How to Clean FELCO 2 Pruning Shears: Sap and Blade Care

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Identify the manual tool and work safely

Check the model stamp so you do not confuse a manual FELCO 2 with a powered tool or another pruner's service arrangement. Set it on a stable surface, point the blade away from your body, and keep children and pets away. Wear suitable hand protection, but remember that gloves do not make a cutting edge harmless. Unlock only when you have control of both handles. Do not open and close the blades while a cloth, brush, or finger is between them.

Step 2: Brush away loose debris before adding a cleaner

Remove dry plant fragments and loose dirt from the accessible blade faces and frame. Keep the brush moving away from the cutting edge rather than driving debris into the pivot. Wipe the exterior handles separately so you can hold the tool without transferring grit. FELCO's maintenance guide puts cleaning before sharpening because sap and dirt can obscure the blade's condition. Routine cleaning does not require taking every part apart; leave the spring and adjustment hardware installed unless following the proper service procedure.

Step 3: Treat sticky resin on the steel

Apply the appropriate resin remover to the blade and counterblade according to its label, taking care not to flood the handles or spray toward your face. The FELCO 981 instructions describe a spray, brief dwell, and wipe-away method for sap and dirt. Use the specified dwell instead of inventing an overnight soak. Keep the work area ventilated as directed by the product label, and never mix the remover with another chemical in an attempt to make it stronger.

Step 4: Wipe residues and inspect rather than chasing a shine

Remove softened deposits with a cloth, keeping your fingers behind the cloth and away from the sharpened edge. Repeat a controlled application only where residue remains and the cleaner directions allow it. You are looking for clean working surfaces, not an ornamental mirror finish. Once the steel is visible, inspect for chips, deep corrosion, a bent blade, or a distorted counterblade. Those conditions should not be disguised by harder abrasion. If wet cleaning is part of the chosen product's directions, dry the affected parts afterward.

Step 5: Check the mechanism without making blind adjustments

With cleaning materials clear of the blade, carefully squeeze and release the handles to check for smooth movement. Observe the spring, locking catch, pivot, and blade alignment without putting a finger between the cutting parts. If movement remains stiff or the blades have play, use FELCO's model-specific service instructions or have the pruner serviced. A tight pivot is not automatically fixed by loosening the first visible nut. The official FELCO 2 maintenance demonstration is the appropriate reference for work beyond a surface clean.

Step 6: Lubricate and protect after the dirt is removed

Use FELCO 980 according to its directions to protect the cleaned metal and lubricate the appropriate moving areas. FELCO describes 981 as the resin-removal product and 980 as the complementary maintenance treatment; they are not interchangeable steps. Use a controlled amount and wipe excess so the shears are not slippery to handle. Do not spray a broad cloud over plants, food, or the workbench. If grease is specified during a fuller service, follow the exact service point rather than filling every visible gap.

Step 7: Check the cut and store the tool dry

If the mechanism works normally, test on a suitable piece of plant material within the tool's capacity. A poor cut after cleaning may mean sharpening, adjustment, or a replacement part is needed; do not compensate by twisting the shears through a branch. Clean off new residue, lock the dry tool, and store it where the edge is protected. A holster should also be dry and free of loose grit. For suspected plant disease, use a separate evidence-based sanitation procedure compatible with the tool rather than assuming sap remover disinfects it.