Re: Brands of garden tools?

James N. Tilton wrote:
> Christopher P. Lindsey wrote:
> > 
> > What other tools that you use that have a really good warranty
> > and / or are of exceptional quality?  Do you tend to stick with
> > a certain brand for everything, or jump around depending on the
> > tool?
> > 
> I would like to add:  does anyone have a recommendation for a 
good tool for shearing/deadheading plants like coreopsis 
moonbeam or sweet alyssum?  I've had horrible blisters from 
using my husband's> Barb

I suppose you don't mean something like grabbing handfuls and 
clipping them off with a pair of Solingen shears?  That's more a 
matter of technique than tool.  'S what I do though.  I just did 
the Aubrieta and a couple other early bloomers that grow like 
that. 

My response to Chris' original question is:  Felco for pruning 
tools and I just got these Solingen general purpose shears for 
my birthday & am absolutely smitten with them for the more 
"dainty" cutting (as above). I expect those rather expensive 
tools to last forever given the quality of workmanship, warranty 
and ease of replacing parts that somehow get lost (like the 
spring on my Felco #2s  %-).

OTOH, for the type of soil I work in, I use only Sears 
top-of-the-line digging tools, notably heavy duty spading 
forks.  They are reasonably good, reasonably inexpensive and 
I can (and frequently do) return them monthly if necessary. 
They simply hand me a new one.  I have found that to be 
essential where it's a no-brainer to bend a steel tine backwards 
with an enthusiastic shove against a clay-trapped rock.  :)  
This was a painful lesson learned after I purchased a most 
magnificent, beautifully crafted English spading fork.  
(cha-ching!)  The left tine was bent back and the right tine was 
bent forward in about 5 days, I believe it was.  

I generally don't hoe much, but a friend sent me this cool 
little tool called an "Ida-hoe" that I love for working around 
perennial beds.  I not only use it for weeding but for working 
amendments in and so on.  It's small, light, comfortable in 
the hand and I can't imagine how I could ever break it (famous 
last words). 

A good & interesting question, Chris. 

Jaime.  Now, if I could only get that %$@# string trimmer 
started.  :))
jknoble@warwick.net
NW NJ, zone 6/5
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