For gardeners, a pruning saw is an essential item to own. It is a pruning saw that allows us to properly shape our fruit trees and remove dead or crossed branches from our yard trees.
Pruning saws are different than a standard carpenters saw. These tools have a curved handle with a long, thin, curved blade and are designed to fit into tight places. Pruning saws are so practical and utilitarian that a gardener would be lost without one.
When my pruning saw turned up missing last week, I decided to buy a replacement so that I could prune my fruit trees before they began budding out. My old pruning saw had belonged to Grampa and after 30 years, wasn’t terribly effective at cutting anymore. To replace it, I purchased a 14″ razor tooth pruning saw made by Corona.
Specs
The packaging noted that this particular model of saw was considered to be a “professional” model and came with a lifetime warranty. It also indicated that the razor sharp teeth were whetstone ground on three sides for a blade that cut twice as fast as a standard pruning saw. If you’ve ever had to cut a thick tree branch with a pruning saw, “twice as fast” is a definite bonus.
Additional information on the packaging indicated that the saw was hard chrome plated and cut on the pull stroke; another bonus for those times when we are trying to prune a fruit tree while standing on top of an 8 foot ladder. The pruning saw had all the qualifications of a good garden tool, and cost only $24.99.
The test
I had a dwarf Lambert cherry tree that got out of control a few years ago, and had reached a height of nearly 35 feet with limbs as thick as 5″ across in parts. My goal was to prune the cherry tree back down to a manageable size, and train it to grow outwards instead of vertically. The cherry tree had a two central branches that had shot straight up. These branches were 5″ in width and in all likelihood, would have needed to be cut down with a chain saw. With my old pruning saw, I would have been sawing away for at least 15 or 20 minutes before the limb would have even started moving.
With a 14″ blade, it occurred to me that my new Corona pruning saw might work on a five inch limb. I made a short back cut (to prevent the tree bark from tearing) and then began sawing away at the opposite end. In less than 30 seconds, the pruning saw had cut neatly and completely through the limb. Wow.
The Corona 14″ pruning saw comes with a hard plastic handle with a rubber grip. The handle was very comfortable to grip, even when having to flip it around for back cuts, front cuts, and other odd angles. In fact, it was far more comfortable to hold than Grampa’s old wooden handed model.
I tested it on other types of branches and even on seasoned wood. It cut through dry wood as easily as it did the live cherry tree branches. For those times we are out camping and need to cut firewood, this pruning saw will be an indispensable tool. It’s portable size also means that it will fit quite comfortably in the car without taking up a bunch of room.
For pruning tree branches and shrubs, I can’t imagine a better tool than the Corona pruning saw. This product gets 5 out of 5 stars for quality and ease of use.
