Choosing garden hand tools: bypass pruning shears versus a grafting tool, a foldable storage crate, and waterproof patio covers — what each is built for and the trade-offs.
Ownership disclosure: Gardenhale, the shop whose tools are discussed here, is owned and operated by the same company that publishes BuyingBench. We earn no commission on a Gardenhale order. That is a material connection, so we state it before anything else.
Short answer: the garden tool you need is decided by the job, not the category. Bypass shears cut live stems and light branches cleanly; a grafting tool cuts matching U- or Ω-join surfaces for joining fruit-tree stock; a foldable crate stores and carries; a patio cover protects furniture left outdoors. They do not overlap, so buy the one that matches the task in front of you.
BuyingBench has not used these tools in person. Everything below comes from what Gardenhale publishes on its product pages, read on 21 October 2026.
| Tool | What it is built for | Published detail |
|---|---|---|
| Pruning Shears | Clean cuts on stems and light branches | Bypass pruner, stainless steel blade, 190 mm long, anti-slip handle |
| Grafting Tool | Matching U-cut or Ω-cut joins for grafting | Anvil pruner, replaceable blade, grafts 3–12 mm branches |
| Foldable Storage Crate | Carrying and storing, folds flat | Plastic, small and large sizes, multiple colours |
| Patio Chair Covers | Keeping furniture clean outdoors | Waterproof PVC-coated 210D Oxford, pull cord and cable locks |
This is the one that is easy to get wrong. Bypass shears — like the Gardenhale pruning shears — make a scissor-style cut that slices a live stem without crushing it, which is why they are the right tool for harvesting and trimming. A grafting tool is an anvil pruner that cuts a matching notch shape into both the stock and the donor stem so the two surfaces fit for grafting; its job is joining, not general pruning.
If you are grafting fruit trees, you need the grafting tool, which lists grafting of 3–12 mm branches and a replaceable blade. If you are trimming house plants, herbs or light branches, the bypass shears are the everyday tool.
Our view: buy the bypass shears for day-to-day pruning, and add the grafting tool only if you are actually grafting.
Disclosure: Gardenhale is a sister brand of BuyingBench under common ownership. See our affiliate and ownership disclosure for the full policy. For how we source claims, read our methodology. See our raised garden bed test or who writes our guides.
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