Best weed shears for harvesting and pruning

Trimming cannabis is an extremely important part of the harvesting process. Trichomes — the chemical compounds that determine smell, taste, and effects — reside on the outside of leaves and buds, so a bad trim job can render even the best weed ineffective.

Below we spoke to small farmers to help them find the best trimming shears for their own crops.

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What are trimmers and why do you need them?

Trimming shears are high quality pruning shears used by cannabis growers to snip off unwanted leaves and avoid damaging the bud.

Due to the fragility of cannabis nugs and the importance of keeping the trichomes intact, a good pair of trimmers or secateurs, which are larger scissors used to snip branches off the plant as it grows and during the harvesting process, is a must when it is about the preservation of flowers.

While regular scissors end up being dull, clunky and uncomfortable to hold over long periods of time, trimming scissors are small, sharp and specifically designed for botanical dexterity.

And for experienced growers, hand trimming is the better option when harvesting. “Every time you pick up a nug and squeeze the bud, you break the trichomes,” said Joseph Haggard of Emerald Spirit Botanicals, an Emerald Cup-winning regenerative farm in Mendocino. “The goal here is to preserve your trichome heads, so touch them as little as possible. Wait until you’re ready to smoke it, then clean it up a bit with a good pair of scissors.”

“Pruning can be a good thing when done right,” he added, “but the majority of people don’t take the proper time and care, so they just damage their flowers.”

There are a few important things to consider when purchasing a pair of trimmers or secateurs:

• Quality: You want to look for quality steel that has an edge. Coatings are also a concern, as some trimmers are coated to reduce the effects of plant resin. But while coatings can help, it’s best to avoid Teflon as it’s a patchy plastic that can become rubbery on the blades.
• Comfort: Trimming takes a long time, especially when you’re harvesting multiple plants. It’s important that the scissors you choose feel good in your hand because trimming with bubbles sucks. Trust me.
• Spring or no spring: Some clippers have a spring that automatically reopens them after a cut, while others don’t. This depends on personal preference.

The best trimmer scissors for every trimmer

Whether you’re a home grower or a master in the hills, those buds need some trimming. According to experts, here are the best trimming scissors on the market.

High-priced/high-quality: F-13 pruning shears from Felco

Founded in Switzerland over 70 years ago, Felco continues to make durable, ergonomic garden tools including the F-13 Lopper.

“The Felco F-13s are the best of the best…all the parts are interchangeable, which means if they go bad, you can buy all the parts,” said Walt Woods of Sol Spirit Farm, an award-winning Trinity County regenerative farm. “These are pruning shears that you could pass on to your child.”

They currently cost $71 on Amazon.

Medium class/medium quality: Chikimasa B-500 by Chikimasa

Chikimasas are Japanese secateurs that have been the top choice of every master breeder I’ve interviewed. These scissors are precise, stay sharp with their high quality stainless steel blade and ward off sticky resin with a fluorine coating.

And while it doesn’t have a spring, the Chickamasa B-500 is still a favorite. “They feel good in the hand and are gentle on the flower,” Haggard said. Joey Gothelf of Wildland Cannabis, a regenerative farm in Mendocino, said he’s “never been [had to] sharpen a pair.”

They currently cost $25 on Amazon.

Budget tip: Micro-Tip Pruning Snips by Fiskars

Fiskars micro-tip pruning snips came up a lot in my interviews, but not in a positive light. “I’m a part-time knifemaker, so I’m familiar with sharpening and using good steel for the edge,” Gothelf said. “I definitely recognize that Fisker and some of the random brands needed a lot of sharpening, which tells me they’re just crappy steel.”

These secateurs also have a Teflon coating instead of fluoride to resist resin that tends to stick in the blades and get into the flower itself during the cutting process. Conclusion: They work well enough, but they are not of high quality.

They currently cost $12 on Amazon.

Super budget choice: Vivosun 6.5-inch secateurs

While no one mentioned Vivosuns in my interviews, I’ve trimmed enough weed in my life to know that these are often scattered in trim rooms and have been for a very long time. The Vivosun 6.5-inch secateurs are extremely affordable (typically under $10), mediocre in every way, and considered a borderline throwaway.

While Chikimasas and Felcos are the kind of scissors that a trimmer would take care of, Vivosuns are the kind of scissors that a grower would have laying around for everyone to use. The steel doesn’t suck and hold an edge, and the blade tip sometimes crosses, but they’re budget-friendly and seem to exist in endless quantities.

They currently cost $7 on Amazon.

Editor’s Note: Weedmaps does not receive affiliate revenue from the brands featured in this article. All products are selected independently by the author. The only influence Weedmaps News is subject to is Weed.