Fiskars PowerGear X Tree Pruner UPX82, Non-stick Coated, Steel Blade/Aluminium Handle, Length 1.6 m, Black/Orange, 1023625

This is great for trimming relatively thick branches otherwise out of reach, either from the floor or on some steps.The blade is good, build is good, sturdy but light. There are a couple of ways to make the cut, there is a chain driven action which you engage halfway down the shaft with a collar, or a toggle at the bottom end, both of which produce quite a cutting force at the head. I'd say you can do 3cm (2inch) branches without too much effort.There's a guide hook, the blade is sharp, its easy to manouver, very effective tool. Secateurs on a stick essentially, but a bit bigger and with a pulling motion to make the cut. Doubles my height effectively.

I borrowed this from a neighbour and that convinced me to buy one for myself.Easy to use and really makes light work of tree pruning. I really like the orange, plastic bit so if you can’t see the blades or where they’re about to cut, the orange really stands out.It’s weighty without being too heavy to lift and the extension is brilliant.After having very expensive quotes to prune trees, it’s already paid for itself about 4 times over. Excellent product, would 100% recommend.

This will probably have to go back. I just emailed Fiskars consumer care dept with the following query: 'All the information I have read about this product, including the details printed on the card that comes attached to it, states that it has 'reach of 3.5m’. Please could you explain how this is obtained, given that the overall length is only around 1.6m long and there doesn't seem to be any telescopic function?'. If they come back with a satisfactory explanation I will update this review accordingly. They haven't got off to a good start as the auto reply informs me that they could take up to a week to answer. I have trees that need pruning now!UPDATE:So the reply came back (without having to wait a week): 'The advised cutting reach of our products are inclusive of tool and user reach'. Interesting that they know how tall I am! Well, I still think this is misleading, at least without some explanation. With that confusion cleared up, I am pleased to say that I will not be sending it back after all (but still deducting a star for dodgy sales promotion). It is a well-designed tool and fairly priced for the quality. It is very lightweight and cuts like a knife through soft butter. Other nice features are the two operating points, one half way up the handle and the other at the near end. The latter now has a comfortable shape that allows you to reach out using the full reach of your arm (well, very nearly) and the tool itself to position the blades before making the cut. The orange plastic hook beside the blades helps to see what you're doing; it hasn't snapped off yet! The tool has so far enabled me to prune a small tree with remarkable ease. I had to stand on a platform for the highest bits but that isn't a problem when the tool weighs so little. I can see that it will be useful for lots of pruning tasks in the future; a great addition to my arsenal.

Received this today at 2 pm and already used it. It does the job that it is supposed to do. Came well packaged and on time. I highly recommend this product. I am 67 years of age and 5ft 3" tall. No problem with the reach and the blade is sturdy and accurate. I like the fact that you can pull from the bottom when getting higher branches. Thoroughly pleased.

I had some overgrown bushes and I am not very tall, This was easy to handle and had a good reach and I was able to do some serious pruning.

Pruner does exactly what is claimed; is lightweight and will made - apart from the blade protector which is flimsy and was broken on delivery.By Amazon standards, it was very poorly packed and delivery took a week having sat in Evri’s delivery depot since Saturday (today is Friday!).As a PRIME member, this is totally unacceptable.

I have been using traditional tree loppers for years and I struggle with them as they are heavy and awkward to manoeuvre. I have hand grip issues and I struggle to hold the heavy loppers in a useful position for any length of time. Initially I was undecided whether to get a fiskar or the ryobi mechanised lopper. I opted for the fiskar as it was cheaper and I suspect the ryobi would be very heavy. The fiskar makes the job so much easier. It is light weight and the chain mechanism makes it a smooth cutting action. You may still need a ladder for those high branches, I managed to lop my apple tree without a ladder and it stands around 3-3.5m tall. I highly recommend.

The product description suggests a cutting height of 3.5m (up to?). This is highly challenging unless you are over 2m tall with long strong arms. There are many more tools on the market that effectively reach that cutting height (and further) at a similar price with ease. I am very disappointed with this and cannot recommend at this price. I think the advertising pushes the capability.