Credentials: 6 years as segment steward, 4 years prior as trail clearing cowboy.
For loppers, I prefer the power-lever bypass unit. With good technique ( I can demonstrate in person, harder to type out and expect someone to get it right. Wrong move can snap the blade ) you can easily cut 2 inch and some greater branches. Check out Fiskars site:
http://www.fiskars.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=&catalogId=10101&categoryId=10257
In the old days they were yellow handled ( the ones I still have ) but now “sleek black” seems to be in. I would steer clear of the telescoping handles on principle, but that’s because I do a LOT of heavy work. I have not experienced the newer “power-gear” model, would love to hear from someone who has.
*************** here’s something I learned from my dad, a steward on the AT. Hand pruners. Little one handed loppers. I carry them when I ride and get a lot of little stuff ( better than waiting till it gets big ) as I’m going, never even break stride. When hiking, I tend to break stride slightly.
For recreational hikers, you can keep them in hand and remove the occasional cat claw that will otherwise rip you, grab the pruned piece gingerly with the tool and throw it. Also good for cutting back small branches that are intruding on the tread. Even though the full bore clearing will still need to be done, just by hiking through a segment you can make it easier for the next person by clearing the tread a bit, and leaving obviously cut branches as a clue. ********************
Saws, I swear by Corona. http://www.coronaclipper.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=cControllerFrontend.fControlFrontendCatalogDisplay&int_category_id=27&cID=7
The 7 or 10 inch folders can get you through a lot of wood, they have very sharp replaceable blades. a slight lifting on the push stroke eliminates binding. Very handy to pack around, but you can also get into some good fixed blades. The Corona loppers cut well, but they are a little lighter than what I feel comfortable doing monster work with. It might be the way to go if you’re looking for lightness, but my money is on a tough tool. As mentioned above, once it fails it’s 100% dead weight.
When I solo, I pack the saw in one back pocket, hand pruner in the other, a pulaski in one hand and a Mc Cleod in the other. Ready for just about anything, short of heavy rock work or major soil movement.
For a demo on the big branch lopping technique, check the calendar this fall for work on segment 2, 3 or 4. ( soon to be posted )
Happy trail,
Zay H.
Zay Hartigan Segment 2 steward