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Decent for using in the garden - as long as you are sitting down. Because of the size and shape of our garden, we can't use this properly for the middle of the garden. But it works ok while we are sitting at the edge of the garden. Solid construction, gets into (already worked up) soil easily. Great for quick weeding (don't wait too long!)

Good length and sturdy enough for light duty use.

My first impression is this tool is stronger than it looks in the website pictures. I tried using it in the tough clay-like Texas soil that I attempt to grow a lawn in and it seems to be holding up. I can actually bury it in a clod and break the clod loose. It is useful in pulling weeds that have roots less than a couple of inches long.My only concern at this point is the longevity of the wooden handle but only time will tell. I might update this review if it breaks within a year.PROs:Stronger metal than expected. It did not bend under stress.Right size for working close to the ground (see Cons)A great tool for working a well-tilled flower bed or garden.Can be used to break up clods in a small areaCONs:Longevity of wooden handle - I would not expect it to last more than a couple of seasonsThe handle is short, Must be used kneeling or bent over. (See Pros)Too small to work a large area were a tiller or long handled hoe would be better.I'm not sure how useful it is going to be in my manual attack on weeds and it will not address deep rooted weeds like dandelions or nutgrass where a long stemmed weed puller is required. I will continue to use it as a part of my tool set for manual weed removal but it will be just one of the tools needed to complete the job. The 3 star rating comes from my fear of the handle breaking and I plan to update this review later if it breaks.Another potential downside is it is not a tool that can be effectively used standing up. You either need to be on your knees or bent over. But I did list this small size as both a Pro and a Con.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Read on if you would like to know why I wanted to try the tool:My lawn has a crabgrass, nutgrass and ragweed problem along with the normal periodic growth of weeds like dandelions and milkweed. All of these weeds have a tendency to propagate quickly and easily and the grassy ones like crabgrass, ragweed and nut grass propagate via roots as well as seeds. I have spent a lot of money on bags of granular pre-emergent that claim to be crabgrass and nut grass killers and I have used a spray weed killer all with about 30% success rate. The biggest problems come from the plants that propagate via their root system.Last spring I started an all-out attack on the crab grass and ragweed by pulling it by hand and found this to be an extremely effective but a very time consuming solution. My main problem is what I now call Old-growth crabgrass The old-growth crabgrass has been allowed to grow through multiple growing seasons which gives it time to grow deep roots which propagate more deep-rooted crabgrass. The seed propagated crabgrass can be killed with pre emergent but the old-growth is very resilient to all chemicals except those that kill everything. Manual removal of the Old-Growth has cleared up 90% of my crabgrass, and other weedy plants, which allows my regular grass to thrive and win out over the weeds.I look for tools like the one I'm reviewing that might make the job of digging the crabgrass out of the clay-like soil. I had let the crabgrass grow because it is one of the few plants which likes the clay which makes it an effective ground cover. I rationalized that it prevents muddy areas when we get a 2-4in rain storm. But when it grows thick, it chokes out the regular lawn grasses. The manual effort has drastically changed the appearance of my lawn and allowed the preferred lawn grasses to grow back.When I received this tool I had to try it immediately and found that it was surprisingly stronger than it looks, AND... I was able to successfully use it on some of the old-growth crabgrass. It works on the crabgrass but It will not be very useful on the ragweed that requires following the root propagation nor the nutgrass that requires finding and removing the root nut to gain full control. This tool would simply tear the root system up and the weed would continue to propagate from the remainder of the root left in the ground.

So this little gem is that garden tool for that special girl or guy in your life who has a big rake and a little 3 prong hand rake...and yet STILL can't get under those big wild Azaleas to get that last bit of raking and vine pulling accomplished. If you know her (or him) or if this is you, then take a closer look at this tool.DETAILS: This tool is the bomb. It is very sturdy - with welded connections, and a substantially thick stainless rake tine which is fully and well brazed, not merely pressed or riveted onto the shaft. The shaft itself is solid stainless steel, not hollow, and the handle is sturdy ash. The shaft is visually capped in place with a dimpled retaining cap, but the shaft is actually force-pressed deep into the handle, which means the dimple cap is mostly decorative. Bottom line, this is not a handle that will loosen and fall off the first time you give it a yank.CONCLUSION: This is a sturdy and right-sized specialty rake for getting it done under Azaleas or other larger shrubs that grow low to the ground. Slim and easy to manuever through the dense undergrowth, strong enough to really yank and rip those crappy wild grape vines out of there, and stylish enough not to make your pegboard blush.Good rake. Wifey is very happy with this one! All five stars.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the high quality of this implement. The metal parts are all made of thick stainless steel, so the tool should be highly resistant to rusting. The shaft is attached to the rake head with a heavy weld around the whole circumference, which I found very impressive; no chintzy weak little spot welds here. The rake head is very stiff and strong; I'm confident that it won't bend or distort under any reasonable use. The wooden handle is smooth and comfortable and appears to be very solidly attached to the shaft. The length is perfect for use in garden beds and raised beds while on your knees: long enough to reach to the far side of the bed when held at the end of the handle, but short enough to easily choke up on the handle for closer work. The size and shape of the head make it suitable for both cultivation and raking. I've tried it in a garden bed and the tines easily cultivate the soil and rip out weeds. This is the application it's intended for, I'm sure; it wouldn't be my preferred tool for attacking hard never-before-cultivated ground. I like this tool very much, and it will see a lot of use this coming spring.