Best Pruning Shears Review Felco 2: An Arborist's FAQ on Gloves, Bolt Cutters, and Hydraulic Cylinder Bore

The questions I actually get from crews

Some questions can't wait for a polished buying guide. If you're trying to get a crew out the door without another tool delay, you need answers you can use now. I coordinate field equipment for a tree care and vineyard maintenance company. Last quarter alone, we processed 47 rush orders with a 95% on-time delivery rate. That means these answers come from real jobs, not a spec sheet.

Jump to your question:

• Is the Felco 2 the best pruning shear for professional work?
• Are Felco garden gloves actually worth it?
• What do I keep in an emergency field kit?
• How do I measure the bore of a hydraulic cylinder?
• Why does the cheapest option end up costing more?
• Can I sharpen Felco shears myself?

1. Is the Felco 2 the best pruning shear for professional work?

If you're looking for a best pruning shears review Felco 2, here's the short version: it's still the benchmark. I've used the Felco 2 on dormant grapevines, overgrown ornamentals, and 1-inch hardwood. The blade holds an edge, the cutting head opens wide, and when something breaks, I can fix it in the field.

What makes it the professional default isn't the first cut. It's the parts system. A broken spring costs a couple of dollars and takes a minute to replace. A worn blade gets swapped instead of throwing away the whole shear. In March 2024, our crew pruned 1,800 vines in five days with Felco 2s and only needed one replacement spring. That's the kind of math that matters when you're on a deadline.

There's something satisfying about a tool you can rebuild instead of replace. The Felco 2 is not the right shear for every job—fine bud work might call for a lighter model—but for daily professional pruning, it's still the tool I measure everything else against.

2. Are Felco garden gloves actually worth it?

I had mixed feelings about Felco garden gloves when I first ordered them. Part of me figured they were an upsell—when you already trust a brand, they'll sell you anything. Then two things changed my mind. One of our guys used a pair for a full day of cane pruning and didn't get the usual thumb blister. Another pair survived a season of loading brush without the palm wearing through.

The fit is the big difference. They're snug in the palm but not restrictive, so you can still feel what you're cutting. That matters more than any logo. They also work with touchscreen phones, which is handy when you need to photograph a broken part or a damage claim before you leave the job.

Honestly, I'm not sure every Felco garden glove will last three years. I can only speak to our experience. If you work in a dry climate, a lighter glove might be enough. For us, they're the pair that stays in the truck.

3. What do I keep in an emergency field kit?

When I'm triaging a rush order, I'm not looking for a full workshop. I'm looking for tools that solve the most common equipment failures. Here's the short list that lives in every one of our trucks:

• Two Felco 2 shears, plus one spare spring and one spare blade
• A Felco sharpening tool, because a dull pruner is a hand injury waiting to happen
• The Cobolt compact bolt cutters 71 21 200 — this one tool has freed more stuck pins than I can count
• A mechanics tool set CMMT12126, with sockets, ratchets, extensions, and bits in one case
• Zip ties, baling wire, electrical tape, and a rubber mallet

I'll be honest: I kept second-guessing whether we needed the CMMT12126 mechanics tool set when we already had two old cases of mixed sockets. Then it helped pull a trailer hub apart on the side of a road with 20 minutes to spare. Now it's the case everybody grabs first.

The Cobolt compact bolt cutters 71 21 200 looks like a mini bolt cutter, but it's not a gimmick. It cuts bolts, tie wire, and light chain-link without needing a bigger bar. Not ideal for heavy rebar, but workable for the things that stop a job for no good reason.

4. How do I measure the bore of a hydraulic cylinder?

Let me show you how to measure the bore of a hydraulic cylinder without tearing the whole machine apart. The bore is the internal diameter of the barrel—not the rod, not the outside of the cylinder. Measure the inside of the barrel, not the shaft.

1. Clean the barrel end. Dirt or rust will turn a 2.000-inch bore into a reading that looks like 2.010 inches.
2. Use an inside micrometer or a telescoping gauge. A regular caliper can't reach the bore if the cylinder is assembled.
3. Measure in at least two spots, roughly 90 degrees apart, and near both ends of the barrel.
4. Take the average and match it to the nearest nominal size. A reading of 2.015 inches still calls for a 2-inch bore, but a reading of 2.036 inches might mean you have a 2.25-inch bore or a worn barrel.
5. Write down the stroke length too. Same bore, different stroke, different part number.

If the cylinder has a manufacturer part number, use that as a cross-check. I've never fully understood why some cylinders don't stamp the bore size directly on the barrel. My best guess is they expect you to use the service manual. In March 2024, we found a dead lift cylinder 36 hours before a pruning job. The risk of guessing wrong was a $400 part and a week of downtime. The measurement took five minutes. Measure first.

5. Why does the cheapest option end up costing more?

If there's one thing I've learned from 200+ rush jobs, it's that hidden costs show up at the worst time. I do not trust a tool or a service that comes with a long list of what's not included. The vendor who lists everything upfront—even when the total looks higher—usually costs less in the end.

In 2023, we tried to save $80 by buying cheaper springs for our pruners instead of Felco replacements. Two snapped in the same row on a Friday job. We paid $46 for overnight delivery of the correct springs and still had a crew standing around for two hours. The saved $80 cost us $46 plus a client's patience. That's when we implemented our one-spare-spring-in-every-truck policy.

That approach worked for us because we're a mid-size operation with predictable crew schedules. If you're a one-person operation, you might get away with fewer backups. Your mileage may vary. But the principle is the same: a transparent price and a repair path is worth more than a cheap price and a prayer.

Bottom line: I'd rather see a real price from the start. The same goes for repair parts. A Felco 2 costs more than a generic pruner, but because the parts are easy to get and the price is straightforward, there are no surprises when it needs service.

6. Can I sharpen Felco pruning shears myself?

Yes, but do it right. Use a Felco sharpening tool or a fine diamond file, follow the existing bevel angle, and only remove a little metal at a time. Don't use a bench grinder. I've seen blades that were never the same after someone tried to quick-sharpen them that way.

The best way to keep a Felco 2 sharp is to clean it after use, not let sap dry. A quick wipe with a rag and a drop of oil on the pivot costs 30 seconds and saves you an hour with the file. You don't need to sharpen every week. When the shear starts crushing bark instead of cutting clean, that's the signal. Ten minutes with a file beats a new blade if you catch it early. If you wait too long, a new Felco 2 blade costs less than the time you'll lose trying to force the old one through another 100 cuts.