I bought them from A M Leonard as I don’t trust buying from Amazon because of fakes. Other than arriving with the pruners unlatched in the original looking packaging, it seems genuine. Definitely no shortage of oil on them when unpacked.
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I really like my Bahco pruners with the rotating handle (more than my Felco’s), but they are very expensive.
When I temporarily lost them for a few months, I tried a few amazon cheaper ones.
These were my favorites from those < $20 ones:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084P3K5V3/
I expect they are authentic then.
I love their loppers (High Quality Loppers | Pruning Tools – Pruner Warehouse) but a publicist for the company gave me a rotating handle one for left handers a long time ago along with a couple of their saws and none of them knocked my socks off. The pruners sit in a draw in my basement, I think. If it feels great in your hand, that’s the main thing. I used a Felco 13 before I first used the ARS and used to recommend it highly. I have tried many different brands of hand pruners over the years, but I pretty much stopped experimenting once I tried the ARS. But that isn’t to say it’s the best pruner for everyone’s hands.
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I planned on buying some ARS pruners before too long and did a little homework… not sure if this is helpful or not to anyone.
Supposedly the Stihl pruners are made for them by ARS
PP60- VS7
PP70- VS8
PP80- VS9
This is the Stihl PP70/VS-8
Anyways… i figure i will give them a shot.
Should be available at my local Stihl Dealer and/or Ace Hardware.
$57 as of this writing.
I might pick up a PS70 13 inch saw while im at it…or at least look at it. Supposedly it also is made in Japan and made by ARS.
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Hope you like them. Let us know how they do for you. Good info.
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That is a bit more expensive than the current Amazon price of what they have ready to ship. A search may find a much cheaper price if you wait for shipping from Japan. The black looks nice but red handles are easier to see if you set your pruner down and forget where. For aged boomers like me this is not just helpful, but essential.
I use a VS8 when I’m pruning for hours, but for a really good deal on a small pocket pruner with the same steel I highly recommend this ARS model. I keep one in my pocket at all times- it is my version of a pocket knife. Amazon.com
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I agree that they are more expensive vs Amazon ARS brand.
I havent done an extensive amount of research but it seems that the Stihl ones have a limited lifetime warranty that covers them until there are no longer parts available. So i guess if something happens and something breaks the parts are free from the local dealer… or perhaps they will just give you a new one? Not sure myself.
If the ARS needs parts i guess you buy them from Amazon?
This is the newest wording that i can find from STIHL corporate-
‘Hand tool limited warranty: All STIHL model PA axes, PH hedge shears, PL loppers, PP pruners, PS pruning saws, Cant Hooks, Peaveys,Hookaroons and Log Carriers are warranted to the original Consumer for as long as the appropriate spare part or product continues to be available from STIHL’
Probably not a point worth pondering really… im using some 10 year old fiskers pruners and loppers that i abuse and neglect and they dont need any repair or parts.
Perhaps may be of interest to someone else though.
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I have difficulty wearing out a pair of quality pruners as well, even with use in a year that exceeds what most here take a lifetime to add up. Anyway, anything other than a solid lifetime warrantee with a full refund or replacement tends to be BS. AM Leonard offers a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects for their own products, which is hype without any customer benefit. Such defects are almost always apparent the minute you see the tool.
In all the years I’ve used ARS pruners I’ve never needed to order a part besides blades when I cracked a couple by dropping them on ice one winter. That hard metal is extremely brittle when temps get anywhere near zero and any pruner is easy to drop when you are wearing mitts to keep your fingers from freezing off. It turned out to make more sense to order a new pruner. Unless you have a nice shop, replacing blades on these tools is a bit of a PIA and the price of the blades is almost the same as the tool.
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Im impressed with my Stihl PP70 aka. VS-8 even though the handles are black. Now i see what you guys are talking about.
I do like to carry or sometimes just use an el cheapo for my brambles or my wildlife trees. I think i found one that makes me happy.
Blade is coated with teflon… at least there was a sticker on it that said Teflon. The other side is a very rugged plastic block with tiny indentations that grip.
I used it for a couple of hours thinning some brambles and pruned back a few bushes for good measure… Pretty amazed at how well it did as well as feeling comfortable.
Not saying this is the best at anything… but it did all that i asked of it and i dont see much to go wrong with it unless i would totally abuse it. $10 at rural king.
They also have a set of bypass pruners that i might give a whirl also $10…
Note- the ones i bought were GAP-8SC (supercharged)? maybe South China 
The picture isnt accurate that i posted above… but the SC model has a protrusion and a bit longer handle and more curved (more ergonomic)?
Happy with this $10 purchase.
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These are what I’m personally “looking at.”
Niwaki GR Pro
Tobishos (SR1 & Pro)
Ranshou
Oktsune 103 & 104
ARS
Felco F-2
I’ve used Corona, but I’m not impressed with edge retention or clean cut ability…
There are plenty of cheap Chinese made pruners that work reasonably well, some are knock-offs of Felcos and ARS. They are not as precisely ground and, as far as I know, none of them use as hard a steel as ARS.
Professionals and serious hobbyists often like to use the best of the best. I have sought bargains in the past, but highest quality is hard to sacrifice once you’ve become used to it. Even the very best hand tools are not all that expensive if your budget has reasonable leeway. In the long run, the better tools last longer, so that can make up for a lot of the difference in the purchase price.
I have probably used at least 20 different brands of hand pruners, maybe more, but once I tried the ARS VS models, it has been my go to pruner- except for keeping in my pocket. I do most of my pruning work with a Silky Gomtaro 300 and an ARS strapped to my side with holsters, but this is the one I keep in my pocket these days.
It costs $21 and not $10, but it cuts with that hard steel and holds as sharp an edge for as long as any ARS pruner.
You can make up for the loss of leverage that results from its short handles by pushing the wood away from the blade as you cut.
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Thanks Alan.
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alan, you mentioned on an older thread (ARS vs Felco pruning shears, a new look) that you preferred a Felco model to ARS. Does this opinion still hold? (If so, I’m curious which Felco model it is!)
From what I’ve tried, the lightweight ARS 120DX seems best for supplying our community gardens (mainly for veggies, weeds and light brush… most users with small-medium hands). Both that model and the VS8Z have been exceptionally good deals on Amazon (around $30). The Felco F5 is the closest in price (unless you go with the Felco 300, which is not swiss-made and is intended for very light work).
I was talking about cutting frozen wood not as a general purpose pruner. Actually, I’m not using Felco pruners in any situation for the last couple of years. For me, the ARS VS series is much better for its sharpness and for the fact that I can use them nearly constantly for months at a time and never experience any physical discomfort- their shape just suits me. Yes, the lighter and cheaper ARS pruner works very well- it’s the one I keep in my pocket. The others I keep in a holster off a belt. Pruners on my right side, Silky Gomtaro 300 on my left. I’m left handed.
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I’ve got a set of am Leonard I got as a holiday gift. they work pretty well and my hands are long and scrawny. I need to find a good kind of little nipping cutters like in the picture here with the pruners, all I have been able to find are these trash ones that last one season, can not hold a sharp edge for a day. and the latch breaks.
reminds me I need to oil and sharpen my big loppers soon.
Can someone make a better link to this product so I can trash this response.
This is by far the best pocket sized pruner I’ve ever used with the same hard steel of more expensive ARS pruners which are, nevertheless a very good value for a pruner of the highest quality.
Never mind, I see I submitted an answer to this question a very short scroll above it. If someone wants to turn it into a short link just place it below this message.
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Here ya go!
ARS HP-130DX 7-Inch Ideal Light Pruner / Pocket Secateur, Colors Vary Amazon.com : ARS HP-130DX 7-Inch Ideal Light Pruner / Pocket Secateur, Colors Vary : Hand Pruners : Patio, Lawn & Garden
i finally invested in the large size felco pruning shears after using the cheap coronas for 8 yrs. i got to say, im impressed. a lot easier on the hands and arthritis.
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