This article appeared in the Summer 2021 issue of This Old House Magazine. Click here to learn how to subscribe.
1. Cuts and digs
HoriHori Garden Tool
This updated version of a traditional Japanese gardening knife has a forked, 7-inch stainless-steel blade for planting bulbs, slicing roots, and shearing stems. Finely honed on one edge, with sharp serrations on the other, the blade is embedded in a soft-grip polymer handle with an ergonomic profile. Comes with a plastic sheath that clips on to your belt.
$25; Fiskars
2. High-speed whacker
M18 Brushless String Trimmer Kit
Spinning at speeds of up to 6,200 rpm, this 9.1-pound trimmer can run for an hour on one charge as it makes a wide, 16-inch cutting swath. Fitting the optional attachments to its shaft can convert it to a chainsaw, pruner, hedge trimmer, or edger.
$249, battery and charger included; Milwaukee
TOH Pro Tip
“Wide rings of mulch around trees will keep a string trimmer from getting too close and scoring the bark.” —Jenn Nawada, landscape contractor
3. No key needed
Tapplock one+
It works like an ordinary padlock to secure sheds and outbuildings, but this waterproof, biometric model opens without a key. Instead, you use a smartphone, your fingerprint, or tap in a custom code. The stainless-steel shackle and rechargeable battery function from 149°F to -4°F.
$99; Tapp
4. Protects weathered wood
WoodForce
Like the look of natural wood siding, fences, or railings as they age—but not the decay that comes with it? This penetrating, water-repellent coating guards against rot and blackening so that the wood will weather to a uniform color. Two coats, brushed or sprayed on to vertical surfaces, last four to six years. Comes in clear—or in 27 tints.
From $55 per gallon; Sansin
5. Find studs, and more
SuperScan Kx Series Studfinders
New scanning technology enables tools in this series to find the edges, centers, and direction of studs and joists, identify metal and plastic pipes, and alert you to live wires.
From $41; Zircon
6. Zero turns, with zero emissions
EGO Power+ Z6 Zero-Turn Riding Mower
Four 56-volt batteries give this 42-inch mower the same power as a 22-hp gas engine, a cutting speed of up to 7 mph, and the “stamina” to mow up to two acres on a single charge. (For bigger lawns, add up to two more batteries.) Recharges in just 2 hours.
$4,999; Ego