Hand Tools


WOLF-Garten® Interlocken DAS Crumbler and Soil Cultivator: Product Review


The WOLF-Garten® Crumbler and Soil Cultivator is a lightweight yet sturdy tool that does a good job of loosening topsoil and hoeing small weeds. It consists of a 4-tined rotary cultivator with a stirrup hoe attachment that makes it even more effective and is a welcome addition to what would’ve otherwise been “just another cultivator.” Note that the cultivator/hoe is sold separately from the handle (pole) as part of WOLF-Garten’s Interlocken® system of interchangeable tools Continue Reading


Felco #7 Bypass Pruner: Product Review


If you’re looking for a perfect bypass pruner that offers long-lasting cutting power and comfort, the Felco #7 Bypass Pruner belongs in your garden shed. Created with Swiss precision, the pruner offers excellent craftmanship and high-quality materials, making it an ideal investment. While not inexpensive, the pruner performed fabulously for more than two decades of use in my career as an arborist—without any replacement parts needed. The rotating handle provides comfort for users who make Continue Reading


Corona 7-inch Folding Pruning Saw (RS 7245): Product Review


If you’re looking for a perfect pruning saw, you’ve found it with the Corona 7-inch Folding Pruning Saw. Extremely strong impulse hardened high carbon steel teeth make quick, clean cuts. The ergonomically designed handle and rubberized grip adds comfort without sacrificing dexterity, and the ability to fold the saw makes the tool highly practical for the user. The curved blade easily cuts high branches or those below waist, but it also works well at torso Continue Reading


WOLF-Garten® Interlocken® Pole Pruning System: Product Review


The WOLF-Garten® Interlocken® pruning pole system is a combination of high-quality parts that fit seamlessly together, including a telescoping pole, pruning saw, and bypass lopper head. The saw and lopper can be individually snapped into place with the press of a button, letting you choose the right tool for the job without needing multiple poles (because who has space for that?!). Each cutting tool makes nice, clean cuts and the extendable pole is lightweight yet Continue Reading


Fiskars POWER TOOTH® Softgrip® Folding Saw (7″): Product Review


This folding saw has a unique undercut capability (basically, the blade “bends backward” at the handle) that makes it easier to use for those who are not comfortable with flipping a saw over to make the undercut. The push button design of the blade lock works extremely well for a right-handed person but it’s not easy for a lefty to use. It features a sharp POWER TOOTH® saw blade that makes good clean cuts and Continue Reading


Troy-Bilt Premium Folding Hand Saw (RE-K): Product Review


The Troy-Bilt Premium Folding Hand Saw makes very clean and fast cuts – some of the best that I’ve tested. However, the cutting teeth don’t extend the full length of the blade so the saw constantly gets hung up near the handle (unless you’re very careful to make shorter sawing motions which, realistically, isn’t going to happen). I also don’t like having to use an Allen wrench to adjust blade tension (rather than a standard Continue Reading


Corona Branch & Stem Bypass Pruner (BP 4180): Product Review


The Corona Branch & Stem bypass pruner is lightweight, durable, has nice tight tolerances and good fit and finish. The ergonomic handle design makes the tool comfortable to hold and the angled cutting head is terrific for getting into tight spots. The cutting blade is razor sharp and cleaves its way through extremely hard wood with ease, although the bumper could use some improvement. Plus, Corona offers replacement parts for everything except the handles. Put Continue Reading


Gardener’s Supply Folding Hand Saw: Product Review


If you’re looking for a great folding pruning saw, this is a definite contender. With its long-lasting, impulse hardened teeth and ability to cut in both directions, it makes quick work of cutting through even the hardest wood. The sticky rubberized handle gives you excellent grip, the locking mechanism works flawlessly, and the large adjustment screw makes it easy to adjust the handle/blade tension. Plus, it still fits securely into a hip pocket. What more Continue Reading


Fiskars Chain Drive Extendable Pole Saw & Pruner: Review


This lightweight, extendable pruning tool easily and cleanly cuts through 1 ¼ inch branches with the bypass pruner head and 8 inches with the saw. It extends from 8 to 16 feet and locks securely in place at either extreme or anywhere in-between. The chain-drive and pulley system operates the pruner smoothly, without any tangling or twisting, and the rigidity of the pole means no bouncing when using the saw. This is a quality tool Continue Reading


Corona DualLINK™ Extendable Tree Saw & Pruner: Product Review


The lightweight Corona DualLINK Extendable Tree Saw & Pruner has some benefits, such as the DuraLINK 3X compound action which makes pruning 1” branches much easier and the terrific Razor TOOTH Saw® which cut through hard wood with ease. However, the pruner head needs 6 inches of clearance to make a clean cut (something you often don’t have when pruning overgrown trees), the fully extended pole is too springy so it makes the saw blade Continue Reading


ARS Folding Hand Saws (SA-G18HL and SA-G18L): Product Review


This folding hand saw from ARS comes with two blade options – marquench hardened (SA-G18L) or impulse hardened (SA-G18HL) high carbon steel. Regardless of the blade choice, this is my favorite saw of all that I’ve reviewed. Everything from the handle design to the carbon steel blades, and from the swing lock blade locking mechanism to the adjustable blade tension screams “quality!”. Sure, it’s more expensive than other folding handsaws I’ve tested but it’s well Continue Reading


Corona 1¼-inch Long Reach Pruner (TP 3206): Product Review


The Corona 1¼-inch Long Reach Pruner (TP 3206) is a 62-inch bypass stick pruner. It’s well designed for its intended use, makes very clean cuts up to about ¾ inch diameter, and is lightweight enough to be used for hours at a time. The rotating/tilting head gives you almost infinite approach angles when trying to reach awkwardly-placed branches (this is one of the outstanding features of the pruner). The rubberized surfaces and design of the Continue Reading


Corona Long Reach Cut ‘n’ Hold Bypass Pruner (LR 3460): Product Review


I liked this extendable bypass pole pruner very much. It’s lightweight (only barely over 1 lb!), makes clean cuts, and is comfortable and easy to handle. The “cut ‘n’ hold” blades keep a firm grip on branches and stems as they’re cut off so you can easily dispose of them. It allowed me to work on low shrubs without stooping or kneeling, gave me much longer reach for larger shrubs and small trees, allowed for Continue Reading


Truly Garden Hori Hori: Product Review


Overall, I am pleased with the performance of this traditional digging knife. It is a perfectly functional hori hori with a strong, sharp blade, and comes with Truly Garden, hori hori, digging knife a leather sheath and sharpening rod. I would (and likely will) buy it again when looking for a traditional soil knife. However, the handle is not particularly ergonomic so leaves my hand a bit sore and cramped after extended use and the Continue Reading