Our gardening expert puts 12 bypass secateurs to the test to find the best for comfort, sharpness and tackling tough stems• How to get your garden ready for summerSecateurs are the single most valued tool in the gardener’s trug, an implement as personally prized as the bricklayer’s trowel. With time, their weight and shape wear familiarly into the hand, becoming a companionable tool for all garden tasks, from pruning woody shrubs and cutting back perennials to slicing twine and preparing cut flowers.There are two main types of secateurs, bypass and anvil. The latter comprises a single blade that cuts against a flat, blunt surface, designed for cutting tougher, woodier or dead stems. Bypass secateurs – by far the most commonly used of the two, and what I’ve focused on here – comprise two blades that pass each other closely, providing a clean and accurate cut. These secateurs tackle the everyday things: lighter shrub pruning, deadheading, slicing twine and so on.Best secateurs overall: Burgon & Ball bypass secateurs£23 at Farrar & TannerBest secateurs for tough stems: Felco Model 2£64.99 at B&QBest budget secateurs: Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Advantage bypass secateurs