Fiskars Weed Pullers - weapons of weed destruction

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

It doesn't take long for weeds to take over a garden and removing them can be an arduous task. Until of course you are fully prepared to wage war on weeds with the Fiskars Weed Puller. It's a smart solution because it removes weeds with a quick pull and release action without the use of harmful pesticides. The tool works with four deep-reaching stainless steel claws, which grab the tap root efficiently.

Once the weed has been pulled, a quick fire ejection releases it straight into a waiting wheelbarrow or trug and off the lawn or bed you are working in. Designed to make removing weeds effortless, this eco-friendly weeding system allows the gardener to work without bending down, prevent muscle strain and backache.

As James Wong says, the steel claws of Fiskars weed puller reach down deep so you don't have to.

Tips & Tricks from James Wong

"A close relative of trendy radicchio, dandelion leaves are a spring time delicacy across the Mediterranean, from France to Italy. Containing 7x the antioxidants of lettuce, this gourmet green is so easy to grow it literally plants itself. A free farmers market on your doorstep? Boom!"

Product details

• Deep reaching stainless steel claw grab roots in multiple direction

• No digging or bending required

• FibreComp™ shaft for lightness, strength and durability

• Softgrip™ comfortable handle which enhances its ergonomic design

• Length 988mm. Weight 917g

• Length of blade: 90cm

• Available as a telescopic model with a large D-shaped handle. Length 1000mm extending to 1200mm. Weight 1700g

• James Wong fronts the Fiskars garden hand tools campaign to revolutionize gardening and inspire a new generation to get outdoors.

Fiskars garden tools are available nationwide in DIY stores, hardware stores, garden centres and online.

James Wong and Fiskars

In his new role as brand ambassador for Fiskars, horticultural celebrity and ethnobotanist James Wong injects the va va voom into gardening. With tools designed to minimise effort and James set to maximise enjoyment, it's a union that will invigorate today's gardeners and inspire tomorrow's.

Reinventing Gardening

Fiskars tools are examples of the company's aspiration to reinvent the gardening experience through the use of advanced engineering and materials. We believe that all things, even the simplest, can be made better and smarter so that work in the garden becomes easier, lighter, more efficient and simply more pleasurable - which is ultimately what gardening should be all about.

Edible weeds

Dandelion are not the only edible weeds in your garden, however. There is also Chickweed, Fat Hen, aka Lambs Quarter or Goosefoot, and quite a fair number of others. So, therefore, don't necessarily weed them but eat them; at least those that are edible, and as James Wong mentioned as regards to the nutrient content of Dandelion in comparison to lettuce many other weeds too have great nutrient values. Therefore, before you weed the weeds check which ones may be edible and use them rather than waste them.

© 2015

Fiskars SmartFit™P68 – Product Review

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Fiskars SmartFit™− A pruner that fits the job in hand

Multi-purpose pruner incorporates comfort and adjustable cutting capacity

New for 2013, Fiskars SmartFit™ multi-fit, multi-task pruner fits large and small hands, and cuts both thinner and thicker branches. A truly versatile tool, the SmartFit™ pruner uses a one click mechanism to instantly double the blade aperture from

12mm up to an impressive 24mm diameter. This ability to change the aperture also make this pruner ideal for harvesting herbs and leaf vegetables such as spinach.

Fits your hand and need

Engineered from durable coated carbon steel to facilitate a smooth cutting action, the optimized blade geometry ensures the SmartFit™ is as capable of dealing with dense branch areas due to its finer shaping.

It is not just the adjustable blade width that is impressive. The lightweight and strong Fiskars FiberComp™ handles are ergonomically designed so as to ensure optimal cutting from a number of different handholds and grips, whilst the Fiskars SoftGrip™ cushioning introduces insulation and shock absorbing qualities.

Pruning can be punishing on the hands, especially for those that are not used to and for the professional who has to do that all day long, and so the Fiskars SmartFit™ offers supreme comfort and unparalleled flexibility in one pruner. complete with plastic storage holder, the Fiskars SmartFit™ Bypass pruner is a great addition to the gardeners’ armory.

Reinventing Gardening

Fiskars SmartFit™ pruner is a noteworthy example of the Fiskars’ aspiration to “reinvent” the gardening experience through the use of advanced engineering and materials. We believe that all things, even the simplest, can be made better and smarter so that work in the garden becomes easier, lighter, more efficient and simply more pleasurable – which is ultimately what gardening should be all about.

Fiskars SmartFit™ is available throughout the UK in garden centres, DIY stores and online.

www.fiskars.com

Fiskars is a leading global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden and outdoors. The group has a strong portfolio of respected international brands, including Fiskars, Iittala and Gerber. Founded in 1649 and listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Fiskars is Finland's oldest company. Fiskars recorded net sales of EUR 743 million in 2011, and employs some 3,400 people in over 20 countries. www.fiskarsgroup.com

© 2013

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article, with the exception of a sample of the product for review and which became our property.

Fiskars Quik DrillTM – Product Review

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Improved drilling power through design

The Fiskars Quik Drill abandons the large helical screw thread found in more traditional designs in favor of two optimally angled boron steel blades secured around a sharp drill spike. This design assists penetrating even more resistant soil types and avoids jamming as the thread penetrates further. The exiting soil comes up in a neat pile for ease of disposal once the hole has been excavated.

The Quick Drill from Fiskars is a hand-operated earth auger for your garden and general homestead use. It makes planting potted trees and putting in fence posts a lot easier.

Whether you are planting trees, building fences, or other such tasks, Fiskars Quick Drill cuts to the point – pardon the pun – and makes digging those holes light work.

While it may look like and ice drill, and I would not be surprised if such a tool was the inspiration for the Quick Drill, it is, in fact, a garden drill or, to be more precise, an earth auger.

It is rather a simple product and simple is often superior to sophisticated and has many different uses.

First of all it make a hole in the soil and such a hole can be used for a variety of purposes. You can use it to plant flowers, shrubs or trees. You can make holkes foir fence posts and other similar tasks.

The blades, which are interchangeable by use of a so-called Allen key, some in three different sizes (so far), which are 10cm, 15cm and 20cm. The latter is the largest size presently available.

I have, in my tests, planted two trees using the Fiskars Quick Drill and using it was extremely easy and the job was accomplished very quickly. Well, in the second instance it was better than in the first. In the first one I encountered some rather serious obstacles, about 20cm or so down the hole, in the form of two large, overlapping, lumps of flint. Once they were prized out it continued with ease and the depth marker on the tool's shaft makes digging to the right size easy.

A great simple tool which makes digging holes for a variety of purposes easy without the need of employing a power auger.

Features:

• For planting hedges and trees, drilling a compost holes and installing large posts

• Drills a smooth edged hole without getting stuck on small stones or roots

• Handle made from FiberComp (a fiberglass reinforced polyamide) to make it extremely strong

• Steel tube shaft for maximum strength

• Dual cutting action with two optimally angled and sharpened blades

• Plus Parts are attached to the shaft with screws

• Working diameter 200mm

Made in Poland, European Union

© 2012

Fiskars Camping Axe X5 – Product Review

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

The Fiskars Camping Axe X5 is an ideal small axe (hatchet) for hikers and outdoor people.

In years gone by – maybe still today – there were small axes (hatchets) about that were referred to as “Forester hand axe” and this one definitely falls under that category and usability. The X5 would be idea for a forester and forest manager to carry on his or her rounds, and also for countryside officers and Rangers.

The X5 is a small, light axe that can be easily carried in your bag or on your belt and comes with a canvas sheath with some ballistic nylon accoutrements, such as the flap and the belt loop.

The weight of the blade is 390 grams and the overall weight of the axe is 480 grams. The length of the hatchet is 228 mm, just a bit over 8 inches. The axe head is just under 5 inches from blade to poll. It is drop forged with a precision ground, double hardened blade for maximum durability, yet, so it is said, it is easy to sharpen. I say, so it is said, for I have, not as yet, tried to sharpen it, as there is no need.

The blade is extremely resilient, as I have found out when I dropped it onto tiles of sorts where a chunk was taken out of the tile but the blade suffered no damage whatsoever. Just glad I got my bare foot out of the way quick enough when the hatchet fell; the result otherwise would not have been pretty.

A PTFE coating on the blade reduces friction by 25%, making it easier to pull out of logs, and it also protects the blade against corrosion.

The handle is molded around the head to ensure it stays put, even in heavy use, and is made from ultralight and durable Fibercomp™ which minimises fatigue and makes the axe virtually unbreakable.

A real little all-rounder hatchet that is ideal for any outdoor activity and for foresters and rangers as a utility hatchet for trail marking, marking trees for felling, removing small trees, etc.

The UK recommended retail price for the Camping Axe X5 is £33.33 excl. VAT which, with VAT of currently 20%, should equate about £39.99. This is, I am well aware, not cheap by any standards but, on the other hand, you will get a quality tool that, even if not too well cared for, will last for a long time to come.

© 2011

Fiskars Weed Puller – Product Review

Weeding - Reinvented with Fiskars Weed Puller

Grampa's Weeder on steroids

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Weeding is essential to keeping your lawn tidy and beautiful but it can be hard work to do it the ‘organic’ way without using chemicals.

Fiskars Weed Puller makes the task quick and fun: step-pull-and eject and the weed is extracted from the lawn by the root, while the gardener remains comfortably standing up. These innovative tools keep your hands and knees clean, and save your back from unnecessary strain whilst weeding with a ‘green’ conscience.

The Fiskars Weed Puller will be starring in a high profile TV advertising campaign – the first for a UK garden hand tools company. Running over the core gardening season from Easter until summer, the advertising campaign will reach 10 million consumers highlighting both innovation and the green aspects of the Weed Puller.

Andrew Smith, Managing Director of Fiskars UK Ltd, says: “Gardening is the UK’s number one hobby and we’ll be capitalising on this by undertaking an industry first with our TV campaign. As well as supporting retailers with increased brand awareness and improved merchandising, we continue to bring innovative and durable products to the market, making Fiskars the first name in garden hand tools.”

‘Green weeding’ - made easy

The Fiskars Weed Puller is a great invention for removing weeds, such as dandelions, from the garden. The tool is comfortable and easy to use: no digging or bending down is required and no chemicals are needed.

The Weed Puller is designed with a foot rest at the base of the shaft, allowing the tool to be easily driven into the ground by stepping on the ‘pedal’. Pulling the shaft towards you makes the deep-reaching stainless steel claws grab around the weed’s root from multiple directions, after which the tool is extracted from the ground. As such, unwanted plants are removed by the root and will not re-surface later. The special sliding mechanism ensures the weed to be safely ejected from the tool, eliminating the need to bend down and remove it manually.

I would not use the pedal as a stepping spur, as this would be unnecessary also, as the tool goes in easy enough with out this. But this is just a preference of mine and also, I assume, the long-handled version – the W82 – that I reviewed can be pushed into the ground easily.

The spur, or pedal, is the action which makes the Weed Puller work, in the same way as the good old Grandpa's Weeder – from the United States – with its wooden handle.

The difference to the old world tool of Grampa's Weeder Fiskars Weed Puller is basically the old tool on steroids and especially the ejector makes it faster to use.

The sleek design and high-functioning mechanisms of Fiskars Weed Puller enable users to easily tend a thoroughly “green” garden as no chemical or toxic weed-killers are required.

Personally I would not necessarily target dandelions though. Instead I harvest them as lettuce – no kidding – and dandelion is simply delicious and so versatile.

I have use the Fiskars Weed Puller W82 on some seriously large and deep rooted weeds in my garden and they came up a treat. Being that easy to use the Weed Puller would also be a great addition to the armory of any local authority gardener for caring for bowling greens and other formal lawns, without the need to go for toxic substances. Something that is very important in today's world, as with climate change, pollution, and dwindling oil supplies.

Fiskars Weed Puller W52: key characteristics

• Deep-reaching stainless steel claws grab the root from multiple directions

• Aluminium composite keeps the tool lightweight, yet sturdy

• Ejection system easily releases weed from tool when extracted from the ground

• Weight: 917 gr.

• Length: 99 cm

The innovative Fiskars Weed Puller has been awarded the Red Dot design award. The Fiskars Weed puller has an RRP of £39.99 including VAT and will be available in stores from early April at B&Q Focus, Homebase, independent garden centres and online at Amazon and Tesco.

The Weed Puller under test, however, was the W82, the one with the extendable handle, making it easier still on your back than the original model. I do not have a price for this one at the present moment and I suggest that readers might like to check the Fiskars website for their country as to availability and pricing of and for this product.

Garden Tools. Reinvented

Fiskars have always driven innovation of tools that reduce the effort, fatigue and strains often associated with gardening. Ergonomic, high performance cutting and landscaping tools are designed to do the hard work for the consumer, increasing the pleasure obtained from the gardening experinece. Fiskars Gardening Tools are designed with reinvention in mind-based around the power to make gardening easier.

With a long tradition and heritage for design, Fiskars is strongly committed to new product development and optimised manufacturing processes. Fiskars intends to reinvent the gardening experience, making it simple and pleasurable through tools that act like an extension of the body, boost power, improve control and reduce strain.

Please note that the the telescopic version of the product, the W82, is available exclusively at Homebase at RRP £55.00.

© 2011

Strike while the fire’s hot…

…Fiskars next generation axes – an evolution of craftmanship

The past few years have seen a Renaissance for wood burning fires and stoves. With rising costs of gas, electricity and oil – plus the glorious warmth of a wood burning fire or stove – many people have returned to the tradition of collecting, chopping and burning wood.

Chopping wood may sound like a tough and muscle demanding chore to some, but it no longer needs to be. Fiskars, a leading Finnish producer of exclusive quality gardening tools, introduces its range of Next Generation axes that builds upon 20 years of experience and fine-tuning of every detail imaginable to facilitate make chopping wood an easy task for all.

The axe head is integrated into the blade design to ensure it remains put under use. The ultralight and durable Fibercomp™ handle minimises fattigue and makes the axe virtually unbreakable. The perfect balance between head and shaft guarantee a safe and efficient swing. The anti-shock, hooked end of the handle offers a firm and comfortable grip. The subtle, yet ingenious improvement of the blade geometry, contributes to the refined user experience, as the rounder edges ensure easier removal from the log when splitting wood.

All meticulously calculated features that truly qualifies this range to be an evolution of craftmanship.

So, next time you need some wood for the fireplace, show off your skills with Fiskars new axe range. Most of the range weighs just over 1 kilo – lighter than the average handbag!

A family of seven

Fiskars new axe range consists of 4 universal/chopping axes for woodcraft, carpentry, pruning, cutting and logging, and 3 splitting axes for splitting firewood – in various sizes for different sized logs. But don’t dispair, the new axes all have their names printed on the shaft, which facilitates choosing the right tool for the right task. Available January 2011.

Stay Sharp

All new axes come with a sheath, a valuable and practical part of the axe, which protects both blade and user. The secure lock is easy to open and close and the sheath also serves as a handy carrying grip. The elegant finish of the new sheath design is in perfact harmony with the axe’s superior quality and performance.

Fiskars Next Generation Axes were awarded a ”2010 Red Dot Design Award” in one of the largest and most renowned design competitions worldwide. It is only conferred to particularly creative, innovative, and high-quality products.

How to cut the perfect log

There are many different techniques for splitting wood, but these are four easy steps to remember:

1. Place the log you need to split on a chopping block with the line of the grain running parallel with you. This will ensure that when the axe hits the wood, the force will be directed along the grain and not against it.

2. Stand with your legs slightly apart, though no more than the width of your shoulders. Then raise the axe high above your head.

3. Bring the axe down quite hard, aiming to hit the wood squarely along the grain.

4. Don’t worry if the wood doesn't split immediately, just repeat steps 2 and 3.

Fiskars is a leading global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden, and outdoors. The group has a strong portfolio of respected international brands, including Fiskars®, Iittala®, Gerber®, Silva®, and Buster®. Founded in 1649 and listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Fiskars is Finlands oldest company. Fiskars recorded net sales of €663 million in 2009, and employs some 3,600 people.

<>

Cultivating Weed Control

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

When faced with an abundant crop of weeds in the summer garden, you need to be clever about how to stop the growth now and limit future weeds. Fiskars range of cultivators can help you to regain control of your garden with ease and comfort.

One thing to remember when it some to weeds: some weeds indeed can be a crop, as they are edible and hence, maybe, you want to reconsider removing or killing them.

Dandelion, for instance, is one of those and despite the fact that most people see it as a pest and want to get rid of it dandelion is edible and very good for us too, and there are many other weeds just like that. I must say that I get a real kick out of seeing the reaction on people's faces when they ask me what to do with dandelion in their garden and I tell then “eat them”.

However, when it comes to tackling the weeds we do not want to crop with a range of Fiskars cultivators, weeding doesn’t have to be relentless. Technology has come on leaps and bounds and using effective cultivators that really get to the root of the problem will ensure those weeds are less likely to return.

Summer is the time that gardeners see hard work pay off and can enjoy an abundance of growth. Unfortunately weeds compete for as much space as cherished plants. Weeding is an unavoidable task in order to keep garden displays in tip top condition. With a range of Fiskars cultivators, weeding doesn’t have to be relentless. Technology has come on leaps and bounds and using effective cultivators that really get to the root of the problem will ensure those weeds are less likely to return.

The Fiskars Swoe is ideal for easy weeding in beds, borders and flowerbeds. An advanced 3 bevel edged design allows you to work around and behind plants, improving effectiveness in tight situations. All Fiskars tools are designed with comfort in mind and the Soft Grip handle and low soil adhesion ensured by a stainless steel head will protect from fatigue. Giving you the power to take firm control of weeds and have the energy left over to enjoy the garden! The Fiskars Swoe is guaranteed to last a lifetime.

The new Fiskars PowerLite Dutch Hoe is another cultivator that gardeners will want to add to their armoury against weeds. Strong, lightweight aluminium construction and ergonomically designed with a longer soft grip shaft, the PowerLite Dutch Hoe is a pleasure to handle. A stainless steel head and sharpened bevel edged blade slices through the toughest growth, giving you the upper hand in weed control. The PowerLite Dutch Hoe is guaranteed to make light work of weeding for 10 years.

RRP for the range of Fiskars Cultivators start from £27.99.

Fiskars produces a complete range of garden tools including pruners, shears, digging tools, cultivators and accessories, plus a kids’ tool set. It offers exciting innovations that help make gardening easier and more fun.

www.fiskars.com

© 2010

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.