine was £80something. 

    Unfortunately not, our local stockist is a Stihl merchant mainly. But I will give them a call. I see there is a Friskar L109 around £88, could they be your model? They're is also an LX99 around £70 and an L78 around £40 which look quite good. They all seem to be highly rated.
  • WonkyWombleWonkyWomble Posts: 4,468
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181457400433
  • Howard FillinghamHoward Fillingham Posts: 40
    WonkyWomble said:
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181457400433

    👍
  • B3B3 Posts: 26,428
    edited September 2020
    Mine's UPX82. There was a longer one but I thought it might be a bit unwieldy - a bit like wandering about with an extension ladder😉
    https://www.fiskars.com/en-gb/gardening/products/tree-pruners/powergear-x-tree-pruner-upx82-1023625
    Perhaps I misunderstood what you meant. This is a different animal to the ones you mention 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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