MOVA GPS201 Review – These Pruning Shears Power Through

Power at the push of a button instead of tedious manual work

With the MOVA GPS201, MOVA is expanding its range of garden tools with a cordless pruning shear that becomes especially interesting wherever classic pruning shears start to become tiring. At the press of a button, it is designed to cut through branches with a diameter of up to 38 mm, providing relief even during more extensive pruning work on shrubs and woody plants.

In my test, the GPS201 therefore had to prove itself on more than just thin twigs. Among other things, I put a sturdy laurel bush to the test with it and deliberately checked where the practical cutting limit of the electric pruning shears lay. Besides pure cutting performance, speed, handling, and safety were particularly important to me.

It became clear after just the first few cuts: the GPS201 definitely does not work slowly—and even on thicker branches, it had surprisingly large reserves.

Build quality and handling: Premium, but not a lightweight

Right from the first time I picked it up, the MOVA GPS201 made a high-quality and robust impression. The housing appears cleanly finished, the handle is generously rubberized, and it offers a secure grip even during longer use. With the battery inserted, the pruning shears weigh around 1.5 kg. Compared with classic manual shears, that is of course significantly more, but considering the integrated motor and battery, the GPS201 is still easy enough to control with one hand.

In the test, the shears sat comfortably in the hand and could be guided precisely even during many consecutive cuts. The weight became noticeable as the working time increased, but at the same time, nearly all physical effort during the actual cutting process was eliminated.

An interesting detail is the replaceable blades. They can be removed and replaced if necessary; the required tool is already included with the device.

The blade is made of hard carbon steel and has a DLC coating, which is intended to reduce wear while also ensuring a clean cut pattern. A matching blade guard is also included for transport and storage.

Operation and safety: Two cutting widths for different tasks

The GPS201 offers two different opening widths. In fast mode, the blade opens up to 28 mm, while a maximum opening of 38 mm is available for thicker branches.

The smaller mode in particular proved practical in the test. Here, the blade closed in around 0.3 seconds, allowing thinner branches to be cut very quickly one after another. In 38 mm mode, the blade travel is greater and the cut is correspondingly a little slower.

Given the speed and power of the blade, the topic of safety plays an important role with electric pruning shears. MOVA therefore relies on a two-stage trigger that requires two points to be actuated before the shears cut. In the test, this operation worked intuitively after a short familiarization period and at the same time prevented the blade from accidentally closing with a single button press. Nevertheless, you always have to cut consciously—once triggered, there is no turning back. The other hand should therefore always stay away from the blade.

It is practical that the device can only be fully switched off when the blade is closed. This means it does not remain open when stored away.

Cutting performance in the practical test: 3.2 centimeters without problems

Ultimately, what matters with cordless pruning shears is not the maximum blade opening, but what branch thicknesses they can actually handle in practice. This is exactly where the GPS201 left a strong impression.

In our test, it was used on a sturdy laurel bush, among other things. The shears cut through thinner and medium-thickness branches extremely quickly and with a clean, precise cut pattern. The blade pulled through the wood without any noticeable jerking, so even larger amounts of pruning could be handled quickly.

Things became especially interesting with thicker branches. The GPS201 cut through a laurel branch with a diameter of around 3.2 cm without any problems. That puts its practically usable cutting performance in a range where many classic pruning shears already require a great deal of force.

At around 4 cm branch thickness, however, the shears reached their limit in our test. The blade began the cut but then got stuck in the wood. Given the stated maximum opening of 38 mm, this is not a big surprise and also shows quite clearly where the sensible range of use lies.

This makes the GPS201 primarily suitable for branches up to about 3 cm and a little beyond. For even thicker or particularly hard wood, a small pruning saw remains the better choice (which is now also available in the MOVA range).

The electric shears really show their strength especially on many medium-thickness branches: instead of having to build up hand force for every cut, a short press of the trigger is enough. This difference was clearly noticeable when pruning larger shrubs.

Battery and noise level: stamina for larger pruning jobs

MOVA specifies up to 1,000 cuts on a single battery charge for the GPS201. We did not perform a complete discharge test over exactly that number of cuts, but in principle the capacity is sufficient for more extensive work in the garden.

The battery level indicator directly on the battery is practical. Several LEDs show the remaining charge, similar to what you also see on professional battery systems such as Bosch ProCORE. This makes it quick to check before starting work whether enough capacity remains. If the battery is empty, it is fully charged again in about 1.5 hours

Acoustically, the shears are naturally much more noticeable than a mechanical model, but they are still far from the noise level of a pruning saw. During operation, a slight humming sound was also noticeable. This comes from the motor cooling and is faintly audible during operation. I did not find it disturbing when working outdoors.

The motor itself only runs briefly during the cutting process. This keeps noise exposure comparatively low, especially during individual cuts.

Conclusion: Strong for many cuts, clear limit with very thick branches

The MOVA GPS201 proved in our test to be a capable cordless pruning shear for regular pruning work. Its greatest strength lies in the combination of high cutting speed and low physical effort. Especially on shrubs or woody plants with many medium-thickness branches, it is far more comfortable to work with than with classic pruning shears.

The real cutting performance was particularly convincing. In our test, the GPS201 cut through branches up to 3.2 cm cleanly and without problems. At around 4 cm, however, it was game over. That means it fulfills its purpose as a link between manual pruning shears and a small pruning saw quite precisely.

The two blade openings are more than just a technical extra: the 28 mm mode noticeably speeds up work on thinner branches, while the larger mode offers sufficient reserves for thicker wood. Added to that are solid build quality, a grippy handle, and sensible safety mechanisms.

The weight of around 1.5 kg is definitely noticeable during longer jobs. In return, however, the motor takes over virtually all of the actual cutting work.

Since the GPS201 is not yet regularly available, the price-performance ratio cannot yet be judged conclusively. Technically, however, the pruning shears already left a convincing impression in our test.