I tested the Felco Elite 6 – and found nearly perfect pruners

'Elite' isn't a word often associated with genteel garden pruners, so the Felco pruners have a lot to live up to.

Unlike the standard Felco 6, these have an F-Tech technology coating on the blade, a mid-opening thumb-catch and soft leather grips.

The brand claims that the 'The Felco 6 Elite represents a significant leap forward in enhancing the pruning experience of professional users'. I've tested a lot of the best pruners in my career. I don't think the leather grips are a huge innovation, but altogether these pruners are an excellent tool.

Specifications

Set up

Set up is easy - you can just slide the pruners out of the packaging. They come with a hex key for adjusting the bolts and taking the pruners apart for maintenance, and the marketing packaging unfolds to reveal a guide to unscrewing all the parts and maintaining them.

How does it cut?

These pruners easily cut through all of the stems I tested them on. I tested them on grape vines, roses, buddleia, and laurel, though the time of year limited my testing a little.

However, the pruners excelled on all of the stems. It easily cut through every stem. There was no resistance when cutting through thick branches of laurel or buddleia and no discomfort during repeated pruning. The cut was clean every time with no rips or tears on the bark, which is crucial for preventing disease.

At the same time, these pruners did a great job at working with delicate rose stems and grape vines, creating clean cuts in tight areas, with the pruners working cleaning from the base of the blades right to the tip.

I could also use it to clip stakes to size - even relatively thick bamboo was easy to cut.

Comfort

The leather wraps on these pruners are incredibly comfortable - more comfortable than the rubber grips on the Felco No.2. The leather is soft and pliant, so it molds to your hand as you cut. If you aren't wearing gardening gloves, you'll find that the leather warms up to your hand, so your hands won't be as cold in winter.

The rubber bumper is effective, and you hardly notice opening and closing these pruners as you cut.

They're well-sized, too. The medium I was sent is slightly too small for my hands, so I recommend the larger pruner if you have larger hands. They only weigh 9.2 ounces too, so they're lightweight and easy to manipulate.

The only drawback is if you're vegan or vegetarian—these wraps are made from leather, so they aren't the most eco-friendly.

Wire notch

The wire notch worked as planned, too. I used it to cut some twine and it worked perfectly, easily snipping off a small length perfect for tying plants to stakes and frames.

It was less successful at cutting string, but it eventually got through. In fairness, it isn't designed for this, and the string I had on hand was particularly thick, but it's good to know that it can cut string, even if it takes a couple of attempts.

Ease of use

There are two opening widths to the blades - one inch and one and a half inches, respectively - and they're easily opened with the thumb catch. This is in an ergonomic, easy place to open. After a while, you barely notice the mechanism.

However, I found that the catch was a little too responsive for my liking. You have to be careful - it sits in the safety notch by a couple of millimeters, so if you knock it with your thumb it can spring open.

There's also a split ring included, so these are easy to hang up in a tool shed or clip onto a carabiner as you work.

Warranty and maintenance

Like all Felco pruners, one of the big positives for this pruner is that every part is replaceable. so many modern tools are single-use and lack replacement parts. With these pruners, you can fix and maintain them for the rest of your life. With a little care, these will be the last pruners you ever buy.

The aluminum handles and body have an excellent lifetime warranty, but the blades, springs, and shock absorbers are not covered by this warranty.

Should you buy the Felco 6 Elite?

These are very similar to other Felco pruners like the famous Felco 2. I think the difference is tiny - the Felco 6 are slightly heavier than the Felco 2 pruners because of the leather grips, but these are also more comfortable. I think the Felco 6 are more comfortable, but not necessarily worth the extra $30 for the leather grips. I think they make a great gift, and if you're buying pruners anyway it may be worth it.