John Smith wrote in message
...
Hi,

I have a small front garden - terrace job - but I have lots of plants and
bushes in it including a type of bamboo that is growing to the Moon. I
reckon there is about a good day's work there with clippers but... my old
hand clippers are rusted away. I've been quite ill this Summer, am just on
the mend now, so was unable to do anything back in the Summer.

Should I simply get a new pair of hand clippers or opt instead for one of
the electrical ones which, frankly, scare the daylights out of me. Are
they
THAT dangerous to use? In terms of hand clippers someone mentioned getting
'long handled' ones as they make clipping quicker than the short ones that
I
have - is this true?

Thanks for any advice or info on brands, what to pay, where to buy, etc. I
am thinking of Argos or B&Q, Homebase.

John.



Hi John,

I have many trees, shrubs and an enormously long hedge. I manage very well
with manual tools. If you're not that happy with electric tools, give them
a miss. I use quality (Felco) secateurs, manual shears, geared Wilkinson
Sword by-pass lopper, a folding pruning saw and, occasionally, a bow saw. I
even use a push-cylinder-mower on my two lawns, so no electrical gear enters
my garden (unless hubby is d.i.y.-ing).

Although I recommend hand/manual tools, I doubt I should recommend specific
brands to you. I really get on with my tools, but you may prefer different
brands/prices/weights to me. Have a look around some of the bigger garden
centres, take your time and get a sense of the balance/weight of each tool,
how comfortable the handle is, how easy to operate safety features (I sense
this may be important to you). If your expertise lies in losing garden
tools :-)!!, look for brightly coloured handles - although not at the
expense of tool quality.

Once you've got your tools - whether manual or electrical - buy some oil so
that you can maintain them and keep them from rusting. Remember, it's not
only rain that rusts blades, plant sap does it just as effectively.

IF you do consider an electrical tool, please use a circuit-breaker from the
start - don't wait until you've had an accident.

Regards,
Spider