Best Weeder Reviews
Weeding a garden isn’t a fun job, but it’s something that needs to be done regularly. To make it more efficient, choose the best weeder you can.
Contents
Introduction
Keeping your garden, walkways, and yard free of weeds can be difficult. If you don’t look out for it frequently, weeds can creep in and thrive while you’re not paying attention. That makes a difficult job when you do need to weed! Even if you don’t give them uh time to grow, weeding can still be hard if you’ve got a large area or if you do it regularly. You need the weeder if you’re going to do a consistently good job in maintaining the place!
Types of Weeders Available
There are a few different types of weeders you can get. The main types are manual weeders and mechanized weeders. Notice, mechanized is not the same as electronic, since there are very few electronic weeders out there.
Manual weeders require you to get personal with the weeds, since you’ll be using your own strength to work them out. They are usually shaped well to reach down and pry the weeds out of the ground like a crowbar. Manual weeders are built to grab onto weeds and make it very easy for you to get them out of the ground without using a huge amount of force.
Mechanized weeders have some sort of mechanism that will do a lot of the work for you. That doesn’t mean you won’t have to do anything, but you’ll have a much easier time pulling the weeds out, since there will be a design in place to do most of the pulling. A lot of these types are twist and pull weeders or gripping weeders. Twist and pull clamps onto the weeds and twists them out of the ground, whereas gripping weeders grab the weed and pull it straight out. Most mechanized weeders have foot pedals.
When Do You Need a Weeder?
Not everyone needs the best weed puller for their garden. If you have a raised bed garden with soft planting soil, you may not need a weeder at all. Although, if you have a few garden beds you’ll probably want a small manual weeder to help you do the job more quickly. Those with weeds in the walkway only can also use a manual weeder to pull them out. If you have a large yard that you like to weed, or a medium-sized garden, or if you have trouble kneeling down or bending over, a mechanized weeder can help you. Even if you use a grow tent, some smaller weeding tools come in handy.
Those that work in the commercial landscaping business will definitely want a good weeder to go along with them. If that’s you, you might want to consider getting both a manual and a mechanized weeder to make jobs of all sizes easier.
How to Use a Weeder for Your Garden
Weeders are not intended to pull up large plants, and most don’t work well on plants with woody stems. You should use them specifically for weeds. Depending on the type of weeds you have, you may need to look at a different weeder. For small to medium weeds, a manual weeder will work just fine. But if you have large weeds, you may need a specialized manual or mechanized weeder to deal with the larger size of the roots and the plants themselves.
Don’t use a weeder to pull up regular garden plants, unless they are also very small like a weed. It’s also not recommended to use them for digging or harvesting any type of plants, no matter how they might seem suited to that job. Be careful to avoid breaking the roots of your garden plants while you are weeding your garden.
Benefits of Using a Weeder
What’s the point of using a weeder? Here are the great benefits you can actually get from a weeder:
- Targeted weeding
If you want to pull up a specific weed without hurting other things around it, a weeder is your best shot. Some people use shovels or hoes to weed out larger plants, but this is very inaccurate and you may end up damaging surrounding plants. Weeders are more targeted, and they allow you to get rid of what you want to without disturbing anything else.
Spare your hands
Pulling up weeds with bare or gloved hands can really hurt your hands when you have to do it a lot. Even if it doesn’t hurt anymore, the calluses aren’t always desirable! Using a weeder keep you from having to pull everything up with your hands.
Pull up the whole root
Weeders are great at getting the main root system of weeds to come up when you pull them. If you fail to pull up all the roots, the weeds will simply grow back again from their already established root system! Get a good weeder to solve the problem completely.
Relieve your muscles
It takes a lot of work to pull a whole weed out of the ground. Using a weeder of any kind cuts down on the amount of your muscles will have to do in order to free the weeds from their dirt homes. Plus, you won’t have to carry around a heavy backpack sprayer full of weed killer!
How to Choose The Weeder
What do you need to look at when you’re choosing a weeder? Here’s what I recommend as the most important features to consider when you’re searhing for the weeder:
Type
Choose whether you want a manual weeder or a mechanized weeder. There are a lot of different kinds of weeders with mechanisms, so you’ll have a few choices in this category. Manual weeds also come in different shapes and types suited for various soil conditions and sizes of weeds.
Weed Size
Weeds with large, deep rots can be taken care of with a mechanized gripped weeder, whereas manual weeders are usually better for small to medium sized weeds. If the weeds have many small roots instead of one large taproot, a manual weeder is usually a better choice, since mechanized weeders are meant to pull weeds up and out.
Durability
You want a weeder that can withstand the hard life ahead of it. If you want a weeder that will last a long time, a manual weeder is usually your best option, because it won’t have any moving parts that can break or stop working. Mechanized weeders have a lot more advanced designs that can break more easily than manual weeders, especially when they are used extensively.
Soil Type
Although every type of weeder can work in soft dirt, not all weeders work well in harder dirt. If you have hard soil or clay soil, a manual weeder with a smaller, sharp blade design is your best option. Mechanized weeders don’t work well in soil that’s too hard, and you will risk breaking it.
Standing or Kneeling
Most mechanized weeders can be used while you’re standing, so they don’t require you to kneel down or bend your knees much. If you’re older or have any sort of health issues that would make kneeling or bending uncomfortable, than a mechanized weeder is a better choice for you. Manual weeders require you to kneel or bend down in order to reach the ground well and pull up weeds.
Top 5 Weeder Comparison Table
Product Name | Image | Type | Weed Size | Durability | Soil Type | Standing or Kneeling | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Manual | Small to large | Durable, tempered steel blade | Any | Kneeling | #1 | |
 | Mechanized (gripping) | Small to medium | Semi-durable, mix of plastic and metal | Soft to medium-hard, or wet soil | Standing | #2 | |
 | Manual | Small to large | Durable, steel blade with wood handle | Any | Kneeling | #3 | |
 | Manual | Small to medium | Medium durability, cast aluminum blade | Soft to medium-hard, or wet soil | Kneeling | #4 | |
 | Mechanized | Medium to large | Durable, powdered steel and bamboo | Any | Standing | #5 |
You can take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/CobraHead-001-Weeder-and-Cultivator/dp/B000JKONAO
This manual weeder boasts a very unique shape compared to most. It has a curved blade head that’s rounded at the end, making it great for digging small areas to remove weeds. You can get around a lot of different weed types with this weeder/cultivator, and it’s strong enough to last you years even with consistent use.
Pros
- Lightweight, only 9.2 oz.
- 13 inches long for effective digging in small areas
- Great for breaking up hard soil, not just weeding
- Easy to lift out entire weeds
- Ergonomic handle is comfortable
- Works well even in clay soil and dry soils
Cons
- Digs too much dirt if you’re weeding around seedlings
- Tip is not sharp
You can take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Deluxe-Stand-up-Weeder-4-claw/dp/B0030MIHAU
If you hate having to bend over and dig or pick up weeds, this Fiskars weeder does the trick. It has four small blades that you push into the ground. The blades grip around the weeds and their roots and pull both out of the ground when you push on the foot pedal. The is a quick release to drop the weeds into a container or on the ground.
Pros
- Comfortable, ergonomic handle shape
- Great for dandelions and thistles
- If you wet the soil first, it can work on almost any soil type
- Makes weeding a quick job
Cons
- This weeder has some parts that are not strong enough, and it sometimes breaks easily
- Doesn’t work well if there are stones around the yard
You can take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/Japan-Nejiri-Gama-Hoe/dp/B003BK2IMO
This manual weeder is similar to a hoe, but much smaller. It’s a Japanese tool designed to fit comfortably into your hand and help you cut away dirt and pull up weeds. The steel blade is 5 inches long, and the tool itself is 11 inches long, so it’s pretty good at helping you reach around the pull away a lot of different types of weeds. Although it’s very lightweight, it’s also strong and durable.
Pros
- Pulls weeds and slices unwanted roots
- Easy to dig through all types of soils
- Weights less than 6 oz.
- Carbon steel blade is easy to sharpen
- You can maneuver easily around other garden plants
Cons
- Build is a big crude looking, especially the welding, although it is sturdy
- Handle is smaller than on some similar tools
You can take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-70606935J-Softouch-Weeder/dp/B003TJ9G40
Made primarily to help you pull out large taproots, this small handheld weeder is ideal for soft soils and smaller gardens. It would get tiring too use for larger areas, but it’s very effective at pulling out small to medium sized weeds of most types. The curved fork head is made from sturdy cast aluminum and is shaped to help you get the work done without as much effort.
Pros
- Built to last and made from good materials
- Handle is very comfortable
- Great for leveraging out weeds and roots
- Works well for crab grass and dandelions
- Heavy duty feel
- Versatile tool for a lot of different weeds
Cons
- Doesn’t dig deep enough for large taproots
- Not effective in hard or dry soil
- Fork prongs are not sharp and are too short
You can take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/Grampas-Weeder-Stand-Weed-Removal/dp/B001D1FFZA
Originally designed in 1913, this weeder still has a relevant mechanism today that helps you grip and pull a lot of different weeds from the ground. It’s made of strong powder-coated steel with a bamboo handle. It has a foot pedal to help you drive the blades deeply into the ground. Then, all you have to do is lean it to the side of the pedal to pull up the weed with minimal effort.
Pros
- 45” inch handle is great for pulling weeds while standing
- Sturdy materials will last for years
- Lightweight and easy to carry around the yard
- No bending needed at all
- Easy for anyone to use
Cons
- Not good at pulling weeds without a taproot
- Can’t grip smaller weeds to pull them up
- No release mechanism for the weeds, they have to be pulled out by hand
Conclusion
Out of the weeder reviews above, I want to recommend the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator as the best weeder for most people. It’s got a solid design that makes it really versatile and ideal for removing a lot of differently sized weeds. The strong materials and excellent build also make it great for long-lasting use, so you won’t have to replace it quickly.
