Skil Shear & Shrub 2-in-1 Kit

A compact trimmer that’s become my go-to for quick yard touch-ups

I didn’t expect a small, one-handed shear to change how I keep up with edging and light pruning, but the Skil shear kit has earned a permanent spot by my back door. It’s a 20V, cordless 2‑in‑1 that swaps between a 5-inch grass blade and an 8-inch shrub blade without tools. If you’ve got tight spots a string trimmer can’t reach or light seasonal shaping to do, this is a surprisingly capable, low-effort option.

Design and build

At roughly 2 pounds, the tool feels genuinely compact and balanced. The grip sits low and close to the blades, which makes precise, one-handed control natural. The trigger has a lock-off that prevents accidental starts—useful when you’re swapping blades or navigating tight spaces near siding and fences.

Both blades are dual-action, meaning they cut with opposing movement. That keeps vibration down and reduces tearing on delicate foliage. The shrub blade is 8 inches long with a rated cutting capacity of 0.39 inches; think soft, green stems and new growth rather than old, woody branches. The grass blade is 5 inches wide and acts like a powered hand shear—ideal for trimming tufts around hardscaping, steps, irrigation boxes, and between plants where a string trimmer would be overkill.

Skil includes a wall-mounted EASYSTORAGE bracket, which I ended up using immediately. The tool’s small enough to live on a hook, and hanging it prevents the blades from getting dinged in a drawer.

Setup and blade changes

Blade swapping is genuinely quick. Slide a latch, lift off the installed assembly, and drop the other one into place. There’s no fiddly alignment; the housings are keyed so the fit is obvious. I can do it with gloved hands in under 15 seconds. Because it’s tool-free, I’m more inclined to swap blades mid-task rather than try to force the wrong blade to do the job—exactly what you want in a 2‑in‑1.

A 2.0Ah PWRCORE 20 battery and 60W charger are included in the kit. The battery clicks in with a positive latch and doesn’t wobble. The charger brought the pack from empty to full in just under an hour in my testing.

Cutting performance

• Grass shear (5-inch blade): This is where the tool saves time. I used it to clean up along pavers, around the base of downspouts, near AC lines, and between plantings where a string head would cause damage. It leaves a neat line, and because the blade is flat and visible, you get a more deliberate cut than with a trimmer. For overgrown edges, a couple of passes at different angles produce a clean edge without scalping the lawn.

• Shrub shear (8-inch blade): On boxwood and spirea, the cut quality is crisp, with less bruising than I typically see from single-action mini shears. Light hedging is easy—think seasonal tidying and shaping on young or small shrubs. The 0.39-inch capacity is realistic. On anything near that size, it helps to take bites: let the teeth work, then move on rather than forcing a single cut. For woody or older stems above that threshold, use pruners first and the shear for the rest.

The motor is brushed and rated at 2100 strokes per minute. In practice, that translates into a steady, predictable cut rate. I didn’t notice bogging on typical tasks, though dense, wet ornamental grass and thick groundcover will slow it down. Take incremental passes and it keeps up.

Noise is lower than a string trimmer—conversation-level—and vibration is minimal because of the dual-action blades. After 30 minutes of intermittent use, my hands weren’t buzzing, which is not always the case with compact cutters.

Battery life

With the 2.0Ah pack, I measured about:
- 35–40 minutes of intermittent grass trimming around beds and hardscaping
- 25–30 minutes of continuous shrub shaping on new growth

Those numbers swing with material density and technique. If you lean on the tool to force cuts, runtime drops. If you let the blades do the work and keep material out of the teeth, it’s more efficient. For a small yard, one battery is enough for a weekly tidy. On larger properties with lots of beds, I’d want a second pack. The upside: it’s on Skil’s PWRCORE 20 platform, so the battery is cross-compatible with other Skil 20V tools.

Ergonomics and control

The form factor is the reason to choose a shear like this. Being able to hold it in one hand at ground level and poke into precise spots around drip lines, trellises, and rock borders is more controlled than swinging a string head. The body sits low, so you can skim along soil or stone without the blade wanting to tip. It also works well one-handed when you’re steadying a branch with your off hand—something I don’t do with a trimmer.

A couple of notes on handling:
- The flat grass blade excels on horizontal surfaces, but for vertical edges it helps to tilt the back slightly and make overlapping passes.
- On shrubs, slow sweeps produce a smoother face than quick jabs, and the dual-action helps avoid leaf shatter on softer plants.

Storage and maintenance

The included bracket is simple but useful; mount it near your outdoor outlet and you’ll actually use the tool more often. I store the alternate blade in a sleeve on the same hook to keep it from knocking around.

After each use, a quick brush to remove sap and debris goes a long way. A shot of light oil on the teeth keeps them gliding and prevents surface rust. If you’re cutting sappy plants, wipe the blades sooner rather than later—pitch buildup invites drag and shortens runtime.

Where it shines

• Tight spaces your trimmer can’t reach without collateral damage
• Around fences, irrigation fixtures, stepping stones, and raised beds
• Touch-up hedging of small shrubs and perennials between seasonal prunings
• Quick, quiet maintenance without suiting up for a bigger tool

Limitations to consider

• It’s not a replacement for a string trimmer or hedge trimmer for large volumes of work. Think finesse, not acreage.
• The 0.39-inch cut capacity is firm. Anything thicker needs hand pruners first.
• The 2.0Ah battery supports typical home tasks, but continuous heavy cutting will drain it in half an hour; a second pack is smart if you have a lot to do in one session.
• No telescoping handle or pole options, so ground work means bending, and taller hedges still require a full-size hedge trimmer.

Value and ecosystem

Because the kit includes the battery, charger, and a storage bracket, it’s easy to recommend to anyone not already on a cordless platform. If you are on Skil’s PWRCORE 20 system, it’s an obvious add-on—the pack and charger match the rest of your tools, and the charger’s speed means a quick turnaround between tasks.

The brushed motor is a sensible choice at this price; while a brushless unit would be more efficient, the runtime and power here align with the tool’s intended use. Skil’s dual-action blades feel sturdy and produced clean cuts throughout my testing.

Tips for best results

• Use short, overlapping passes and let the teeth do the work to preserve runtime.
• Keep the blade parallel to the surface you’re cutting; it improves cut quality and reduces snagging.
• Pre-trim any stems near the max capacity with pruners and then “finish” with the shear for a uniform look.
• Clean and lightly oil the blades after each session, especially after cutting sappy plants.

Recommendation

I recommend the Skil shear kit for homeowners and casual gardeners who want a lightweight, precise tool to bridge the gap between hand pruners and full-size trimmers. It’s easy to handle, genuinely one-handed, and the blade swap system makes it practical to move between grass touch-ups and light shrub work. Runtime on the included 2.0Ah battery fits the intended scope—quick, targeted jobs—and the charger gets you back to full in under an hour. If you’re expecting it to tackle woody stems or replace a string trimmer across an entire yard, you’ll hit its limits. Used for what it’s designed to do—tight spaces, light pruning, clean edges—it’s a compact, dependable addition to a 20V toolkit.