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Jul 15, 2011 12:43 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: O C
Indianapolis (Zone 4b)
Charter ATP Member
The best multipurpose tool I've discovered so far is the Cobrahead Weeder.

http://www.cobraheadllc.com/pr...

As long as you keep the head wickedly sharp, it's a Godsend. Can't get up & walk to a weed up in a raised bed? No problem. Need to surgically excise a weed growing next to a prized plant? Done. Have clay soil that needs to be broken up? Piece of cake. Got aggressive roots reaching into areas where they don't belong? Sayonara. Got a compost pile that needs aeration? Can do. Have some compost scattered on the ground that you want to incorporate into the soil? Easy. Can't reach a tool you dropped? You can now.

The long-handled version comes in three lengths, and it's very light. That makes it easy on your arms & shoulders, and the leverage it gives you can really help multiply the force you apply. I don't know what magical alloy they use to make the steel head, but it's indestructible. It's strong but not brittle, and holds an edge well.

As long as you keep it super sharp, it'll make gardening sooooo much easier.
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Jul 15, 2011 4:39 PM CST
Name: Debra
Garland, TX (NE Dallas suburb) (Zone 8a)
Rescue dogs: Angels with paws needi
Dragonflies Dog Lover Bookworm I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Bee Lover
Plays in the sandbox Butterflies Region: Texas Garden Sages I sent a postcard to Randy! Charter ATP Member
thank you. Thumbs up
It’s okay to not know all the answers.
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Jul 15, 2011 5:48 PM CST
Name: Juli
Ohio (Zone 6a)
Region: United States of America Charter ATP Member Cottage Gardener Daylilies Garden Photography Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Birds Hummingbirder Butterflies Dog Lover Cat Lover Garden Ideas: Master Level
I have been so used to hand pulling weeds all these years... Maybe it is time to try some of the hoes I have.

I just bought a sprayer that is on wheels. The action of the wheels rolling pumps the sprayer up. I have a 650 foot long gravel driveway. I used to roundup the weeds in it with a backpack sprayer, but have not been able to manage that for a while.

I agree with keeping tools sharp. It makes a world of difference.
Last edited by daylily Jul 16, 2011 10:38 AM Icon for preview
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Jul 15, 2011 9:24 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
I have one of those cobra head weeders and I love it!
Avatar for leaflady
Jul 15, 2011 9:58 PM CST
Name: leaflady
planet earth
Love the sinner, hate the sin
Charter ATP Member
I looked at that Cobra Head hoe and think it may be just what I need. My problem will be keeping it really sharp. I have blk. clay aka blk gumbo. It is hard as a rock when dry which it is now even with 1" weekly rains or deep watering weekly. I'm thrilled to see it is made in the USA with post recycled materials. It looked as tho about 6 - 8 different occupations went into the manufacturing & sale of the finished product. The tree farmer, the sawmill and maybe even a third party to make the handle from the dried rough sawed lumber, the miners, the steel factory worker who made the metal, the worker in the factory where the blade is made and put into the handle, the packers, order filling personnel, and shipping dept. That looks like a lot of American citizens working instead of drawing unemployment and/or welfare.

I admit the Accessible Gardening forum digressed into a lot of daily chit chat after awhile. For some that was what they needed. A community of others with physical limitations who were willing to share the day to day trials & joys/triumphs of that lifestyle. Many of us had already learned how to deal with our limitations and shared those methods but after awhile we had done about all we could do for each other in that dept so we just kept in touch. I'm glad to find new tools and ideas.

I have fibromyalgia and both OA & RA as well as DJD which limit me thru fatigue and pain. I have meds to help a lot with the chronic pain, but not much helps with the chronic fatigue. I had spinal fusion T12 thro S1 last Dec. so I'm just now really getting back into some more physical activity. I still have to be careful how I move because of balance problems. But Thanks to GOD I doing very well and pressing forward most days. Depending on how GOD leads and what the surgeon says in August I may have a very complicated cervical spine surgery within the next year or so.

I do a lot of hand 'grubbing' in the dirt. My fingernails look terrible, LOL, but that's how I like to garden. I don't wear gloves because I can't feel the dirt and plants with them on.

GOD bless and keep each of you.
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Jul 15, 2011 10:49 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: O C
Indianapolis (Zone 4b)
Charter ATP Member
I keep my Cobrahead sharp with one of these.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CQTLJM/

I'm with you, leaflady; there's so much on my to-do list that I don't have the time or patience to sit around and commiserate. Granted, I'm always sitting since I move on wheels, but you get my point. I sit around and work. It's more productive to hammer away at solutions than to agonize endlessly over problems.
Thumb of 2011-07-16/PuddlePirate/656ebe
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Jul 15, 2011 11:39 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: O C
Indianapolis (Zone 4b)
Charter ATP Member
Somebody's giving a CobraHead away in a contest: http://sheheartsit.com/for-the...
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Jul 16, 2011 9:10 AM CST
Name: Debra
Garland, TX (NE Dallas suburb) (Zone 8a)
Rescue dogs: Angels with paws needi
Dragonflies Dog Lover Bookworm I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Bee Lover
Plays in the sandbox Butterflies Region: Texas Garden Sages I sent a postcard to Randy! Charter ATP Member
thanks.
It’s okay to not know all the answers.
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Jul 16, 2011 9:49 AM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
I was just reading up on the company and was surprised and delighted to learn that they are a family business: http://www.cobraheadllc.com/ab...

This makes me like the tool all the better.
Avatar for leaflady
Jul 17, 2011 5:16 PM CST
Name: leaflady
planet earth
Love the sinner, hate the sin
Charter ATP Member
I went to the link you gave, Alo. It's a private site with no reference to the contest. So I contacted them which somehow put me in contact with Cobrahead.com who kindly emailed me. However I can't find the contest on their website either even tho I specifically asked about it.

I think I'm going to have to break down and buy one if I can't figure out how to get entered in the contest and wait to see if I win.
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Jul 17, 2011 6:07 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: O C
Indianapolis (Zone 4b)
Charter ATP Member
You can't leave a comment on this page?
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Jul 17, 2011 7:08 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
Alo,

I was glad to see the sharpening gadget had ceramic rods, too. I don't trust carbide scrapers to make a knife-edge and wondered if they left a stretched or torn burr on an edge. When I used them, the resulting finish was odd.

I like "diamond" bench stones, and mostly sharpen edges with them, often using a clamp-on gadget to hold the blade at a fixed angle.

I have one gadget similar to yours, but where tiny strips of flat diamond-on-nickle are held at a fixed angle so you can saw a dull edge back and forth. Even then, I'll only use "back and forth" sharpening to set a coarse bevel.

Sharpening "perpendicular to the edge" seems to me to give a better final edge - but what's best for a knife might not be best for a weeding tool. And I know someone who sharpens a machete "lengthwise" ... in fact does it with a file, not a stone. And gets a good edge.

But I do use a crossed ceramic rod handheld gadget for "steeling" between sharpenings. I think it mostly straightens the edge, while also removing a tiny amount of steel. I also think of it as "polishing" or burnishing a micro-bevel.

Corey
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Apr 8, 2015 2:41 PM CST
Name: Christine
North East Texas (Zone 7b)
Shine Your Light!
Heirlooms Native Plants and Wildflowers Organic Gardener Hummingbirder Bee Lover Herbs
Butterflies Dragonflies Birds Cat Lover Dog Lover Garden Photography
I've been looking at this tool for a couple of years now and now I'm ready to make the purchase. Seeing the good reports here has convinced me. nodding

I couldn't decide if I wanted the longer handle, the short one or both. I've decided on the long handle. I really like the idea of not having to bend down every time want to pull a weed!
May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day --Native American Proverb

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Jun 24, 2016 11:03 AM CST
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I couldn't ever find one locally so went ahead and bought from The Big Giant (Amazon). I've been trying it out this spring and have to give it a 'meh' rating. It's OK, but I tend to grab my stick (soil knife) way more often than this guy. And it tends to make my tool bucket top heavy and tips it over. Perhaps the long handled one would get used more (?) On the plus side, it does have a colored handle, although blue doesn't show up as well as orange (back to my trusty stick).
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Jun 24, 2016 11:22 AM CST
Name: Christine
North East Texas (Zone 7b)
Shine Your Light!
Heirlooms Native Plants and Wildflowers Organic Gardener Hummingbirder Bee Lover Herbs
Butterflies Dragonflies Birds Cat Lover Dog Lover Garden Photography
I use the long handled one way more than the short handle. I ended with both as a gift from my dh. Smiling I really like this tool for scraping weeds away and the long handle keeps me having to bend down, less back aches. It will clear out a raised bed or between walkway stones in no time.
May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day --Native American Proverb

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Oct 1, 2016 1:08 PM CST
Name: Deb
Planet Earth (Zone 8b)
Region: Pacific Northwest Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I plan to de-clutter my tool collection this fall - whatever I haven't actually used this past growing season gets the heave-ho. Sadly, the short cobra is fairly high on my to-go list. Hopefully I will actually winterize the keepers, so far that task has just been optimistic.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
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Oct 2, 2016 5:45 PM CST
Name: Anna Z.
Monroe, WI
Charter ATP Member Greenhouse Cat Lover Raises cows Region: Wisconsin
I LOVE my cobra (short handle). When we divvied up my Mom's things last year after she died, I took hers, even tho I already had one. My sisters each had one and nobody wanted it. Hmmm..........I wasn't going to give it away, so I took it. Maybe I will give it to my DIL. Green Grin!
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