Handy Tools for the Garden

One of Paul James’ favorite tools is his folding pruning saw. They come in handy for pruning chores that ordinary hand-held pruners can’t handle. Small versions cut branches up to four inches, and those with longer blades can cut branches twice as large.

Paul prefers those that cut on the pull stroke rather than the push stroke, because they make cutting much easier. He also recommends saws with a locking blade. It’s an important safety feature that prevents the blade from collapsing accidentally and putting the user at risk.

Another handy gizmo is the electric log splitter, which is actually safer than the manual method of splitting logs with an ax. Place a log (preferably a dry one) on the bottom plate, depress the two switches on the handle, and let the hydraulic mechanism do the rest. It splits logs with relative ease and because it’s powered by electricity rather than gasoline, it’s also relatively quiet.

handsaws - Silky Saws
electric log splitter - Mantis