faq

Question	Answer
Do I need to oil my Garden Bandit or Telesco-Weeder hoe so it won't rust if I leave it outside.	No. Our tool blades are made with high quality Stainless Steel which will not rust and do not need to be oiled. As with any tool, it is always a good idea to take care of it by cleaning it after use and storing it inside if possible.The inner tube of the Telesco-Weeder should be wiped clean of dirt before closing. With proper care, our tools will last you for many many years of productive gardening use.
Do I need to sharpen my garden bandit weed hoe?	No. Because the blade is high tensile Stainless Steel, it is very thin, yet strong enough to work compacted soils. You can, but it does not need to be sharpened. Other tools with thicker iron blades that need sharpening are more difficult to move through the soil and drag more soil along creating more work. Also, as one customer pointed out, a sharp blade tends to cut roots right off. The thin S.S. blade will often only cut part way into a larger root and then resistance pulls the remainder of the root out instead of cutting it off. Not being too sharp also means it collects all the little roots along the blade edge so they are easy to dispose of.
Will this Bandit weeder work in clay soil?	Yes, using both the Garden Bandit™ or Telesco-Weeder™ in moist clay soils will actually benefit the soil by breaking it up and aerating it. I use my Garden Bandit™ in a stiring & slicing motion to cut in soil conditioners & sand into our clay soil.
What is the best way to use the Garden Bandit to get rid of weeds?	click here for a good weeding article
Will these weeding tools work on the Dandelions in my lawn?	No. It will only work on them if they are in a flowerbed or the garden but in the lawn there is to much grass and a proper dandelion puller should be used.
I've heard the Garden Bandit is good for arthritis....is this true & how so? Flat linear design reduces wrist strain and the shape makes holding the tool easy for weak hands.	Yes. Using a Garden Bandit™ may be beneficial for degenerative arthritis sufferes. The thin cross section of the blade slices through soil with so little resistance and unlike most round handled tools and those with angled blades which require strength to keep them from twisting, the Garden Bandit™ is ergonomically designed to lessen the tension required to hold it. The flat linear design also makes the overall movement of using this tool simple & easy on the wrist. Read what some of our customers have said about this
Should I wash my Garden Bandit and oil it before I store it for the winter?	No. You can wash it to keep it clean if you like but you don't need to oil it as it is Stainless Steel & will not rust.
Why are these weeders better than say a Cape cod weeder or Collinear hoe?	Most other weeders like the Cape Cod weeder, Collinear hoe, Korean hand hoe, scuffle hoe or Dutch hoe, have have an open edge design. While this is ok if you are working in open areas away from your plants, it is deadly when you weed near your desired plants. It is very easy to cut up your good plants root system with the tip of the open edge blade which is working out of site under the soil.This can cause major setback, wilting or even death to the very plants you are trying to help! This is avoided with the closed loop blade design of the Garden Bandit™ and Telesco-Weeder™. You always know where the blade is working. It is easy to push the good plant out of the way with the back of the tool and draw the bladet through the soil away from the roots, taking only the weeds away and leaving a nice aerated micro mulch soil behind.