Fiskars 38.5" Steel Edger Lawn Tool, Manual Long-Handled Edger for Grass and Garden Tiller for Soil, Garden and Yard Tool

This is the first time I have used this post hole digger design and I must say it works very well for my current post hole digging project (32 holes at 4 feet deep and 10 inches in diameter - no more or less. In the past I have been able to get away with the tried-and-true conventional post hole digger-style boring holes no more than 2 feet but with my current project's diameter constraint of 10 inches and 4 feet deep the conventional style diggers just won't cut it as the hole diameter would obviously have to be much wider to accommodate the spread of the handles while 'trapping' dirt. ~ The pivot is completely welded to the handle so no dealing with loose bolts/nuts which is a nice change! However, for me I immediately put my digger in the ground from taking it out of the box and realized that it was extremely difficult to move the handles to dig - very stiff! After about 15-20 minutes of continuous use it loosened up nicely (NOTE: obviously this is highly subjective. I'm a big guy so what I find as being suitable in terms of how 'difficult' it is to open-and-close this digger may not work for you. It is still slightly stiff for me to use but I find it suitable). If you would rather start your digging with a conveniently usable digger I highly recommend spending a few minutes opening and closing the digger to wear it in so hopefully it is much easier to use. I will say that opening and closing will still require more 'work' than your typical nut-and-bolt hinged digger so be prepared to exert more energy when using this! ~ Another great thing about this digger design is the fact that the handles do not come together; I have experienced no knuckle-smashing with this one. That's great seeing as I have a huge tendency to bring the handles together aggressively and bash my knuckles while digging with the conventional digger design. ~ With the all-steel construction this digger is much heavier than my conventional fiberglass-handled digger! I'm not complaining but just something I personally noticed. It may be a little heavier as mentioned but I'll take the quality of the construction over the fact that I have to take an extra break here-and-there. I have read old reviews of their Fiskars diggers bending and breaking but I can at least say that after digging 3 holes to 4 feet deep I haven't experienced this. Did Fiskars update their design to accommodate for this? Not sure. If I experience any of this I will update my review to let others know. ~ Lifetime warranty ~ This obviously has the same straight-blade design as with many diggers - the ends of the blades leave an opening when fully clenched which means dry, loose soil will be difficult to grab and retain. Not sure why I have read other reviews of people complaining about this when this has been the case for decades. For my projects and if your project permits just add a little water to the hole. This digger has performed well for me thus far. If I experience any issues I'll update this review accordingly. I highly recommend this digger if you are particularly in need of digging deep holes and don't feel like renting/buying a motored post hole digger. ------------------- UPDATE 10/22/14 ------------------------ I dug 22 holes at 4'+ deep in very rocky ground and this digger took a beating let me tell you! The digger looks like it went through a war zone. After using the digger for awhile the 'stiffness' of opening and closing it became MUCH easier over time; it even now squeaks when I open and close mine - no big deal. The 'stiffness' of opening-and-closing the digger does have an advantage in that you don't have to aggressively keep the blades together when trying to bring your payload up from 4' deep! Just close the blades and bring up the digger from the hole. After having completed 22 holes, how it stood up to a beating and how it made my life easier I highly recommend this digger! ------------------ UPDATE 11/25/14 --------------------------- I have completed my project; 32 holes each 4' down and ~10" in diameter in very rocky ground. This post hole digger stood up to a huge beating. Everything about this digger is in good shape and is still working. Very impressed!

The curved handle, both at the top and at the bottom, is a wonderful design innovation. The traditional design of posthole diggers requires the top of the hole to become ever wider as you dig deeper, but this design allows for holes with vertical sides, so there is less dirt to remove. And also, when the post is finally placed into the hole, the space that must be filled back in with dirt is smaller, allowing for easier tamping down and for a firmer placement in the hole. I bought my model in 2007 and I installed fences on three sides of our lot with it. Last week I decided to add two more sixteen-foot lengths to my fence, requiring two more holes for posts, and this tool again worked very efficiently. It is well worth the extra cost over a traditional-design posthole digger.

The product works like it should. Very happy with it!

Recently had a fence built and the crew compacted the soil along both side of it as they were working, which killed the grass. I bought this cultivator because I trusted Fiscars reputation. The tool is well built, lightweight, the tines are durable and rotate freely. It can be lengthened or shortened in size to suit your height, and comes fully assembled for use right out of the box. With this tool I made short work of aerating and loosening my clay soil. Grass has grown back in. A most useful tool, comfortable to grip and use.

I love this edger! Pros: No assembly No gas No fumes No vibration No noise Simple to use Easy to use Great quality materials and design Provides a good authentic workout Cons: More human energy expended to compensate for the benefit of "no gas fumes" Not easy for extremely overgrown edges Probably not best for enormous lawns, unless you really love getting your workout by edging It's super simple and easy to use. I had my lawn professionally mowed and edged when I first moved in, and then started using this along with the Fiskars Reel Mower linked here: Fiskars Staysharp Max Reel Mower, 18-Inch . The edger is simple to use. You just put it flat against the driveway, sidewalk, or edge and then you stomp down on it like a shovel, so that it goes straight down... perpendicular to the ground. Then you rock it a bit back and forth and move on down the line of the edge you are making, repeating that motion. This motion will cut the weeds/grass off in a straight line, and then it's super easy to go back and pick up the edged debris from between the clean line of the lawn and the driveway, sidewalk, or edge. I love that there are no gas fumes to hurt the environment or my lungs, and that I get an authentic little workout in every time I edge the lawn (I've never liked the gym!). This product is simple, easy to use, and employs the great design and quality that Fiskars is known for. I am a new fan of their lawn tools and I am proud to say my lawn is 100% human powered, thanks to Fiskars great products! I highly recommend this one.

A lot to be desired. Durable? Yes. Strong? Yes....but there's a big difference when you actually want to get the dirt out and get on with the project because when the digger is in the closed position, there's a nearly 1 3/4" gap that allows considerable amount of material to fall through. It makes no sense to go all out in the durability and strength then leave out the ability to actually perform what the tool is meant to do which is remove dirt, etc. Sure you can do it, but expect to get more of a workout due to the failure of the design. It was enough to return the item for the Kobalt post hole digger. A picture is worth a thousand words, well, see the photos of the Fiskars and Kobalt both in the closed position. I ended up with perhaps a lower quality handle on the Kobalt, but the clam shell closes, thus keeps the dirt in so you can remove it from the hole. It's even better if you buy a rock/digging bar to loosen the soil and then use the digger. It works great. Another thing about the Kobalt is that the tool came with a lifetime warranty, so you at least get your money's worth as well as more time is spent putting in the posts without spending it by still digging. Well if the photos don't show up, it's because Amazon chose not to post after my attempt to post.

Absolutely love this tiller. Great for we older individuals as a quick and efficient method for loosening the soil in our gardens. Light wt. Sturdy, makes weeding a lot easier.

How far this company has fallen! The tiller is okay, but not up to previous Fiskars quality. Over the years I have purchased dozens of their products and have been satisfied with both the product and customer service. Now you cannot contact anyone via phone and they literally take months to reply to an email. I had always been pleased--up until now--with their warranty service. I submitted a claim....waited nearly three months...and then was told I had to submit a receipt! Really?? Their products supposedly have a lifetime warranty. Their products are readily identifiable. I'm sorry, but if I kept every single receipt for small ticket items, I couldn't get into my house! So many other hand tool manufacturers offer no hassle warranties--without receipts: Craftsman, Husky, Kobalt, Snap-on...even Harbor Freight. Fiskars used to, but not any longer. Thay just lost another customer.