The good, the bad and the ugly.....garden tools

I was SO disappointed when I bought a new pair of FISKARS clippers and they found they are JUNK.  They lock every time I make a cut and it’s a total pain.

So!  Here’s my good, bad and ugly garden tool list.

GOOD...the GARDEN CLAW is a pretty good tool for loosening up big weeds without constantly bending over.  It was a gift to me and I’m surprised at how good it works.

BAD...FISKARS CLIPPERS...a total waste of money.

UGLY.. my favorite garden tool..a broken old hoe I found here 30 years ago.  The broken handle makes it perfect for planting and weeding.

I’d love to see what you’re using that works! Ugly or not!

Thanks for the post. I recently bought a garden claw because it looked promising. Yes, them best tools seem to be the ones I stumble on on my property or in a junk shop.  To explain, there is the remains of an old homestead in the woods on my property that I have spent years cleaning up.  Every once in a while I stumble on a prize.

John F Dean wrote:Thanks for the post. I recently bought a garden claw because it looked promising. Yes, them best tools seem to be the ones I stumble on on my property or in a junk shop.  To explain, there is the remains of an old homestead in the woods on my property that I have spent years cleaning up.  Every once in a while I stumble on a prize.

Same!   This is an original 1872 sawmill and Railroad Bordello...I find great tools and pretty beads.  Oh the stories.

GOOD -- Felco clippers and Silky hand saws. They're expensive, and worth it.

BAD -- Just about every gimmicky product I've ever tried. For example, I got this weedeater head for free (after rebate) and still felt ripped off because of the 10 minutes of my life that were wasted using this terrible product. The 3x speed screwdriver I have is clever but pointless in almost every situation. Now I stick with the classics.

I have lots of bad tools I could list, but the one GOOD TOOL I will sing the praises of as long as I can: the Cobra Head weeder.


I've had mine for at least 10 years, it  has been used hard and still stays sharp with minimal care, I use it every time I am out in the garden. Highly recommended.
(the handle is plastic and my tools hang outside. After 10 years the color of the handle has faded but the plastic is still strong [seems to be reinforced with some kind of fiber, maybe?])

Janet,

Your Fiskars pruners have a lifetime warranty. I have been told their customer service is outstanding. I have had excellent luck with their pruners and loppers, and use them hard -- maybe you got a lemon.

That old hoe looks like it has a forged head. Nothing ugly about it -- hang on to it! The steel is far, far superior to the stamped junk we get these days. It will take an edge that you can dice onions with.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:Janet,

Your Fiskars pruners have a lifetime warranty. I have been told their customer service is outstanding. I have had excellent luck with their pruners and loppers, and use them hard -- maybe you got a lemon.

That old hoe looks like it has a forged head. Nothing ugly about it -- hang on to it! The steel is far, far superior to the stamped junk we get these days. It will take an edge that you can dice onions with.

I should call FISKARS....I loved their scissors!  And yes....the hoe is older than dirt!  I’ve been here 30 years and found it here...it’s a keeper.

Fiskars is really hit or miss for me, love their scissors, got some lopers and pruners, the lopers worked great at first but i somehow managed to take some pretty big chunks out of the blade fairly quickly in the first season of use, and I don't recall doing anything really hardcore with them at all. They have now been demoted to use for poison ivy cutting only. I had the same problem as you with the pruners, but in addition to that, the other problems I have had are: when I took them apart to sharpen I can't get the tension on the bolt that holds them together to be perfect, either they are too stiff and the spring wont push them open, or they are too loose and when they close there is a gap that doesn't let them cut small stuff all the way. Also, if I cut something just a little too big for them, and put a lot of pressure (i know i probably shouldn't do that but hey, sometimes you know it can take it and it's more time to switch to different tools or maybe they are all I had at the moment) they snap shut very quickly and because of the shape of the handles I have caught my fingers a few times in them resulting in some gnarly bruises and blood blisters... I have since gotten a pair of these corona pruners: https://shop.coronatoolsusa.com/bp-3180-classic-cut-bypass-pruner-1-in.html and they are fantastic, probably the best I have ever used, and the handle construction is in such a way I can't ever catch my fingers between them, and have taken them apart several times to sharpen and getting the tension right when putting them back together is not a problem. I also got the leather belt holster they sell which is really awesome, because I can just wear them around and have them on me if i'm doing other tasks and notice something that needs a quick snip. I am on the hunt for a new pair of loppers that are nice and sturdy, if anyone has any suggestions. Being able to take them apart for diy maintenance is a must.

I feel your pain re loppers..the “new” old. Pair I inherited are Craftsman Power Lever...fiberglass handles; my husband has taken them apart to sharpen with no gripes.  Don’t know if they still make them. Craftsman also has a different quality now

Janet Reed wrote:I feel your pain re loppers..the “new” old. Pair I inherited are Craftsman Power Lever...fiberglass handles; my husband has taken them apart to sharpen with no gripes.  Don’t know if they still make them. Craftsman also has a different quality now

that's the real struggle, it's hard to even trust brands that used to be awesome :/ guess i need to check more yard sales

David F Paul wrote:

Janet Reed wrote:I feel your pain re loppers..the “new” old. Pair I inherited are Craftsman Power Lever...fiberglass handles; my husband has taken them apart to sharpen with no gripes.  Don’t know if they still make them. Craftsman also has a different quality now

that's the real struggle, it's hard to even trust brands that used to be awesome :/ guess i need to check more yard sales

We go to a lot of pawn shops....

Janet Reed wrote:I was SO disappointed when I bought a new pair of FISKARS clippers and they found they are JUNK.  They lock every time I make a cut and it’s a total pain.

So!  Here’s my good, bad and ugly garden tool list.

GOOD...the GARDEN CLAW is a pretty good tool for loosening up big weeds without constantly bending over.  It was a gift to me and I’m surprised at how good it works.

BAD...FISKARS CLIPPERS...a total waste of money.

UGLY.. my favorite garden tool..a broken old hoe I found here 30 years ago.  The broken handle makes it perfect for planting and weeding.

I’d love to see what you’re using that works! Ugly or not!

The garden claw looks just like my hand tiller that I found in a thrift shop! The last of the blue paint was flaking off, but the handle looks like an exact match and so does the blade end. Thank you for solving a mystery for me!