4 of the Best Electric Tree Loppers
The best electric tree loppers are a unique class of electric pruners. We are not talking about traditional pruning secateurs or even cordless pruning secateurs ,nor are we referring to a chainsaw or mini chainsaw
These Electric Loppers are a weird but wonderful combination of these 2 more well known pruning /cutting tools, as you can see by the pic on the left.
The scissor action of the blade is what makes this group of tools so unique and useful for lopping off branches. They are the big brother of pruning shears.
These tools are without doubt the best loppers for large branches you will find on the market. And they represent great value for money when you understand their capabilities.
The 4 best electric loppers we are going to look at are (in no particular order):
The Craftsman V20 Cordless Lopper
Black & Decker 20V Cordless Alligator Lopper (LLP1120)
Worx JawSaw Cordless chainsaw
The Electrical cord version of the LLP1120, labelled the LP1000
Ideal lopper work
Lets Start with the Cordless Loppers
The Craftsman Cordless Lopper
These Craftsman Loppers are perhaps the best value tree loppers on the market today.
The scissor action of the tool, combined with the 6 inch long bar enables this lopper to easily deal with branches up to 4 inches (10cm) in diameter.
Other notable attributes of this Craftsman is that the lower “jaw” has “teeth” which improves your ability to latch onto a branch before using the scissor action and chainsaw part to cut the branch off.
On the safety front, this tool has to be operated with 2 hands and the switches on both the top and bottom handle (in the pic) have to be activated together to start cutting.
A 2Ah lithium ion battery coupled to the 20V motor and auto lubrication of the chain gives you a tool that can make short work of most branches you can reach in your garden.
Effective working time estimates obviously vary because it will depend on “down time” while you move/stack cut wood, move location etc. However, in general you should easily be able to get a good hour plus work out of a fully charged battery.
That will do for most of us!!
However, if you feel you need a longer operating period then the easiest way would be to buy a second battery and have one charging while the other is working.
Weighty Issue
At 4.31 kg (9.5 pounds), this is not as light a tool to work with as many people assume. It takes a bit of oomph to work with it for extended periods until you get used to it. In fact this seems to be the major moan of people who bought it thinking it was an like a pair of overgrown pruning shears.
This is definitely not the case! And no, you can’t operate it with only one hand!
Other complaints include:
– The chain jumps off. Do remember that the cutting mechanism is that of a chainsaw so the chain does need to be tightened periodically, especially when new as it will stretch as you start to use it. If you don’t do that, then yes, the chain might well jump off the bar.
– The little oil bottle that comes with it to fill up the oil reservoir is not good quality. Dump it and get yourself a little oil can that can deliver the oil accurately. Alternatively, spray some vegetable oil on the blade regularly during usage.
– You can’t actually see how much oil is in the tank. The easy solution is to top up before you start working with it. You will soon be able to judge how long it takes to run dry. Probably not a good idea to top it up before storing it away. Like all chainsaws, it tends to leak oil if you are not careful about how you store it.
So those are a few niggles that you should be aware of. None are really deal breakers.
Compatability
Although we are talking primarily about the Craftsman Cordless Lopper here, it does form part of a larger group of 20V Craftsman Power Tools.
ALL these 20V tools are also Compatible with the Craftsman VersaTrak Storage System. Just makes storing all your tools that much easier and tidier!
Likewise, the CRAFTSMAN V20 batteries will work with all CRAFTSMAN V20 power tools. This is a big range which you can see more of here
One last note. NB Be aware that you can buy the Craftsman Lopper with or without the battery and charger. So if you see a “bargain price”, just check that you are buying getting everything you need!
That about wraps it up for these awesome loppers. If you want to, you can read more about them hereÂ
Black & Dekker 20V Max Alligator Loppers
So on the left you will see the B&D cordless “Alligator” lopper which looks a lot like the Craftsman above.
This is unsurprising given that they are basically designed to do the same thing.
What is slightly surprising is the the company that owns B&D bought out the Craftsman brand a while ago.
So are we looking at exactly the same tool but just with some cosmetic branding differences?
Lets look at the similarities:
- Powered by 20V battery
- Scissor Action
- Serrated lower clamping jaw
- Capable of cutting branches up to 4 inches (10cm) in diameter
- Dual hand switches as a safety feature
- Needs two hands to operate (NB
- Metal guards cover the cutting part for extra protection
- They leak oil as per all chainsaws! 🙂
- Forms part of Black & Decker’s inter-changeable 20-volt lithium battery set of cordless tools.
But there are differences:
- The Black & Dekker is somewhat lighter at 6.8 pounds (3kg) although the actual working weight is hard to nail down as it will depend on which of a range of batteries you are using.
- Talking of batteries, they are not interchangeable with the craftsman lopper
- Still talking of batteries, you have a selection to choose from. These are 1.5Ah, 2Ah, 3Ah and 4Ah. If you are planning on doing a lot of work, go for the 3 or 4Ah battery. If its just normal garden clean up stuff, then the 1,5 or 2Ah will do the job.
Worx WG320 JawSaw
As you can see from the pic on the left, the business end of the JawSaw is very similar to both the Craftsman and Black & Dekker tree loppers.
The method of operating this tool is however very different given the obvious design difference.
Other aspects that are different to the two loppers above which might be seen as preferable or more desirable to have include:
- The chain guard encases the entire chain bar. When not actively cutting, the blade retracts further making it even less likely that you will cut something you shouldn’t (your leg for example!)
- The above feature also allows Worx to claim this as the only “chainsaw” that you can use to cut logs lying on the ground without having to prop one end up.
- Auto chain tension. Tensioning the chain automatically is a significant factor in many people’s books.
- Likewise the automatic chain oiler which indicates the oil level. That is a particular beef which many people have with the other 2 loppers.
- More streamlined design. Although you still need 2 hands to operate it, the action is entirely different. It might therefore suit some people better, especially those that have shoulder problems that the scissor like action might aggravate.
There are however also many factors that the JawSaw has in common with the Craftsman and/or Black & Dekker Tree Loppers.
These include:
- 20V battery that can be shared across the Worx 20V tool platform
- Ability to cut limbs up to 4 inches (10cm) in diameter
- Weighs more or less the same as the other two (a claimed 7.1 pounds or 3.2kg WITHOUT the battery)
- Similar price tag as long as you compare “apples with apples”. In other words, the bare tool or the tool including battery and charger etc are all priced within a few dollars of each other.
So there you have them. Three of the best battery powered loppers on the market that represent great value for your money.
On to…..
Corded Electric Tree Loppers
We are going to look at 2 corded loppers.
Yes I know that makes 5 in total……but it will be worth it.
Black & Dekker LP1000
Are the B&D LP1000 loppers the best rated electric tree loppers out there? Obviously that is a matter of opinion but this has to be one of the best branch loppers around.
This is essentially the same machine as the Black & Dekker Cordless Lopper featured further up the page. The obvious difference is this one has to be plugged into a power source.
The advantage of this is that it can work for as long as you can if you are able to supply the power.
Conversely, the disadvantage is you have to keep it plugged into your power source or nothing happens. Think long extension cords, plugs etc.
It is powered by a 4,5Ah electrical motor and has the same 6 inch bar length and the capability of cutting branches up to 4 inches (10cm) in diameter.
Likewise, the oil delivery system for the chain has best been described as “rubbish”! Not very complimentary but essentially accurate and true of many smaller chainsaws. Make a plan….spray some light oil on the chain frequently and that will take care of that problem.
Weight is quoted at 6.5 pounds (2.95kg) which is somewhat lighter than the other 3 above. However, if weight is an issue for you then you also need to factor in the drag factor of the electrical cord you will need to drag behind you.
So here are the major concerns with this corded lopper:
– The fact that it is corded means you will almost inevitably need an electric extension cord to run it where you need it. This then leads you into the murky world of the gauge and length of the extension cord. These 2 factors affect the amount of power delivered to the electrical motor and can be harmful to the longevity of the motor if it does not receive the correct power.
– So general rule of thumb. Use a 14 or 16 gauge rated extension cord that is not longer than 100 feet (30m) if you can help it.
– Weight distribution. Without a battery, the weight distribution shifts from the back to the middle of the tool. That fundamentally changes the balance of the tool and some people might find that the weight is quite challenging if you are operating anywhere above waist level for any length of time.
BUT
The reality is many of the above concerns will apply to most small chainsaws that can chop through branches with a 4 inch diameter. And lets be honest. If you have more than a few branches to cut, then any of these loppers are much more suited to the job than any 6 inch mini chainsaw would be.
Last but not least lets look at the COSTÂ of these corded loppers.
They cost SUBSTANTIALLY LESS than the battery powered loppers. No battery and no charger substantially lowers the cost of a tool although you obviously have to factor in the cost of your power. But maybe not – you would be using it to charge the battery anyway!
Bonus corded lopper offering
The Worx WG307 5 Amp JawSaw is the electrical corded version of the WG320 JawSaw detailed above.
It has a 5Ah motor and weighs in at a very solid 12.8 pounds (5.8kg) which makes it the heaviest of the loppers featured here.
All the pros and cons regarding electric vs cordless tools talked about above also apply to this JawSaw.
Final Wrap
These electric branch loppers represent a unique class of tree pruners/branch loppers that are not quite chainsaws, nor traditional tree trimmers or even electrical secateurs.
As such they are difficult to compare directly with any of them. Except to say they are aimed at a specific need and are much better suited to fulfilling that need than any of the other tools on offer.
Go check them out and compare them to cordless mini chainsaws and cordless pruning secateursÂ
I think you will be impressed by what these electric tree and branch loppers have to offer!