Good Grips 10180 Garden Trowel
Average Customer Review:
Tools & Hardware
list price: $9.99
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Editorial Review

This sturdy trowel is just one in a line of Good Grips garden tools from Oxo. It will delve 5 inches into even tough, dry soil and has half-inch markings that enable you to see just how deep you've dug. The Vistaflex handle is more than 4-1/2 inches long and bends gently to absorb pressure while cushioning your hand, making bulb planting easier. Not only is this steel trowel as sturdy as they come, but, with its dark green and russet design, it's also exceptionally stylish. A hole in the handle allows you to hang it up and show it off. ... Read more

Features

• Soft Vistaflex cushions the hand, is easy to hold, and bends gently to absorb pressure
• Fingerprint softspots flex to fit the grip and prevent slipping
• Strong, heavy gauge steel with durable baked-on enamel. The trowel has permanent 1-inch markings to reach the ideal depth.
• Generous hole in handle makes hanging a breeze.

Reviews (2)

Safe and comfortable
I bought this for my 5 year old daughter to dig in her sandbox with.Although, I have used it to transplant flowers.It is a very sturdy handtool, and I feel it is safe enough for my daughter to use as well.

ergonomic design---the time has come
I love good grip products.I just recently purchased your teffiric veggie peeler for a friend, and my own kitchen drawers are full of large black handled items.
But as a result of a lifestyle of almost constant hand usage...gardening, cooking, art, cleaning etc, I have recently had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand. Now with the crocuses emerging and my forsythia in bud,I'm beginning to getvery anxious, wondering how I will be able to garden as just about all my yard tools hit my right palm directly at my scar site.Do you folks make any ergonmically designed tools?I suggest you begin on the designs if you haven't already. The crowds in the hand surgeons waiting room were shockingly large and my guess is that I was not the sole gardener. ... Read more

Asin: B00004U9WA
Subjects:  1. Landscaping Tools    2. Hand Tools    3. Trowels   

Fiskars 99430 Powergrip Utility Knife
Average Customer Review:
Lawn & Patio
list price: $6.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Lifetime warranty
• All-purpose knife
• Full loop handle
• Swing out blade storage
• No tool blade change

Reviews (1)

Powergripe
The knife felt cheap in my hand because it's mostly plastic.The blade didn't slide in and out smoothly, the thumbcatch bends and the tip of the blade still stuck out a bit when fully retracted unless I played with thethumbcatch. It was difficult to load new blade and it didn't seem to lockinto place securely. ... Read more

Asin: B0000224U0
Sales Rank: 2555

Gardena 30343-10 Professional Pruning Shears
Average Customer Review:
Tools & Hardware
list price: $16.99 -- our price: $16.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

What are secateurs anyway? As every horticulturist knows, they're a fancy name for pruning shears. Try this professional pair and you'll never call them plain old pruners again. For one thing, Gardena's German-made precision and ergonomic engineering feel good to the grip. The upper blade is made from top-quality steel with a nonstick coating that prevents the type of rusting all too frequently found on garden-variety pruners. Moreover, the blade is adjustable for easy replacement, tightening, or loosening--so you have a tool that lasts forever and can be personalized to suit your needs. Add in the integrated sap drain (to whisk away stickiness), cushioned end stop, safety thumb lock, and reinforced bottom blade (for the cleanest cut), and Gardena's literally packed in every feature available to make this the best set of secateurs on the market. Not only will you prune in comfort, but the secateurs' sharp cut ensures that your plants will stay healthy once pruned. ... Read more

Features

• Cuts flowers, shrubs, and branches
• Sturdy aluminum/plastic construction for long life
• Corrosion proof
• Precision adjustable blades

Reviews (4)

Gardena first - found surprise
Love the looks, hope they work as well or better than my Fiskars.I was looking at hand-pruners yesterday, visited this site and actually ordered the 601 [lighter duty] model because it was on sale.Then I cancelled the order because the shipping was costly, wanted to see them first-hand or learn more.Last night while walking the dog, I heard a car drive over something that sounded strange - as if fallen from the sky, low and behold, something better than I wanted, something like a delightful answer to a prayer, Gardena 343 shears, none the worse for wear, a few dings, I look forward to field testing them... I suspect a local landscaper will miss them!

Nice tool, but blades are very brittle & break easily
I snapped the end of the blade off this tool within my first hour of use.I was cutting a branch and twisted the shear a bit to try to break the branch off and the blade snapped in two.

While twisting the tool may not be a good practice, I have never broken a blade before on any tool - most of which cost 3.99.The bigger problem is finding replacement blades.None of my local retailers carry them nor, ironically, does Amazon.

I would choose another tool with better, more widely available blades.

Pruning Shear 'Painfully' easy to use
As a sufferer of carpal tunnel and trigger flexor in two fingers, I was pleased to see how easy this pruner was to use. Nice and sharp and very efficient, especially pruning rose canes. I know it's a small thing, butthe wrist loop comes in handy. Well-made and light weight is a plus.Bestfeature is the easy removable top blade. ... Read more

Asin: B00004SDVL
Subjects:  1. Landscaping Tools    2. Hand Tools    3. Pruners   

Fiskars 92345935Pruning Stik
Average Customer Review:
Tools & Hardware
list price: $69.99 -- our price: $49.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

It's nice to know that geniuses are working to make your pruning jobs easier. Fiskars' Pruning Stik is cleverly designed and built to professional-quality standards. Featuring ingenious PowerStroke sliding-grip cutting action, the Stik lets you prune by simply sliding the plastic grip (or pulling the orange ball end), which makes use of a chain and spring to snip the blades closed. In addition, the cutting head rotates 240 degrees to allow you the best pruning angle (didn't we say it was clever?). The replaceable xylan-coated blade is ultrahardened to stay sharp longer than most blades on the market, and it offers a cutting capacity of 1-1/4 inches. The aluminum handles are durable and light, weighing less than 2 pounds, and their length allows you to reach high branches without a ladder and remove growth at ground level while standing. ... Read more

Features

• Limited lifetime warranty
• Overall length: 62 inches
• Unique sliding-grip cutting action
• Replaceable xylan-coated-ultrahardened blade with 1-1/4-inch cutting capacity
• Cutting head rotates 240 degrees for best pruning angle

Reviews (15)

like buttah!!!!
excellent trimmer!!! i have a couple of hedges that are "a few feet" out of reach of my cordless trimmer. i looked around for awhile and all i saw were these ENORMOUS "telescopic" trimmers with dangling strings that looked IMPOSSIBLY "un-wieldy". with the aid of my stepladder i was able to EFFORTLESSLY trim branches at the top of my tallest hedges and the lower regions of the trees in my yard. you can cut the limbs SIMPLY by pulling the "ball-end" of the trimmer OR (in closer corners) the sliding-handle midway up the shaft. IN EITHER CASE the cuts are EFFORTLESS. perhaps it's the "chain drive" of the cutting mechanism. ALL IN ALL,..this is a QUALITY tool. do you REALLY need a HEAVY "extension" trimmer that weighs in a 10-15 pounds?? (like me) maybe not. the Fiskar is 2 lbs. (tops) and is EASY to handle whilst navigating an average ladder AND it stores away easily in a closet/shed AND it cuts through moderately sized twigs and limbs LIKE BUTTER . PERFECT i say...just PERFECT.

Fiskars 92345935 Pruning Stik
VERY HANDY AND LIGHT,AVAILABLE AT TARGET FOR 39.99. I LIKE THE ADJUSTABLE ANGLE OF THE HEAD AND NO DANGLY ROPE TO TANGLE UP!

Here's one thats not gonna break!
I had a cable driven long pruner, and besides the fact that it ... near broke my hand to clip a large branch with it, the thing was fragile.I used to live on nearly and acre of property with a row of pines along the back.They would get all brown near the bottom so I would try and prune them up to about the point where they could get enough sun to stay green. To do that you need a pruner with a little reach to it?

I saw this model on TV and hunted it down, finding it first on Amazon.I could barely believe the price quoted on the TV show, (it wasn't a commercial, it was a how-to show) they said the stick only cost about [$$$].Its not quite that cheap, but the quality here is excellent.It uses a chain, not unlike a bike chain, to drive the extended cutter. It uses a slider, leverage system to pull the chain to make the cuts.The cutting blades themselves are very sharp and can be adjusted to any angle.This becomes an important concern when you have about a dozen pine trees to trip.

The stick will also do fine when you don't need the extended length.Remember those hedge trimmers that looked like a huge pair of scissors? I used to hurt my wrists every year, trying to get enough momentum to trim the bushes in front of the house I was renting.If you tried to cut too, slow it would get stuck, too fast, and the handles would stop abruptly hurting my wrists!This cutter, although smaller than a hedge trimmer, cut so quick and easily that it made trimming the bushes a pleasure.I could even get lazy, and sit down in a chair, and do them from a distance. Try that with your electric model! The bushes never shaped up so well before.

The blades will cut close to a one-inch branch, and I haven't had to sharpen it yet.Just keep the chain free of dirt, and keep a little mower oil on it, or cycle spray and it continues to work like new.Sometimes they just make a tool that becomes the defacto standard for a while, and for my money this is it.Don't risk cutting your arm off with a chainsaw. If you've got a little pruning to do, get this Pruning Stik and start clipping away. ... Read more

Asin: B00004SD6U
Subjects:  1. Landscaping Tools    2. Hand Tools    3. Pruners   

A simple can with a complex-looking yellow top, this handy mechanism creates an exact chemical solution with little more than a squeeze of the hand. The chemicals--no matter how much--go in the can, and the hose screws into a long extension on the back end of the yellow top. A reference chart on the back translates dilution rates according to teaspoons per gallon, tablespoons per gallon, and ounces per gallon into a dial setting ranging from 1 to 21. An adjustable deflector on the sprayer allows for a solid-stream spray of up to 30 feet, as well as a gentle rainlike spray for milder applications. After you adjust all your settings according to your needs, simply start up the hose, squeeze the sprayer, and voilà--you've got a chemical spray with no mixing at all. One caveat: if you're like us, you'll depend on that nifty dilution chart, which, with all the water involved, may easily rub off. Flush out your sprayer after each use, as the chemicals will erode the canister over time. ... Read more

Features

• Chemicals mix automatically as you spray
• Metering dial with 21 dilution rates
• 132-gallon capacity
• Built-in antisiphon device

Asin: B00002N67L
Subjects:  1. Landscaping Tools    2. Hand Tools    3. Sprayers   

Black & Decker BV2500 Leaf Hog Vac'N'Mulch Blower/Vacuum
Average Customer Review:
Tools & Hardware
list price: $122.95 -- our price: $49.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

With the Black & Decker Leaf Hog, you can clean up both the deck and the lawn with one reasonably priced and easy-to-maintain machine. This blower/vac is electric, so it requires an extension cord and an electric outlet to run, but there's nothing else to set up or maintain. The 12 amp motor has considerable power for its size, more than enough to clear driveways or decks or blow off sections of lawn. At just over 7 pounds, the Leaf Hog is light enough to use for long periods of time, and it's also quiet enough to use at any time of day. Switching from blowing to vacuuming is a snap--literally. The correct button took us a moment to find, but once you've located it, you simply depress it and remove the blowing unit, then attach the vacuum extension in its place. The extension has a bag for mulch, which attaches with a small clasp. When vacuuming, the unit mulches by sucking leaves through the fan assembly. Though this model, with its patented Vortex anticlog vacuum system, does a better job of remaining unclogged than most, you still need to be careful to avoid rocks and sticks. It also has a variable-speed control that lets you choose between 150 and 200 mph blower speed. ... Read more

Features

• 30 day no-risk satisfaction guarantee and full two-year warranty
• Patented Vortex anti-clog vacuum system allows for easy composting and disposal of material
• 3 tools in 1--blower, vacuum, and mulcher
• Push button release switches blower to vacuum
• Variable speed control

Reviews (56)

Black & Decker does it again!
Whilst at a construction trade show I overheard two B & D reps talking. One said "the construction grade tools are well designed, but the consumer drills, for example are designed for a twelve hourlife". This is not unrealistic for a weekend warrior who might use the drill once or twice a year, drilling the occasional holes.

The Leaf Hog is apparently in the same category, based on sterling initial reviews, I put my doubts aside and bought one. With about 35 hours of use, it has quit.

Buyer beware!

Motor Burned Up
I had this product for about 15 months and the motor burned up. I didn't use it a great deal either.I would not recommend this product.

When will the leaf hog be Recalled?
We have had ourleaf hog for a little over a year.After using it for three times the off button stopped working! the only way to turn it off was pulling the plug.Also the on / off button is labelled so poorly that when the unit is dusty one can not tell the difference between the on/off button and the button that takes of the housing covering the impeller.After my husband cut his leg with the rotating impeller and not able to turn off the unit we stopped using this horrilbe product.I just looked to see if it has been recalled.Watch out people! ... Read more

Asin: B00004DTNG
Subjects:  1. Electric Vacuums    2. Electric Blowers    3. Electric Mulchers    4. Landscaping Tools    5. Blowers & Vacs    6. Electric   

When you've finished mowing, the handles fold back, making it easier to store this mower in a tight garage or shed. It comes with a 30-day no-risk satisfaction guarantee and a manufacturer's full two-year warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Convertible mulcher/rear bagger
• Cuts up to 1/2-acre losts on one charge
• One touch height adjustment (1-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches)
• Lifetime 19-inch 3-in-1 deck
• 30 day no-risk satisfaction guarantee and full two-year warranty

Asin: B00004DTMQ
Subjects:  1. Cordless Tools    2. Landscaping Tools    3. Mowers    4. Cordless Mowers    5. (Lawn Mowers)    6. (Lawnmowers)   

Ryobi 825R 4-Cycle Curved Shaft TrimmerPlus
Average Customer Review:
Tools & Hardware
list price: $169.99 -- our price: $124.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

A 4-cycle, 26cc variable speed engine powers this dynamo around your borders, trees, and against foundations. Ryobi’s eliminated the need to mix messy oil and gas with this unit, which runs on straight gas, saving you time and trouble. It’s fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly and runs quieter than its 2-stroke competition. Easy starts are assured, too, because of a primer bulb. The bump feed advances more line whenever you need it, and the SpeedSpool Line Replacement lets you put in a new line without taking the head apart--a great idea. In hand, it’s well-balanced, relatively light, and very comfortable, thanks to the D-shaped handle and its ergonomic soft grip. If it were only a trimmer, it would be a great purchase, but add to it the capability to attach a range of different heads, and you’ve got a highly versatile, multi-purpose yard tool. The Trimmer Plus attachments (sold separately) turn the trimmer into an edger, hedge trimmer, tree pruner, leaf blower/vac, garden cultivator, and snow thrower. The attachments connect in a second with a solid "click," and you’re off on a new task. It’s an ingenious system that will bring professional-type lawn tools to the average homeowner. Bravo, Ryobi!--Kris Jensen-Van Heste ... Read more

Features

• 2 year warranty
• 26 cc 4-cycle curved shaft grass trimmer with TrimmerPlus and SpeedSpool
• TrimmerPlus feature allows optional add-on tools
• SpeedSpool allows for quick line dispensing and replacement without removing the spool
• Lightweight 4-cycle that requires no mixing of oil and gas and is environmentally friendly

Reviews (41)

Good for the price, but ONE BIG PROBLEM
I've had the trimmer, the tiller, edging and tree attachments for about 2 summers now. Overall, for the money, it is a good trimmer. The edger works decently, although I've only used it once. I use the tree trimmer each fall. I have used the tiller quite a bit as I have to prep one 70 sq. ft. veggie garden and about 200 sq. ft. of flower beds each year. I use it to trim every week or more, after each mowing of a 1/2 acre lawn.

The trimmer itself is good and runs nicely, its great not to have to mix gas and my wife likes it as its not as smoky and noisy. However, she wont use it because it is pretty heavy. I highly recommend getting a strap, and if I were to do this all over again, I'd get a straight shaft trimmer.

Now for the problem. My very first time out with the tiller, the cable inside became stuck in the shaft and I couldn't get the tiller attachment off until I resorted to 2 sets of vise grips and more than a little force. Turns out the cable from the attachments is just a spring type cable with a square end. this fits into a pot metal type coupler that is on the end of another spring wound cable from the motor. This is all at the break, roughly halfway on the shaft. What happened is that due to the torque of the tiller, the cable end "oblonged" instead of staying square inside the coupler. This bound the cable inside the coupler and they had to be forceably separated.

After this episode, the cable and the coupler never fit properly and every time I put the tiller or edger on, it had to be forced apart. This has also stretched the cable a little and fitting together is a dicey chore. I ended up having to buy ANOTHER trimmer and I just leave one in the tiller now. The other I use as a trimmer and with the lighter attachments. I only did this because I had the significant investment in the attachments and getting another trimmer was less expensive than getting rid of this and starting over. But I sure thought about it.

So you can see, WHAT'S THE SENSE of having these when I could/should have just bought separate units to begin with. I'd be very interested to find out if other owners have had the same trouble. Oh, by the way in case you are wondering, I carefully turned over the soil by shovel in all of these beds and never used the tiller for "fresh ground" tilling. I'm smarter than that and I borrow my brothers Troy-Built when I need to go to town from scratch. This tiller is only used to freshen a spring bed and mix in additives, and then only after a shovel turnover.

All in all, I'm pretty disappointed. I had a Ryobu saw years ago that I wasn't impressed with either. I get the sense that Ryobi doesn't spend much on engineering and quality, as in they skimp a bit on the level. I'd give this one star, but the trimmer is decent, the tiller works well now that its permanent, and the other attachments do the job. The idea was great, the execution needs a rethink, especially in coupler design.

Arrived Broken
Can you beleive it? I ordered this thinking it would be a great addition to my outdoor assault weapons which I use to keep my yard from taking over the house. Things grow fast in the my gulch.

Well, I take it out of the big Amazon box. It's already busted! The lid for the air intake snaps onto the intake itself. So I figure, "OK, I guess I gotta call up Amazon." Well, this thing runs on gas, so I can't return it to Amazon. Instead they want
me to contact Ryobi. Well, that is turning out to be impossible.

The phone number given by the Ryobi site for their outdoor products doesn't get picked up. Instead, a recording tells you
thatdue to high volume, your call won't be answered. Have a nice day!

So I got it in the backside, for the first time, from good old Amazon. Thanks, Amazon. 'preciate it.

Beware Trimmer ships with no oil in crankcase
This item ships with no oil in the crankcase. Their is a yellow tag on the gas tank to fill with gas only and add no oil. and then a statement to add oil to engine.
Their should be a RED tag telling you to add oil first before trying to start.
Some people may not know the diference between a 2 and 4 cycle engine.

Ryobi should have done a better job.
When I checked the oil dipstick I was supprised their was no oil. ... Read more

Asin: B00004R9QV
Subjects:  1. Landscaping Tools    2. String Trimmers    3. Gas-Powered    4. (Weed Wacker)    5. (Weed Whacker)    6. (Weed Eater)