Garden Claw Gold -- Great for Gardening!
Written: May 05 '00 (Updated Mar 16 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: breaks up soil very well
Cons: bolts may loosen if used too aggressively
The Bottom Line: If you have garden areas to cultivate by hand, I'd use the Garden Claw Gold over other available tools every time.
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| johnwc937's Full Review: Garden Claw Gold |
The Garden Claw Gold has been one of the best gardening tools I've ever used. It doesn't actually replace any specific tool, but it certainly supplements several of them.
I purchased the Garden Claw Gold two weeks ago. I had previously attempted to create a 10' by 20' garden using a shovel, spade, and hoe but found the effort required to be a bit much. My wife suggested the Garden Claw, so I decided to give it a shot.
About the Tool
The Garden Claw Gold is essentially a cultivating tool although the advertisements claim it to be useful for many other purposes. This tool is made of steel and is comprised of three parts: the handle, the rod, and the tines or claw.
The handle has positions for both hands. Both grips are vinyl coated for better gripping. The center rod is simply a steel rod. There are four holes in it for attaching the claw. The claw is comprised of four outer tines and two inner tines. The four outer tines are angled while the two inner tines are straight and significantly shorter.
How it Works
To use the Garden Claw Gold, you press the claw straight down into the earth using an action quite similar to that used when using a post hole digger -- just not quite so hard. Turn the claw clockwise 1/4 turn. Lift. Repeat as needed. The tines break through the earth and loosen the soil. The product's design does this very efficiently for a hand tool.
My Experience
I used the Garden Claw Gold as my primary tool to create a 10' by 20' garden tilled about 10" to 12" deep throughout in an area of my yard that was previously covered by grass. The top 6 inches of soil were topsoil and light clay. The next 2" were heavier clay with a fair amount of gravel. The last 2" - 4" were heavy clay. (And I also ran into a considerable amount of tree roots, old bricks, and moderate size stones about the size of a brick.)
The Claw worked very well in the topsoil and all forms of clay. The soil was quickly broken up into reasonably fine soil. Rocks, stones, bricks, and tree roots presented some difficulties. If the tines became caught on any of these objects repeatedly, the bolt and nut that hold the claw onto the rod loosened. Maybe I never put them on tight enough... or maybe they just loosened from applying too much torque. I'm not sure. When it happened, I just tightened them up again. No big deal.
I then used the Claw to essentially till up the soil a second and third time to be certain it was all broken up. Using it on soil that is already loose was significantly easier. Once again it did a fine job.
Finally I used it to mix 5 cubic feet of peat and 160 lbs. of manure into the garden. The peat mixed in very well. The manure has a tendency to stick to the tines, but it still did a decent job.
Tips / Recommendations
Tip #1: Make certain you assemble the tool to your desired height. The rod has four different holes in it for attaching the claw portion. I'm 5'10" and I assembled it in a manner to make it the second longest. If you make it too short, you're going to be bending over too much. If it's too long, you won't be able to push it into the earth properly.
Tip #2: Only buy this product if you're willing to twist your body clockwise repeatedly. This tool requires that you use muscles that may not normally be used -- but then again I sit behind a desk all day. Because the tool must be turned clockwise (based upon the angle of the tines), left handers may have some difficulty using this tool efficiently.
Tip #3: Shop around for price. I bought the Garden Claw Gold at a discount store for $27.99. I saw it priced as high as $34.99. If I can find it on sale, so can you.
Tip #4: Wear gloves when using this product for a long time. Jamming the Claw into the dirt for several hours will put some wear on your hands.
I would highly recommend the Garden Claw Gold to anyone who wants to work the soil of a small garden without renting or buying a tiller. The product operated exactly as advertised by breaking up even heavy clay without extreme effort -- but I'm sure a tiller is easier and faster.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
johnwc937
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Member: John
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 20 members
About Me:
Highly educated manager with scores of hobbies and travel experiences.
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