Fiskars Tool Quality?

[lxskllr]

I'm wondering what professionals think of Fiskars. I've been fairly impressed with the tools of theirs I've used. When I helped Mike with some dogwoods, he brought Fiskars loppers. I look at them, and think "Oh, loppers. Probably be easier just to break them by hand", but they worked really well. They cut easily, and were nice to use. The polesaw I have, and Mike's updated version seem nice, and fairly robust. Maybe not quite pro quality, but put together well, and easy to use(with the caveat that I have a replacement blade from Korea. Mine didn't come with a saw blade).

Is Fiskars worth directing purchases to for prosumer use, or are the typical professional tools worth the added cost, even if they won't be going out every day, and being beaten on by random employees?

 

[Kaveman]

My wedge banger is a fiskars. I like it just fine. Dadgummed plastic handle is neigh on indestructible. Bucky ain't so good at splitting and such, since my wife hit a rock and took a big chunk out of the blade. It's such a big chip out of the edge, that I'd have to re profile the whole thing to get it out. So, Bucky drives wedges and other icky tasks.

It's light enough to not be fatiguing, and you can build some wicked speed. Also, it's nice to carry because it's so light and virtually all that weight is the head.

I like their pole saws too, all the ones I've used or owned have been of good quality, although I've never had a fancy silky pole saw or the like to compare them to.

 

[SeanKroll]

Seem good as prosumer tools.

@caveman can you re-bevel the chipped area into splitting well enough?

 

[lxskllr]

My wedge banger is a fiskars. I like it just fine. Dadgummed plastic handle is neigh on indestructible.

I have a Fiskars light splitter, and I like it a good bit. I've always been HIGHLY against synthetic for tool handles, but everyone seemed to like the Fiskars axes, and I gave it a try. The handle's surprisingly comfortable, and as you said, very durable. I was previously only familiar with those yellow composite things, and I'd rather chew a tree down than use one of those tools. They pretty much guarantee blisters, and feel like crap in-hand. I still prefer wood, even with the drawbacks, but Fiskars handles are quite acceptable.

 

[Cobleskill]

I have ax splitter too and hand pruners. Like both.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Not a fan
Good ol Corona 's.
Less self destructing with help from the staff

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I wont let them use my antique style loppers though.
Found then in an old hardware store that changed hands a few times. They cleaned out a back room and they were immediately married to my pruning kit.
No touchy!

 

[Kaveman]

Seem good as prosumer tools.

@caveman can you re-bevel the chipped area into splitting well enough?

Wrong cat, but I'll humor you Sean. Remember "C" is a redundant letter. "K" and "S" do all the work of "C"

I say no, gotta reprofile the whole blade, or have a really blunt edge.

 

[cory]

No touchy!

💡

 

[stikine]

I say no, gotta reprofile the whole blade, or have a really blunt edge.

That looks quite doable to me without too much drama. Definitely would require skill with an angle grinder using discs and abrasive flaps... but that's just me.

 

[Kaveman]

That looks quite doable to me without too much drama. Definitely would require skill with an angle grinder using discs and abrasive flaps... but that's just me.

Too much phukery. She pounds wedges. She's a hammer with a sharpish side. Simple as. I've got good axes for real ax work. Like my Condor or my Swede.

 

[stikine]

No worries, I get your drift.

 

[Bermy]

I will always have a Fiskars pole pruner (the extendable one with the adjustable head) in my stash of tools. Always
It goes on the truck to every job. Very versatile.
Every now and then I ask it to do too much, but the garantee on it means I just go to Bunnings (Oz Lowes) and swap it for a new one. Haven't broken the newest model yet, 5 years.
For landscape work, I have Fiskars hedge shears, nicely balanced, very sharp.
I stick with Felco for secateurs, and Silky for handsaws/polesaw

 

[lxskllr]

I'm pretty brand loyal with Silky. Saws like the Samurai are kind of interesting, but still cost enough money that I wouldn't want to risk it coming up short with the perfection of Silky saws. It isn't worth saving $20-$30 if every time I pull the saw out, I think "Meh...".

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Samurai for the ground guys and wife. Silky for daddy

 

[flushcut]

I will always have a Fiskars pole pruner (the extendable one with the adjustable head) in my stash of tools. Always
It goes on the truck to every job. Very versatile.
Every now and then I ask it to do too much, but the garantee on it means I just go to Bunnings (Oz Lowes) and swap it for a new one. Haven't broken the newest model yet, 5 years.
For landscape work, I have Fiskars hedge shears, nicely balanced, very sharp.
I stick with Felco for secateurs, and Silky for handsaws/polesaw

I’ll second this^ aside from the Bunnings part, I’ve never been. Lol The sliding handle stick pruner is nice for ornamentals like crabapples and apple trees especially. It’s not a heavy duty tool but worth the money for getting sprouts.

 

[SeanKroll]

Good for orchards

 

[Bermy]

Yep, that's the one, with the sliding handle. The extendable one costs about $200AUD give or take.
Worth every penny I've spent on them over the years.
There was a Fiskars thread in the old 'House', someone wrote to Fiskars to ask them to beef up the pole pruner for our market, don't think they ever heard back.
Nick from WI (Treecare of LA) was another fan.

 

[Ryan]

I like them.

 

[cory]

What are those lever looking things at mid point of lopper handles

 

[Ryan]

Those are the locks at the joint of the insert. If I had one complaint it would be the mickey mouse mechanism that locks the handles. I'm sure mine is either faulty or I wrecked it by pulling too hard but the one side will seperate if you over extend and the little plastic key falls out. I always find it and it works fine upon re- insertion but one day I'll lose it.

 

[Steve Mack]

I've got the older ones, they twist.
Not as good as the Cyclone ones I had before but they stopped making those.
Their twist ones didn't untwist like these do, bit annoying.

 

[Steve Mack]

On the other hand these are one off the best things I've ever bought.
They'll cut inch stuff easily, bigger with a bit of effort.
The new ones have a bit longer handles but I like these.

 

[Maximalist]

I have a Fiskars telescopic knot cutter. It is a reliable, lightweight and effective thing - My experience with Fiskars axes shows that these are the worst axes I have ever seen.

 

[lxskllr]

What don't you like about the axes Andrey? The steel seems to be pretty good. The handle's are admittedly kind of weird, and it looks like you could lose a head with sufficient wear of the plastic, but I have no idea how long that would take if it did happen. If it happened, fixing it would likely be more trouble than it's worth. That's another nice thing about wood. Repair/replacement is easy.