Tools – Give or Take

When we purchase tools each of us makes a choice, consciously or not, for tools that give or tools that take. And by “tools that take”, I mean tools that continue to drain our resources long after we bought them. For instance, way back when I received a gasoline powered string trimmer, or “weed whacker”, for fathers day. I was delighted because I was then able to walk anywhere on our property and trim our developing lawn without dragging an extension cord for my electric trimmer. But, there was an ongoing cost. The plastic string was rapidly consumed and we had to buy more. Since it had a two-cycle engine we had to add special oil to the gasoline. And it vibrated, and was loud, and hot, and smelly, and splattered pulverized stuff all over the place and me. When I was done trimming, there was no practical way to pick up the debris and compost it. Ultimately the string head gave out and I took the trimmer to the local lawn and garden repair shop. I was informed that the trimmer I had wasn’t designed to be used more than ten minutes at a time and I was lucky that it lasted as long as it did. What I really needed, he said, was a new trimmer with all these features for only $250. Thanks, but no thanks.

So, rather than a motorized string trimmer, consider a scythe instead. Here’s a tool that keeps giving. It’s muscle powered, so no gasoline. No consumable string and the blade will last a really long time with care. It’s nearly silent and you won’t be getting those bad vibrations. The trimmings will be deposited neatly in a windrow at the end of your stroke to be gathered up and composted, or possibly dried for hay. But the scythe is even better than that. It can easily cut through stems that a string trimmer can’t even touch. I like it a lot. And yes, you can trim at least as close to fences and other obstacles as you can with a string trimmer. With care, a scythe will even be safer to use around tender (or not so tender, like young trees) plants than a string trimmer will ever be. But you do need to take care, the blade is very sharp and will easily cut through hidden objects like irrigation lines.



You would think that all hand tools would fall into the category of “tools that keep giving”, but they don’t. Poor quality tools, like the mass market garden tools sold at big box retailers and, sadly your local hardware store, are frankly junk. Don’t be tempted by the $8 shovel like I was several years back. “It’s cheaper than a new handle!” said the lady at the hardware store. Yep, and it broke digging its first hole. Price doesn’t matter either, the $80 shovel I bought (it’s got a forged blade!) also broke digging its first hole. The replacement broke a few months later. We’ll see how long the third one lasts. My experience with spading forks has been worse. Not only are they clearly not designed for the task, but the manufacturing quality is the absolute pits. These are tools that keep taking. You should take your business elsewhere, I know I will.

By the way, I bought my scythe from Scythe Supply (www.scythesupply.com). They offer a complete outfit that’s pretty good. It’s worth ordering a fine whetstone to go with the outfit though. The standard whetstone is medium grit, which is good and necessary, but the fine one will put a finer edge on the scythe. I found The Scythe Book, which comes with the outfit, very helpful but I recommend reading the appendix first or only.