I think you'll have the same issue with this tool that you had with the weed hound. It looks somewhat similar in use, and the defeating factor is probably using it when the soil isn't damp enough. I'm a happy weed hound owner, but I've got a lot of dandelions cropping up in holes because I used it when the soil was too dry.

Based on the way this works, the same would hold true for this tool. The problem is that when the soil is dry, the root breaks off at the lowest point where the tool grabs it, rather than pulling cleanly out of the ground.

Use it after a rain, or after the lawn has been watered, and I think you'll be very happy with it.

That's what I figured; use it when the soil's damp. That may or may not have been the secret to it getting more than just dandelions for me in WA. I got huge clumps of black medic & clover even. I never thought weeding a lawn could be fun. LOL

I was going to give in & just repurchase the Weed Hound & deal with what it couldn't get by using the "snake tongue" hand tool, but I couldn't find it anymore. I was in Wal*Mart & Lowe's looking for a thatching rake & neither store had either tool. I was just at Home Depot a couple weeks ago so I think I even looked there.

That's when I started a web search for "Weed Hound" & "Grampa's Weeder" was one of the results. I had a look & practically jumped for joy when I got it for $18.73 + $5.47 shipping.

I can't remember exactly, but I think I paid around $25 + tax for the Weed Hound when purchased the first time at Lowe's. So it pretty much all comes out the same & they both use the same concept. Either way I probably come out a winner.