Top 5 compared
The best pruning saws
Thick branches cut back cleanly in a few strokes, for the jobs that are too big for loppers.
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The top 5 at a glance
A pruning saw is a short hand saw with big teeth for cutting through branches, and it leaves a clean cut instead of a torn one. Folding saws tuck the teeth away in the handle and lock open while cutting, small enough for a pocket or a gardening bag. Fixed blades don’t fold and live in a sheath instead, and a Japanese-style saw cuts as you pull.
A handle that grips well matters on a long session, when hands get damp and branches sit at awkward angles. Whatever the saw, fold and lock it, or sheath it, as soon as the job’s done, and keep it somewhere safe in the shed.
What matters
- A longer blade for bigger branches; a short one folds smaller.
- Coarse teeth for live branches, finer ones for dry wood.
- A lock that holds the blade open, and ideally shut as well.
- A low-friction coating, so the blade doesn’t stick.
#1WORKPRO Folding Pruning Saw (180mm, bi-metal)
Under £10
A bi-metal blade of D6A steel and M2 high-speed steel, triple-ground teeth and a low-friction coating against sticking; at 170g it folds to about 23cm. The MOSSY OAK has a higher Picked Rating but is a three-blade kit that also cuts plastic pipe and thin non-ferrous metal, and it costs more.
What owners say: Owners say it gets through medium branches without binding, stays sharp and folds up small.
A closer look: Kept in the car boot or a gardening bag, it’s there for the branch that comes down in a storm or starts to overhang the path. Press the button to fold it: until then, the lock keeps the blade open while cutting.
- Folds to about 23cm
- Coating stops the blade sticking
- Weighs 170g
Best for: Fallen and overhanging branches
- Blade length
- 180mm
- Teeth
- 7 TPI
- Folding or fixed
- Folding
- Lock or cover
- Locks open, push button
- Handle
- Soft grip
#2MOSSY OAK 3-in-1 Folding Saw
£10–£20
Three interchangeable 7.5in blades with 5, 11 and 18 teeth to the inch, from coarse for green branches to fine for plastic pipe and thin non-ferrous metal, all carried with the saw in a nylon pouch.
What owners say: Owners say it cuts through branches with ease, find the blades simple to swap, and expect it to last for years; several take it camping too.
A closer look: Leave the 5 TPI blade fitted for pruning: its big teeth clear sawdust quickly in green wood. The finer blades are for dry timber, waste pipe and the odd length of non-ferrous metal, and the whole set goes back in the pouch for the car or a rucksack.
- Nylon carry pouch
- Fine blade cuts plastic pipe
Best for: Garden, camping and pipe jobs
- Blade length
- 190mm
- Teeth
- 5, 11 or 18 TPI
- Folding or fixed
- Folding, 3 blades
- Lock or cover
- Safety lock
- Handle
- TPR soft grip
#3GRÜNTEK Zander Folding Pruning Saw (180mm, cork handle)
£10–£20
A light folding saw with a Teflon-coated 180mm blade for smooth cuts, a cork handle that stays comfortable and grippy, and three cutting angles for reaching branches that are awkward to square up to.
What owners say: Owners find it sharp enough to get through thick branches without much effort, and like the feel of the cork handle.
A closer look: Angling the blade helps with branches growing tight against a fence or deep inside a shrub, where a straight saw can’t get a clean stroke. Wipe the sap off after each job and fold it away dry, and keep it in the shed rather than out in the rain, so the cork stays in good shape.
- Non-stick coated blade
- Weighs 254g
- Reaches branches tight to fences
Best for: Awkward angles inside shrubs
- Blade length
- 180mm
- Teeth
- 6 TPI
- Folding or fixed
- Folding, 3 angles
- Lock or cover
- Safety lock
- Handle
- Cork
#4Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens Folding Pruning Saw (4960KEW)
£10–£20
Made, Spear & Jackson says, with Kew’s horticultural team for small branches around the garden or allotment, and the blade locks shut as well as open, so it can go in a trug or pocket safely. Spear & Jackson’s story began in Sheffield in 1760, making saws.
What owners say: Owners find it sharp and comfortable to hold, and good at clearing small to medium branches in overgrown corners.
A closer look: Locked closed, it can ride in a bucket of tools without the blade swinging out, and the non-slip grip helps when hands are wet from the hedge. It suits roses, fruit bushes and small trees; for bigger limbs, a longer blade makes lighter work of it.
- Suits roses and fruit bushes
- Carbon steel blade
Best for: Small branches in the garden
- Blade length
- 198mm
- Teeth
- 7 TPI
- Folding or fixed
- Folding
- Lock or cover
- Locks open and closed
- Handle
- Non-slip grip
#5Saboten Japanese Pruning Saw (No.2341, 240mm)
£30–£50
A fixed 240mm blade that cuts on the pull stroke, fluorine-coated so sap doesn’t gum it up, with a wooden handle and a wooden sheath. Saboten is based in Miki, a Japanese town with some 1,500 years of blacksmithing behind it, where saws are still made.
What owners say: Owners praise how sharp it is and how easily it can be steered, thicker branches included.
Heads up: The blade doesn’t fold, so slide it back into its wooden sheath after every job, and let the teeth cut on the pull rather than forcing the push.
A closer look: Cutting on the pull takes less force than pushing, which makes it easier to place a neat cut close to the trunk or to work above head height. When the teeth eventually dull, Saboten makes a replacement blade, RB-2341, that fits the same handle.
- Fluorine coating resists sap
- Replacement blade fits the handle
- Easier cuts above head height
Best for: Neat pull cuts
- Blade length
- 240mm
- Teeth
- 7.5mm pitch
- Folding or fixed
- Fixed
- Lock or cover
- Wooden sheath
- Handle
- Wood
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1WORKPRO 180mm | #2Mossy Oak 3-in-1 | #3GRÜNTEK Zander | #4Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens | #5Saboten 240mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best multi-blade | Best premium | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 |
| Price | Under £10 | £10–£20 | £10–£20 | £10–£20 | £30–£50 |
| Blade length | 180mm | 190mm | 180mm | 198mm | 240mm |
| Teeth | 7 TPI | 5, 11 or 18 TPI | 6 TPI | 7 TPI | 7.5mm pitch |
| Folding or fixed | Folding | Folding, 3 blades | Folding, 3 angles | Folding | Fixed |
| Lock or cover | Locks open, push button | Safety lock | Safety lock | Locks open and closed | Wooden sheath |
| Handle | Soft grip | TPR soft grip | Cork | Non-slip grip | Wood |
| Best for | Fallen and overhanging branches | Garden, camping and pipe jobs | Awkward angles inside shrubs | Small branches in the garden | Neat pull cuts |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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