Top 5 Best Pruning Saws Updated Every Year: Know What to Look For

Pruning is something a lot of us neglect. Every summer, especially if you’re in a tropical or subtropical climate, there’s an explosion of plant growth that seems to come out of nowhere. One minute you’re admiring your small decorative olive tree, the next minute it’s a great behemoth towering over your house.

There are many ways to prune and shape trees. The easiest is to stop them from getting to the stage that they’re unmanageable by regularly trimming fresh growth with a pair of pruning shears. But once the twigs turn into branches, and your shears aren’t up for the job, you’re going to need something a little tougher.

You could use a nata axe. They are fantastic for pruning. Their unique design is perfect for taking branches right off the trunk – you can even chop down small trees with them. But not everyone is comfortable swinging around a very sharp blade in the garden.

If you want something perhaps a little safer, less physically demanding, and easier to maneuver in areas without swinging room, then a pruning saw is your best option. 

Best Folding Pruning Saw | Best Fixed Blade Pruning Saw | Best Straight Blade Pruning Saw | Best Pruning Saw For Fruit Trees | Best Heavy Duty Pruning Saw 

How To Choose A Pruning Saw

1. Blade Length: Pruning saw blades tend to fall somewhere between 180mm and 270mm. The blade you need depends a lot on what you intend to cut. As a general rule of thumb, the cutting capacity of a saw is around half of its blade’s length. So a 180mm (~7”) pruning saw can comfortably cut branches up to about 90mm (~3.5”), and a 270mm (~10”) saw can cut branches up to about 135mm (~5”). 
   
2. Blade Shape: Whether you choose a curved blade saw or a straight blade saw is important, but it’s very easy to decide which one you need. Do you want your cuts to end up clean and neat? Will you rarely cut above your head or below your waist? Get a straight blade saw. Do you want to cut through a lot of thick branches quickly? Do you want to cut branches from all angles? Get a curved blade saw.
   
3. Manufacturer: There are plenty of great pruning saw manufacturers, and plenty of not-so-great ones. As a general rule, when it comes to hand tools, you’re going to want to go with something Japanese, Finnish, Swiss, German, or American. There are a few brands that really stand out in the pruning saw world that you know you can trust. They are: Gyokucho, ARS, Fiskar's, and Tajima.
4. Body Type: What’s more important to you, stability and durability, or comfort and convenience? A fixed blade saw will typically last a long time, and it will take a lot to break the blade. A curved blade saw folds up to an easy-to-carry and easy-to-store compact size, with its sharp teeth safely tucked away.

The 5 Best Pruning Saws of 2024

Best Folding Pruning Saw

Gyokucho Razorsaw Folding Pruning Saw For Green Wood FD-20G 200mm

Gyokucho's Razorsaw line is their flagship pruning saw range, and one of the most popular pruning saws across the world - particularly in Japan. It’s hard to beat in terms of quality, durability, versatility and ease-of-use, and even harder to beat in terms of price – it’s one of the most affordable pruning saws on the market.

Its unique tooth configuration sets it apart from the competition, combining finer teeth toward the hilt with larger teeth toward the tip, it allows you to start the cut smoothly, while harnessing the power of a coarse tooth later in the cut. This makes the cut, and the finish at the end, exceptionally smooth. These teeth, combined with its straight-blade design, results in a very clean cut, and make the Gyokucho Razorsaw the best folding pruning saw for decorative trees and green wood.

It’s also a versatile saw. Not only can the blade be locked at two different positions for variable cutting, it can also be used on all types of timber. While it was designed to work best on live, green branches, Gyokucho says their Razorsaw is capable of cutting dry lumber too. So you can use it not only as a pruning saw but also as a folding hand saw for woodworking.

Best Fixed Blade Pruning Saw

Gyokucho Razorsaw Lightweight Curved Pruning Saw

• Curved Blade For Versatility
• Comes With Lockable Scabbard
• Minimal Force Required To Cut
• Ultra-Lightweigt

The Gyokucho Razorsaw Curved Pruning Saw is part of Gyokucho's ultra-lightweight pruning saw range. They created it to be an extremely versatile saw that can cut through a large volume of branches at all angles with speed and efficiency, without adding to your personal fatigue.

The special curve of this Razorsaw was designed to cut with minimal effort. If you have unstable footing, a bad angle, or you’re cutting above your shoulders and can’t put your full weight into every stroke, the saw still has exceptional cutting power.

The ultra-lightweight handle of the saw ensures that you won't be fatigued, even after long work hours, and your work efficiency will be greatly increased. This saw is one of the fastest pruning saws on the market, and can cut through even thick branches with ease and efficiency.

Adding to the efficiency, its lockable scabbard can be unlocked with a single hand. If you’re up a tree with only one hand to spare, or you want to unsheath your saw and get to cutting as fast as possible, the one-touch scabbard is a great help.

Best Straight Blade Pruning Saw

Tajima G-SAW Folding Pruning Saw 210mm GK-A210FB

• Fluorine-Coated Blade For Rust-Resistance
• Two-Position Lockable Blade
• Non-Slip Elastomer Grip

Tajima makes a lot of products, and they make them well. They’re the only brand on our list that doesn’t specialize only in gardening tools. They make tape measures, spirit levels, safety glasses, flashlights, knives, wire strippers, tool belts, drill bits, sockets, saw blades, wood files, and more. They’ve been making an enormous range of tools since 1909, so they’ve become one of the most trusted brands in construction and DIY in Japan.

Even though they don’t specialize in gardening tools, that doesn’t mean their gardening tools aren’t of high quality. Every tool Tajima makes is made well, and the G-Saw 210 is no exception. This is a strong and versatile saw made from high-quality materials, and made to last. Its non-slip elastomer grip ensures safe handling, and its fluorine-coated steel blade cuts through thick branches fast.

This is the only fluorine-coated saw on the list, and that gives it a big performance boost. The special coating ensures that tree sap won’t clog the saw’s teeth, and that the blade can slide smoothly through the material you’re cutting without getting stuck.

Best Pruning Saw For Fruit Trees

Gyokucho Razorsaw Megumi Long Handle Fruit Tree Saw 330mm

• Narrow Blade For Use In Crowded Spaces
• Ultra-Hardened Blade Tips
• Specially Designed To Prevent Seizing
• Comfortable magnolia wood handle.

This saw is the perfect heavy-duty pruning saw for orchards. If you need to prune fruit trees, look no further than the Gyokucho Megumi! This long-handled pruning saw was specially developed through the cooperation of Gyokucho and apple farmers in Hirosaki.

Hirosaki City, in Aomori prefecture, is really known for one thing: apples. Japan's best apples come from Hirosaki, grown by dedicated farmers with exceptional dedication and decades of experience. If there's one group of people who know exactly what is needed for a fruit tree pruning saw, it's the farmers of Hirosaki.

The blade was developed to quickly cut through thin, elongated branches without shaking the surrounding branches, preventing fruit from falling to the ground. So your delicate produce can remain in-place while you carry out vital tree maintanence work.

It was also designed to easily cut through branches that freeze and become hard in the winter, as Aomori is a part of Japan with significant snowfall. Its extra-sharp blade cuts cleanly, without damaging the branch, preventing rot and other diseases from infecting the tree.

Best Heavy Duty Pruning Saw

ARS Folding Pruning Saw 170mm GR-17

• Chrome-Plated High Carbon Steel
• Thickened Spine For Blade Durability
• Japanese Pull Saw For Heavy-Duty Cutting
• Narrow-Set Teeth For Powerful “Grinding” Cut

The ARS Curve Pruning Saw GR-17 was designed for professional use. It uses ARS' Turbocut tooth pitch and set technology to ensure a very sharp cut with less effort required than traditional pruning saw blades. The blade is made of a special high-carbon stainless steel that has been chrome-plated and hardened, making sure that it's super strong, and resists wear and corrosion well. 

It cuts on the pull stroke, like Japanese wood saws, making it less likely to break, and requiring less physical effort on each stroke. Its narrow-set teeth “grind” the wood, which gets you through to the other side of the branch in no time, and leaves it looking clean and smooth.

ARS emphasizes safety, and that’s why this pruning saw not only locks when opened but also when folded, ensuring the blade won’t accidentally come out. Its non-slip, high-visibility elastomer grip means you’ll avoid accidents when working.

This is our recommended pruning saw for heavy-duty cutting work, as its durable handle and stronger-than-normal blade makes it last longer, and cut faster than typical pruning saws.