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Digging errant weeds out of the lawn is a great way to spend a Saturday morning—said no one ever. But if that single dandelion goes to seed, soon there will be dozens of cheery yellow blooms, followed by hundreds next year. So, neglect isn’t a good option, but kneeling, bending, or treating the lawn with toxic chemicals might not appeal to you, either.
Welcome to the world of manual weed pullers. As part of a larger test to determine which were the best stand-up weed pullers, I tried out the Fiskars 4-claw stand-up weeder in my own yard.
Is the Fiskars weeder perfect? No. You’ll still need to remove each offending weed one at a time, but as someone who’s tried digging out the long taproot of a dandelion, I found it much easier to do with this tool. Keep reading to find out what I liked about this weed pullerand what I think Fiskars could do to improve it even more.
Fiskars Stand-Up Weed Puller(4-Claw): At a Glance
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
- Tool type: Stand-up weeding tool
- Height: 39.25 inches
- Weight: 2.5 pounds
PROS
- Eco-friendly alternative to using toxic herbicides to get rid of weeds
- Effective at removing small to medium-size weeds, including dandelions
- Back-friendly and helpful for those with mobility issues
CONS
- Less effective on large weeds and those growing in hard, clay-based soils
Get the Fiskars stand-up weeder at:
What is the Fiskars weed puller?
This weeder is designed to make removing invasive weeds, such as dandelions or thistles, easier without resorting to harsh herbicides. Its long handle lets the user remove weeds while standing rather than having to kneel or bend to dig out the weed. Its nonslip, offset grip adds an ergonomic touch.
The weed puller toolhas four serrated steel claws and a step-on platform. By positioning the claws directly over the center of the weed and then stepping down on that platform, I was able to drive the claws deeply into the weed’s root system.
The serrated claws gripped the weed’s roots. And when I used the correct technique, I was able to pull the whole weed out of the ground, roots and all.
Is this just another garden gimmick?
At first, I was less than impressed with this weed-puller tool from Fiskars. This is because every time I pulled it out of the ground, the weed I was attempting to remove remained firmly rooted in the lawn. But I was doing it wrong.
I’ve had good luck with other Fiskar tools, so I wanted to give this weed-pulling tool a chance. After all, Fiskars is a well-known name in cutting tools, including scissors and paper cutters. It’s also a top manufacturer of gardening and landscaping tools, such as pruners, axes, and shears. So, before giving up on this weeder, I decided to read the instructions printed on the side of the tool’s handle.
There’s a technique to using the weeder, and once I mastered it, I was able to pull up weeds with relative ease—even those with taproots. I wasn’t successful on every attempt, but I was able to remove a majority of them.
So, what’s the magic technique?
It’s simple. Instead of pulling the Fiskars weeder up and out after I’d stepped on it and embedded the claws, I learned to tip the tool to the side, which allowed the serrated claws to retain a firm grip on the weed’s roots and pry it up and out of the ground. Once the weed was out, all I had to do was push the release lever on the handle downward, which ejected the weed from the claws.
It’s an easy technique, but it’s not intuitive—I wouldn’t have guessed how to use it had it not been described on the side of the handle.
When it worked—and when it didn’t.
After figuring out the best way to use the stand-up weeder, I tried it out on several different types of weeds and soil. I was almost always able to remove small to medium-size weeds, including dandelions and thistles. But if the taproot was wider than about ¾ inch in diameter or longer than 1 foot, the weeder wasn’t always successful.
I also realized I had more success when the soil was slightly damp, though not soggy. If I watered the soil one day, I’d have better luck the next day when I used the weeder. When the ground was too wet, the blades would slip around in the mud without being able to grasp the roots. When the ground was too dry, it was difficult to tip the tool to the side, and the weed’s roots often broke off instead of pulling out.
Is the Fiskars weed puller tool right for you?
The Fiskars weeder might be a good choice if you’re looking for an eco-friendly (and back-friendly) way to remove invasive weeds in your lawn or garden without resorting to toxic chemicals. If you have a lot of weeds to pull, it’s a time-saver.
If the soil in your yard is soft and loamy, you’ll have better luck with this tool than if it’s hard or clay-based. Removing most weeds is relatively simple as long as they haven’t developed massive taproots, in which case the tool tends to be less successful.
The Fiskars weeder has its place, and it can be beneficial for those who have mobility issues and find repeatedly bending and kneeling to dig out weeds difficult. If you buy it, take some time to learn the correct way to use it; if you don’t, it’s not worth the cost.
Where to Buy the Fiskar Weed Puller
Get the Fiskars stand-up weeder at:
Meet the Tester
Glenda Taylor is a product tester and writer specializing in the construction, remodeling, and real estate industries. She and her husband own a general contracting company, and Taylor is experienced in both residential and commercial building applications. She tests a wide range of power tools as well as other home improvement, household, and lawn-and-garden products.