When you are in charge of an orchard, you want everything to run as smoothly as possible. Now that you’ve used frost covers to protect your young trees, pesticides to fight the pests, and fungicides to prevent fungal growth, your orchard has arrived at a very crucial time: harvest season.

Of course, you’re not in the clear yet. There are still pickers to hire, picking bags to be repaired, and punch tools and ticket books to be ordered. And if you haven’t yet, it’s time to inspect your fruit clippers and harvest shears to see just how sharp they are and if they need any screws tightened. Hopefully you bought the best when you first needed them, because that can a avoid a lot of problems that crop up (pun intended, why not) with shears and clippers. Let’s take a look at a few reasons you should always buy the best available harvesting tools.

Better Cuts

When you buy high-quality clipper and shears, you’re going to get a better cut every time. A tool that keeps its edge is going to work faster, enabling the stem to be cut on the first try. Dull shears are going to cause the harvester to have to try many times. While a miscut isn’t a big deal if it causes the loss of a single piece of fruit, it can be a very big deal if it causes the branch to become stripped. Stripped branches let insects and fungus get into the inner part of the tree, so you’ll either have a damaged tree or have to take time out to use a tree wound dressing.

It’s simply a better idea to buy high-quality harvesting tools, ones that will keep an edge, in the first place. After all, sharp tools could cause...

Fewer Injuries

While it might seem counterintuitive at first, a sharp blade can actually cause fewer injuries than a dull one. It’s a common maxim in the cooking world that using a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one because it’s going to cut through what you intend to cut instead of sliding to the side and cutting your hand.

The same holds true with harvesting clippers and fruit shears. Though harvest workers will probably be wearing gloves, dull shears can twist in their hand if they don’t cut properly. If the worker has their hand above their head at the time, it could cause a facial laceration or eye injury. It’s a much better idea to have high-quality clippers that aren’t going to get dull every day in the first place.

Clip Faster!

Not only will the harvester prevent stripped branches and suffer fewer injuries, but they’re simply going to be able to work faster! That’s good news for both them and you, because they’ll earn more and you’ll have your harvest to market sooner. When they get the clip right the first time, it’s a win-win.

Prevent Tired Hands

While we’re on the subject of clipping faster, let’s talk about another advantage you’ll get from harvesting shears to keep a sharp blade for longer. If a worker gets an easy cut the first time, their hands don’t need to expend nearly the effort to get the fruit off the tree. When that happens, their hands don’t get tired nearly as quickly. Not only is the worker more comfortable, but they’ll also be able to work faster at the end of the day because they’re hand isn’t nearly as exhausted. Again, more money for them and a faster harvest for you.

Less Down Time

Here’s what you don’t want: workers who can’t work. If you have a worker who’s experiencing downtime due to tools you provided, you really can’t blame them if it takes them longer to clear the trees.

If the problem is a blade that gets dull every day, they’re going to spend quite a bit of time coming in from the far side of the orchard and using the sharpener. If the problem is shears that keep falling apart, they’re not only going to lose the time walking in from the orchard but will also have to wait while someone fixes them or finds them another pair. Wouldn’t it just be easier to provide them with the highest-quality harvesting tools in the first place?

Buy It Nice

“Buy it nice or buy it twice,” as the old saying goes. The fact is, you can run through multiple pairs of discount shears before the good ones need repair, so maybe the saying should be “buy it nice or buy it many, many times.” In the end, you’ll end up saving money by buying quality Corona harvesting shears instead of low-quality knockoffs

“But Wait…

...even good shears get dull eventually.” That’s very true. The key is to find quality steel that won’t wear out as quickly, because that means less downtime and a sharper cut over a longer amount of time.

What’s the best way to keep the blades sharp? Invest in a few sharpeners. We have a variety of sharpening stones, both handheld and mounted, that will keep your harvesting shears in tip-top shape.

Frostproof Has What You Need!

Sure, you could head down to the local big box store and buy a bunch of $5 harvesting shears, but in the end those won’t end up lasting more than a season (if that). Instead, invest in some quality cutting implements, both straight and curved, that will last much longer and keep a better edge on them. Click that link to keep your harvest season running efficiently!