Giraffe GIR103 3-Foot Long Reach Bypass Pruner

This Giraffe pruner is so useful that I wish I would have had one years ago. Cutting weeds is a cinch now. In large clumps of flowers, the Giraffe reaches in to cut the weed near the ground and I don't have to mess around with my hands and arms with a convential hand pruner. It also helps me establish a zone where I do not have to get close to the grass snakes that like to cool off under some plants. I do not use it for cutting fine leaf weed grasses. It doesn't work well for that but most weeds I have are 1/8 inch or larger stems and it works very well. I even avoided having to get my step ladder to trim some shoots growing too close to the house overhang.This Giraffe pruner is definately worth the money. As some have noted, using it with one hand without a glove might cause some of the fasteners to rub on your hand making that uncomfortable. But I either use two hands or wear a glove on the one hand and there is no discomfort.

I have owned this for three years now. Although its reach is handy and it cuts small branches pretty effortlessly, it has a nasty habit of giving me vicious pinches on my hand. If I am wearing gloves it tears the glove as it pinches. If I am foolish enough not to be wearing gloves it tears my skin.

This really is a great and handy product and it has worked well for a whole lot of pruning projects. I'd give it 5 stars but for the unfortunate slice and chunk of skin it made on my thumb. I'd advise to ALWAYS wear gloves with this, for then if one gets pinched it's no big deal as it only grabs the glove and not the skin. This does not happen on the cutting motion but only on the release/opening of the grip handles when one doesn't expect it. All in all, it's a keeper and great for reaching shoots and even high fruits or deadheading rhododendrons that are just out of reach... but do wear gloves!

It works fine for cuttings but for it to hold anything it cuts just doesnt work,plus the hinge pin with the cotter pin should be in reverse because it rubs your skin raw when cutting ,good if your left handed,i put some silicone sealant over the cotter pin,great for cutting those Sagos and other spinney trees and plants,Its still worth the money.

I ordered this to replace a pruner I bought 30 years ago in England. This is a gardner's necessity. It is useful in maintaining shrubs, rose bushes, small trees and deadheading all flowering plants. The only negative I have on it's design is the possibility of pinching between thumb and forefinger. My old pruner had a guard to prevent this. When held with this possibility in mind, the likelyhood is minimized. It is sharp, lightweight and great for extending reach. I am now looking at a longer Giraffe model to add to my collection.

The Giraffe 3-foot long-reach bypass pruner does clip smaller branches overhead or at toe level. The catch and hold feature, which you have to attach on delivery, is kind of lame - it only works with really small branches. I removed it.The small metal locking device on the hand grip often slides over and locks while you are cutting, thus you need to stop and unlock it.My hand keeps getting pinched in the hand grip as I make cuts.I am disappointed in this tool, and knowing what I now know, would buy a different brand.

This 3 foot pruner is great in many ways--sturdy, sharp, very strong, cuts larger branches to 3/4 inches diameter +, and it is so handy. But be careful using it--if your hand slides too far down the top of the handles toward joints , it PINCHES on release of the handles with a strong bite! Wear with gloves. Got bruises even with the gloves. I may add duck tape to make a slip stop on the handle. Also, minor issue, the locking slider does not have any tab on it, so it is hard to lock wearing gloves. That's why this review does not get five stars.

A must if you need to reach hard to get areas