Anyone who has a walnut tree in their yard knows the pain of picking them up from the grass. These trees can drop hundreds during the summer season. More if it’s a very old and large tree. Or maybe you have crabapples you need to pick up. Or pinecones. The Garden Weasel Large Nut Gatherer is supposed to make it easier. Does it accomplish this goal? Read on and find out. I’ve been using it for a full two years before writing this review.
The only good way to deal with crab apples, walnuts, sweet gum balls, magnolia seed/flower heads, acorns, pine cones, and small fruits is to bend down a million times and pick them up. It’s a pain in the back. For real. Until now. This yard tool makes it easy. The idea is to hold the handle and roll that metal cage across the ground. The wires of the metal cage spread out and capture the yard debris. Once the basket is full, just push the lever to open the cage and dump the contents easily.
Garden Weasel Large Nut Gatherer Build Quality
This yard tool is built solid, with a durable welded construction and a tempered steel wire cage. It feels solid in your hands but is light enough to move it back and forth easily. The stick, basket, and handle on top are all quality made. Far better than I expected. After 2 years of use, the wires on the cage are beginning to show some wear, getting a bit dented from time to time, but I just pull the dents and smooth them and it is almost as good as new. Aside from that, I have not noticed any other wear to this tool, which is pretty impressive.
Design
The overall height is 47.5 inches. This garden tool is designed to be used by moving it back and forth against the ground, similar to how you would use a rack or hoe. As you do this, that metal basket will pass over the pinecones, nuts, apples, or other debris and the metal wires will allow them inside of the basket, closing behind the object. This is how it traps the objects inside. Once you fill the basket, you can easily empty it into a bag by pushing a mechanism on the handle forward toward the basket to open the wire cage. It’s a very simple concept that works, beginning to end. They even put a handy hook on the end of the handle so that it’s easy to store in your garage or shed.
Ease Of Use
Is it easy to use or any better than picking nuts up by hand? The answer is a resounding yes! It couldn’t be easier than rolling the tool back and forth against the ground. This garden tool does most of the work for you. You move it around, let it collect its treasure and then dump the full basket wherever you like. It saves a ton of time and energy, cleaning up your yard much faster than other methods.
Performance
It does what it does very easily and I’m happy to say that it makes the job faster and easier all around. A job that would have taken me 2 hours before can now be completed in about 45 minutes. Maybe a bit less. This is seriously one of the easiest garden tools I’ve ever used.
Bottom Line
If you have a yard full of walnuts, apples or other medium-sized annoyances, this is a must-buy in my opinion. I was looking for something that would make the job easier and faster. This is it. This tool picks up objects 1 1/2″ to about 3 1/2″ in size. I’m fairly confident based on my use so far, that it will last through several years of heavy use. It is also priced very fairly considering how well it improves your time in the yard while doing work.
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