Types of Pruning Shears | Pick the Right Cutter for Every Branch

Pruning shears come in four main designs—bypass, anvil, ratchet, and loppers—each built for a specific type of cut, and picking the wrong one can damage your plants or make the job twice as hard.

Whether you’re deadheading roses, shaping a young fruit tree, or cutting back an overgrown shrub, the type of pruning shears in your hand decides how clean the cut is and how much effort it takes. The four main types—bypass, anvil, ratchet, and loppers—each use a different blade mechanism and are designed for either live or dead plant tissue. Here’s exactly how they work and which one fits your job.

Bypass Shears: The Standard for Live Wood

Bypass shears work like a pair of scissors. A sharp curved blade slides past a curved counter-blade, creating a clean scissor cut that doesn’t crush the stem. This makes them the right choice for live plants—green stems, soft wood, flowers, young shrubs, and fruit trees. Most standard bypass models cut up to 3/4 inch diameter; some heavy-duty versions handle up to 1 to 1.5 inches. The key spec is “true bypass action”—the blades must pass each other cleanly without pressing into the stem.

Anvil Shears: One Blade, One Flat Surface, One Job

Anvil shears use a single sharp blade that presses down against a flat metal surface (the anvil). The blade cuts through the material by crushing it against that surface. This works well for dead wood, dry branches, and tough woody stems, but it damages living tissue. The anvil smashes the cambial layer, which is the part of the stem that heals and grows. For live plants, an anvil cut increases disease risk. Use these shears only on dead or fully dry material—old lavender stalks, dead perennial stems, or dried branches. They handle about the same diameter range as bypass shears (3/4 to 1 inch) but are less likely to jam on tough, brittle wood.

Ratchet and Loppers: More Power, More Reach

Ratchet shears use a bypass-style blade paired with a stepped mechanism. Each squeeze cuts partway through the stem, so you squeeze, release, and squeeze again until the branch snaps. This multiplies your hand force and cuts down grip fatigue, making ratchet shears a good choice for gardeners with arthritis or limited hand strength. They can handle branches up to 1.5 inches diameter.

Loppers are long-handled bypass or anvil shears. The extended handles give you extra leverage and reach, letting you cut branches 1.5 to 2 inches thick without a ladder. For live wood, choose a bypass-style lopper; for dead high branches, anvil is fine. If a branch is bigger than 2 inches, switch to a pruning saw.

Picking the Right Shears: What to Check Before You Buy

The Iowa State University Extension guide for pruning equipment emphasizes four selection steps. First, test the grip—the tool should feel balanced in your hand, not too heavy. Second, check the blade material; rust-resistant steel (high-carbon or Japanese steel) lasts years longer than cheap stamped metal. Third, match the cutting capacity to your branches—don’t use standard hand pruners on anything thicker than 3/4 inch. Fourth, for live plants, verify the bypass action is true; the blades should slide past cleanly, not rub or jam.

If you’re ready to buy and want power assistance, take a look at our tested roundup of battery operated pruners for cordless cutting on thicker material.

Common Mistakes That Cost You Plants and Time

The most frequent error is using anvil shears on live plants. The crushed tissue invites disease, and the plant struggles to seal the wound. Stick to bypass for anything green. The second mistake is trying to cut a branch that’s too big for the tool. Hand pruners max out at about 3/4 inch; for branches between 3/4 and 1.5 inches, use loppers. For anything larger, use a pruning saw. Never use a chainsaw for home tree pruning—the risk of kickback and injury is too high for inexperienced users. Stick with pole saws for branches above head height.