Ratchet Secateurs (Gelindo)
These pruners were sent to me for test and evaluation purposes and I'm delighted to have accepted because they brilliantly bridge the gap between regular bypass secateurs (of which we have several pairs) and larger and heavy loppers. We do a lot of pruning, mostly roses but also a variety of bushes and hedges, and quite often canes fall in that in-between size. I was amazed at how easily these pruners deal with those large, tough canes. The ratchet action is very powerful and requires a different approach from just squeezing the blades together, but it's very easy to acquire the necessary technique.
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Pruning will always be a time-consuming and rather tedious job, but I don't dread it quite so much with such a powerful and efficient tool at my disposal. The ergonomics really work for me, I can use these pruners even with bare hands without getting blisters and the rubber inserts give just enough cushioning and grip but, most importantly, stay in place, unlike those plastic sleeves that keep moving around or coming off. The security catch to close them is well designed and easy to engage, but the best part is the blade, very sharp and Teflon-coated. Every cut is clean and straight and so far I have never crushed a cane using these. Very easy to maintain, too. Once the work is done, a quick wash and a light coating of oil and they are ready for another session.
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Heavy-duty Bypass Pruning Shears SH-01 (Crenova)
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We already have something like seven or eight pruning shears, ranging from heavy-duty and expensive to cheap and cheerful, and we try to keep them professionally sharpened. With over a hundred roses (some huge climbers), they get a lot of use.
When these secateurs arrived, I thought they looked small, but in use they perform like my heaviest, sturdiest ones. The light weight and ergonomic profile are noticeable advantages after hours of continuous use. The blade is extremely sharp and capable. I was surprised at the size of cane they can handle, both living wood and harder dead branches (easily 1 cm in diameter), although I will keep these strictly for fresh wood to avoid dulling the blade. Also they cut cleanly instead of crushing. The blade metal seems to resist dirt and it's easy to wash the sap off it before storing. I find the handle really comfortable to hold, the spring is strong and the locking catch works, although the design didn't look terribly secure at first. I also love the bright orange and black colour, in fact, I wish the handles were all orange. I have lost sight of my green shears several times, and even my black ones can be difficult to spot if carelessly dropped on the ground. But orange does stand out and the rubber stays fairly clean. I am delighted with these secateurs and now they are the first ones I reach for when I have some serious pruning to do. |
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Expandable Watering Hose (Duramaxx)
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Garden hoses are seldom beautiful things; they are useful and practical, but that's about it. This hose is pretty. It is also extremely light. I could not believe it when I first lifted the box. I had to check the size to make sure: it was supposed to be the 30-foot (10 metres) model, which stretches to 100 feet or 30 metres in use. Currently there are two colours: a fresh grass green and this lovely bright blue.
The rubber hose is inside an expandable fabric sleeve and should be allowed to reach its full extent before letting any water out. So the procedure is to screw the adaptor to the tap, make the connection with one end of the hose and click the shower head into place at the other end. Keeping the head closed, slowly turn on the water and (this part is fun), watch the hose come to life like a snake and stretch out until all the wrinkles have disappeared from the fabric sleeve. |
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The nozzle offers eight different types of flow:
full, angle, cone, shower, soak, central, flat, and mist. Switching
from one to the other is easy and there is only minimal leakage from
the connector. Once your watering is finished, it is necessary to
let the hose expel all the water before storing it. Lock the head
open with the metal clip and turn off the water tap. The hose will
force all the water out and shrink back to its original wrinkly
state.
This hose is a dream to fold away as the construction makes it very unlikely to twist and get jammed. It can be coiled neatly and hung on the smallest holder as it is so lightweight. Watering with it is a pleasure as there is no drag and no struggle is required to move a heavy hose around the garden. I see this decorative hose as the perfect choice for a terrace, where it would look smart hanging up and would extend to reach every corner, or for a tidy garden. The Duramaxx hose appears to be a quality item of impeccable manufacture. The only aspect that remains to be seen is durability over the long term. I will update my review should anything change, but for now I am truly impressed with this unusual garden hose and delighted with its looks and performance. Free item provided for review |
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