Top Ten Reviews Verdict
Our reviewer was impressed with the SP13’s ability to cleanly cut tender plant stems and flowerheads. This is by no means the most well-built pruner you can buy, but it does a good job of the lightest pruning tasks.
Pros
- +
makes clean cuts in soft plants
- +
lightweight and portable
- +
effortless snipping
Cons
- -
build quality is relatively economical
- -
not suitable for cutting tough or woody stems
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The Fiskars Solid Snip Pruning Micro-tip SP13 is not your average pruner. This tool belongs to a category known as ‘pruning snips’. These tools are smaller than most bypass pruners or anvil pruners, and they have a specialized design that’s ideal for accurate, delicate work. For careful pruning tasks, the SP13 is one of the best pruners you can buy.
These snips are best described as pruning scissors, not shears, because of their symmetrical design. The blades are narrow, sharply pointed, and have a cutting edge along their entire length. This design equips the snips to cut soft plants cleanly and precisely. Although the snips are small, they have relatively long blades, which is useful when you’re pruning among dense or tangled stems and leaves.
Pruning snips like the SP13 are absolutely not suitable for cutting tree branches. Even narrow twigs are a challenge for this type of pruner. The SP13 can be your go-to tool for the most delicate pruning tasks – but using it to prune woody stems or branches will only result in failure (and likely degradation of the blades).
What the SP13 can do well is cut tender plant parts. Because these snips cut so cleanly, they’re an ideal choice for pruning soft plant stems. Whereas messy pruning can disfigure tender plants and leave them vulnerable to infection, the sort of clean cuts you can make with the SP13 tend to heal well. With plant-friendly cutting in mind, the SP13 is a great choice not only for pruning tasks like deadheading, but also for taking cuttings for propagation.
We tested the SP13 by using the snips to prune soft plants in our reviewer’s yard, and also to cut flower stems to size for indoor flower-arranging.
Pete has reviewed hundreds of gardening products for titles including TopTenReviews, Ideal Home and the London Evening Standard – as well as writing articles on diverse topics for other publications such as The Guardian and BBC Good Food. A long-term contributor to the blog of leading scissors-maker Ernest Wright, Pete has in-depth understanding of the qualities and design features that go into a really good pair of shears.
Fiskars Solid Snip Pruning Micro-tip SP13: At a glance
Fiskars is one of our go-to brands for affordable cutting tools, both for household use and for yard work.
The Fiskars Solid Snip Pruning Micro-tip SP13 is a fine example of Fiskars’ economical, user-friendly design. These tiny pruning snips provide great pruning capability at a very good price. They are one of the most delicate pruning tools in the Fiskars range.
You can grab yourself an SP13 from online sellers such as Amazon, often for less than $20.
Fiskars Solid Snip Pruning Micro-tip SP13: key specs
| Type | Pruning snips |
| Cutting capacity | Designed for pruning soft, narrow stems |
| Blade material | Stainless steel |
| Handedness | Left or right |
| Accessories | Safety sheath |
Fiskars Solid Snip Pruning Micro-tip SP13: Performance
Since these snips are purpose-built for cutting tender plant stems, we focused our review process suitably delicate types of pruning work.
Our reviewer started by using the SP13 to cut the stems of tender bedding plants. The snips did a great job of cleanly pruning the stems, without ‘chewing’ the plant or leaving messy cuts.
The SP13 turned out to be ideal for deadheading, too. Using the snips, we were able to remove dead flower heads accurately and with minimal effort.
After testing, strong winds knocked over a row of dahlias in our reviewer’s yard. The SP13 snips turned out to be the best and most convenient pruner for cutting the broken stems down to size, so that the dahlia flowers could be displayed in a vase indoors.
We must say that during testing, the plastic locking button on our review sample of the SP13 snapped off after getting jammed. Thankfully, we experienced no such problem with the replacement sample we received from Fiskars. The SP13 is generally reviewed very well by customers, but it’s worth bearing in mind that this is essentially a budget-priced pruner – so buyers should not expect stellar construction.
Fiskars Solid Snip Pruning Micro-tip SP13: should you buy?
| Attribute | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price & availability | Very affordable, although this is reflected in the build quality. | 3/5 |
| Design | Neat and user-friendly – except for the lock button. | 4/5 |
| Performance | Superb at the most delicate pruning and floristry tasks. | 4/5 |
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
How does it compare?
For a customer who’s looking for a low-priced pruner that’s specialized for the most delicate pruning tasks, the SP13 would be one of the best pruners you could buy. However, it’s always worth considering some alternative options, before making your purchase.
For instance, the Felco No. 6 Bypass Pruner is another tool capable of cutting delicate plants – and it does lots more too. A high-end, Swiss-made bypass pruner, the Felco 6 can cut thin tree branches and tough stems, as well as doing finer work. However, it comes at a far higher price than the SP13.
If you appreciate the affordability of the Fiskars SP13, but you’d like your pruner to be able to cut some woody stems and branches, as well as soft plants, then we can recommend another Fiskars model: the Fiskars Plus Smartfit Bypass Pruner P541. The P541 lacks some of the precision offered by the SP13, but it does offer greater all-round versatility.
How we tested the Fiskars Solid Snip Pruning Micro-tip SP13
Our reviewer tested the Fiskars Solid Snip Pruning Micro-tip SP13 by using the snips to carry out light pruning tasks around the yard. Taking into account the SP13’s specializations, we focused our testing on cutting soft plant stems, deadheading flowering plants, and cutting stems to size for use in flower arrangements.
See more about how we test.
First reviewed September 2023
