The Cordless Hand Pruning Saw

“What is your Go-To gardening tool?”

That is the question we posed to horticulture professionals and lifelong gardeners across the country. The answers may surprise you. Each gardener cited a different favorite. While some were very loyal to a specific brand, most simply choose the brand most readily available. Some owned a half dozen brands and some were clueless on brand but positively devoted to the tool.

For this series, a “Go-To tool” is defined as a tool used almost daily or one that the gardeners simply couldn’t be without, even if used occasionally. In this series, each article will feature one gardener and their favorite GO-TO tool.

The Stihl Cordless Hand Pruning Saw - by Karen Oliver, Master Gardener & Five Star Member of NGC.  

I have been involved in gardening most of my life, mainly because my mother was an avid gardener, and she was always in the yard working on her flower beds. As a newlywed, I planted climbing roses on our apartment building, and then had a small raised strawberry bed in our tiny back plot. Our first home came with 45 roses, a fig tree, a plum tree, and an asparagus bed, that was ready to harvest. I was able to finally find and join a garden club about 15 years later, grateful for the resources and educational opportunities provided.

As a lifelong gardener, I love garden gadgets, especially the ones that make my life easier.

My husband and I live on several acres near the South Carolina-Georgia border.  About four acres are landscaped with a large woodland garden that we designed, cleared, and developed ourselves. We also have an orchard, koi pond, chicken coop, perennial beds and vegetable gardens so we are ALWAYS in the garden. We also collect all kinds of unusual plants-dwarf, contorted, variegated, scented, native, plants for shade, and anything we simply cannot pass by. Therefore, I have constant pruning and clean up duties.

In February, 2020, my husband surprised me with the best Valentine’s present for any gardener. The Stihl Hand Pruner, (a tiny chain saw) with its rechargeable lithium battery, has been a true champion workhorse and has quickly become my go to gardening tool.

As a 71 year old, with some orthopedic difficulties, including a shoulder rotator cuff injury, the Stihl saw helps me handle most pruning chores with ease. The tool is light enough to wield (even above me head) and not get fatigued, but still powerful enough to get the job done.

I can easily cut branches 3-4” thick which makes pruning larger woody shrubs much easier and less costly.

The battery holds a charge extremely well. The switches (off/on and dead man) are easy to operate with both my right and left hands, even though I am a smaller person.

Editor’s Note: Several gardeners have shared this tool with me and I use another brand all of the time. This is the perfect tool for gardeners with limited strength who still love to get out and do things themselves. 

Before you go out and order one of these, hold them in your hand with the battery pack attached. You’ll know very quickly which one you’ll be able to wield with ease and which one may be too cumbersome.