If you’re tidying living shrubs, I’d normally start with bypass loppers. They make a cleaner cut on the growth you keep. Anvil loppers earn their place with harder dead material, especially when breaking down prunings afterwards.
I use tools such as the Fiskars L78 for live stems and the L77 for older dead wood. That distinction is more useful than buying whichever pair claims the largest cutting diameter. You also need room to position the head and open the handles.
I’ll show you how the cut affects the part of the plant you keep, and when a pruning saw is the better tool.
What the two cutting actions actually do
On a bypass tool, the sharpened blade passes alongside a supporting counterblade. The wood is sheared as the edges move past one another. On an anvil tool, the sharpened blade closes onto a broader supporting surface. The branch is pressed against that surface as the blade cuts through.
That difference explains the usual live-wood recommendation. An anvil can compress soft living tissue before the cut is complete. A properly adjusted, sharp bypass tool can leave a cleaner retained edge. It does not follow that every bypass cut is good: bluntness, side play, awkward positioning and a branch beyond comfortable capacity can all tear or crush a stem.
Look at the retained side, not just the bit that falls off
When using bypass loppers, orient the cutting blade towards the portion you want to retain where access allows. The supporting side can exert more crushing pressure. This becomes particularly useful when shortening a living stem rather than simply cutting discarded branches into pieces.
Position the head before applying force. If you cannot see where the blade will finish, clear small obstructing growth or change your position. Do not twist a partly closed tool sideways to finish a cut; that loads the head in a way it is not designed to resist.
For large-leaved evergreens, selective cuts can also improve the appearance of the result. RHS advice notes that secateurs or loppers avoid the damaged leaf surfaces left when a hedge trimmer slices across broad leaves such as cherry laurel. It takes longer, but the buying decision then concerns controlled access and clean cuts rather than maximum speed.
Choose for the job in front of you
For trimming a hedge face rather than removing individual woody stems, my hedge-trimmer blade-length guide explains the reach and handling trade-off.
| Your main work | Starting choice | Reason to reconsider |
|---|---|---|
| Live shrubs and selective hedge pruning | Bypass L78 | A bulky head or wide handle opening may not fit dense growth |
| Reducing detached dry branches | Anvil L77 | Very hard or large pieces may be easier with a pruning saw |
| A mixture of live pruning and occasional dead stems | Start with a suitable bypass tool | Add an anvil only if dry clearance is a substantial recurring job |
| Fine, close work among small shoots | Secateurs may be more controllable | Long handles can reduce precision in a confined space |
| Branches that require straining or repeated twisting | Change to a suitable pruning saw | More leverage does not make every branch a lopper job |
The branch’s condition matters as much as its diameter. Fresh, straight wood without a knot can behave differently from seasoned, dense wood of the same thickness. A diameter marking cannot incorporate every species, age, angle and user’s strength.
Why a 50mm capacity is not a working target
A lopper head can reach a branch while its handles have nowhere to open. Inside a dense shrub, check the full movement with a stable stance before you squeeze. Keep the bypass blade towards the retained growth where access allows, and avoid twisting the head sideways to finish. If a branch is at the edge of comfortable cutting, a suitable saw can give you a cleaner, more controlled finish.
Both the L78 and L77 are sold with a maximum 50mm cutting diameter. Treat that as a model limit to check, not a suggestion to make repeated 50mm cuts. Comfortable capacity can be much lower depending on the material and the working position.
A small increase in branch diameter can feel like a much bigger increase in effort, particularly with hard or awkwardly placed wood. Published maximum diameter is a limit to check, not a comfortable target for repeated cuts.
Put a ruler across a few typical stems before ordering. If the hardest work is consistently near the tool’s stated maximum, plan to use a saw. Buying longer handles solely to force those cuts can exchange a short sawing job for strain and damaged equipment.
PowerGear L78 and L77: the useful buying distinctions
For live stems I reach for the Fiskars PowerGear L78: its bypass blade can leave a cleaner cut when I can position the head properly, and the geared action helps on suitable stems. The L77 anvil loppers help me tackle older, harder dead stems without forcing ordinary secateurs. They feel less comfortable overhead, where I would choose a different approach. Buy by the wood you usually cut and the space you can work in, rather than treating the largest advertised cutting diameter as a target.
The Fiskars L78 bypass uses a geared action and a hooked supporting head. It is the more relevant starting point for living shrubs and fresh branches. Check that there is room to open the handles fully at the intended cut; a mechanism that helps apply force still needs working space.
The Fiskars L77 anvil is aimed at harder, dry wood. The support under the branch can be useful for breaking down woody waste. It would not be my default single purchase for someone whose main task is maintaining living shrubs neatly.
Check the exact item number and variant before ordering replacement blades or comparing dimensions. Retail listings and catalogues can refer to different item codes or packaged measurements. The current Amazon L78 listing uses item number 1055693, while the catalogue also lists L78 under 1000584. A shared family name is not enough to assume every component is interchangeable.
Do not choose on an isolated “times more power” claim. Gear assistance, blade sharpness, the available handle travel and how naturally you can hold the tool all contribute to the working result. For long sessions, manageable weight and access deserve at least as much attention as headline capacity.
Check maintenance before replacing a disappointing tool
A sticky pivot can make a good cutting mechanism feel poor. Clean sap and dirt from the head, inspect the blade for damage and check the pivot adjustment using the manufacturer’s instructions. A bypass blade with excessive play may push a thin stem between the edges rather than shearing it.
If your secateurs are sticky too, my secateur-cleaning guide takes you through removing deposits, checking the mechanism and lubricating it afterwards.
RHS sharpening guidance distinguishes the bevel from the flat side of a pruning blade: preserve the existing bevel and remove a burr without creating a new bevel on the flat face. Do not grind an unfamiliar blade freehand merely to make it look sharp. A replaceable blade or professional sharpening may be the better repair.
On an anvil tool, inspect the supporting surface too. A worn or damaged anvil can prevent a complete cut even if the main blade is sharp. Check the exact spare part against the model code, not just the handle colour.
Keep the tool dry and accessible between jobs. Our garden tool storage guide covers storage choices when the shed is already full.
What I would put on the shopping list
For an ordinary garden dominated by live shrub pruning, start with a suitable bypass pair such as the L78, plus a pruning saw for the cuts that are too large or awkward. For regular dry branch processing, the L77 anvil option deserves a place in the comparison.
For a telescopic alternative, Gardening Naturally lists a ratchet anvil lopper with adjustable 68cm–1m handles and a stated cutting capacity of up to 45mm. Compare its reach and head access with the fixed-length L77 before choosing for dry-wood work.
Whichever action you choose, keep both feet securely on the ground, keep hands out of the head and avoid cutting where falling branches could strike someone. The right pair should let you place the blade accurately and complete normal cuts smoothly. If the job requires levering, twisting or balancing to reach, change the tool or the approach.
