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Fiskars loppers for thick branches

Updated: 22 October 2026

The stem in front of you is thicker than secateurs will take, and a listing says 5 cm. Fiskars loppers for thick branches are limited by two numbers: the diameter on the contents line, and whether you can close the handles with the stem seated. The [Fiskars loppers comparison](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/fiskars-loppers) holds the amazon.co.uk snapshots, checked on 20 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Peter F. took the contents lines from those listings and the tree-pruning line from the Royal Horticultural Society. There is no lab cut, and no British Standard here sets a lopper capacity.

The stem in front of you is thicker than secateurs will take, and a listing says 5 cm.

Our top picks

Fiskars Fiskars PowerGear X LX99 anvil

Best overall

Fiskars Fiskars PowerGear X LX99 anvil
9.2/10about £74.04
View offer
Fiskars Fiskars PowerGear II L78 bypass

Alternative

Fiskars Fiskars PowerGear II L78 bypass
9.2/10about £56
View offer
Fiskars Fiskars bypass L11

Best value

Fiskars Fiskars bypass L11
9.2/10about £16.32
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the listings actually state
  2. 2.Inch listings beside the centimetre models
  3. 3.The handle test, and why gear does not add centimetres
  4. 4.Where the RHS says stop

What the listings actually state

These are contents lines, not a cut we made. L31 Ø 3.5 cm. L70 Ø 3.8 cm on the contents line and 2.8 cm in another field, so use the lower figure. L11 Ø 38 mm. L86 Ø 4 cm, while a field says 5 cm. Trust 4 cm. L13 Ø 45 mm on fresh wood. L78 and L77 both Ø 5 cm, on different heads. The LX99 states Ø 5.5 cm at £74.04, the highest figure here, with a twenty-five-year warranty sentence on that listing only. It is a dry-wood anvil, and the bullets exclude green wood. The L78’s Ø 5 cm is the fresh-wood bypass at about £56. A larger anvil number is the wrong reason to crush a green stem.

Inch listings beside the centimetre models

The 15 inch PowerGear and the 28 inch bypass state up to 1.5 inches. The 32 inch PowerGear2 states up to 2 inches. Multiplying by 2.54 gives about 3.8 cm and about 5.1 cm. That arithmetic is ours. The 18 inch and 32 inch listings share one 4.7-from-7,210 review line, which is not evidence of capacity. A 2021 Fiskars catalogue hosted by a UK seller puts the largest anvil around Ø 55 mm on hard, dry wood. BBC Gardeners' World’s table lists the LX99 at 55 mm. A separate sentence of theirs has said 55 cm. Do not copy that slip. The 32 inch cutting-width field repeats the length, and the tool weighs 1.77 kg.
Fiskars Fiskars PowerGear X LX99 anvil

Testsieger

Fiskars Fiskars PowerGear X LX99 anvil
9.2/10about £74.04
View offer

The handle test, and why gear does not add centimetres

Seat the stem deep in the jaw. If the grips must open almost flat before the cut starts, you are at the limit. Reviews on the L78 and the LX99 describe that stance. PowerGear is one stroke of leverage, not extra centimetres. The L11 at Ø 38 mm has no gear named. The L70, near the same thickness, has PowerGear II. You are paying for effort, not for 5.5 cm. If the handles will not meet, the gear is finished. The buying guide covers wood, reach, and warranty after this test.

Where the RHS says stop

For tree work, the RHS says secateurs or loppers under about 2.5 cm, and a saw back to the branch collar above that. A heavier limb needs an undercut and then an overcut. Those steps are on the how to prune with loppers page. A thicker tree limb is a saw job even when the LX99 prints Ø 5.5 cm. A shrub stem inside a bypass you can close can still be a lopper cut. Climber renovation is a separate RHS note, up to about 3 cm, not a Fiskars rating. The LX99, L77, and L31 exclude fresh green growth. Call someone else for a limb over a road or a roof, a possible tree preservation order, or any ladder-and-saw cut.

Common questions

How thick a branch can Fiskars loppers cut?
Only as thick as the contents line you can close on, from Ø 3.5 cm on the L31 to Ø 5.5 cm on the LX99, plus the 1.5 inch and 2 inch claims. Those are maker figures, not a lab result. On a tree limb, the RHS line of about 2.5 cm is where a saw and the collar take over.
Which Fiskars lopper has the highest stated diameter?
The LX99, at Ø 5.5 cm, in this snapshot £74.04, an anvil for dry and hard wood, with a twenty-five-year warranty sentence that the other listings do not copy. The L78 and the L77 state Ø 5 cm and are different heads, bypass and anvil. The highest number is the wrong tool if your stem is green. The LX99 bullets exclude fresh green growth, including live beds and roses.
Is a 5 cm rating the same as the RHS 2.5 cm advice?
No. A 5 cm or 5.5 cm figure is what that listing states for the jaw. The RHS figure of about 2.5 cm is its line for tree branches: loppers under that, a saw back to the collar above it. A shrub stem inside a bypass you can close can still be a lopper job.
Should I use an anvil just because the branch is thick?
No. An anvil is for dry or hard wood, and the L31, L77, and LX99 exclude fresh green growth. A thick living stem wants a bypass you can close, or a saw if it is a tree limb over the RHS line. Dead hardwood that the handles will close on is the anvil case.
When do I put the loppers down and use a saw?
Put them down when the handles will not close, when the stem is a tree limb thicker than about 2.5 cm, or when you would be on a ladder. The RHS wants that limb taken back to the collar. Call a professional for a road, a roof, a possible tree preservation order, or any ladder-and-saw cut.

Related pages

Fiskars bypass or anvil loppers

Best Fiskars loppers

Fiskars loppers

Fiskars loppers buying guide: wood, size, then reach

How to prune with loppers: one clean cut, then stop

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are amazon.co.uk snapshots checked on 20 October 2026.

  1. Fiskars UK — PowerGear (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  2. Burgon & Ball — anvil, bypass or scissor (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  3. BBC Gardeners' World — best loppers (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  4. RHS — tree pruning guide (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  5. HSE — PUWER overview (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  6. GOV.UK — wild birds: protection, surveys and licences (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  7. GOV.UK — hedgerow management rules (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 20.10.2026)