I have been using The Garden Claw for years. I remember the first television advertisement that made it look like The Garden Claw did all the work ... well, it is easy to use ... but the tool doesn’t do all the work. People-power is required.


Description

The Garden Claw’s shape resembles a capital letter “T”. The top of the T-shape is not straight, though. Instead the ends of the T resemble bicycle handlebars (one handle twisted forward, and one handle backwards). While the rest of the Garden Claw is a medium blue color, the handlebars are coated with bright yellow vinyl for a non-slip grip.

A straight pole connects the handlebar top to the claw section at the bottom. The claw is composed of six angled steel tines in a rough circular pattern. Four of the tines measure 6" long, and there are two shorter 3" tines nearer the center.

Overall, the Garden Claw stands 39" tall. The handles are the widest part of the tool at 14 1/4" wide. Each yellow vinyl-coated handlebar is 5" long, and the Claw weighs about 5 1/2 pounds.


My Experiences

The Garden Claw comes assembled. Just open the cardboard box and pull the gardening tool out.

It is also easy to use. Jab the tines into the soil and twist so that the tines bite into the ground. I usually twist clockwise, then counter-clockwise and then clockwise again. The angled claws twist in the dirt, digging into and loosening the soil. If the soil is hard (for instance, if it has not rained), then a bit of extra pressure against the handles will encourage the tines to enter the earth.

The handles are fairly comfortable, and since they are vinyl coated, my hands do not slip. I have used the Garden Claw with and without wearing gloves.

I first tried the Claw in my large vegetable garden. In the past, I have turned the garden over using a pitchfork. If I am lucky, my brother will swing by with his tiller to zoom through the task of turning the soil. I had thought the Garden Claw would make the job easier than using a pitchfork, but I have mixed feelings about using this tool in a large area.

Don’t get me wrong. This is an excellent gardening tool and works great. However, I’m not convinced that the Garden Claw saves me time in the large vegetable garden. I can turn the earth over pretty quickly using the pitchfork. Also, the Garden Claw doesn’t turn as large an area as the pitchfork. On the other hand, I don’t sweat as much when using the Garden Claw. It doesn’t take as much effort to twist the Claw as I expend digging the pitchfork into the ground, lifting the soil, and then turning the earth back into the garden.

When using the Garden Claw in smaller garden beds, I find the Claw indispensable. It makes quick work of churning the soil in a flower bed. The Claw also loosens weeds, making it easy to pull the weeds out of the bed as I work. I have also used the Claw to blend peat moss, compost and fertilizer into the soil. Sometimes it takes a bit more work to blend the peat moss and compost since the material is not as fine as fertilizer.

One thing the Garden Claw will not do well is cut through grass sod. If grass is growing dense in a flower bed, the Claw probably won’t twist it free.

For people who have problems with carpal tunnel or similar repetitive-stress injuries, this might not be the gardening tool to use. Operation requires a lot of hand and wrist action to twist the Garden Claw into the soil. When using the Garden Claw instead of the pitchfork, I do not suffer back discomfort, which is a bonus.

I store my Garden Claw upright in the garage. I just have to make sure it is propped against a wall or else it will tip over. I have never stored it wet. Before putting it away, I make sure to clean any clinging soil from the Claw. Other than a few scratches, my Garden Claw is in excellent condition with no signs of rust.


Will the Claw Break?

The simple answer is: yes. The more complex answer is: it depends on what the Claw is used for.

My neighbor saw how easy it was for me to turn soil using the Garden Claw. She asked to borrow it so that she and her husband could turn over an area in their backyard. I didn’t realize the area they were turning over was filled with roots. At the end of the day, my neighbor returned my Garden Claw. Something wasn’t right, though. My Garden Claw had scratches on it. This Garden Claw didn’t have any scratches. It looked new.

It was new! Apparently when twisting the Garden Claw into all those roots, one of the tines broke. My neighbor kindly went shopping and bought me a new Claw to replace the broken one. This happened about two years ago, and my new Garden Claw is still working great as if it just came out of the box.


Who Can Use the Garden Claw?

This Garden Claw has been used by people from teenagers to elders of 80-plus years. It is a very easy tool to operate. One of the people who use this Claw has arthritis and another person has balance difficulty. They have no problem using the Claw in the garden beds.


Pros

* Easy to use
* Allows me to stand upright while working
* Loosens weeds while turning the soil
* Aerates soil, promoting better plant growth
* Mixes fertilizer into the soil
* My Garden Claw has not rusted


Cons

* Requires repetitive motion to use
* Could cause wrist pain
* Not for use in rooty areas or extremely hard/dense soil
* Tines can break under right circumstances


Purchasing

The Garden Claw cost me about $30.00 when I purchased it at my local garden center.


Summary

I am pleased to own and use The Garden Claw. While this garden tool may not be ideal for larger jobs (such as turning over the soil in my big vegetable garden), it is great for digging the soil in smaller flower beds. It makes my job easier, too, when the Claw loosens the weeds as I turn the soil.

I hope you have found this review useful.

Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com


Please read my other reviews:

Fiskars Power-Gear Bypass Pruners

Craftsman Bypass Pruners

Fiskars Power-Lever Bypass Loppers

Craftsman Long-Handled Weed Digger

Rubbermaid Tool Tower

Step 2 Grass Hopper Wheeled Garden Stool / Cart

Upside-Down Tomato Garden

Swan Tuff and Flexible Garden Hose

Dramm Fog-It Hose Nozzle

Gilmour Advanced Variable Oscillating Sprinkler

Black & Decker Cordless Battery Mulching Lawnmower

Rubbermaid Big Max Storage Shed


Copyright 2006 Dawn L. Stewart

Recommended: Yes