As you mentioned, a tricky question.
There are many common tasks that can be done by almost any tool. I use an old pair of scissors for trimming roots, and old garden shears for cutting heavy roots. Old nail scissors are pretty good for cutting small twigs (small = a millimeter or less). I deadhead the azaleas using any cutting tool I can find.
There are some tasks that aren't common in other plant growing. Most of us try one thing after another taking wire off of trees, and then finally give up and buy the wire cutters built to cut flush. Nobody makes anything like that, except for bonsai tool makers.
I have a pretty expensive pair of scissors from some bonsai tool group, and I have an exact copy of them I bought in the gift store at Bent's Fort, Colorado, an historic site with a blacksmith demonstration area. The scissors were made there all day long, there was a big pile in the gift store, and they sold for $3.95. There is no direct relation between price and function.