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Best Felco loppers for the stem you are cutting

Updated: 22 October 2026

A living stem, a hard dead piece, and a branch you cannot reach are three jobs, not one purchase. A search for the best Felco loppers still tends to land on a dear listing for the wrong wood. This page names a pick only inside the eight listings on the [Felco loppers comparison](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/felco-loppers). Length, head, and gear are the [Felco loppers buying guide](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/felco-loppers/sub/felco-loppers-buying-guide). Peter F. wrote this on 21 October 2026 from the amazon.co.uk captures. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A living stem, a hard dead piece, and a branch you cannot reach are three jobs, not one purchase. A search for the best Felco loppers still tends to land on a dear listing for the wrong wood.

Our top picks

Felco Felco 231 anvil

Best overall

Felco Felco 231 anvil
8.6/10about £190.00
View offer
Felco Felco 221-70 bypass

Alternative

Felco Felco 221-70 bypass
7.1/10about £109.00
View offer
Felco Felco 211-40 bypass

Best value

Felco Felco 211-40 bypass
8.0/10about £89.95
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Living stems in a shrub
  2. 2.Hard or dead wood
  3. 3.Reach from the ground
  4. 4.What the stars do not show

Living stems in a shrub

Living stems in a shrub point at the Felco 211-60 at £91.91, the Felco 211-40 at £89.95, and the Felco 201-40 at £89.00. The Royal Horticultural Society still classes growth under 2.5 cm as work for secateurs or a lopper. Take the 211-60 when you need the 60 code, and a 40 code when the shrub is tight. The two 211s share 4.6 from 575 reviews, so the score selects neither length. Pass on all three for hard or dead wood.

Hard or dead wood

Hard or dead wood has one name here: the Felco 231, at £190.00, with 4.8 from 278 reviews, a cam-assisted anvil. Felco's en-GB page calls it an anvil for dry wood at 40 mm. Use it on a dry stub still within that 40 mm. Leave it for living green wood, even with 278 reviews beside the 221-70's 42. How an anvil head and a bypass head divide the work is on Felco bypass or anvil loppers.
Felco Felco 231 anvil

Testsieger

Felco Felco 231 anvil
8.6/10about £190.00
View offer

Reach from the ground

Reach from the ground, where a price and a count can be cited, points at the Felco 221-70: £109.00, 4.8 from 42 reviews, and 45 mm in the title. In this set the 221-80 was £125.23 and shares that 4.8 from 42, so the star is not a separate test of the longer handle. When 70 cm still leaves the branch short, the conflicting centimetres are on Felco long-reach loppers. Pass on the 221-70 when dead wood is already beside you, or when a thin living stem is already in reach at £89.00 to £91.91.

What the stars do not show

The 231 and the 221-70 both show 4.8, from 278 reviews and from 42. The 211-40 at £89.95 and the 211-60 at £91.91 share one line of 4.6 from 575 reviews, so the £1.96 between them is a length-code choice. At £198.18 the Felco 220 is the highest price named here, a geared bypass whose listing leaves the wood unstated. The pools add no fourth winner.

Common questions

What is the best Felco lopper overall?
There is no overall best Felco lopper in this set. Living shrub stems point at the 211-60, the 211-40, or the 201-40. Hard or dead wood points at the 231, and reach with a price and a count points at the 221-70. The 220 at £198.18 is the dearest figure here, with the wood still unstated on the listing. The eight rows stay together on the main comparison.
Which Felco lopper is for dead wood?
The best Felco lopper for dead wood here is the 231, the cam-assisted anvil at £190.00, with 4.8 from 278 reviews. Felco's shop page adds dry wood at 40 mm and £199. BBC Gardeners' World's heavy-duty pick uses an RRP of £219.99, which is their test and their price. Leave the 231 when the stem is still living. A Felco 231 review that quotes 4.8 and drops the 278 has hidden the sample.
Which one if I cannot reach the crown?
The best Felco lopper for reach, with a price and a count, is the 221-70 at £109.00, 4.8 from 42 reviews, and 45 mm in the title. BBC Gardeners' World calls it a straight-head 70 cm bypass, scored 4.3 at an RRP of £119.99. Garden Ninja's 221-80 is one garden and about 45 mm on green wood. The amazon line is the shared 4.8 from 42. Past that 70 cm, the centimetre conflict is on the long-reach page.
Is the dearest the best?
The highest price named here is the 220 at £198.18, above the 231 at £190.00. It is a geared bypass, the wood is unstated, and the lifetime bullet does not set out cover for every part for life. The 231 costs less and is still wrong for a living stem. Match the wood, then read the shelf price on the main comparison.
Does a 4.8 beat a 4.4?
Only with the count beside the star. The 231's 4.8 rests on 278 reviews, the 221-70's 4.8 on 42, and the 201-40's 4.4 on 11. Eleven reviews can move after a few new ratings, so the gap is not a measured difference in the steel. The shared 4.6 from 575 sits on both 211 lengths and chooses neither.
Should I skip Felco if BBC also rates cheaper loppers?
BBC Gardeners' World uses its own method, with RRPs of £219.99 and £119.99 against amazon prices of £190.00 and £109.00. Other brands on that page sit outside these eight listings. You pass on a Felco when the wood, the length, or the review count fails your job. Their 4.3 for the 221-70 stays theirs. The amazon line remains 4.8 from 42 reviews.

Related pages

Anvil loppers

Felco loppers

Felco loppers buying guide for wood, size and reach

Felco bypass or anvil loppers for the wood you cut

How to prune with loppers and when you should stop

Felco long reach loppers for 70, 80 or 90 cm crowns

Sources

Public sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are the saved amazon.co.uk captures, not a live price check.

  1. Felco F201-40 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Felco 220 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Felco 231 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Felco warranty and repairs (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. RHS pruning guide (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Burgon & Ball — bypass or anvil (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. HSE — PUWER overview (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22.10.2026)