i bought an omega tool/grafting shears too, how do you like it?
Quite honestly it’s fantastic. It creates two identical cuts and really ensures a proper fit as long as the stock and the scion are similarly sized. I know a lot of old timers probably poo poo it but it’s really pretty neat. That being said, since it creates a saddle graft it is not inheritly as strong as a whip and tongue gtaft. it doesn’t have compression on its side like a whip and tongue graft. You have to be extra careful on the wrapping part and get good compression with tape or rubbers. All of the grafts I did with the omega tool took. The only failed grafts I had were whip and tongue.
1 Like
Can you provide link for this tool. The one @scottfsmith looks good. However he is most likely a pro at it, so that one may not be good for me esp when you say yours creates 2 identical cut, it may work better for me? I am going to try bud/chip grafting this summer on my apple trees.thanks
I think the omega tool is only practical for pencil sized wood. With smaller wood, the sides of the female receiving end will be too thin and weak to hold the graft together before it is fully taped. You could use the V cutter for smaller stuff, but it doesn’t hold together like the Ω cutter. Mechanical limitations of the tool for larger wood is obvious.
I had no luck with it. The thing comes with zero instructions, so you are left to trial and error or rooting around on the web for helpful tips. Might as well just learn how to graft, almost.
I saw a knockoff version somewhere, maybe even on this forum. Can’t remember the name, though.
i agree it is fantastic. Got mine for cheap, made in china(got in from ebay), but despite the price, found it superbly engineered. It glides through 0.5" thick jujube budwood, which is very very hard . I have had ~90% success with it, and probably would have been 100% if the mojave gusts didn’t thrash my trees.
it is also an awesome ‘surgical instrument’ to introduce to kids who are mature enough to use it, especially if you want to intrigue them about the wonders of grafting, since the success rate is very high(an encouraging and rewarding incentive to dabble in this ‘green’ endeavor, possibly for the rest of their lives).
having them learn how to graft using a knife isn’t just more dangerous, but also more difficult and the success rate for most first-timers is very low.
a low success rate would invariably make any kid never want to try it again…