CobraHead® Original Weeder & Cultivator Garden Hand Tool - Forged Steel Blade - Recycled Plastic Handle - Ergonomically Designed for Digging, Edging & Planting - Gardeners Love Our Most Versatile Tool

This tool is the closest thing to make weeding fun. Why does it work so well? What makes a weed a weed? It's because of a root system that is larger than most plants, that is why it is so invasive. It hogs the ground. This tool makes it easy to snag the root system of a plant and pull it out of the ground. Fortunately it is well made. It is so effective, I often use it to tackle much larger jobs such as removing small tree roots and clumps of guinea grass around 10" in diameter. For the latter, I work the tool head around the periphery of the root clump, breaking roots inward, until I can use the tool as a pry bar to pull the root clump out of the ground. Here are the pros and cons of this tool:Pros:1. A simple design, which is the most effective for weeding. I tried conventional weeding tools, but this is my go-to tool.2. Forged tool head is strong. I work in soil with a lot of rocks and the steel is high quality and the spade head resists chipping and marring when I accidentally hit rocks. I also have not broken the shaft when tacking larger jobs although I can feel it bend. The super sharp, high carbon steel Japanese imports also work well, but they are designed for the perfect soils in Japan: rich and loamy, with nary a rock or stone in it. Using those finesse tools in the soil I have will chip and dull the tools in no time.Cons:1. Using this tool is really hard on the back. For most effective use you have to bend your back at a 90 degree angle to your legs to allow you to hook and pull up weeds as you move around the yard. After 45' of weeding, my back is killing me! They do make a long handle version so you can stand upright but I prefer to get closer in for more control while weeding.2. The manufacturer really should make a larger version 2x the size of this tool. There is a long handle version but guess what? It uses the same size head as the single hand tool. A larger tool head would make it much easier when users inevitably tackle larger jobs due to the effectiveness of this tool.3. The manufacturer seems unaware of something known in the metalworking industry as 'threadlockers'. To prevent the set screw on the long handle version from working loose frequently you can use a medium threadlocker such as LocTite Blue. It is used in the automotive industry to prevent nuts and bolts from loosening due to vibration. If you do need to break it loose for repair, it can be done with some effort, but nothing unmanageable (don't use LocTite Red, as that requires heating the part to 200 degrees F to loosen).4. The tool is a bit pricey (but worth the price).Update: I am glad Cobrahead uses good steel in this tool, because I don't know how many times I've hit rocks in the soil when using it. I also had to pry out fiddleback fern growing between stones in a stone wall (to transfer to soil). I hit the stones so hard trying to get under the roots, that I saw sparks on several occasions. Despite all this, the tool head still holds it's edge well.

This is a great little handy tool. Perfect for loosening the soil and making a hole to refresh my flower pots. I like how light-weight it is. Length is good for the blade and the handle. The handle is comfortable. Perfect for small spaces between plants. I also bought the long handle version and I’m so glad that I did. They are both well-made, must have tools to help make gardening easy and enjoyable.

This is a must have tool for me. I can dig out weeds with the roots even tough ones. It does not wear down so should last for years if not forever.

When we first bought one of these Cobraheads years ago, we were not sure how useful it would be in the garden. Wow were we surprised! This is now our go-to gardening tool for so many tasks. it can weed, loosen and aerate the soil, smooth the soil surface, pull landscaping pins out of the ground, pull roots out of the ground, ease the harvesting of garlic, and scratch your back.I do not know how we ever did gardening without this useful and versatile tool.

It’s the only tool you will need!

I'm an avid gardener with years of experience managing hundreds of square feet of ornamental beds, vegetable gardens and a 1/2 acre wild flower meadow. I've done a lot of weed management over the years so I feel confident in reviewing the Cobra.First the pro's: This weeder is ruggedly constructed. The resin handle feels unbreakable and the metal is unbendable. I expect this tool to last me for the rest of my life.The Con's: The design is seriously flawed in my opinion. The spade shape of the tip is terrible. When trying to pull a weed with any sort of a tap root the end just slides to the side making it impossible to get a grip on the root. Chopping out roots with the spade tip doesn't work since it slides to the side to seek the path of least resistance. Getting a grip on anything that doesn't have a mesh of roots is nearly impossible.The Fix: When I first tried it out I was so annoyed with it's design I put it up on the wall of my garage and didn't pick it up again that season. This year I took it back down and realized that if I cut a notch in it, similar to the traditional lawn weeder so common for the past 50+ years it would solve the spade shape problem. I used my dremel with a cutting wheel to cut the notch - see photo. Took me about 5 min.Now it's a must have tool for me in the yard. I can pull small sapplings from my meadow, chop out tough rooted plants like raspberries and rip up anything with fibrous roots. I'm only limited by my own strength. With the forked tip it travels straight and swinging it with force it can cut through tough roots or give me a grip on the root so I can pull it entirely out. Modified, the Cobra is a beast. Of course it makes quick work of smaller weeds as well.I can't say enough about how important it is to modify it and how much I like it now. It's a little too aggressive to use in the lawn but if you have tough weeds anywhere else, this is the best tool to tackle them I've used yet. A must buy and a must modify.Took a star since I needed to modify it. If it came with the notched tip 5 stars wouldn't be enough.If you find this idea helpful, give it a yes vote so others can discover this review. I just saw a review wishing it had a v-notch. Guess I'm not alone. :)

I can’t say enough about this little gem!! I got it to give to someone who was always out weeding and talking about how it hurts her hands sometimes. She looked at this and said she would give it a try and now she is hooked. Says nothing has worked so well for weeding! Very little effort needed for big results. It can also be used to dig a narrow trench. She was so happy with this gift that I went on to buy several more to give as gifts. Each person has raved about it. I finally got myself one. My friends do not exaggerate! This tool is awesome and so easy to use!!

Terrific tool that does an excellent job in targeting weeds. Simple, effective and economic solution. Wish I knew about it 50 years ago.