Apr 30, 2008 6:00 am US/Eastern
3 On Your Side: Garden Tools
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Have you started your spring planting and gardening? Now that warmer weather has arrived, it's time. But all that digging and weeding can lead to aches and pains. So 3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan tells you about some ergonomic tools that are sure to grow on you!
The joy of gardening can vanish if your tools are uncomfortable to use. At the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, they looked at 16 of the newest tools that claimed to be ergonomic. Out of the 16, they found some that worked and some that didn't.
Both testers and pros gave a green thumbs-up to the Corona Egrip trowel because it easily penetrated dirt.
"They liked the big width of it, they liked the beveled edge because it could puncture mulch bags and move lots of dirt very quickly and of course they loved the ergonomic handle because it made it lightweight and easy to use," said Kathleen Huddy with the Institute. They retail for $7.
Another winner was the Fiskars Power Pivot Pruner.
"The best thing about these pruners is you don't have to use very much hand force to close them so there isn't a lot of fatigue," said Huddy. They retail for $22.
And if you need a light wheelbarrow, the Institute recommends the Jackson Professional from Ames True Temper.
"It's wider than most and it has a spout in the front, which I really like because you can just dump without a big deal," said Huddy. It retails for $150.
Fiskars Power Pivot grass shears make the cut because they can go where a mower can't. They retail for $23.
To get your older garden tools ready for spring, Good Housekeeping says dunk them in a bucket of sand and vegetable oil. The sand removes stains and rust and the oil prevents future rusting.
RELATED LINKS:
Corona Egrip Trowel
Fiskars Power Pivot Pruner
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