I thought it might be fun to post some photos of these unusual items and see if you can;
1. Tell me its name. (1 point)
2. Its function (1 point)
3. Give us your first hand review (2 points)

If you have a gizmo, gadget, or garden tool that you think might stump us please post a photo or description.

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

No ideas on anything else, but I am curious to know more.

Six

Carol

#1 could be a transplant/dividing tool (or, yes, I guess a gum stimulator) since it would cut into the earth with the "teeth" but then keep the rootball from falling apart (sorta).

#4 might keep my sleeves dry by keeping the inevitable drips from running back down the hose - I'm assuming the gizmo is just the rubber collar.

#5 is a specialty shovel developed by the American Association of Chiropractors. Its main function is to allow you to get more soil onto the shovel than you can actually lift without wrecking your back.

#6 looks like it shoots disinfectant onto the blades after making a cut. Wow I can't believe I've lived without one of those all these years.

#6 probably squirts herbicide after lopping invasive plants.

Otherwise, not really sure.

#2 - I don't care if the "right" answer has been given - I'm going with Carol and say Lawn Bingo since that was my guess, but she beat me to the punch (fist bump Carol)

#3 - Garden truncheon - for those pesky woodchucks. Not shown: the garden tool handle adaptor that this screws into making it a practice lance

#4 - Agree with Nan: dribble guard

#5 - Going with Nan again although it could have been developed for the American Academy of Back Surgeons also. This model is disdained by highway workers

#6 - Nan again (fist bump for you too)

#7

#8

#9

# 10

$300?! Ouch! Not late night TV costs
Babs seems to doubt my ability to pay outrageous amounts of money for ridiculous items, just wait till I reveal the price tag on #7.

I am sorry to have to inform the rest of you but Babs is on a hot winning streak.

#3 looks like an anchor bolt to fasten garden trellises or sculpture to a base/foundation Not quite but I am going to give it to you anyway. This is a "Garnier Limb" check out the link as it describes pretty well how this is a crucial item when building a serious tree house. When screwed into a fir tree for example it acts as a limb and can handle a weight load of 5,000 lbs. Now there is no excuse for you parents with young children begging for a tree house.

#4 keeps sand/dirt out of the grooves in the hose connection That is exactly right but I am a little worried for you or anyone who is so on the ball that like me you are not constantly scraping the dirt out of the threads. These thread protectors sell for a dollar and change.

#8 saw for dividing tough perennial clumps like the big grasses or Siberian irises Not exactly but I am going to give it to you anyway, it is a root saw from "Red Pig" that seems to have a number of cool hand forged tools. As I am tired of trashing my finer cutting tools on roots I think I am actually going to give this one a try.

#9 if it's webbed, I think it is to keep critters out of the plant roots; if reinforced plastic, it's a plant diaper to contain leaks This is copper fabric to keep snails and slugs from entering your pots.

#10 Now that looks like an electric weed zapper - the plug is a bit of a hint That’s right this Electric Weeder zaps weeds with high heat (400 degrees).

11

12

13

14

15

16

No. 12 is definitely for raking those pesky clams out of the perennial bed. Cape Cod sandy soil, y'know.

No. 13 you gave away, you realize. It says "spider catcher". Is this a humane one, so one can catch and release them, preferably outside? If not, what's wrong with a rolled-up newspaper?

OK, I cheated on No. 14 and went to the DeWit Store site. It's a patio knife, ostensibly for digging out the weeds from between the expensive slabs of bluestone. But after the 3rd round of martinis accompanied by discussion of the best compost recipe, it has been known to be wielded in duels (at dusk, not dawn).

No. 15 should be a sort of dibble to put bean seeds really deep and then pogo down the planting line. But I'm at a loss here.

And No. 16 is photographed on its natural background, rocks. I've seen this one: for weeding & digging out weeds in your rock garden. Personally, I use an old butter knife.

kt, I'm gonna raid your garden shed some midnight. This is quite a collection -- even if it's only on your wish list.

Carol

#12 looks kind of like a blueberry rake for harvesting low-bush blueberries, but the handle goes the wrong way. But I'm going to guess that it has a similar use.

#16 - I'm not sure what it's really for, but I'd use it for planting bulbs in an already planted bed, especially those little reticulated iris that I love so much since I've heard they perennialize better if planted deeply.

Is the 'stem' of #15 hollow?

I have to say, KT, you remind me of my husband who collects (& to be honest uses) tools to the point that there's a lot of gentle teasing in our household about his 'toys' and that he's entered a competition of 'he who dies with the most toys wins . . .' because he is strongly in the running.

11. Bulb planter?
Professional Bulb Planter – "from DeWitt"
Now you can plant bulbs and perennials quickly and easily. In soft soil, you twist and push the closed planter to make the hole, drop in the bulb, open the planter, lift and you're done. In harder soil, you push the open digger into the ground, close and lift. Lets you position perennials without bending over: use this tool to pick them up and place them in the hole. Long handles, so you can stand up straight instead of hunching over. Length is 43 inches. Blades are 6 inches long. Diameter is 3 inches. Weighs 3 3/4 pounds.

12. Mulch rake?
Cleanup rake – "from Rittenhouse"
The Cleanup Rake was designed to move mulch, pick up leaves, pet waste, stall and barn cleanup.
The Cleanup Rake is used to move bark mulches andpick up matted wet leaves. This rake is also good for picking upyour piles of dethatcheddead grass.
The Cleanup Rake can also be used for cleaning upan areaof pet waste and Kennel debris. In horse stalls and barns, it will replace your old plastic cleanup forks.
The Cleanup rake will also come in handy for those living along the beach. Here youwill use it for removing debris andunwanted itemsfrom your beach. The cast 380 aluminum head and metal handle are easy to wash down and cleanup.

13. Well this one's labeled spider catcher. I've heard that dustbusters do a good job for this chore, though I just tend to ignore spiders unless they're in my face.
This is another product from Rittenhouse that frankly made me chuckle I could just picture an Arachnophobe with this silly gun!
14. Another give-away, this one's labeled root feeder--I assume for trees? In rocky New England soil I wonder how many jabs it would take to actually sink all 14" of that spike.
I think you might be right about that it would be interesting to hear if anyone has ever used something similar and what the results were. This is a Grocor Root Feeder & Soil Injector again from "Rittenhouse"

15. Seed planter
Not exactly but I am going to give you the points anyway as you could use it as such. Rockery Trowel - Specially designed for work in rock gardens. Allows deep digging in very confined areas. Length is 15 inches with an 8 1/2-inch head, width is 1 inch. Weighs 8 ounces. Again from DeWitt"

Carol
Once again gets extra points for humor
And No. 16 is photographed on its natural background, rocks. I've seen this one: for weeding & digging out weeds in your rock garden. Personally, I use an old butter knife.
Patio Knife Now you can quickly remove weeds from joints between paving stones or bricks in patio, drvieway or walk. Use the hook side to clear weeds from joints, use the sharp knife side for beveled edges. Length is 10 inches with a 5 1/2-inch head, maximum width is 3 inches. Weighs 8 ounces. "from DeWitt"
Babs
Wish I had a garden shed just an ever shrinking corner of the garage as Joe is the one in my family with a tool addiction. I am just having fun with you all, so far I am considering purchasing the compost spreader if I ever hear some firsthand reviews and I might try one of the tools made by the company in photo #1, and I would like to try the root cutter by Red Pig, of course I still need to purchase the long handled Cape Cod Weeder…did I say it was Joe who had the tool addiction?

17

18

19

20

21 ***Just love the name of this silly tool!!

22

Carol

If I knew how to post photos the way runktrun does, you'd see a picture of one in this gadget thread. But the URL below may help.

Carol

Would be great for roots too.

Every gardener needs this tool, and it is only six bucks! Link below...

Carl

Carol,
Cool little gadget those would work well for hanging things from my basement ceiling studs (god forbid I thow any basement clutter away.) If you are interested in posting photos in the future Claire has written instructions in the FAQ located at the top of the page. If you have any further questions feel free to email me.

Hi Scout,
Well you certainly found a good tool at a great bargain...I just love when that happens. The tool that I posted was nowhere near that great of a bargain particularly since it was from " Dieter Schmid fine tools" so the shipping would likely cost more than the tool itself. Dieter Schmid described the tool as a Harvesting Sickle
With teeth, for harvesting many kinds of vegetable, suitable too for separating roots when re-potting. Length of blade 80 mm, total length 22 cm Their description of this tools function maybe because they also sell a Sickle for grass cutting (Kama) which has a longer blade but no teeth.

Carl,
Perhaps the proceeds from your raffle could go to bribing the GW powers that be into a few technical improvements.

More point attempts even though I won't have the trademarked name: #17 is a decoy hornets's nest to deter the real thing.

And since no one has gone for the obvious points inherent in decoding the DeckFlosser - this is for cleaning the cracks in your deck (or plumber). (Going for those humor points as they are they only ones I seems to get, but "cracks" about plumbers are risky here)

#22 Looks like some sort of ghetto view enhancer.

#17 is indeed a decoy hornets nest...who thinks these things up? - One Point

#21 is indeed a DeckFlosser but you were right plumbers crack jokes result in an immediate loss of up to Five Points.

For nearly $4000.00 I think the lawnbott should come with a number of add ons such as a fork that removes weeds as in mows!

#7
Lawnbott
The LB3510 is the newest and most sophisticated robot mower on the planet. User programmable for up to 4 working zones, the LB3510 also comes standard with a double capacity Li-ion battery to power this larger model, covering homes up to 1 ½ acres. If you want the best in a robotic, electric mower, the LB3510 is it!

$3,999.00

#22
Electronic Slug Fence
Stop those pesky slugs from ruining your Hostas, your vegetable garden or any other plants that are being attacked by slugs in your garden. This ingenious device puts a very small charge on a wire mesh fence and will repel the snails and slugs before they get to your plants. By Slugs Away $46.03

#19
HIDEHISA Japanese Ikebana Shears
The blades of these shears are not laminated (a hard, tool steel forge-welded to a softer iron body), but rather they are made entirely of Hitachi YCS3-Steel. With traditional Japanese laminated shears, the problem is often that when cutting, the relatively soft iron body of the shears bends under stress and so the blades, however hard and sharp, no longer meet closely enough to provide a proper shearing cut.
But if one makes the shears entirely out of the hard "Hagane" steel, they would be too susceptible to breaking, as the "Hagane" steel is relatively brittle. The modern alloy YCS3-Steel makes it possible to harden the blades to HRC 63, but to avoid the brittleness characteristic of high-carbon steels.
It also allows the body of the shears to be engineered more finely, to a total weight of only 138 g - lighter than other shears designed to do the same job. The light weight staves off fatigue. These shears are particularly suited to hard and knotty branches due to their short, strong blades.
HIDEHISA hand forged shears are manufactured in Sanjo, Niigata Province, Japan by an old, established firm well known for the quality of their wares.