The Tool That’s in My Pocket Every Day

If you spend any time around Winkky Farms, you’ll notice I always have a pair of pruning shears clipped to my belt or in my back pocket. After going through several brands over the years, I’ve been using these WORKPRO pruning shears for the past 18 months, and they’ve become my go-to tool for daily farm tasks.

Here’s what I’ve learned after putting them through real-world farm use.

What I Use Them For

These shears see action almost every day:

• Tomato harvesting during peak season (July-September)
• Herb cutting for the farm stand and kitchen
• Deadheading flowers in our pollinator gardens
• Small branch pruning on fruit trees
• Vegetable harvesting (peppers, eggplant, okra)
• Rose maintenance around the farmhouse
• Emergency repairs (cutting zip ties, rope, etc.)

First Impressions: Out of the Box

The build quality immediately stood out. These feel substantial in your hand - not flimsy like some budget shears, but not unnecessarily heavy either. The grip has a nice texture that doesn’t slip when your hands are dirty or wet (which is most of the time on a farm).

The safety lock is easy to operate with one hand, which matters when you’re carrying a harvest basket and need to quickly secure the tool.

18 Months Later: The Real Test

Blade Performance: Excellent

The blades have stayed sharp through constant use. I’ve cut everything from delicate herb stems to 3/4-inch apple branches, and they still make clean cuts. No crushing or tearing that damages plants.

Sharpening: I’ve touched them up twice with a simple sharpening stone - takes about 5 minutes and they’re like new.

Durability: Impressive

These have been dropped on concrete, left out in rain (oops), and used for tasks they probably weren’t designed for. The only wear I see is some paint wearing off the handles where my hands grip them most.

No failures: Springs still work perfectly, lock mechanism is solid, no loose parts.

Comfort: All-Day Usable

During tomato harvest season, I might use these for 3-4 hours straight. The ergonomic design really shows - no hand fatigue or cramping like I experienced with my old shears.

Grip texture: Still provides good traction even when wet or muddy.

Specific Farm Tasks: How They Perform

Tomato Harvesting (Heavy Use)

Performance: Outstanding. Clean cuts that don’t damage the vine or neighboring fruit. The angled blade design makes it easy to reach stems in dense foliage.

Efficiency: Much faster than twisting fruit off by hand, and better for plant health.

Herb Cutting

Performance: Perfect for delicate herbs like basil and cilantro. No crushing that causes premature wilting.

Precision: Small enough for detailed work, sharp enough for clean cuts.

Small Tree Pruning

Performance: Handles branches up to about 3/4 inch diameter cleanly. Beyond that, I reach for loppers.

Limitation: Not designed for heavy pruning, but perfect for detail work and small corrections.

General Farm Tasks

Versatility: I’ve used these to cut twine, open feed bags, harvest vegetables, and countless other daily tasks. They’re like a farm Swiss Army knife.

Comparison to Other Brands

vs. Fiskars: Similar cutting performance, but WORKPRO feels more durable and costs less.

vs. Felco: Felco is the gold standard, but costs 3x as much. For most farm tasks, these WORKPRO shears perform 90% as well at 30% of the price.

vs. Big Box Store Brands: Night and day difference in build quality and blade retention.

What I Like Most

1. Value: Excellent performance at a reasonable price point
2. Reliability: Never failed when I needed them
3. Comfort: Can use all day without hand fatigue
4. Versatility: Handles 90% of my daily cutting tasks
5. Easy maintenance: Simple to clean and sharpen

What Could Be Better

1. Blade coating: The non-stick coating has worn off in spots, though it doesn’t affect performance
2. Holster: Would love a better belt holster option (the basic one works but isn’t great)
3. Replacement parts: Not sure about parts availability for long-term maintenance

Zone 6a Considerations

Cold weather performance: Work fine in cold temperatures - no brittleness or stiffness in the mechanism.

Wet conditions: Grip stays secure even when wet from morning dew or rain.

Seasonal storage: I clean and oil them before winter storage, and they come out ready to work in spring.

Maintenance Tips

Daily: Wipe clean after use, especially if cutting diseased plants Weekly: Quick spray with WD-40 on the pivot point Monthly: Detailed cleaning and blade inspection Seasonally: Proper sharpening and deep cleaning

The Bottom Line

After 18 months of daily farm use, these WORKPRO pruning shears have earned a permanent place in my tool kit. They’re not the most expensive option, but they deliver professional-level performance at a price that makes sense for working farmers.

Would I buy them again? Absolutely. In fact, I keep a backup pair in the barn.

Who should buy these?

• Market gardeners who need reliable daily-use shears
• Homesteaders managing diverse cutting tasks
• Anyone wanting professional performance without premium pricing
• Farmers who are hard on tools and need durability

Who might want something else?

• Professional arborists (need specialized heavy-duty tools)
• Casual gardeners who only prune occasionally (might prefer lighter options)
• Those wanting the absolute best regardless of cost (Felco is still king)

My rating: 4.5/5 stars - Excellent value and performance with minor room for improvement.

These shears prove that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get tools that work hard and last. Sometimes the best tool is the one that just works, day after day, without fuss or failure.

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Coming next: Our complete hand tool kit for small-scale farming - the essential tools that make daily work easier.