Hello I'm a product design student in Portland, OR. I am currently working on a project to improve the gardening experience for those 50 years and older. Here is my question. Out of all the tools you use for gardening, which one is the worst to use and why? Is one of your tools painful to use or not work as it should? Basically, what is your least favorite gardening tool/product and why? Any feedback you can offer me will be useful. Thank you for your time!, Andrew
I can't help you as, over the last few years, they have make smaller lighter shovels, hoes, and rakes plus pruners that fit a smaller hand and more ergonomic for those with arthritis. Perhaps someone else uses other items that would help you out. .
The garden weasel. HANDS DOWN! who has enough strength to put pressure on this tool pushing and or pulling to make it work. It only works if you have previously tilled the area and there are no weeds.
You have asked this on several forums. but it suits my fancy to answer again. I will compare front-tine rototillers to an old joke about chain-saws. A lumberjack was sold a chain-saw as a tool to improve the amount of wood he could cut. He paid for his new saw and took it off to the woods. He returned it on his next day off, saying it didn't cut any more wood than his old buck-saw did. The salesman started up the saw, and the lumberjack was startled and said, "whats that noise"? In my humble opinion a front time tiller works just about as good running as it does broken.
Carolyn reminded my about the garden weasel haha One of the first garden tools I ever bought... and one of the first I threw away! I'm with you Carolyn ... it was useless!
I haven't hit 50 yet but I'll give you my 2 cents worth. I hate a kinky hose!!! And those pitiful little bulb planter things, those are a complete waste of time oh, and while I'm at it...I love my knee pads but the elastic that holds them on gets all stretched out and they fall down Good luck to you on your assignment!
Although I am nowhere near the age of 50, nor do I have any problems when it comes to physical movement and/or lifting or lugging heavy loads in the garden - I still have one complaint about a tool that nobody else seems to understand. Which is the garden hosepipe... No matter what happens, and no matter where I buy it from, it always either melts in the heat during my summer months, or at the very least starts to leak after only a few weeks in use. And what's worse is that these days they seem to make it out of transparent or semi transparent nylon (in order to make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye) - However, what they forget is that the more transparent your hosepipe is, the more algae will grow in it and eventually clog the whole system! So if some thought can be devoted to this, then I'd really appreciate it a lot... And no I don't want a cute lightweight and thin hosepipe. I want a big fat one, heavy duty in every way, and able to pass plenty of water through it - Which shouldn't spring leaks at the slightest excuse, nor melt and get gooey under the hot sun. Also DON'T want it transparent, so don't let any light pass through it, (as that very quickly leads to algae buildup)...
Hmmm...I don't know what a Garden Weasel is. And S-H I have never had those kinds of problems with hoses. I have never seen a transparent hose. ?? Different products available in different countries? Of course I am sure my garden does not experience the high temps yours does in Pakistan. The only garden tool I have found totally useless in the bulb planter. What a waste! .....I am curious re this Garden Weasel thing & will google it. Good luck with your project ajfdesigner.
That "tool" has a long handle like a hoe but it has rotating tines that you push and pull over the dirt to get rid of weed. Only it doesn't get the weeds out because it can't disturb the soil enough to get them out by their roots. OR it binds up with the debris in the row. Waste of energy, you are spending more time cleaning out the tines than actually using it for any positive purpose.
Definitely the garden weasel. It fell apart quickly. Any tool that won't hold up to Missouri's heavy clay and rocks or tree roots is junk.
I was going to buy a garden weasel years ago thinking of the weeds in the veggie garden rows. Now I'm glad I talked myself out of getting it. One other useless toy is the auger type drill bit to use in a drill. I bought one thinking of planting bulbs and small plants. Maybe Mikes drill has to much power (think of Tim the tool man Taylor of the TV show) as all it did was throw the dirt out of the hole so far that I had to bring more dirt (a LOT of dirt) in to fill the 20 plus holes for the lilies!
