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Excerpt from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS - June/July 2010:
The Wheel Hoe: A Modern Weed Slayer
"...Just in time for the summer weed season, we’ve chosen the wheel hoe as another Tool for Wiser Living. If you have a large
garden, this old-time tool can really reduce weeding chores. T. Greiner describes it in his book, How to Make the Garden Pay,
published in 1890:
But the tool of all tools, the modern weed slayer, the great labor saver, the greatest horticultural blessing of the age — that is the
modern wheel hoe. This above all others frees the gardener from undesirable work, cuts down the labor account one-half, and
makes tillage light and pleasant. The advantages connected with the possession of one of these tools cannot be overstated, nor
emphasized too strongly, nor told too frequently. This tool reduces the unpleasant task of weeding to a minimum. Now the half-
grown boy runs the wheel hoe up and down the rows of vegetables ‘for fun’ and recreation, and accomplishes in one-half hour what
a man with a hand hoe could not perform in a whole day...."
The Wheel Hoe: A Modern Weed Slayer
"...Just in time for the summer weed season, we’ve chosen the wheel hoe as another Tool for Wiser Living. If you have a large
garden, this old-time tool can really reduce weeding chores. T. Greiner describes it in his book, How to Make the Garden Pay,
published in 1890:
But the tool of all tools, the modern weed slayer, the great labor saver, the greatest horticultural blessing of the age — that is the
modern wheel hoe. This above all others frees the gardener from undesirable work, cuts down the labor account one-half, and
makes tillage light and pleasant. The advantages connected with the possession of one of these tools cannot be overstated, nor
emphasized too strongly, nor told too frequently. This tool reduces the unpleasant task of weeding to a minimum. Now the half-
grown boy runs the wheel hoe up and down the rows of vegetables ‘for fun’ and recreation, and accomplishes in one-half hour what
a man with a hand hoe could not perform in a whole day...."
| REVIEW # 1 |
Excerpt from Grit: Rural American Know-How, June 2010:
Garden Cultivator: Hoss Tools Wheel Hoe Is Boss
"...When it comes to weeding, nothing beats a wheel-hoe-style garden cultivator for getting the
rows cleaned up quickly, efficiently and easily. I recently obtained the Hoss Tools Deluxe Wheel
Hoe garden cultivator ($295 and worth every penny as a functional art form) and put it to work last
Saturday knocking down the weeds that sprouted up between the rows of my heirloom, open-
pollinated corn. The Hoss Tools Deluxe Wheel Hoe is a beautifully crafted (made in U.S.A) garden
cultivator that harkens back to the good old days when quality American-Made tools were the
norm, not the exception.........I’ve enjoyed using wheel hoes in my own gardens over the years, and
although I misplaced my most cherished antique Planet Jr. several years ago (a casualty of some
move), Hoss Tools’ Deluxe Wheel Hoe is every bit as satisfying to use – and frankly the quality is
110 percent that of the old Planet Jr...."
Garden Cultivator: Hoss Tools Wheel Hoe Is Boss
"...When it comes to weeding, nothing beats a wheel-hoe-style garden cultivator for getting the
rows cleaned up quickly, efficiently and easily. I recently obtained the Hoss Tools Deluxe Wheel
Hoe garden cultivator ($295 and worth every penny as a functional art form) and put it to work last
Saturday knocking down the weeds that sprouted up between the rows of my heirloom, open-
pollinated corn. The Hoss Tools Deluxe Wheel Hoe is a beautifully crafted (made in U.S.A) garden
cultivator that harkens back to the good old days when quality American-Made tools were the
norm, not the exception.........I’ve enjoyed using wheel hoes in my own gardens over the years, and
although I misplaced my most cherished antique Planet Jr. several years ago (a casualty of some
move), Hoss Tools’ Deluxe Wheel Hoe is every bit as satisfying to use – and frankly the quality is
110 percent that of the old Planet Jr...."
| REVIEW # 2 |
Excerpt from THE WASHINGTON POST - 8/19/2010:
Home gardeners should take wheel hoes for a spin in their back yards
"...A few generations ago, wheel hoes were standard equipment for market gardeners and for home gardeners who grew much of
their own food. An octogenarian neighbor who was raised on a large farm recalls how 20 workers would show up each morning and
reach for just that implement. In those times, it was the tool by which large acreages were managed. Few would recognize it today.
A wheel hoe is simply a hoe blade mounted on a wheel. The wheel is there to lessen the work of moving the blade along, keep it a
consistent distance from the soil and lend force to its cutting action. Wheel hoes are designed so that you can weed close to crops
planted in straight rows. They also do a championship job on dirt paths between beds. Nothing else makes such quick work of weeds
in hard, trodden earth that would normally have you on your knees, stabbing peevishly with your trowel.
Modern versions of the wheel hoe are more efficient than the ones my neighbor remembers because they use an oscillating blade,
like that of a hula hoe, which cuts on both the forward and back strokes. Walk at a comfortable pace, pushing back and forth, and
weeds are severed just below the surface so that none can regrow. Weeds too small to see are dispatched as well...."
Home gardeners should take wheel hoes for a spin in their back yards
"...A few generations ago, wheel hoes were standard equipment for market gardeners and for home gardeners who grew much of
their own food. An octogenarian neighbor who was raised on a large farm recalls how 20 workers would show up each morning and
reach for just that implement. In those times, it was the tool by which large acreages were managed. Few would recognize it today.
A wheel hoe is simply a hoe blade mounted on a wheel. The wheel is there to lessen the work of moving the blade along, keep it a
consistent distance from the soil and lend force to its cutting action. Wheel hoes are designed so that you can weed close to crops
planted in straight rows. They also do a championship job on dirt paths between beds. Nothing else makes such quick work of weeds
in hard, trodden earth that would normally have you on your knees, stabbing peevishly with your trowel.
Modern versions of the wheel hoe are more efficient than the ones my neighbor remembers because they use an oscillating blade,
like that of a hula hoe, which cuts on both the forward and back strokes. Walk at a comfortable pace, pushing back and forth, and
weeds are severed just below the surface so that none can regrow. Weeds too small to see are dispatched as well...."
| REVIEW # 3 |
| Wheel Hoe reviews and articles provided by EasyDigging.com |
| REVIEW # 3 |
Excerpt from GROWING FOR MARKET - June 2002:
Implements make wheel hoes more versatile
"...All wheel hoes have detachable implements so that you could theoretically use one frame and just attach a different implement
each time you needed to use it. However, we've found that we use three implements often enough that it's easier to have a separate
frame for each one. Our three favorites are the stirrup shaped blade, the furrower, and an adjustable tine cultivator.
I use the stirrup hoe to cultivate salad greens. Most of our greens are planted in 100 foot rows about two and a half feet apart...I push
the wheel hoe along either side of the greens and once down the middle. The stirrup runs about one centimeter under the soil
surface. This wipes out the first tiny weed seedlings and also destroys some germinated weed seeds...
Our second favorite attachment is the furrower. It's shaped like a little plow, and though it will cut through shallow sod and flip it over
nicely, we mainly use it for making furrows and throwing up a line of dirt. It makes a furrow that is barely deep enough for potatoes,
and perfect for peas, beans, and favas. After seeding, we run the wheel hoe alongside the newly planted row and it throws soil over
the seeds...
We have collected a variety of tine cultivators, but our favorite one has five tines in two rows which can each be moved or removed
individually. We use the full complement in sandy soils, but for rougher ground three usually suffice. Molly uses this wheel cultivator to
prepare ground for planting or transplanting. The tines are great for working in compost or other soil amendments, and they also
disturb tiny weed seedlings.
Implements make wheel hoes more versatile
"...All wheel hoes have detachable implements so that you could theoretically use one frame and just attach a different implement
each time you needed to use it. However, we've found that we use three implements often enough that it's easier to have a separate
frame for each one. Our three favorites are the stirrup shaped blade, the furrower, and an adjustable tine cultivator.
I use the stirrup hoe to cultivate salad greens. Most of our greens are planted in 100 foot rows about two and a half feet apart...I push
the wheel hoe along either side of the greens and once down the middle. The stirrup runs about one centimeter under the soil
surface. This wipes out the first tiny weed seedlings and also destroys some germinated weed seeds...
Our second favorite attachment is the furrower. It's shaped like a little plow, and though it will cut through shallow sod and flip it over
nicely, we mainly use it for making furrows and throwing up a line of dirt. It makes a furrow that is barely deep enough for potatoes,
and perfect for peas, beans, and favas. After seeding, we run the wheel hoe alongside the newly planted row and it throws soil over
the seeds...
We have collected a variety of tine cultivators, but our favorite one has five tines in two rows which can each be moved or removed
individually. We use the full complement in sandy soils, but for rougher ground three usually suffice. Molly uses this wheel cultivator to
prepare ground for planting or transplanting. The tines are great for working in compost or other soil amendments, and they also
disturb tiny weed seedlings.