Giraffe GIR105 5-Foot Long Reach Bypass Pruner

I give this product 5 stars because it does a great job of handling the tasks I bought it for. However, if you are buying it only for its ability to hold twigs and such after they are cut, you will be disappointed (as others have noted in their reviews). I took the holding attachment off - I think it cuts slightly better without it. Note also, that the diminsions listed for these long reach bypass pruners are rounded up to the nearest foot (the 3 foot model is actually, 34.5", and the 5 foot model is 57"). The actual dimensions can be found on the Giraffe web site. I also suggest you visit [...] because it gives some good information on how this tool is constructed, and why.The jaws on this pruner are similar in size to a Fiskars bypass hand pruner I use, and it cuts the same size material. The blades are very sharp, and the pruner is sturdily made (for example, the diameter of the actuator rod is three times that of some competitors). I was worried it might be a little heavy, but it is very light. It weighs under 1 lb 10 ounces on my postal scale. I almost bought the 7 foot model (not listed on Amazon) but I thought it might be too heavy. It would not have been (though this one is long enough). Note, that although the head does not swivel, I have not found this to be a problem, and the fewer parts a tool has, the less there is to go wrong. Some reviewers noted a tendency to get pinched or cut by this unit. Perhaps that was true with earlier models, but if it was a problem it has apparently been fixed. I was unable to hurt myself, even when I deliberately operated the unit too far up the handle.I use this tool to trim some very old, tall pygmy date palms and sagos, and also for some tall hibiscus bushes. (Note, the fronds on the palms are not the huge variety, like you would find on coconut palms). Some of my plants have two to three inch spines, and every time I trimmed them with my hand pruner I was on the verge of needing a blood transfusion. No longer - I only need to reach in and cut them off from a distance. Even though I don't use the holding attacment, all I have to do is pinch the cut off frond with the blade and pull it out from under the plant with the long pruner. No need to bend down or crawl under an unfriendly plant.Also, I used to have to climb up on a stepladder on uneven ground to do some of my pruning. This five-foot long reach pruner completely eliminates the need for that, and it is much easier to maneuver than my rope pull pruner. Of course, you may still need a loppers, a long pole pruner, or a pole saw for your other garden needs, but this one will be my go-to tool fron now on.One tip - no matter what pruner you are using, be sure to put a drop of oil on all pivot and connecting points. Even the performance of this brand new pruner improved after a few drops of oiI. I also wipe the bladeslean with an oily rag to avoid sap and fluid build up.

Poorly packaged and it arrived broken. Cheap components, but since it was broken difficult to say how well it works.

My main use of the pruner is to pick fruits in my backyard - peaches, plumes, jujubes, and persimmons. I decided to purchase this one after reading others' reviews, and low price. I was disappointed that while the pruner works well, the hold function is just marginal. I think the main reason is the construction of the add-on hold piece. While other cut and hold pruners have thicker pieces of plastic or rubber on both blades to hold the cut, this one has a thin metal plate, and relies on the right cut position for it to hold. The stem of the fruit or flower or branch must be position in the middle of the blade for it to hold after the cut, it still drops the cut 40% of the times; if the stem of the fruit is in all the way against the throat of the pruner, likely it is not going to hold, and will drop the cut to the ground. It sounds like for the cut and hold function, the cheap ones do not do the job.

I purchased this light-weight pruner as a substitute for my existing 6-foot pruner which is powerful but too heavy to hold steadily when aiming for a particular branch some distance away.The Giraffe is much lighter to hold and is thus easier to manipulate.My one issue is with the handle, which -- even with gloves on -- I don't find very comfortable.

This is handy pruner for a variety of applications. They come in different lengths to suit your gardening needs. It is extremely well made and the blades are accessable for easy sharpening or replacement in the event of damage. In addition it is light weight for easy use.

The main reason why I picked this product was because it is made in USA. There are a few other options when it comes to long pruners, but this was the only one that I could find made in USA.Believe it or not, but I only bought this to pick blackberries. After struggling to reach the deep blackberries I decided to come up with a solution and this was it.The good:Solid constructionLong stable armGreat cutting abilityThe bad:Holding option works only 50% of the timeCould be longerWish you could use one handSo the holding option only works about 50% of the time. I am sure I can practice and get better at it. But out of the box with little use I cannot get it to hold every single time. I wanted a longer device, but this was the longest available on amazon. Finally if they had an extension arm from the trigger I could use it one handed and gain about 2 more feet. I might rig something up to get those extra berries out of reach.I bought this for blackberries and it works great. I'm getting way more berries than before and I can cut branches out of the way. Also when walking around with this tool it just makes me want to cut everything. I literally cleared the jogging path from stray blackberry vines because it was fun. Its super useful for cutting low objects so I don't even need to bend over.Great product overall so I still give it 5/5. There could be minor improvements, but as it stands it is great to use. The price is a bit more, but Made in USA and solid construction makes it worthwhile. I think about 4 blackberry pickings I should have made my money back!