Where to find it: Fiskars, www.fiskars.com. Search by ZIP code to find a local retailer.

What it is:  A lopper with a blade that sweeps past the lower jaw like a giant scissors.  Ideal for both light and heavy-duty pruning.

What I thought: I loved my lilac bush, but its rampant growth had gotten out of control. After the lilac finished blooming, I used the Fiskars PowerGear 2 bypass lopper to thin out about one-third of its branches, cutting them out at the base of the plant. The lopper allowed me to slice through the larger stems with ease, making a razor-clean cut. Its long handles easily extended my reach deep into the shrub, so I could make clean cuts without the rest of the branches poking me in the face. The gears gave me extra cutting power to make big cuts quickly and easily. This lopper was about half the weight of my old lopper, making pruning easier than ever. And the ergonomic handles fit comfortably in my hands. This lopper is so easy to use, I almost cut too many branches off of my lilac!

—Gail Johnson, managing editor, Gardening How-To