Reviews

There is one gift every landscaper loves to receive: a nice new set of Felco snips! I got one recently for my birthday from my boss and it felt better than Christmas. Here’s why. When they are securely placed in a sheath on your belt you look professional, they make excellent cuts and they’re always handy.

Swiss quality

My favourite Swiss-made Felco 2 snips feel great in my large hands and they cut perfectly. There are many models to choose from but the 2s are perfect for fit and price. There are also many other brands on the market but when it comes to snips, Felco rules.

The sheath

Most landscape professionals keep their snips handy on their hips, nicely parked in a leather sheath. The sheath is absolutely crucial. Snips nicely nestled in a sheath are always available. When I put my work pants on in the morning, there follows my belt and sheath. That way I know my snips are ready if I need them and it also minimizes my chances of losing them.

Keeping sharp snips in your pockets is awkward and dangerous. I find that without a sheath I inevitably leave my pricey trusted snips sitting on a post or fence. A few seasons back I did some weekend work for another landscaping company and I left my Felcos in one of their trucks. I have yet to get them back.

Yes, leather sheaths will cost you around $20 but it’s worth it. You look more professional and you lower the chances of losing your snips.

One tip: don’t forget to clean out your sheath. I recently discovered a lot of soil in my sheath. Enough to sustain a small plant.

Parts

The spare parts kit includes a new blade and a new spring. You can expect the spring to blow up first. It usually gets old and one day it just falls out.

The blade can also be replaced but you have to time it like you do your car’s oil changes. Otherwise, the bolts gets so dirty they are almost impossible to loosen. This happens to me all the time. When I notice that my blade should be changed, I can’t loosen the bolts holding it in place.

The Felco handles are almost indestructible.

This pair needs some love: a new spring, a new blade and the screws need cleaning.

Always ready

It happens to me all the time. Out in the landscape I notice a broken branch and out come my snips. Every time I need to cut line edger line, I use my snips. When the boss takes me for a walk and he notices a blemish, it’s important to have snips at the ready. Or when I apply lime and fertilizer, the snips easily penetrate the plastic covers when I have to reload my spreader.

Having a pair of quality snips on your hips also makes you look more professional.

Conclusion

I absolutely love my Felco 2 snips. They’re sharp, they last and they feel great in my hands. I always have them on my hip in a leather sheath. I also feel like a professional with a nice pair of quality snips.

Felco snips are the best gift you can give to a landscaper!

I love testing new products in the field. It’s easy to get sucked into using the same tools and machines every season. But what if there is a new product that performs better and is cheaper? Field testing products myself is fun and it’s the real deal. It’s not just sales talk.

Did you notice how when you go to the doctor there always seems to be a new drug the doctor pushes on you? That’s because sales reps give the doctor perks for pushing their own drugs. Here you go, take this…..

Well, landscape company owners also get approached by sales people who happily provide samples for them to try in the field. Sure, let’s do it. And that’s how I got to test a new kind of tarp.

The new tarp: stronger, easy to fold and waterproof.

New tarp

Recently we got to try out a new kind of tarp made of military grade material. Think waterproof military backpack material. It’s supposed to be tougher, easier to fold and waterproof. That’s a nice list.

So we tried a little experiment. We packed several chunks of firewood and dragged it along the pavement and over a speed bump. This put several holes into it. Bummer. Another failed test. Or was it?

We don’t normally drag sharp pieces of wood in our tarps. We usually haul leaves and weeds with, hopefully, not too much soil. Also, note if the holes actually get bigger.

So far, our crews like the new tarps. They fold easily, they are waterproof and they appear to be tougher.

Old tarps

The old green tarp on the bottom is slightly bigger.

The old tarps we use are more like camping cover type plastic tarps. They are slightly bigger than the new ones but they don’t fold as easily. Also, it takes very little dragging to put holes in them and this drives the boss nuts. Dragging tarps is discouraged because it leads to unnecessary expenses.

The new tarps cost $1.25 more than the old ones but if they last longer, it’s a win! So far the reviews are good. I hope to report more on this as the grass cutting season starts.

Conclusion

Always be open to testing new machines, tools and materials. You could save money and improve your company performance. You could also have some extra fun.

The new tarps are easier to twist and look better.