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How to use ratchet loppers

Updated: 22 October 2026

The handles fly open on the first squeeze and it feels as if the tool has failed. On a ratchet lopper that opening is the start of the cut. You seat the stem, close until the pawl clicks, open only to the next click, and repeat. This is how to use the tools in the [ratchet loppers comparison](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/ratchet-loppers): the pump, the lock, sap, and the stop for a nest or a limb you should not drop. Head choice is on [anvil or bypass loppers](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/ratchet-loppers/sub/ratchet-loppers-anvil-or-bypass). There is no lab session. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The handles fly open on the first squeeze and it feels as if the tool has failed. On a ratchet lopper that opening is the start of the cut.

Our top picks

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson 8100RS

Best overall

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson 8100RS
8.3/10about £22.86
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Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson 8290RS

Rank 2

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson 8290RS
8.4/10about £27.90
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Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson 8290KEW

Alternative

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson 8290KEW
4.6/10about £36.95
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On this page
  1. 1.Set the branch deep in the jaw
  2. 2.Pump to the click, and do not reset the pawl
  3. 3.Lock the handles and wipe the sap
  4. 4.Check for nests before you cut
  5. 5.Stop when the wood or the height is too much

Set the branch deep in the jaw

Put the stem as far into the jaw as the head allows, not on the tip. A cut on the outer edge twists the blade. Anvil heads need the stem on the bar. The 8090RS bypass slices as the blades pass, and a stem only half in the jaw is the torn cut UK reviews describe. Stand so the falling piece cannot swing into your face. If the branch is above the diameter on your listing, stop. Kimura states 40 mm, the 8100RS 42 mm, the 8090RS field 42 mm, the 8290RS field 2 inches, and the Kew 50 mm. Those are ceilings on those pages, not a shared maximum. Carry loppers closed.

Pump to the click, and do not reset the pawl

Open the handles fully to start. Squeeze until the click, then open only to the next click and squeeze again. If you open all the way, the pawl resets. A Davaon manual describes that sequence for its own tool, including a 60 mm line that does not belong here. The 8290RS maker page says four short steps for that model, not a universal count. UK reviews say the jaws spring wide and the first uses fail until the pump is learned. If the cut stalls, stop forcing the handles at full extension. Bent aluminium tubes show up when a thick stem was muscled through. Shorten the handles, or fetch a saw.
Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson 8100RS

Testsieger

Spear & Jackson Spear & Jackson 8100RS
8.3/10about £22.86
View offer

Lock the handles and wipe the sap

Set the length, twist the lock until a firm pull does not shorten it, and only then cut. A snug lock can collapse as you pump. Carry the pair closed at your side. The Kew bullets name a locking catch. The 8090RS bullets do not, and one UK reviewer used a strap. Wipe sap off the blade before it hardens. The RHS sharpening page says hone the bevel, leave the flat face alone, and oil the pivot. Do not grind the anvil bar. Length and weight are on telescopic ratchet loppers.

Check for nests before you cut

Look into the hedge before the first cut. In England it is an offence to intentionally damage a wild bird’s nest while it is in use or being built, in a town garden as well as on a farm. If you see a nest in use, stop. Cut large-leaved hedges such as cherry laurel stem by stem. On covered agricultural hedgerows, do not cut from 1 March to 31 August. That farm rule is not an automatic ban on a town privet hedge, and a nest in use still stops the job. Buying rules stay on the ratchet loppers buying guide.

Stop when the wood or the height is too much

Stop when the stem is thicker than the ceiling on your listing, when the limb is hung up, or when it could fall on you, a building or a line. A handle around a metre is not a pole saw. Tools at about 1.8 m were kept out of this category. The wide jaw on the Kew and the 8290RS means you cannot work as far into a hedge as the handle length suggests. If the ratchet will not click at all, the tool may not be a ratchet. That is a return, not a harder squeeze. GOV.UK’s returns guidance covers goods that are not as described, including the 14-day window.

Common questions

Why do the handles fly open?
The jaws are sprung so you can take the next bite. On the 8290RS, UK reviews say they spring fully open, and a full opening resets the pawl. Open wide only to start the cut or after the wood has parted. Between bites, open only as far as the click.
How many squeezes does one cut take?
It depends on the stem and the model. The 8290RS maker page says four short steps for that tool. A thinner stem may finish in fewer bites, and a stem near the stated ceiling takes more. Do not copy a step count from another brand’s manual onto these listings.
Where should the branch sit in the jaw?
Seat it deep, on the anvil bar or fully between bypass blades, not on the tip. A tip cut twists the head and is where torn bark and bent handles show up in reviews. If the stem will not sit in the jaw, it is too thick for that lopper.
What do I do if the cut stalls?
Stop forcing it at full extension. Shorten the handles, check the lock, and see whether you have reset the pawl by opening too far. If the wood is past the stated diameter, switch to a saw. Bent tubes in UK reviews followed cuts that were muscled through.
How do I clean sap and sharpen?
Wipe sap after use and oil the pivot. Sharpen the bevel only. The RHS says not to sharpen the flat. Do not stone the anvil bar into a second blade. A stiff tool often needs cleaning and oil before it needs a new edge.
Can I trim a garden hedge in May?
You can, unless a nest is in use or being built. The bird offence applies in a garden at any time of year while the nest is active. The 1 March to 31 August ban is a separate rule for covered agricultural hedgerows in England, not an automatic ban on a town privet hedge. Large leaves are better cut stem by stem.
When do I fetch a saw or a tree surgeon?
Fetch a saw when the stem is over the ceiling on your listing. Fetch a professional when the limb is hung up, near a line or a building, or when you cannot tell whether farmland hedgerow rules apply. A metre of telescopic handle does not replace either of those.

Related pages

Best ratchet loppers

Ratchet loppers

Anvil or bypass loppers: heal the plant, or clear it

Ratchet loppers buying guide: head, size, then reach

Telescopic ratchet loppers: range, lock and weight

Sources

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.

  1. RHS — sharpening tools (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. RHS — pruning hedges (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. GOV.UK — wild birds (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. GOV.UK — hedgerow cutting rules (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Natural Resources Wales — tool use card (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Spear & Jackson 8290RS (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Spear & Jackson 8100RS anvil (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Spear & Jackson 8090RS bypass (retrieved 22.10.2026)