Secateurs for small (and weak) hands ?

Hi all,
I have tiny women's hands, very frustrating when I want to do so much in the garden, plus from the past I have RSI issues so using secateurs can be difficult as many open up too large for my hand, and repetitive cutting obviously can strain my hand.  
Can anyone recommend good secateurs for this?    
Or failing that, any good tips for improving RSI issues? (it's holding tools tightly, and squeezing which strains my hands)
TIA  :)

Felco does a high quality 'ladies' pair- they are a smaller size than the standard. I find them easy to sharpen too, which may help with strength.

They're not cheap tools, but I rarely find cheap tools to save me money in the end! If you're looking for something on more of a budget though, perhaps a child's pair?

Jonie, there are many options.

But first things first: what are you cutting?

First off: RSI? I think I've decoded it to mean, Repetitive Strain Injury?

Secondly: What Douglas said! I use different approaches for different materials.

Thirdly: Just don't! Small hands and secateurs don't go together well. By the time my hand is holding the grips properly, they only open about a 1/2 inch at the tip, so are almost useless for lots of things others would cut with ease. Hurting yourself more won't help you recover, from my experience.

So what do I do....
A) I have long handled pruners of 2 varieties - one is a straight scissor action and the other has a force-multiplier bar to help me. I often use both hands on one arm, and brace the other against my body. When a friend with arthritis saw me doing this, she was amazed and immediately started copying me! This is far easier than using a hand on each handle.
B) I have a pole pruner with a rope - how big my hand is just doesn't matter because I just have to pull on the rope! I can even wrap the rope around my palm or forearm if I'm having a tired hand day.
C) I don't try to cut stuff that's too big for the tools I use in A/B. I do have a quality pruning saw, but if my hands are tired - or it's a big job and I'm worried I'll over-do it, I get out my pole saw, even if it's a low task. With the pole saw, I can do a rocking movement with my body, and my hands just have to statically hold the saw. I'm using *both* hands, rather than just one if I use the hand pruning saw.
D) I do try to keep my equipment sharp. I'm not as good about it as I should be, because I don't have a good space for taking them apart to sharpen them - a decent vice is an asset with this. If I ever get a potting shed built, I think the potting bench will get a vice bolted to it from the get-go!

HI Jonie!
I have arthritis in my thumbs (which sounds like a joke but basically means I've devolved into some creature without opposable thumbs....), and one of the things I kind of can't do anymore is that pinching motion. I did buy myself a new pair of pruners this year and found that larger (and VERY MUCH SHARPER) made it easier, but my big solution now is mostly to use a saw (I use a sawzall) whenever possible, and a knife (machete, small sickle, etc) when things are smaller.

I will also echo, sharp tools are easier to use. A vice in the potting shed sounds like a really good idea, I will be implementing this tomorrow.

I think Pearl had a thread about tools for women. Ah yes, here it is: https://permies.com/t/57572/Tool-thoughts-women

Thank you all for your comments....I guess my main intended use for secateurs is cutting anything up to pencil size thickness generally, maybe I'd occasionally try to little more than that but probably should just keep it to that size, and larger use a saw as suggested.
Jay - I would love to see your pruners with the force-muliplier bar & how you use it!  (I'm not great at picturing things!)  
Long handled tools just seem like they'd be quite awkward for any close work...but I guess I'll probably have to get used to it....though a sawzall might go on my wishlist...

Consider battery-powered pruners. There are quite affordable models these days that really speed up the work and help avoid RSI.

Hey Jonie!
I want to thank you for posting your question as I learned a new word today: secateurs!

We just call them pruners or loppers depending on the sizes. The loppers are affectionately called clompers when tackling the bigger jobs like clearing multiflora roses that get too full of themselves. Love those things.

Jay is spot on with how I've come to use the different cutting tools.

Good luck!

Lulu Sims wrote:Hey Jonie!
We just call them pruners or loppers depending on the sizes. The loppers are affectionately called clompers when tackling the bigger jobs like clearing multiflora roses that get too full of themselves.

We call them nippers.  Which we totally understand,  but in non-gardening circles, the word nippers has been misconstrued to nipples multiple times, usually with much hilarity following.

I also have very small hands. I used to have a pair of ratchet secateurs/pruners that were way easier to cut heavier/tougher wood. It made a huge difference in my ability to prune comfortably without tiring. I can't remember the exact one I had (it was plastic and eventually broke after a few years of intense use), but here's a review of several:
https://diygarden.co.uk/garden-tools/best-ratchet-secateurs

happy pruning!

Same issue for me, small hands and not getting any stronger. Before this last freeze I wanted to harvest the tips of my rosemary, not just thumbnail pruning the tender inch, but 4 or 5 inches down the woody stems. My clippers were rusty or already put away so I used a pair of poultry shears from the kitchen. They worked like a dream, plenty of length and precision, no hand pain. Probably wouldn't work for a much bigger diameter, but they did fine for the woody stems.

I feel for you, Jonie. There are few things more annoying than trying to cut something and find that I don't have the strength to do it.
The smaller secateurs are OK for pruning roses and maybe finger thick stuff, but when you want to do trees, you may have to cut much larger things. Jay is on the money with the 2 cutting bars with a ratcheting multiplier. I have one from Fiskar but here is a cheap one from Harbor Freight:
https://www.harborfreight.com/long-reach-ratcheting-bypass-lopper-62681.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=12129614380&campaignid=12129614380&utm_content=120520875041&adsetid=120520875041&product=62681&store=2911&gclid=CjwKCAiAzKqdBhAnEiwAePEjki6ywcDJaWCeeT-nrSNcmMzobcURkU6tJPUCZ8lElc9YWmxjOwsRLBoCE94QAvD_BwE
It is the ratcheting mechanism that really multiplies your force. There is also a ratcheting secateurs for smaller branches;
Here are the best ones for 2022:
https://youtu.be/v7FddjVL94A
If you can reach the branch but feel that you have no strength, there is nothing wrong with resorting to an electric tool:
I love the entire Ryobi series because they give you the strength of a power tool without the need for a long cord. If you use a reciprocating jig saw, [AKA a saws all] make sure you use the sturdiest blade you can and let the machine move at its own pace. i.e: Do not try to force the cut. Place the branch as close as you can to the larger part of the blade, where it is sturdier and you won't get the vibrations like at the tip. Here is one:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-HP-18V-Brushless-Cordless-Compact-One-Handed-Reciprocating-Saw-Tool-Only-PSBRS01B/313438684?g_store=&source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&&mtc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25T-025_009_PORT_POWER-NA-Ryobi-NA-Smart-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-PortablePower_Smart&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25T-025_009_PORT_POWER-NA-Ryobi-NA-Smart-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-PortablePower_Smart-71700000084736779-58700007165824627-92700065193741276&gclid=CjwKCAiAzKqdBhAnEiwAePEjkuda5i2jsvZJnrfWLefCWcRLUX2kMBC5VOFmHpSifS_xpmulWNwvkRoCvAoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
They are not cheap, but getting crippled by hurtful repetitive motion is not cheap either, if you think about it.
Using the saws all brought back my pleasure of gardening/ trimming trees. [Garden work should be pleasurable, not an endurance competition!]
The only problem with the saws all is that the cut may not be as clean, so you may have to cover the cut, but it is usually good enough.

ARS makes great pruners that fit small hands and I find them to be the most ergonomic for me. The 130DX is what I have. They are well made, easy to clean and are sharp. I have Felco, Corona, and a pair from Clarington Forge but I always reach for the ARS.
https://www.arscorporation.jp/product/detail-index.html?id=61

These  say they're for small hands/ I haven't tried them, but Kelley wrote she likes them.
https://www.amleo.com/ars-general-purpose-hand-pruners-0-75-inch-cutting-capacity/p/ARS6

I use these in the smallest version https://www.amleo.com/ars-v-series-heavy-duty-pruners/p/VP-VSXXZ
I like them because they lock & open easily.
I have very small hands!
I prefer these to the Felcos I used for years.

Cara Campbell wrote:These  say they're for small hands/ I haven't tried them, but Kelley wrote she likes them.
https://www.amleo.com/ars-general-purpose-hand-pruners-0-75-inch-cutting-capacity/p/ARS6

I use these in the smallest version https://www.amleo.com/ars-v-series-heavy-duty-pruners/p/VP-VSXXZ
I like them because they lock & open easily.
I have very small hands!
I prefer these to the Felcos I used for years.

Cara & Jonie,  I agree that the ARS lock and open so easily, don't pinch my skin when my hand-meat gets too close to the spring, don't lock inadvertently, and for reasons I don't understand they don't get sticky as easily. A swipe with alcohol after use and they are good to go again. My Felcos, however, stick easily and require constant cleaning and sharpening. I do use them for larger cuts, but honestly I don't get the attraction to them for every day use. Along with the large-hand nature of these I just don't use them so much. AND, the ARS's stay sharp!!  

Sorry this took so long. Bad winter here which is not conducive to thinking about loppers.

Here are the loppers with a simple scissor movement:


Here are the loppers with a bar that compounds the force, while still requiring only one motion.


The compound ones "feel" a lot sloppier in their movement, and I don't know whether that's because they were seconds on at a ridiculously low price, or if they're all that way. I think it's the former. I try to keep them away from Hubby, as I feel he'll break them by trying to cut things beyond their capacity. I lack the hand strength to do so, and they're a huge help for things that I can't do with the simple loppers, but don't want to take the time to use the big ratcheting ones we've got that have been nicknamed the "Gorilla Chompers". Ratchet mechanisms have their place, but every cut takes 4 ratchets, so if you don't *need* that help, it's much faster to go for the other pairs.

A friend had a pair of the compound ones, but they were as dull as can be, so I hadn't found them helpful. He had strength to burn, so didn't seem to notice. So word to the weak - sharpen your secateurs... and your loppers... and your shovel... and your hori hori knife!

Stihl now makes a hand held, rechargeable chainsaw with a very short bar. I think it’s like 4 inches and it’s for $159.

I have not bought one yet but I plan too as I want to use it to replace my loppers.

Just passing on the idea in the hope it helps others.

Steve Zoma wrote:Stihl now makes a hand held, rechargeable chainsaw with a very short bar. I think it’s like 4 inches and it’s for $159.

Hubby bought something similar and he doesn't want me any where near it. Chainsaws are known for kicking and bucking and getting stuck, so if it isn't designed for small, weak hands, I'd be cautious.

Jay Angler wrote:

Steve Zoma wrote:Stihl now makes a hand held, rechargeable chainsaw with a very short bar. I think it’s like 4 inches and it’s for $159.

Hubby bought something similar and he doesn't want me any where near it. Chainsaws are known for kicking and bucking and getting stuck, so if it isn't designed for small, weak hands, I'd be cautious.

That is EXACTLY who they were designed for and why.

Pat R Mann wrote:Consider battery-powered pruners. There are quite affordable models these days that really speed up the work and help avoid RSI.

Even if one does not have small hands, a battery powered cutting tool would really make some chores a lot easier. $59 with the battery and charger. That's worth it to me. Even disposing of large cardboard boxes should be a breeze with this. This is the one I'm getting today:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-USB-Lithium-Power-Cutter-Kit-with-2-0-Ah-USB-Lithium-Battery-and-Charging-Cable-FVC51K/318584392?g_store=&source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&&mtc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25T-025_009_PORT_POWER-NA-Multi-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-PortablePower_SmartShopping&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25T-025_009_PORT_POWER-NA-Multi-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-PortablePower_SmartShopping-71700000106625794-58700008274559054-92700075196193282&gclid=CjwKCAjwuqiiBhBtEiwATgvixNXsFHk7Ral3yG9KCOfQmZUiFajGZcu_7A1ven3T56nHQjKbAkcgVBoCtZ4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I had some old carpeting to cut and fit in between some beds to stop weeds.  This would have been so much easier!!!
I'm not too sure how pruning would work with these but if it works I'll be looking forward to pruning my apple trees.

My town has a japanese tool store. They have small secateurs that my daughter and her children and I have used happily.
https://hidatool.com/item/1812
Most of their other items are more expensive, but they do have a number of things for small hands. They also have even smaller shears for detail pruning. Maybe Japanese tools are less pricey in Australia?

Of course, smaller secateurs won't cut a thick branch. But they will allow people with small hands and arthritis to do some garden pruning, as opposed to none at all.

And stong hands are not always the answer. I was pruning a rose and my neighbor walked by and I asked if he had bigger secateurs because mine were not big enough. He said, let me try, and broke my secateurs.

Echoing other posts recommending looking into mechanically advantaged designs which multiply your force and ease your efforts.

If you are still looking for traditional Secateurs or bypass pruners, I LOVE my Okatsune 103's. They cut easier and cleaner than any pruners I have ever used (including Felco's) and they come in a smaller size (101) that may fit your hands better. Have made thousands of cuts already with no diminished performance and no sharpening. Completely amazing.

I notice you joined sometime back, but welcome to Permies anyway.

John F Dean wrote:I notice you joined sometime back, but welcome to Permies anyway.

Thank you, John! Finally stepping out of my lurker role :-)

I was not familiar with the word, secateurs so I looked it up.

The picture that I was given from Wikipedia said they are pruning shears and looked like what I call rose clippers.

There is another tool that I use that will clip larger branches though dear hubby said he calls that one rose clippers.  I prefer this one to the one at Wikipedia.

We have something we call loopers that has a similar blade that cuts even bigger branches and has handles that are about two feet long.

For small to medium branches there are several electric tools that will help you lop brush.  And while many folks are uncomfortable with "chain saws", several manufacturers have come out with a much safer version.  While I don't have one, a good buddy nearly tossed away his gas powered chain saw when he found these.  B&D calls theirs a chain saw lopper. (https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-Lopper-4-5-Amp-LP1000/dp/B000BANMUY?th=1)

So I read this post a couple days ago.  Today, i had to trim rose bushes and branches back from my high tensile fence due to a steer going for greener pastures due to a non powered section of fence  ( spring storms had brought some branches down so i shut it off to wait for the most of the storms to go through).   I am feeling the pain, burn etc, from using the pruning lopers.  I told my husband about it when I got home and he said ,  they make battery powered lopers.  I did some searches, and I am so getting some of these!  Anyhow, here are some links, check them out.   They are actual lopers not chain saws or recip saws.  I have an electric chain saw( ryobi) and a gas powered chain saw (STIHL) and I have a badass recip saw made by Milwaukee.  I also used the electric Ryobi chain saw today. I use it a lot. It works great!  

But I really need some of these electric pruners and lopers!  

https://medialmarket.com/product/ryobi-one-18v-cordless-pruner-with-2-0-ah-battery-and-charger/?variant=140853&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7e2S_bLL_gIV1A-zAB0NsgEZEAQYBCABEgIVZfD_BwE

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-HP-18V-Brushless-Cordless-Pruner-and-Cordless-Pole-Lopper-with-2-2-0-Ah-Batteries-and-2-Chargers-P2550-P2560/324111477?g_store=&source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&&mtc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D28I-028_032_PORTABLE-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-SMART_SHP&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D28I-028_032_PORTABLE-NA-NA-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-SMART_SHP-71700000080837630-58700006820161822-92700071652991325&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7e2S_bLL_gIV1A-zAB0NsgEZEAQYAiABEgKvKvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.amazon.com/Ryobi-OLP1832BX-Cordless-Bypass-Lopper/dp/B07N4G24ZF/ref=asc_df_B07N4G24ZF/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459411117297&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16536816746471914677&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9014893&hvtargid=pla-753306675551&psc=1

We already have quite a few Ryobi tools: drill, impact driver, snow brush, weed trimmer.  I use the Ryobi weed trimmer wacker all the time to trim fence line with a brush cutter blade. Works great. Takes down multiflora rose canes that are 3/4 inch diameter no problem.   I like it better than the Ego my husband had to have.  

We also have an electric wheel barrow from Briggs and Stratton and a matching pushmower all cordless and battery powered. Work great and I love them. Have had them several years.

We invested in a  battery powered riding lawnmower from Greenworks last spring. It. is. Awesome!!!    Not only have I used ti to mow the lawn.....many times now, takes 45 minutes.  i have also used ti to bag leaves for mulching my garden and it can pull a trailer!  The bagger doesn't work well for grass here in Ohio, but it works good for leaves!  The mower itself works great!  Love it.

I love good battery powered tools!  

I am getting some of these battery powered pruner lopers my life will be much much better. My shoulders won't ache as much I hope and neither will my back.  

My issues with battery equipment are:
1. The batteries wear out and are very expensive to replace.
2. The companies seem to change "styles" so fast, that you can't get replacement batteries at any price.

Yes, we have some, and particularly with my small hands, the battery drills are a life-saver as the balance and size are enough better for my hands that I can drive screws with them. However, the battery hedge trimmer on a stick isn't any better balanced than our old 2 stroke engine one is. It's only advantage is that Hubby doesn't have to come out and start if for me. (We have one 2-stroke engine which I can usually start if it's warm and if I'm not too tired.)

I think we all need to remember that as we age, we need to break up our activities rather than trying to do what we used to do all in one go. So I try to only mow one designated area, then the next area tomorrow. Particularly at the beginning of the season when I haven't been using my "mowing muscles" all winter. I've been doing a difficult weeding job and at times I set an alarm on my phone for 30 minutes or an hour. I didn't always stop the second it went off, choosing a natural break point that was close instead. Today I pushed myself because I was sooooo... close to finishing the whole tree guild, but now I'm too tired to get anything much else done today.

Just remember that the downside of some of this powered equipment is that it can eat a finger in a heart beat. As we age, our reflexes are often not so good either. I have to admit, finding ways to use force multipliers like I showed above, using my larger body muscles rather than just my arms, and limiting the time I spend before changing tasks, may be better for me in the long run.

I am 59 going to be 60 this year.   Been using the same battery packs on the Ryobi and Milwaukee tools for years and for my electric wheel barrow and push mower.  The riding lawnmower is new.  The only batteries we have lost have been due to a wiring problem in our house. We lost the neutral from the pole to house.  We lost a lot more than batteries.  We rented a trencher and replaced it ourselves.

We specifically bought the tools because the batteries could be used on multiple tools they haven't changed anything but the color.  

ANy power tool can be a problem if you aren't careful.  However, operated properly they are pretty darn safe. They don't just eat your fingers unless you are being stupid with the tool.  I mean heck, I have have a 40 horse tractor with a PTO and a loader. I run the auger and a bush hog off of the PTO. Now that is a piece of equipment that can and will rip your limbs off if you are stupid.   I used that auger on that tractor to put in all the wood fence posts for my pastures.  I use the bush hog. I use the box blade, I use the scraper blade, I use the front loader.  

I mean heck, a regular lawn mower will  or hedge trimmer will take off your fingers or other various body parts.

I thought this was about doing it easier with less hassle?  If I don't get things done, they don't get done. I can't always break things up into 20 or 30 minute work times. I have to get it done.  

Upsides of battery powered tools for me. No smell. No filling gas tanks, no filling oil, no mixing of gas and oil, no gas going bad from lack of use, less noise, my battery powered brush cutter is way lighter than the gas powered STihl FS240 I was using and it does the same job,  push the switch and it works no fiddling with chokes, carbs, etc., instant on, instant off.  

truly just though it would be helpful to post something I found out about today.  Your mileage may vary.   But I gotta say someone is going to have to pry my cold dead fingers from my battery powered wheel barrow before they take it away from me!   I just used ti to haul 18 loads of manure in two days. Average load, 200 lbs. Couldn't get in the area with my tractor so I had to dig it out by hand and haul it out with my electric wheel barrow. I would have taken over a week to get it done with me pulling a non powered dump cart or wheel barrow.  Heck it would have probably taken over two weeks.   I just push the switch and it goes.

I love Bushnell ratchet pruners!
I've cut up to 3/4 " limbs with mine! My tiny hands love them!

I've started using a set of electrician shears. The angled orientation seems to help the wife since she has tiny hands. These also have a set of wire cutters that I sometimes need but don't want to use the pruner on. Though it hasn't happened the ability to strip and crimp wires for solar panel fiddling might come in handy. Sharp? unbelievably sharp and easily sharpened but the tool does hold an edge very well. comes with a ambidextrious clip on scabbard. A soggy day of cutting scion wood yesterday, so far they are great.