Mattock My Killer Tool

I just found out the name of my "killer" tool, the Mattock. With out this wonder tool I would have never learned to love gardening the way I do. It is my most used tool. Because of having the TRAM FLAP proceedure for Breast Cancer(age 44) last year I can't use a hoe comfortably. BUT, I CAN use my Mattock! You may even find me in a neighbors yard...I'm driving hubby mad....he still hates gardening. I'm putting him in charge og veggies. Sometimes my back gets a little sore but still say it is a wonder tool. I have yet to have someone see me use and not want one......OK, maybe my adult children....actually my son-in-law from Vegas will LOVE it for his back yard clay!:)
PS.....Have those mams grammed!!!! Think Pink:)

Are you doing well? I will keep you in my prayers.

Can you please show a pic of the mattock?

Hi! I am also a cancer survivor...mine was trophoblastic cancer...a rare reproductive cancer. I also have a degenerative joint disease that causes my joints to die (bilateral hip replacments and one shouldr so far, the other shoulder, bilateral elbows, and bilateral knees to come), and I have lupus....how's that for an inventory? LOL! Anyway, I obviously have 'issues' with mobility. I'd like to know more about your mattock. What does it do? How do you use it? Where do you get it?

I've been looking for a tool that pulls weeds without having to stoop or swing. My aunt has a friend that has a tool she bought on TV years ago that she sticks down in the dirt and pushes some sort of knob on the top and it grabs the weed and pulls it for her. I've been looking for a similar tool. So far, the closest I have seen is one at Home Depot. There seem to be some cheap knock offs on the market...most don't really work. The Garden Claw won't work because it requires the twisting motion. Others have some sort of chopping motion that really just chops the weed off at the top...or it has a sort of shovel type thing that has to be cleared after each weed is pulled. That would be a pain in the tail. Wish I could find one like my aunt's friend...just stick it on top of the dandelion, push the knob, and it pops the dandelion out of the ground and you mvoe on to the next one....

I'm doing wonderful, thank you. You guys need this tool:>)
Here are a couple sites I visited to see what I had. Mine is older and is very sturdy. It has the hoe and a three pronged pick, like the bottom picture. I LOVE it! Just look up Mattock on google. Karen~

http://www.homegardenandpatio.com/curb/garden_tools_mattocks.htm
Mattock
Breaking up the soil can be very difficult in clay situations, and working around established trees can leave you frustrated with the roots. The right tool for both jobs is a mattock. It looks like the offspring of a pick and a hoe and handles both these tough jobs and a lot of others. I do not own a pick; the mattock covers those bases nicely as well (I am fond of tools that multi-task).

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/tools.html

I have a big old, heavy mattock with a wooden handle. It works great for knocking down old fences as well as for digging in tough clay. It's definitely a multi-tasker!

Gardenwife~That is the same kind I have! I love it! But can't find one like it anywhere. I keep my eyes open at yard sales. I used an older one at my mother-in-laws and it just didn't compare. I have also used my paret's new version. Mine is far superior. The key is to find the heavy, old wooden handle ones! K~

Heh....You got it. The heavy metal head gives it some real oomph when it hits whatever you're aiming for. Just hope it's not your leg or foot. ;)

http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2346663 The thread's about our neighbor's fence coming down.

That cracks me up! OK, you have me beat! Mine is about half that size and has the 3 prongs on one side. I don't think I could use that one!....I need something I can swing with one hand while close to the ground. I do make sure mine is put away or brought in. I never leave it out...It's quite the weapon, it would be wrong to have someone kill you with your own garden tools. OK, that's the joke around our house when someone sees it indoors. But I WILL NOT leave it on the porch...that's a fact! K~

Added 10/06
I can use it now with two hands::) I can also use the larger one for a short period of time::)) I'm getting nice muscles in my arms::)) Still can't do much standing and trying to use the raking/hoeing motion. But.....I DO get a lot done my way and can work very hard near the ground. It has helped me to lose 50 lbs since march 15th!!! YEAH!~!~

This message was edited Oct 13, 2006 10:31 PM

This thing is *heavy*, definitely not a one-hander.

I could see that! Wow! Now that's a killer tool!:)

the uproot weeder from fiskars is lightweight. all you have to do is place the tip on top of the dandelion, then use your foot to 'leverage' the motion. it's amazing.

Oh yes, this tool has been WONDERFUL in the Las Vegas rock beds::)) I also used it in my cousin's hard clay soil...now that was a workout. You have to make sure and buy a good one. Having a good blade makes a big difference.

Hello,

the Army and Navy stores carry the same tool. The nice thing about this one is that the metal part is not screwed to the handle. That way when you don't need the handle, you can just take it off and just use the tool part. Very nice when you are working in a tight place. I have been using this tool for breaking clay soil, digging trees for bonsai and many other tasks. It is also cheap.

Sita

Thanks, I love mine. I'll pass the info on to others who are looking.
K~

Mattocks are great! Mine is heayy enough that I can weed or scrape by just dragging it towrds me. They're the only way to chop roots.

Not so good for big rocks, but my SO found a pick-head abandoned by someone, and added a handle to it, spnow I can remove anything from the clay-rock concrete that pretends to be soil where I live.

It just takes a lot of time, and sitting down between sessions of hacking.

I soon learned that you can't dig DOWN into clay to make a bed, unless you also cut a drainage ditch lower than the lowest point in your bed! Unless you like mud baths. Hence raised beds with hand-made soil.

Now I have a mountain of removed clay that I'm screening big and medium rocks from. And trying to amend into something usable. I think I'll be carrying bags of manure, sand, peat and coir in my trunk for years! I have an idea about lightening it enough that buck wheat or oats could survive in it, then letting them help me out for a few years.

It seems strange that a cuibic yard of compost is more epxensive than bags, but so it is.