Keep Your Felco Tools Forever

It's easy to keep your Felco tools in tip-top shape. With a little effort and care you'll enjoy your Felco pruning shears and cutters for a lifetime of top quality performance.

Clean the blade with a dry cloth after each day's pruning.
Oil the spring and revolving handle shaft (models 7, 10 and 12) after each use .
Sharpen the blade when cutting needs more effort.
Adjust cutting and anvil-blade alignment when the cut is no longer clean.
Spare parts and accessories are available at the Felco Store, including cleaner/lubricant, grease, adjustment key, replacement blades, nuts, bolts, shock-absorbers, cushions and more.

Oil Your Pruners or Cable Cutters

Step 1 The spring and the space between the blade and anvil blade should be oiled daily.	Step 2 Pour a few drops of oil into the handle after cleaning the shaft using a dry cloth.
[Back to top] Sharpen Your Pruners Intensive use of the pruning shears causes the blade to wear. The blade must be sharp in order to be able to prune with a minimum of effort and obtain clean, accurate cuts.

Step 1 Hold the pruning shear flat in the left hand and sharpen the blade using a sharpening stone (beveling angle 23°).	Step 2 Turn the pruning shear over to remove burring from the blade. To do this, set the ceramic stone to a sharpening angle of 5°.
[Back to top] Adjust Your Pruners for Best Performance Felco’s state-of-the-art pruning shears all have a toothed center nut. This nut allows the optimum manual adjustment of the play between the cutting blade and anvil blade, thus guaranteeing clean, accurate cuts. If this play is too loose, the branch can become ‘stuck’ between the blade and anvil blade and it will be impossible to cut it properly. On the other hand, if the play is to tight, one will have to use greater strength to cut. This leads to muscle problems and the risk that the shears could become stuck, i.e. no longer open easily.

Step 1 Remove the spring.	Step 2 Loosen the screw in the toothed locking segment holding the center nut.	Step 3 Loosen or tighten the notched nut using the adjusting key

Step 4 Set the alignment between the cutting blade and the anvil-blade by adjusting the tightness of the center nut. The blade should rub lightly against the anvil-blade along 2/3 of its length.	Step 5 Lock the center nut by inserting the toothed segment so the teeth mesh and lock with the center nut. Re-tighten the locking segment screw.	Step 6 Refit the spring.
[Back to top] Change the Cutting Blade When the blade no longer crosses the anvil-blade perfectly throughout its length, it is recommended that it be replaced.

Step 1 Remove the spring.	Step 2 Loosen the screw in the toothed sector holding the center nut.	Step 3 Unscrew the notched nut using the key contained within the packaging of each set of pruning shears.

Step 4 Remove the center nut from the bolt and separate the handles.	Step 5 Remove the blade from the blade holder, clean its housing and replace the new blade on the pins. Only change the pins if they are damaged.	Step 6 After oiling the contact surfaces, reassemble the shears by inserting the center bolt in the lower handle then set the upper handle in place and tighten the center nut manually.

Step 7 Tighten the notched nut using the adjusting key.	Step 8 Set the alignment between the cutting blade and the anvil-blade by adjusting the tightness of the center nut. The blade should rub against the anvil-blade along 2/3 of its length.	Step 9 Lock the center nut by inserting the toothed segment on top of it and tighten with the segment screw.

Step 10 Refit the spring.
[Back to top] Change the Anvil Blade When the blade no longer crosses the anvil-blade perfectly throughout its length, it is recommended to change it. These instructions do not apply to Felco pruners that have riveted anvil blades: models 2, 4, and 5.

Step 1 Remove the spring.	Step 2 Loosen the screw in the toothed sector holding the center nut.	Step 3 Unscrew the notched nut using the key contained within the packaging of each set of pruning shears.

Step 4 Remove the center nut from the bolt and separate the handles.	Step 5 Unscrew the two screws that hold the anvil blade in place and remove.	Step 6 Separate the anvil-blade from the handle and clean its housing.

Step 7 After oiling the contact surfaces, reassemble the shears by inserting the center bolt in the lower handle then set the upper handle in place and tighten the center nut manually.	Step 8 Tighten the notched nut using the adjusting key.	Step 9 Set the alignment between the cutting blade and the anvil-blade by adjusting the tightness of the center nut. The blade should rub against the anvil-blade along 2/3 of its length.

Step 10 Lock the center nut by inserting the toothed segment on top of it and lock with the segment screw.	Step 11 Refit the spring.
[Back to top] Maintain the Revolving Handle

Step 1 To remove the revolving handle, hold the shears as shown in the illustration.	Step 2 Pour a few drops of oil into the handle after cleaning the shaft using a dry cloth, then replace it by pushing it at the base.
[Back to top] Change the Shock-Absorber Intensive work wears out the shears' shock-absorber. It should be changed when it is no longer flexible. The user will then continue to protect his joints, wrist and hand.

Step 1 Remove the spring.	Step 2 Loosen the screw in the toothed sector holding the center nut.	Step 3 Unscrew the notched nut using the key contained within the packaging of each set of pruning shears.

Step 4 Remove the center nut from the bolt and separate the handles.	Step 5 Tighten the blade-handle in a vice with the shock-absorber towards the top. Remove the defective shock-absorber using a screwdriver. Warning: Do not try to remove the aluminum ring. We would recommend that you immerse your new shock absorber in hot water to facilitate putting it into place. Put the new shock-absorber in place, pinching it between two fingers then push it completely under the ring using a small screwdriver.	Step 6 After oiling the contact surfaces, reassemble the shears by inserting the center bolt in the lower handle then set the upper handle in place and tighten the center nut manually.

Step 7 Tighten the notched nut using the adjusting key.	Step 8 Set the alignment between the cutting blade and the anvil-blade by adjusting the tightness of the center nut. The blade should rub against the anvil-blade along 2/3 of its length.	Step 9 Lock the center nut by inserting the toothed segment on top of it and lock with the segment screw.

Step 10 Refit the spring.
[Back to top] Change the Cushion Intensive work wears out the shears’ cushion. It should be changed when it is no longer flexible. The user will then continue to protect his joints, wrist and hand.

Step 1 Remove the spring.	Step 2 Loosen the screw in the toothed sector holding the center nut.	Step 3 Unscrew the notched nut using the key contained within the packaging of each set of pruning shears.

Step 4 Remove the center nut from the bolt and separate the handles.	Step 5 Using a hammer and nail, make a small hole in the cushion rubber.	Step 6 Screw a hook bolt into this hole and pull to remove the cushion.

Step 7 Replace the cushion.	Step 8 After oiling the contact surfaces, reassemble the shears by inserting the center bolt in the lower handle then set the upper handle in place and tighten the center nut manually.	Step 9 Tighten the notched nut using the adjusting key.

Step 10 Set the alignment between the cutting blade and the anvil-blade by adjusting the tightness of the center nut. The blade should rub against the anvil-blade along 2/3 of its length.	Step 11 Lock the center nut by inserting the toothed segment on top of it and lock with the segment screw.	Step 12 Refit the spring.
[Back to top] Change the Center Bolt and Bushing This operation is necessary when the cutting head has a lot of lateral play and cutting becomes imprecise. This happens when the pruning shears are used for several seasons under strong mechanical stresses. [Back to top] Maintain Your Pruning Saw Saws do not require any maintenance. It is not recommended to sharpen them if you wish to retain the initial quality and strength of the blades. [Back to top] Sharpen Your Cable Cutters Generally speaking, it is not necessary to sharpen cable cutter blades. If the user cuts a great many spring steel wires, the hardest material, it is recommended to sharpen the cable cutter blades after 500 cuts.