Ryobi 18V One+ Bypass Pruning Secateurs R18XSEC20

These pruning secateurs are brilliant. The real problem is that they are so good you are likely to prune everything whether it needs pruning or not. The battery seems to last forever. They turn themselves off after thirty seconds or so of non use; this is a safety feature and if you hold the trigger for ten seconds or so, they turn themselves back on. If you need to cut anything thicker than their limit, you can cut a v into the branch and then finish it off. Highly recommended.

Never use manual secateures again – I felt the need to review this tool as it would hands down be in my top 3 Ryobi tools used during spring. The easy to use tool is a level up and saves you from post pruning soreness and makes the toll worth every penny. I have had the tool now for 3 years and never had to change the blade, but i do regularly clean it and spray with with some WD-40 after heavy use.

There is a cheaper model (non brushless R18SEC112) but these are not as fast nor can cut as tick a branch so the Brushless model is certainly worth the extra $60 in my view if you plan to do a lot of pruning, but both are great to have.

The tool with a small 1.5ah-2ah battery keeps the weight down and lasts hours, don't feel the need to put a larger battery on it for more power.

One large warning: This tool can be very dangerous if you do not pay attention and respect it. Though I love it, it can scare me sometimes knowing I can be inches away from cutting off a finger. Ryobi have some safety features built in like timeout after 30 seconds, audio beeps, overload protection but sadly it wont know if you have a finger in the way so ALWAYS pay attention to the tool, go slow and wear gloves.

I do garden and after a wrist injury this has been fantastic – I am a business owner and I do gardens too. Two years ago I had a wrist injury and after 6 weeks off the tools I realised that using my regular bypass pruners for an extended period of time was very painful. I bought another set with a rotating handle thinking that would fix the issue but no. I already spend a bit of cash on the previous one so I didn’t want to spend too much on an electric one. Bunnings has a kit for $299 so went for the more expensive model (they have a $199 model) because of the higher specs for torque, speed and cutting diameter. It’s only a 2a battery (it does last the whole day for me) but it’s light and it handles well. I have been using it day in day out, for the past year and it’s still works fine, I don’t have any issues with it. I like the safety mechanism, press 5sec to unlock then away you go. If you happen not to be using it for 30sec then it locks itself preventing injuries. This model is fast and can cut a 30mm branche. I have cut bigger one but you have to understand that this machine has its own limitations and you have to work with it if you want to go beyond what it can do. It has certainly been able to cut diameter that I would have never done by hand, I would have use my long handle pruners. So by using them I have been able to carry only this with me and speed up the pruning process for my customers. Things I would have liked is a belt pouch or hook so you can carry it and still have your hands free. It’s not a big problem just a thought if Ryobi is reading this review. I don’t know how good are the other brands, but even if this one dies prematurely (because I do use it extensively) I would buy it again. I have seen DEWALT has one but I found it too big (at the tool shop) and even with a small battery I think it’s too heavy for an extended use. I haven’t had a chance to see or hold the one from AEG so I won’t compare it to this one. Final thoughts, if you can’t use your regular secateurs because of arthritis, prolonged use pain or other issues, but still want to be able to tend to your garden or farm I can definitely recommend these.