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Felco bypass or anvil loppers

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are choosing between a slicing head and the Felco 231 because last year's growth is still green and a grey stub from winter is still on the same apple tree. Felco bypass or anvil loppers split on the wood, not on the price and not on the gear. Bypass models in this set are the 201, the 211, the 220, and the 221. The 231 is the only anvil. The [Felco loppers comparison](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/felco-loppers) holds the eight listings and the shelf prices. Peter F. wrote this on 21 October 2026 from those captures. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are choosing between a slicing head and the Felco 231 because last year's growth is still green and a grey stub from winter is still on the same apple tree.

Our top picks

Felco Felco 231 anvil

Best overall

Felco Felco 231 anvil
8.6/10about £190.00
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Felco Felco 220 bypass

Alternative

Felco Felco 220 bypass
8.1/10about £198.18
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Felco Felco 211-40 bypass

Best value

Felco Felco 211-40 bypass
8.0/10about £89.95
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.When the cut has to stay clean
  2. 2.When the wood is hard or dead
  3. 3.The 220 is not the anvil
  4. 4.One tool will not do both jobs well

When the cut has to stay clean

A bypass lopper slices, with one blade passing a counter-blade, and that is the head for living growth you want to keep. Felco types the 220 for young branches. Burgon & Ball's UK guide makes the same split: a bypass for living growth because the slice avoids crushing, and an anvil when the job is dead, hard, or simply removing the stem. The ungeared bypasses are the 201, the 211, and the 221. Felco states 35 mm for the 201 and the 211, and 45 mm for the 221. Reject the 231 for a green shoot. If the question is centimetres rather than the head, that sits on Felco long-reach loppers.

When the wood is hard or dead

The 231 is the anvil, and the listing in this set says hard or dead wood. Felco's page types it as anvil for dry wood, with a curved anvil and a stated 40 mm capacity. The amazon.co.uk capture was £190.00, with 4.8 from 278 reviews. The listing weight is 1.3 kg and Felco's net weight is 1.15 kg. Buy it for a grey stub still inside 40 mm that you are removing, and leave it when the bark is green. The attribute table says the blade is aluminium, while the bullets say hardened steel. Parts and warranty limits are on the Felco loppers buying guide.
Felco Felco 231 anvil

Testsieger

Felco Felco 231 anvil
8.6/10about £190.00
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The 220 is not the anvil

The 220 is the geared bypass, not a second anvil. Felco types it for young branches and states 40 mm. The amazon capture was £198.18, with 4.7 from 99 reviews. The extra pounds buy the cam on a slicing head, not dry-wood duty the listing never states. The included-components field says secateurs. Choose the 220 when the stem is living, in the 40 mm class, and an ungeared 35 mm bypass is where you stop pushing. Skip it when the wood is dead. Who each tool is for is on best Felco loppers.

One tool will not do both jobs well

A single head is a compromise as soon as the garden holds both green wood and dead wood. If you will only buy one, match the job you do most weeks. A rose bed and a young fruit tree in leaf point to a bypass. A winter clear-up of dead wood, still inside 40 mm, points to the 231. Past the printed diameter, stop and use a saw.

Common questions

Will an anvil damage a live branch?
It can crush a living stem that a bypass would slice. Felco types the 231 for dry wood, and the title in this set says hard or dead wood. Burgon & Ball's guide reserves the anvil for dead, hard, or removal cuts, and the bypass for living growth. Use the 231 on grey wood you are taking off. Use a 201, 211, 220, or 221 when the bark is green and the shoot should stay clean.
Is the 231 better because it costs more?
The 231 was £190.00 and the 220 was £198.18, so the anvil is not even the dearest tool here. The extra money against a £90 bypass pays for a 40 mm anvil and a cam, which helps on dry wood inside that diameter. It does not make the 231 a better rose pruner. Felco's 65 percent figure is the manufacturer's claim on both geared tools, not a score from this comparison.
Does the 220 cut dead wood?
The 220 is a bypass Felco types for young branches. The amazon listing does not state the wood, so do not promote it to the dead-wood job the 231's title names. You can nibble a small dry twig that still seats in a 40 mm bypass, and you should stop when the handles twist. Hard or dead wood that needs the anvil is the 231, at £190.00, with the anvil treated as a consumable on Felco's warranty page.
Which is lighter, the 220 or the 231?
On the listings, the 231 is 1.3 kg and the 220 is 1.74 kg. Felco's net weights are 1.15 kg and 1.335 kg. The anvil is the lighter geared tool, and both outweigh a short ungeared bypass. Use the listing weight for the parcel, and keep Felco's net weight as the factory figure.
Can I use one lopper for both jobs?
You can, and one of the two woods will suffer. A bypass is for green growth. The 231 is for dry wood inside 40 mm. Buy both only when you actually do both jobs. If the week is mostly roses, stop at a bypass.
Why does the 220 listing say secateurs?
The included-components field says secateurs. The title is a lopper, typed for young branches at 40 mm. Treat that word as a bad field. You are ordering a two-handed geared bypass, not a one-handed pruner.

Related pages

How to prune with loppers

Felco loppers

Best Felco loppers for living, dead or distant wood

Felco loppers buying guide for wood, size and reach

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)