Owning a best weeding tool is an absolute necessity for every gardener or homeowner. Without an effective weed puller, it’s virtually impossible to grow a great garden or a lawn that’s the envy of the neighborhood.
Everyone who grows plants in the soil knows that weeds happen. These unwanted plants seem to grow everywhere there is bare or cultivated soil.
“Weeds start to sprout in spring even before vegetable gardens and flower beds are planted,” said Noel Valdes, president of CobraHead, the company that makes CobraHead weeders and cultivators, widely regarded as the best weeding tools. “The simple act of digging in the soil combined with Spring rainfall can give weed seeds a chance to grow. And most plants that we call ‘weeds’ are very aggressive growers.”
An Old Digging Tool is Reborn as a Best Weeding Tool
Valdes knows all about weeds because he has been a dedicated organic gardener his entire life. He was digging in his garden with an old-fashioned five-tined cultivator hoe when he first got the idea for what would become the original Cobra Head Weeder.
Before power tillers were invented, hand tools like the five-tined cultivator hoe were widely used for digging and cultivating garden soil. When one of the steel tines of his cultivator came loose and fell off, he picked up the tine and began digging in the dirt with the single blade.
Valdes quickly realized the digging ability of the blade might make it a great hand tool for digging up weeds. The antique design of the blade, which resembled a tractor tine, did a much better job of cutting through the soil than modern weed pullers.
Valdes experimented with different handle designs and ultimately inserted the blade into a wooden hammer handle. He continued to use the tool and make improvements. Ultimately, this led him to create a company and introduce a new weeding tool.
Best Weeding Tool: The CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator
The original CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator was introduced in 2001. It was both old-fashioned and revolutionary. The digging blade was an improved version of a cultivating tine. (Yes, the shape of the blade does resemble a cobra head.) The ergonomic handle was a 21st century creation fashioned from recycled plastic with post-consumer recycled wood fibers to give it extra strength.
Gardeners loved the made-in-America CobraHead Weeder for its indestructible digging tine. They also loved the feel of the handle, which was injection-molded around the tempered steel blade so the blade would never come loose.
Gardeners who used the Cobra Head Weeder found it to be an outstanding weed puller. But they also loved it as a digging and planting tool. Soon, the CobraHead Weeder was being endorsed by Master Gardeners, horticulturists and garden writers in the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Today, the CobraHead Weeder is still the most popular tool the company sells.
A Long Handle Weeding Tool
Soon after the introduction of the original CobraHead Weeder, the company began developing a long-handled cobra head tool.
“The long handle tool came about after older gardeners who saw our first tool at trade shows told us, ‘That looks great, but I need it on a long handle,’” said Valdes.
Noel soon realized that simply putting the CobraHead blade on a hoe handle was not going to produce an effective tool. After extensive testing, they decided to position the blade perpendicular to the handle. This resulted in a unique tool that worked for gardeners of all ages. It also provided superior digging power over similar narrow-bladed tools.
A traditional wooden handle was created for the long handle tool. A locking collar connects the blade to the handle, so users can replace the blade should it break. The collar also gives the tool enough heft to make it effective in tough soils. It doesn’t just bounce off hard clay—it cuts into it.
“Older gardeners and those who have trouble getting down on their hands and knees are quite happy with our long handle tool,” said Valdes. “The tool is also popular with small scale farmers and landscapers. And, of course, it’s popular with the gardeners who make up most of our customer base.”
Today, the CobraHead Long Handle Weeder and Cultivator Tool comes in three handle lengths made of American White Ash. This enables gardeners of all heights to select perfect length.
A Mini Weeder for Small Spaces
For digging out weeds in smaller spaces, the company introduced the CobraHead “mini” Weeder and Cultivator. This smaller tool is patterned after the original CobraHead Weeder, but it is just 8.75 inches long and weighs just 5 ounces.
The CobraHead “mini” garden weeder gets in the tightest areas with surprising precision, and it’s perfect for lifting out smaller tap-rooted weeds intact. Its sharp, narrow blade rips up tough soil, and its small size makes it perfect for container gardening and herb growing. This tool even fits in a pocket. So, you can always have the CobraHead “mini” with you whenever you are in the yard or garden.
The “mini” weeder is built to the same toughness specifications as the original CobraHead. It has a tempered steel blade and a nearly unbreakable composite plastic handle that is comfortable in almost any hand (including a child’s). CobraHead tools are built to last and can be counted on for years of service.
A Broadfork Garden Tool
The largest tool in the CobraHead family is the Broadfork Garden Tool. A broadfork is a traditional tool for small-scale farming and gardening. This tool is often used in the “no-till” approach to soil preparation.
The broadfork lifts and aerates the soil without shredding it. (A motorized tiller is notorious for shredding soil, thereby killing worms and beneficial mycorrhizal fungi communities in the soil.) Broadforks are also excellent for heavy duty weeding, and they can be used to harvest root crops.
The CobraHead Broadfork is made in Cambridge, Wisconsin. The design of this tool is a joint effort between Noel Valdes of CobraHead and Craig Carpenter of Structures Co. The fork uses a traditional European broadfork design but with a unique tine mounting system. The tines are mounted through the cross bar instead of being welded to the outside of the crossbar.
Although this broadfork looks large, it weighs just 14 pounds. The ash handles are comfortable to use, and the round steel tines do a great job of lifting the soil.
All of these CobraHead best weeding tools are available from CobraHead.com.
During the last Garden Communicators International Conference (GardenComm), we discovered the CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator. We consider these tools unique in the garden sector and very useful for gardeners.
Great article, Randy! I have the hand-held CobraHead Weeder but have a real interest in the long-handled version. Very helpful information!
Love my Cobrahead! It is my go-to tool in my veggie garden.
I love using the original Cobrahead Weeder, which I’ve had for several years, and I’m looking forward to trying out the mini one.
I am looking for exactly the tool you made your
1-tine tool after (the 5 tine long handled cultivator the first picture you come across on this site). My Aunt Neelie gave me an old 4 tine style that was missing one of the tines used it for many years.
I finally found a blacksmith to make a replacement. Worked good until I let neighbors borrow it and it never returned. I did find one on ebay and bought it, currently trying to locate a good strong wooden handle. But, I ask, if you made a one tine hand cultivator why didn’t you reproduce the 5 tine like in the picture? These antique 5 tine cultivators of years gone by are absolutely the best weeding tools bar none in my opinion. I am also looking for another to have as a spare, in case of breakage or other. I will never lend this out ever again. Bring back the 5 tine cultivators.
Gregory–
We didn’t make the CobraHead Weeder– a company called CobraHead makes the tools. Please contact http://www.cobrahead.com for more info on the tools they make– and more info on the original 5-tine hand tiller.