No matter what the task, every job is made easier when you have the right tool. Take painting for example. To me, it’s a monotonous, tedious task. All the prep work required to do the job right is almost more than it’s worth. Thankfully, easy-to-apply tape and special brushes have made my least favorite part of the job a lot more palatable. Another great innovation in the world of painting-made-easier is with ceiling paint that starts out pink but fades to white when dry. I’m glad it’s around today but how many ceilings did I paint and repaint because I couldn’t tell the old from the new!
Thankfully cleverly devised tools for any job are abundant these days, especially in the world of gardening. In fact, some of the most dreaded of chores outside the house, from digging large holes to extracting the most stubborn tap-rooted weeds, have gone from ones I used to put off as long as possible, to chores that I now even look forward to. I wouldn’t be able to make that statement if I didn’t have cool tools like the Fiskars Uproot Weeder that actually plucks persistent weeds out of the ground, and then ejects them with an easy-to-use lever on the handle. In fact, they’ve put this kind of innovation into many of their tools, which is why they’re my first choice when it comes to looking for the best tool for the job.
Finding equipment that’s high quality and easy to use is certainly an important criterion when shopping for the right gear. But where do you begin? I’ve found most of my favorites come from asking people I respect and relying on their advice. But there are many sources. Others include magazine and website articles, television, radio and home & garden shows. I really like the shows since you can see the tool in action and give it a test drive before bringing it home. Just keep the following things in mind; If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is; and you get what you pay for. But one thing I know, wherever you find it, life is made easier with just the right tool!
JL
Hi Bill. The Uproot Weeder is something your grandfather would have never seen but if he had, I'm sure he would be impressed. And then sometimes the best tools are the simplest, and last the longest. Your idea about taking tools for a test drive first makes a lot of sense and surprisingly I've done very little of that. Fortunately I am blessed with having many great gardening tools since I test them for media reviews (not a bad job). Also, the one big-ticket tool I wanted for years was a really great tiller. I tried justifying it for years but it never made sense to own one since I'd only use it about once a year, had limited storage space, etc. However, I finally broke down last year and made the purchase. I'm glad I did.
Thanks Joe. I hate weeding. I figure as long as it's green it looks ok, but I'm going to check out that uproot thing. I tend to go with tried and true tools that look like something my Grandfather would have owned. His tools were bought new in the 30's and 40's and he used them til the day he died (in the garden incidently). I like to be able to try a tool before I buy it. I look for rental companies that rent the tools I'm interested in and take them for a test run. Have you ever done that?