[lilymarlene]

As a totally converted user of this "digging" implement I have been wondering why they are not for sale nowadays at Garden Centres.
I love mine.....! I have recently been making new beds in my lawn. The soil is too hard to dig, so I ripped the top layer of turf to bits with the claw, then using my long handled hand fork I weeded out the grass plants, then disturbed the ground some more with the claw. This produced a friable soil, worked to 4 inches deep, without exposing new soil to the light and by so doing allowing a heavy crop of weeds. The bit of the bed I did last month has not grown a single weed, and the herbs I put in from a marked down set of 6 I spotted at the Garden centre looking rather the worse for wear, look wonderful. They have doubled in size in a month.

[Heather_S]

I've seen the non-branded version of "the claw" at all the major DIY stores I've been in lately. I would think they're only good for certain things that don't need deep soil digging. Otherwise I'm sticking to a spade, fork and hoe.

[GrannieAnnie]

I've got a cheaper version of the claw, because I couldnt' afford the proper one,  it was £3 in Wilkinsons.  Didn't use it at first because someone took the lickey, but have used it this last couple of days as I can't dig for long without getting a tummy ache.  OK, it takes a little longer then digging, and as my beds were rotavated last year, they don't need any deep digging, but I've 'dug' over a lot more ground with it than I could with the spade, so yep, I'm in favour of the garden claw.  Even this cheap one has helped me get out a lot of weeks, except the docks!!!

[Gwiz]

i was given a long handled version of this tool because of back problems, i must say its a very handy thing to hang your hat on.....

[kooringa]

So is that a vote for the claw like tools then.  How about hoeing with them.  I have thought about getting one for ages, but have never met anyone how had one to ask if they really worked or were just another gimmick

[GrannieAnnie]

They are no good for docks, but a little twist certainly gets rid of a lot of things.  Depends on the area you are doing, you couldn't get too near your existing veggies in case it twists them out of the ground, but when I was doing the patches where my shallots are now, it was quicker than digging, and got the roots out too, unlike hoeing, but I thinkhoeing is quicker

[kooringa]

Great,thanks for that feed back it was very useful