The best ratchet loppers, compared.
Top pick: Kimura Pro 301 Best value: Spear & Jackson 8100RS – About £22.86 with a stated 42 mm anvil and 4.6 from 6,529 reviews, the lowest price and the largest review sample here. Updated 22.10.2026.
A ratchet lopper is a two-handed pruning tool that finishes a cut in several bites. A pawl holds each step, so you do not close the blade in one squeeze. You buy one in the UK when secateurs stall on a thicker stem. A gear or compound lopper, and a one-handed ratchet secateur, are different tools. You tell a suitable ratchet lopper apart by the head, the stated diameter, the printed length, and the weight. A bypass head suits live wood you want to keep. An anvil head suits dead or hard wood you are removing. The stated diameter is the seller's ceiling. A telescopic lock buys reach only if it holds. In England, do not damage a wild bird's nest that is in use, and do not cut a covered farm hedgerow from 1 March to 31 August. Those checks are ordered in the [ratchet loppers buying guide](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/ratchet-loppers/sub/ratchet-loppers-buying-guide).
A ratchet lopper is a two-handed pruning tool that finishes a cut in several bites. A pawl holds each step, so you do not close the blade in one squeeze. You buy one in the UK when secateurs stall on a thicker stem.
18 products checked · 71 hrs invested · +17,300 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you cutting?
The Kimura Pro 301 is a telescopic anvil ratchet at £44.99 that the listing rates for branches up to 40 mm, with handles from 650 mm to 950 mm and a listed weight of 1.25 kg. Across 159 amazon.co.uk reviews it sits at 4.7, and the UK texts often praise a sharp blade and a ratchet that eases thicker cuts for older and lighter users. The same sample calls it heavy once the handles are out, and one reviewer planned a return after the extended handles slipped. The cutting head is described as too large for tightly packed growth, and handles were stressed at full extension on wood at or above the stated diameter. A lifetime-warranty line is in the bullets. The material field says Japanese SK5 carbon steel while the blade-material field says stainless steel. The "up to 5 times" wording is the seller's line, not a measured ratio. In this set it is the lightest listed tool, and it is also the dearest.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lightest telescopic anvil in this set for branches within 40 mm and you will test the twist-locks before you work overhead.
Less suitable: You need a bypass for live wood you want to keep, or you want the lowest price.
Specifications
Common questions
How thick a branch does the listing claim?
The bullet and the cutting-width field both say 40 mm. The same bullet says the ratchet multiplies power by up to 5 times. That multiplier is the seller's line, not a test.
Do the handles extend?
Yes. The size field and the bullet say 650–950 mm, with easy-twist locks. UK reviews include a pair whose extended handles slipped.
Is a spare blade in the box?
The included-components line says loppers only. A spare blade is not named.
The Spear & Jackson 8100RS is the lowest shelf price in this set at £22.86, an anvil ratchet the listing rates to 42 mm at 1.58 kg. It shows 4.6 from 6,529 amazon.co.uk reviews, and UK texts often say the ratchet makes thicker stems easier, including for pensioners and lighter users. The same bullet prints a maximum of 800 mm and also 72 cm and 28 inches, and those three figures do not match. Reviewers report aluminium handles that bent while the tool was extended, a twist-lock that shortens the arm if it is not set firmly, and a ratchet bolt that snapped after about two years when a spare could not be found. Live versus dead wood is not split on the listing. The listing has no guarantee line. In this set it is the best value when you want a stated 42 mm anvil and you will check the lock before you extend it.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a lower-priced anvil ratchet for thick stems around the stated 42 mm and you will lock the handles before a high cut.
Less suitable: You are pruning live wood you want to keep, or you need one length figure that agrees with itself on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
What length does the amazon listing print?
The bullet says a maximum of 800 mm and, in the same words, 72 cm and 28 inches. Those three figures do not match. Item dimensions are 68.5 × 29 cm.
What is the stated cutting diameter?
The bullet and the cutting-width field both say 42 mm. UK reviews include bent aluminium handles when the tool was used extended on thick wood.
Is there a guarantee on this listing?
The listing has no guarantee line. Included components name the lopper only.
The Spear & Jackson 8290RS is a heavy-duty telescopic anvil ratchet at £27.90, listed at 1.89 kg, with twist-and-lock handles the listing sets from 400 mm to 800 mm. It shows 4.6 from 5,307 amazon.co.uk reviews. UK texts praise lower effort on thick, hard branches once the pumping action is learned, and some mention a safety latch the bullets do not name. The jaws spring wide, so a full opening resets the cutter and the first attempts fail until you stop at the click. Reviewers call it slow inside a hedge and poor on loose thin wood. The cutting-width field says 2 inches, and the bullets do not print a millimetre ceiling. A bullet claims a Grow Your Own Great British Growing Awards 2021 win, which is the listing's line, not a cut test run for this comparison. In this set it is the top pick for harder anvil work if you can lift 1.89 kg.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are cutting thicker, harder branches with an anvil and you can learn the click-and-pump method.
Less suitable: You want a light tool, a bypass for live shrubs, or a millimetre ceiling written in the bullets.
Specifications
Common questions
How long are the handles on this listing?
The amazon.co.uk bullet says the twist-and-lock handles extend from 400 mm to 800 mm. Weight is 1.89 kg. The maker's page prints a different range, so the two figures are not one fact.
What diameter does the listing give?
The bullets do not print a millimetre ceiling. The cutting-width field says 2 inches. The wood line says thicker, harder branches.
Does the listing name a carry lock?
The bullets do not. UK reviews mention a safety latch and also say the jaws spring wide open before the pumping cuts start.
The Spear & Jackson 8290KEW is listed at £36.95 as a Kew telescopic ratchet for older, woodier growth, with a stated 50 mm cut, handles from 719 mm to 1,030 mm, and a weight of 1.92 kg. It shows 4.6 from 123 amazon.co.uk reviews, a smaller sample than the 8100RS or the 8290RS. UK texts praise thick woody stems once both handles open wide, and they call it heavy to hold off the ground, poor inside a dense hedge, and shorter in reach than the handle length suggests because the jaws open wide. One length lock slipped. The title and the included-components line say anvil, while the blade-type field says bypass. The warranty description says a 10-year guarantee and the EU spare-part field says 1 year. A locking catch is named in the bullets, which the other four listings do not print. In this set it is the longest stated reach, with a head the listing does not describe in one voice.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the longest stated reach and a named carry lock for older woody growth, and you will treat the head as the anvil in the title.
Less suitable: You need the title and the blade-type field to agree, or you cannot hold about 1.9 kg off the ground.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the head an anvil or a bypass?
The title, the included-components line and the wood bullet describe a ratchet anvil for older, woodier growth. The blade-type field says bypass. Both are on the same listing.
What reach and diameter does the listing print?
Regular length 719 mm, extended length 1,030 mm, maximum cut 50 mm. Item weight is 1.92 kg. A locking catch is in the bullets.
What guarantee is on the listing?
The warranty description says a 10 year guarantee. The EU spare-part field says 1 year. UK reviews call the tool heavy to lift and poor inside a dense hedge.
The Spear & Jackson 8090RS is the only bypass title in this set, at £36.95 and 1.62 kg, with 4.5 from 1,147 amazon.co.uk reviews. The title, the product style and the blade-type field all say bypass. The cutting-width field says 42 mm, though the bullets never print that diameter or a handle range. UK reviews like cleaner cuts around 3–4 cm and the extra reach, and they also report a nicked or slightly bent blade on thin apple wood, bark torn on one side of the stem, and handles bent so the telescopic section would not retract. There is no carry lock in the bullets; one reviewer used a strap because the tool falls open. The EU spare-part field says 10 years. The bullets do not say whether the wood should be live or dead. In this set it is the bypass row, and the amazon page still leaves the wood type blank.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the bypass head in this set for living growth and you accept a 42 mm figure in the cutting-width field rather than in a bullet.
Less suitable: You are clearing dead hard wood, or you need a printed handle range on the listing before you buy.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this an anvil or a bypass lopper?
The title, product style and blade-type field all say bypass. It is the only bypass head in this set. The bullets do not say whether the wood should be live or dead.
What cutting size is printed?
The bullets do not give a diameter. The cutting-width field says 42 mm. Blade length is 95 mm and item weight is 1.62 kg.
Do the handles lock shut for carrying?
The bullets do not name a carry lock. A UK review says there is no way to hold the loppers shut, and the reviewer used a strap.
Scores compare the five amazon.co.uk ratchet loppers kept in this set. Prices, stars and review counts are the listing lines saved on 21 October 2026. There is no laboratory test. A head, a millimetre cut, or a length counts only when that listing prints it. A review can contradict a title. It does not fill a blank specification. Seller lines of "up to 5 times" or "+110%" are not a measured ratio. The weights below sum to 100.
Amazon evidence
30%The star line on amazon.co.uk, then the review count. A 4.6 from 6,529 scores above a 4.6 from 123. A higher star line on about 150 reviews does not outrank thousands.
Listing fit
35%An agreed head, a diameter you can read, and one length range score up. A length bullet that prints three figures which disagree scores down. A title that another field contradicts scores down.
Review outcome
25%Cuts that match the stated job score up. Points come off for bent handles, a lock that slips, a blade nick, and a tool that is unusable overhead.
Value
10%Shelf price in GBP against a job the listing names and a review count you can read. The lowest price on an agreed anvil, with the largest review sample, is the best-value row.
Choose by mechanism, head, stated diameter, reach, and weight. A large review count does not make an anvil the right head for live wood you want to keep. Prices below are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 21 October 2026.
Ratchet loppers finish a stem in bites. A pawl holds each step, so the blade does not have to close in one squeeze. The first check is the mechanism. The bullets must describe a stepwise ratchet. A title that says ratchet is not enough: a plain anvil has been reviewed as a tool with no ratchet at all. The second check is the head. A bypass head is the scissors-style cut for live wood you want to keep. An anvil head closes onto a bar and suits dead or hard wood you are removing.
A gear or compound linkage is meant to finish in one close. A ratchet takes several bites. One-handed ratchet secateurs are a third tool. If the bullets do not describe a stepwise ratchet, the title is not enough.
Anvil heads suit dead or hard wood you are removing. The bypass row in this set is the 8090RS. The 8290KEW title says anvil and the blade-type field says bypass, so those lines are not one head.
UK reviews include aluminium handles bent while a telescopic tool was extended, and twist-locks that slipped when they were not secured. A stated diameter is a seller ceiling, not a dare. Stop if a nest is in use, or if farmland hedgerow rules may apply.
The bullets must describe a stepwise ratchet. A bypass head suits live wood you want to keep. An anvil head suits dead or hard wood you are removing. In this set only the 8090RS has a bypass title and a bypass blade-type field. The 8290KEW title says anvil and the blade-type field says bypass. Seller lines of "up to 5 times" or "+110%" are not a measured ratio.
Read the diameter on the listing: 40 mm, 42 mm, 2 inches, or 50 mm. Those are seller ceilings. Use the length on the page you are buying when it disagrees with the maker page. Listed weights run from 1.25 kg to 1.92 kg. A ratchet eases each squeeze and can still feel heavy overhead. Care steps sit on the how-to-use page linked above.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are cutting thicker, harder branches and you can lift 1.89 kg. The Spear & Jackson 8290RS is about £27.90, with an agreed anvil, handles listed at 400–800 mm, and 4.6 from 5,307 reviews. The jaws spring wide, and the cutting-width field says 2 inches. Skip it if you need a light tool or a bypass for live shrubs.
You want a stated 42 mm anvil at the lowest price in this set. The Spear & Jackson 8100RS is about £22.86, listed at 1.58 kg, with 4.6 from 6,529 reviews. The length bullet mixes 800 mm, 72 cm and 28 inches. Lock the handles before a high cut. It is the wrong row for live wood you want to keep.
You are pruning living growth and you need the bypass head. The Spear & Jackson 8090RS is the only title in this set whose blade-type field also says bypass, at about £36.95, 1.62 kg, with 4.5 from 1,147 reviews. The 42 mm figure sits in the cutting-width field, and the bullets omit a length range. Skip it for dead hard wood.
In this set the top pick is the Spear & Jackson 8290RS at about £27.90. The anvil fields agree, the listing gives one handle range of 400–800 mm, and it shows 4.6 from 5,307 amazon.co.uk reviews. It weighs 1.89 kg, the jaws spring wide, and the cutting-width field says 2 inches rather than millimetres. The best value is the Spear & Jackson 8100RS at about £22.86, with 4.6 from 6,529 reviews and a stated 42 mm anvil. Its length bullet mixes 800 mm, 72 cm and 28 inches, and UK reviews include handles bent while the tool was extended. The Kimura Pro 301 is the lightest at 1.25 kg and the dearest at about £44.99. The 8090RS is the only bypass. The 8290KEW has the longest stated reach, and its title says anvil while the blade-type field says bypass.
Spear & Jackson 8100RS
About £22.86 with a stated 42 mm anvil and 4.6 from 6,529 reviews, the lowest price and the largest review sample here.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources for nests, hedgerows, carrying and sharpening, plus Spear & Jackson pages where a listing and the maker page disagree. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 21 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars, and review counts are the UK listing lines. We did not run a lab test.
