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How to prune with loppers

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have the handles open on a garden hedge in April, and the stem is thicker than the tool was listed for or next to a nest you have not looked for. How to prune with loppers is one close inside the stated diameter, and a stop when the tool protests, a nest is active, or the tree may be protected. The [Gardena loppers comparison](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/gardena-loppers) is where the five listings sit. Peter F. used the stated diameters, GOV.UK, the RSPB and the Health and Safety Executive. There is no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have the handles open on a garden hedge in April, and the stem is thicker than the tool was listed for or next to a nest you have not looked for.

Our top picks

Gardena Gardena EasyCut L

Best overall

Gardena Gardena EasyCut L
9.6/10about £39.99
View offer
Gardena Gardena TeleCut Pro S

Best value

Gardena Gardena TeleCut Pro S
9.4/10about £51.37
View offer
Gardena Gardena SlimCut

Alternative

Gardena Gardena SlimCut
8.2/10about £72.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Check the tree before you open the handles
  2. 2.Look for a nest, including outside spring
  3. 3.Set the stem in the jaw and close once
  4. 4.Stop and change tool, or stop and call someone

Check the tree before you open the handles

In England a tree preservation order prohibits lopping a protected tree without the council's written consent. GOV.UK includes lopping in the work covered, and the application page covers England and Wales. If you are unsure whether the birch on the boundary is protected, or whether you are in a conservation area, ask before the first cut. A neighbour's nod does not replace written consent. A clear tree can still be the wrong head if the wood is dead.

Look for a nest, including outside spring

A nest in use or being built is protected whether or not an order exists. Damaging it is an offence. The RSPB points to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in England, Scotland and Wales, and to the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. March to September is the main nesting season, and the RSPB still says you should check from September to February. Cutting is lawful at any time only if you do not damage an active nest. A garden hedge is not automatically on the agricultural hedgerow calendar. That rule is for certain field hedges, not every suburban privet. Part the growth by hand and leave the branch if anything is occupied.
Gardena Gardena EasyCut L

Testsieger

Gardena Gardena EasyCut L
9.6/10about £39.99
View offer

Set the stem in the jaw and close once

Put the stem fully into the jaw, not on the tips, and close once. The EasyCut L and the SmartCut are listed at 45 mm, both TeleCut Pro models at 50 mm, and the SlimCut's field at 28 mm. Those figures are the stop. The Royal Horticultural Society, on overgrown climbers, talks about loppers up to about 3 cm and a saw after that. Where 3 cm is below the listing, use the lower stop. A second, harder close twists the pivot and tears the bark. The SmartCut ratchet spreads the effort. It does not turn a crush into a slice. Gloves stay on. Carry the tool closed. If you hear a creak, stop.

Stop and change tool, or stop and call someone

Fetch a pruning saw when the stem is past the stated millimetres, or when the lopper twists or creaks. Above head height, wear a hard hat. A ladder is where this stops being a householder job. Call a competent person for an overhead limb, a stem past the stated cut, a branch that could fall on a roof, a tree with no written consent, an active nest, or a damaged tool. The TeleCut Pro L size field stops at 900 mm. That is still the ground. If the only problem is reach, use the Gardena telescopic loppers page. If the problem is the head, use Gardena bypass or anvil loppers. The Gardena loppers buying guide is the order before you are holding the tool.

Common questions

How do I make one clean cut with loppers?
Set a stem inside the stated diameter fully into the jaw and close once. Use a bypass on green wood and the anvil on hard, dry wood. Keep the cut off the ground, and keep gloves on. If the first close does not finish the stem, fetch a saw. A second, harder pull is how the tool twists and the bark tears.
When should I put the loppers down and fetch a saw?
When the stem is thicker than the listing, the handles will not close, or the tool twists or creaks. The stops here are 45 mm on the EasyCut L and the SmartCut, 50 mm on both TeleCut Pro models, and 28 mm on the SlimCut. Where RHS climber advice says about 3 cm, use the lower figure. A thumb-thick habit is looser than 28 mm, so the SlimCut's field wins on that tool.
Can I cut a hedge between March and September?
You can if you have checked and there is no nest in use or being built. March to September is the main nesting season, not a ban on every garden hedge. The offence is damaging an active nest. The RSPB also says you should look outside those months. A garden hedge is not automatically on the agricultural hedgerow calendar. If you find a nest, leave that part until the birds have finished.
What is a tree preservation order, and does it cover lopping?
It is a council control on a named tree or woodland. In England it prohibits lopping without written consent. Lopping is named as work, so a hand tool does not sit outside the order. The apply-for-consent guidance covers England and Wales. If you might also be in a conservation area, ask before you cut. Owning the garden is not consent.
Do the same bird rules apply in Northern Ireland?
A nest in use or being built is protected there under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. In England, Scotland and Wales the RSPB points to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. You still look before you cut, and you stop if a nest is active. The tree preservation route on GOV.UK is the England and Wales consent path. If you are unsure which rule binds the tree, ask the council.

Related pages

Best Gardena loppers

Gardena loppers

Gardena loppers buying guide: wood first, then size

Gardena bypass or anvil loppers: green or dead wood

Gardena telescopic loppers: TeleCut Pro S or Pro L

Sources

Manufacturer and public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are amazon.co.uk captures for these five ASINs, not a live re-check on 20 October 2026.

  1. Gardena UK — loppers, bypass versus anvil (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  2. Gardena UK — EasyCut L, 45 mm and 10-year line (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  3. Gardena — TeleCut Pro L, 900 mm versus 900 cm (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  4. Gardena — SmartCut anvil, 45 mm and 1.3 kg catalogue figure (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  5. Gardena — SlimCut, 28 mm and gears 1:12 and 1:6 (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  6. Gardena UK — warranty, blades excluded as wear (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  7. GOV.UK — tree preservation orders (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  8. GOV.UK — wild birds: protection, surveys and licences (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  9. Gardena UK — product registration and warranty (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  10. GOV.UK — Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 20.10.2026)