Felco Pruning Tools, MS 170 Parts, and the Drill vs Impact Driver Question

For a professional tree care or vineyard crew, start with Felco 6 premium se pruning shears and the Felco 905 sharpening and adjusting tool. Keep MS 170 chainsaw parts on the shelf. Add a pliers wrench for hydraulic fittings and stubborn nuts. And settle when do you use an impact driver vs drill: impact driver for fasteners, drill for holes. That is the short answer. The rest of this is why I buy that way.

Why I Trust Felco for Daily Pruning

I am the office administrator for a 12-person tree care company. I manage all tool ordering—roughly $80,000 annually across six vendors. I report to both operations and finance. When I took over purchasing in 2020, I inherited a mess of mixed shears. After five years of managing these relationships, I have learned that low-priced pruners cost more in downtime.

Felco 6 premium se pruning shears are the workhorse. They are Swiss-made, ergonomic, and repairable. In my opinion, the Felco 6 is the right balance of size and leverage for most pruning tasks. We have ordered maybe 150 pairs. Maybe 140, I would have to check the system. The replaceable blades and springs mean we are not throwing away whole tools.

To be fair, they are not the lowest-priced option. But the question everyone asks is what is the lowest price. The question they should ask is how fast can I get replacement parts. Most buyers focus on the initial price and completely miss the cost of downtime when a pruner fails mid-job.

The Felco 905 Sharpening and Adjusting Tool

You cannot run Felco 6 shears without the Felco 905 sharpening and adjusting tool. It is a small, simple kit. If I remember correctly, it includes a diamond-coated file, a screwdriver, and a wrench. It lets you tighten the pivot, adjust the blade, and touch up the edge. We keep one in every crew truck.

Honestly, I am not sure why some crews resist sharpening. My best guess is they think it is faster to grab a new pruner. But a dull pruner bruises cuts and slows you down. The Felco 905 pays for itself in a week.

MS 170 Chainsaw Parts: What to Keep on Hand

We run Stihl MS 170 chainsaws for limbing and small removals. They are light and reliable. But they need parts. The common replacements are air filters, spark plugs, fuel filters, and chain sprockets. We also keep a spare bar and chain. As of January 2025, typical MS 170 parts are inexpensive—air filters around $5-10, spark plugs $3-5. Verify current pricing at your dealer.

My experience is based on about 200 mid-range orders. If you are running bigger saws or a municipal crew, your parts inventory might differ significantly.

Pliers Wrench: The Underrated Tool

A pliers wrench is not a regular plier. It is a hybrid—parallel jaws that grip like pliers and turn like a wrench. We use it for hydraulic fittings on our bucket truck, hose clamps, and nuts on chainsaw bars. I would argue it is the most borrowed tool in our shop.

When you read pliers wrench product info and reviews, focus on jaw parallelism and handle comfort. Reviews often mention the Knipex pliers wrench. We have tried a few brands. The Knipex is expensive but smooth. If you are on a tight budget, a decent clone works, but the jaws may not hold parallelism as long. I am not 100% sure about long-term durability on the clones—we only tested two.

Impact Driver vs Drill: When to Use Which

This comes up every time we onboard a new groundsperson. The short answer: Use an impact driver for driving screws and tightening bolts. Use a drill for drilling holes and mixing. An impact driver delivers rotational impacts—great for fasteners, bad for precise holes. A drill gives you controlled torque and speed—better for drilling and driving small screws.

If you only buy one, buy a drill. If you are assembling fences, chippers, or truck racks, buy both. We use an 18V impact driver for lag bolts and a hammer drill for concrete. Do not use an impact driver on delicate hydraulic fittings—you will over-torque them.

Pricing note: As of January 2025, typical US list prices for Felco 6 are around $55-65, and the Felco 905 sharpener is around $20-30. MS 170 parts vary by dealer. Verify current pricing at authorized dealers as rates may have changed.

What I Would Skip or Reconsider

This advice is for a 12-person tree care crew in a temperate climate. If you are in a vineyard with different pruning cycles, your Felco model might differ—many vineyard workers prefer Felco 2 or Felco 8. If you are in a high-dust environment, you will need more air filters. And if you are a solo gardener, you probably do not need a pliers wrench or impact driver.

Also, I have never fully understood why some vendors consistently beat their quoted lead times while others miss. My best guess is internal buffer practices. So always add a week to any tool order.

Final note: We are not the lowest-priced buyer. We are the buyer that keeps crews working. That is worth more than a few dollars saved.