Hi debn. I will not be of much help with regards to specific pruners available to you in your area but I can give you some general pointers. Try to find a lightweight one (in order to protect your joints from unnecessary strain )with a nice soft grip that fits comfortably in your hand. It will also help if the handles are thick rather than thin and longish( the greater area the force is applied to, the less force you need to apply). Lastly, it goes without saying that the blades should be kept as sharp as possible to minimize effort. If you have access to a good occupational therapist in your area you might benefit from a consultation for advice on joint protection principles, assistive devices / adaptations with regards to gardening or any other tasks you might find challenging. An OT might even be able to assist you with custom made / specially ordered handles for your specific needs. Hope it helps and good luck!

Thanks LiezelG!
I know I want something with thicker handles since I find that easier to hold in my hand.
I've been able to get my husband to prune some of my roses as I show him where to make the cut, LOL. He's done a really good job so far but I always enjoyed the pruning process of rose growing.

Debn

Debn,

I found a link on arthritistoday.org that recommends Fiskars pruners for arthritis because of the way they are hinged. They are supposed to require less force to cut through something, lessening the pressure on joints. I'm sending the link to that site. I hope it's OK with the site monitors.

I'm sorry to hear about your arthritis. My wife has osteoarthritis pretty severely and has had one hip and one knee replaced, but is doing well now. I know how tough it is to not be able to do what you love. Hang in there! Bob

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening with Ease

Thanks Bob!
I like the thick handles of the Fiskars hand pruner. Hopefully I can find one that will fit my hand.
RA has been awful, it seems my hands are the worse right now. I can't even do my beloved crocheting and that is the worse for me right now when I need the calming effect of crocheting.
But, I will not give up! I am just beginning Remicade Infusions and hopefully will get more relief after this start up dose of 3 infusions. Hopefully I can forestall any major joint damage for a while and keep on doing what I love the best.

Debn

Hi sweetie,

I've been using a lightweight pruner for years and years that while doesn't have large grips, you may want to look at them to guage your own opinion. They're very sharp and keep a sharp edge and are a precision cutting tool made for bonsai as well as propagation. It's called a slimmer trimmer and is sold online at A.M. Leonard. You can read my review as well... where I thought this pruner could be very beneficial to the elderly.

I use it mainly for grafting, but thought for others that needed a pruner that takes little effort to cut, could be extremely beneficial for life's foreseen and unforeseen circumstances.

All my best to you,

Dax

Here is a link that might be useful: Slimmer Trimmer

So sorry you are having such challenges all of a sudden

The fiskars soft power clippers looks very interesting. I purchased a small floral snip with gel handles that I can do minor pruning with. I have a "tigger finger" that will flare up if I am pruning hard things. I also found a small sized fiberglass handle lopper that is nice and light. It is a craftsman brand

Hi, Deb, it's been a while and although the circumstances aren't great, I'm glad you are posting again.

What Dax wrote about sharpness is really important, as well as chosing the right size for the right stem diameter. (Also, get your hubby to do the cuts through woody stems - stems more than two years old- they are harder to cut through and with your lengthy growing season, you may have a lot of them.)

I find that elderly cats to be excellent evening handwarmers.

Ann

Thanks Ann.
I agree that cats make excellent hand warmers and also they mold themselves to fit around swollen ankles very well, hahaha.
This RA seems to be all over in every joint, first on the right side then jumps over to hurt on the left side. Supposedly the flare will calm down after having the Remicade infusions a couple months. Just wish it would hurry up!

Debn

Hi Debn,
I'm hoping those infusions help so you can get back to thinking about fun things--like roses.
Over the course of too many years, I've accumulated a veritable collection of pruners, and I wasn't pleased with any of them. I found the Fiskars pruner with the "rotating" grip doesn't help at all. They never cut well and my hand always felt like it was about to lose its grip on the handles. Finally, a year ago, I found the best pruners for me. The ARS pruners, available on Amazon, are extremely sharp Japanese steel and top of the line. I'm sending a link to a lighter weight pair made especially for pruning roses. I love them, and am now about to order the ARS heavy weight pair. I already have an ARS pruning saw, and would like their large lopper, but it's out of my price range for now. These products aren't cheap, and I'm buying mine from Amazon. As far as a small lopper, The Fiskars 17 inch (short one) with power gear are wonderful and easy to use if you don't have a lot of upper body strength. Fiskars seems to get better feedback for its loppers than its pruners, I've noticed, and I concur. I hope this info is helpful, and you're soon back to pruning.
Diane

Here is a link that might be useful: ARS Pruner

Hi Deb, I love my Barnell Pruners. If you get a chance, try them out. Also Bionic gloves may work for you. I have bad tendinitis in my hands and elbows. I have also found that an auto-immune diet helps tremendously. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which like RA is an auto immune disease. There is a lot of information out now about how our diet can trigger the immune responses. For instance, 5 days after giving up eggs, the sharp hot pain in my elbows disappeared. I was quite amazed.

Good luck and good health.

I also have ARS pruners, bought based on a recommendation in the fruit and orchards forum. I like that they come in different sizes so I can choose a model that suits my hand size. I find them easier and more comfortable to use than my Fiskars or Felcos. I do find it a bit difficult at times to get the catch to engage, but that is a relatively small issue when compared to the how comfortable they are to use.

You also might want to consider buying some gel gloves (such as the ones designed for cyclists) in order to spread out the pressure on your hands.

debn I have considered the Felco rotating handle pruners, (7,10,12, & 17) maybe some one here has tried them and can comment? Their description emphasizes relief for wrist fatigue. I have more trouble with swelling in my fingers than wrist and hands.

Here is a link that might be useful: Felco pruners

I have the same problem with fingers swelling from the inflammation and being extremely sore. Pain unlike any I have ever had before, must be something like nerve pain from all the swelling. But I also have wrist and hand fatigue and that throbbing ache.
I need to make up my mind and just order some, LOL. David has been using my old pruners and doing a good job of pruning for me. But oh how I miss playing with my roses.

I mentioned, a ways up the thread, that I have tried the rotating handle pruner by Fiskars. I hate them. They do not cut well, and the rotating thing is awful.They also cost me a lot which annoyed me even more. Diane

I've had a pair of Felcos with the rotating handle for twenty years or more. It's a lefty model and one made for smaller hands. Love it!

Debn, I don't have any suggestions as to pruners, just want to wish you luck. How well I understand the need to be out in the garden playing with the roses!
Melissa

My answer to a question on Amazon:

ARS SS-320BT Straight Blade Cultivation Scissors (Lawn & Patio)
," Do these rust ?"

Here is my reply to that question : "Best little scissors ever. My first pair was issued to me on the job back in the mid 1980's. Permanent marked my name on the handles and managed to not loose them till about the year 2000. Since have tried several other similar scissors, but none stayed sharp or had the same hand feel. So happy to finally find these online.

I keep mine in my front pocket of my tool belt along with a little Felco sharpener. Now and then I 'top off the edge', and to clean plant sap I use WD40 or machine oil and a little piece of steel wool.

The trick is to not loose them. :) ".

In addition, for those of you with hard or wrist problems but still wanting to garden, it's all about the right tool for the job. My arthritis and carpal tunnel has forced me to rethink how I do things, and these little scissors are one of my most used items. The hand grip is soft and gives just a tiny bit so theirs no sharp crunch when the cut is complete. Oh, there's still good days and bad days, but other similar tools can end up hurting me requiring a week or more to recover.

I also use these regularly to pull weeds as I garden. Use one hand to grasp the weed at it base, then poke the ARS scissor tip into the soil at the base of the weed, slightly angled to the center of the weed. Gently pull up on the weed , while at the same time use the scissors to lift from below, resulting in hopefully the root and the weed coming up together. Not going to help with ginormous shovel worthy weeds, but as experienced gardeners know, weeding done often and regularly gives us manageable weeds that make great compost. Not having to go find a weeding tool when you notice a need has really helped me stay on top of things.

I keep these scissors and a pair of good Felco shears in my tool belt ( look for lighter weight men's tool belts not garden aprons ) at all times, along with what ever else fits the season and am much better able to keep up with things as I age.

Hoping this helps others adjusting to growing older and being able to continue loving their gardens.

P.S. don't bother with any other brand. I've tried most of them while these were still unavailable. Seriously. The other ARS scissor types are nice, but still not the best in my hands. White handles only ! YMMV

This post was edited by plaidbird on Mon, Feb 9, 15 at 8:53

I don't have RA, but I do get wrist tendonitis easily from repetitive tasks and have tried a variety of pruners. My favorite is the felco #6 for smaller hands! I also tried the Felco 12 with rotating handle and I found the rotation was awkward and gave that pair away (though some people like it I hated it). I also have a Barnell ratchet pruner for some tasks but it's slower and more overall effort. I also use a Felco folding saw for large diameter branches and trees, and Fiskars power gear bypass loppers for branches that are too big for the small hand pruners but not needing a saw. I had tried the Fiskars power gear hand pruners and they were a disappointment. I also tried Bahco pruners and they just didn't cut as easily as the Felcos though they're not bad. If you keep your Felcos sharp and oiled and they'll cut like butter!