A Felco pruner is not built to be thrown away. It is built to be maintained for 20-30 years. The blade is replaced when it's dull. The spring is replaced when it loses tension. The anvil blade is replaced if it becomes unevenly worn. The pruner itself is the same pruner after 25 years as it was on day one.
This guide goes through how to care for your Felco so it lasts your entire professional arborist career, plus a few extra years.
Sharpening the blade: every six weeks for professionals, twice a year for hobbyists
The blade is sharpened more often than most people think. As a rule of thumb:
If you are a professional arborist or fruit grower who prunes daily: sharpen the blade approximately every six weeks. You'll notice it when the cuts start to be "pinched" rather than clean. Bark getting ripped, fibers not being cut.
If you prune a few times a week: sharpen every other month.
If you prune a few times a year (home garden): sharpen once in the spring before the pruning season.
Sharpen with a Felco 905 sharpening steel. 300 SEK, lasts the rest of the pruner's life. Hard quality, designed for Felco's hardness level.
Only sharpen the angled side of the blade, never the flat side. Two or three strokes at a 23-degree angle are sufficient. More than that and you remove unnecessary material. The blade should feel sharp enough to scrape off thin skin but not cut.
If you are inexperienced: try it on an old pruner first. It's easy to sharpen at the wrong angle.
Clean after each workday
Resin and sap get stuck on the blade. If you let it dry, a film forms that increases friction and pulls on the wood with each cut.
At the end of the workday: wipe the blade with a cloth. If the sap is stubborn, use a little isopropanol or turpentine. Never water directly, as the Felco blade is not stainless.
Lightly oil the anvil blade and the joint. Machine oil, 3-in-1, whatever you have. Two drops are enough.
When to replace the blade
The blade should be replaced when:
- You have sharpened it three or four times and the teeth are starting to get short
- You have dropped the pruner against a stone and got a chip in the blade
- Cuts become pinched even immediately after sharpening
Replacing the blade on a Felco 2 takes 5 minutes. Two screws are loosened, old blade out, new one in, screws tightened. Felco sells replacement blades for each model between 200–400 SEK depending on the pruner.
It's about economics. Throwing away a 615 SEK Felco because the blade is dull is like throwing away a car because the tires are worn out.
The spring: replace it when it feels sluggish
The spring is what opens the pruner between cuts. When it's new, the pruner snaps open quickly. When it's worn, it opens sluggishly and you have to force it open by hand.
Is the spring tired? Replace it. The Felco spring 2/11 costs 71 SEK and fits Felco 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. It's the same spring across the entire main series.
The replacement takes 2 minutes. Open the pruner, lift out the old spring, insert the new one.
Rule of thumb: the spring lasts 2–4 years with professional use. Hobby use: 8–10 years or more.
The anvil blade: replace it if it becomes unevenly worn
The anvil blade is the flat part that the blade cuts against. When you cut branches with twigs or varying densities, the blade presses unevenly against the anvil blade, which eventually leads to uneven wear.
Signs: the cut becomes uneven, or the blade presses against the anvil blade in one corner instead of along the entire edge.
The solution: replace the anvil blade. It costs between 100–200 SEK depending on the model.
The anvil blade typically lasts 5–10 years with professional use. Many people never replace it and just get brand new pruners instead. That's poor economics when the whole replacement takes 10 minutes.
Store the pruner correctly
Two things:
Not in a humid environment. Felco steel is hard chrome-plated but not stainless. Do not leave the pruner in a car over winter or in a shed box that becomes damp. Store it dry.
With the blade closed. This protects both the edge and you when you pick it up next time.
When buying used: check these things
Felco pruners are often sold used. If you buy a worn one:
- Open and close it. It should snap open quickly. Sluggish = replace the spring (71 SEK).
- Cut a stick. The cut should be clean. Pinched = sharpen or replace the blade.
- Check the anvil blade. Even wear is OK. A chip or groove = replace the anvil blade.
- Twist and look at the joint. It should be steady. Play/looseness = the pruner's joint has worn out and cannot be easily fixed. Pass on buying it used.
A used Felco 2 for 300 SEK in good condition is a steal. One for 200 SEK that needs a spring and blade is still economical (300 + 71 + 200 = 571 SEK, lower than new for 615 SEK, plus the pruner is broken in).
Conclusion
A Felco pruner is an instrument you maintain. Not a tool you replace.
Sharpen every six weeks as a professional, twice a year as a hobbyist. Clean daily. Replace the blade when it gets dull. Replace the spring when it gets tired. Store it dry.
All spare parts are available from us. Do you need advice on a specific model? Get in touch.