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Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool

us Offline ChopperCharles

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Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
on: August 27, 2018, 07:43:44 PM
I picked this up off of eBay for $9. It's... not bad. Not bad at all. It's a big heavy tool, made mostly out of metal, with plastic spacers inside the handles. It feels beefy and robust, and in my testing so far it has performed very well.

The shears cut my overgrown azaleas pretty well. They required a bit of force for the larger diameter branches, but for the most part were easy to use. I never encountered a branch I couldn't cut with these. Granted however, I didn't try for anything insane, I just went for the normal use-case.  The shears have a nice locking feature that's easy to use.

Charles.
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us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #1 on: August 27, 2018, 07:44:30 PM
They handled this azalea with no problems...

Charles.
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us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #2 on: August 27, 2018, 07:45:39 PM

The saw is exceptional. It went through a tree branch that was obscuring my hammock in seconds. Very nicely cut, very quickly. It's a nice long saw too. I'd say it cuts like a Victorinox saw -- very well indeed!


Charles.
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us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #3 on: August 27, 2018, 07:50:03 PM
The weed puller thingy was mostly meh. For small weeds I was able to pull them out or cut them off with this tool easily enough. But I have some creeper vines that keep reappearing, and this tool was useless on them. It kept folding up when I put force on it, and it was just inadequate. It didn't cut the vines and they were in there too well to pull out with roots. It is mostly a fail.

The blade on the other hand is razor sharp. It cut right through those vines, and then went on to slice open some more packages with ease. It comes with a very good edge that cuts receipt paper. That was a pleasant surprise.

The lanyard loop is pretty standard. However, it doesn't fit in the case with the lanyard loop extended. So that's a mixed bag.

Charles.
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us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #4 on: August 27, 2018, 07:58:27 PM
The case itself is your standard stiffened nylon/cordura case with a snap closure. Nothing special... but it's not a great design, actually. The tool only fits in the case one way. It's an asymmetrical case for an asymmetrical tool. It's tapered, so you have to stick the small end in first. However, it's tapered to fit the curve of the tool, so you also have to make sure it's flipped the right direction. Not only does it have a top and bottom, it has a front and back. That makes using the case awkward. Mostly the case will be for storing the tool, and in the field a lanyard with carabiner and pocket-carry would probably be the best bet. There's also ample flat surface area to mount a Nite Ize clip if you're so inclined.


The first photo shows the proper orientation for the tool in the case.

The second shows it obviously won't fit big-end first.

The third shows the tool put improperly in the case

The fourth shows what happens when trying to snap the case shut with the tool installed in the wrong orientation.

Charles.
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us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #5 on: August 27, 2018, 08:05:55 PM
Overall I really like this tool, ESPECIALLY since it was only $9. Nine bucks is nothing, and this tool doesn't feel like a cheap piece-o-crap. It feels good and works like it should. The case could be a little larger, and I'd prefer that the tools were locking -- or at least that they were more solidly opened. They do fold up pretty easily, there's not a lot of force keeping the tools opened. So that's a ding. But it's very minor and acceptable for a $9 tool. For a $50 tool? I'd probably moan and complain. But for a $9 tool? Nah. This completed all my gardening tasks today with aplomb, and I will use these again and again. It was so nice not to have to walk back to the garage to get a saw to tackle that branch. I could just do it while I was in the middle of pruning the bushes. And the knife was useful for the vines, and the weed puller did get a lot of use on the little weeds in my landscaping bed.

So seeing as i needed a pair of garden shears, and how well these performed at all tasks but one, this is very much a win. Especially for nine bucks.

Charles.
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us Offline gerleatherberman

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #6 on: August 27, 2018, 08:09:50 PM
Thanks for reviewing that tool, Charles!  :salute:

I will be keeping an eye out for one of these, since the brand-name gardening tools are outrageously expensive. The Bear & Son shears are affordable, but they don't work well for pruning, because the blades are straight.
Pontificating particularly pious positions pertaining to polymorphic paraphernalia. G-Man.


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #7 on: January 28, 2019, 06:33:29 PM
Well, I went on a walk with the dog the late at night, and I took this tool with me. A lot of the houses in my neighborhood don't bother to trim trees or bushes that overhang the sidewalk, and I hate walking into a face-full of branches in the dark. So I did a little late-night trimming... and these performed great at first, until I got to the thicker branches. Then the tang in the handle that the jaws push against bent, allowing the handles to close and the jaws to stay open. The tool was completely destroyed with just light to medium use. So skip this completely, it's not robust and it will break trying to cut larger branches -- but branches that still easily fit in the jaws.

Charles.


au Offline TazzieRob

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #8 on: March 01, 2019, 03:49:24 AM
Gee, that sucks! No chance of taking it apart and straightening the bent bit? At least it didn't cost a lot to find the limitations.
I bought a cheap brand folding garden pruner that was being discontinued and cleared from a store and is probably only good for stuff up to 10-12mm. They were $5 so worth a punt at that but they definitely aren't as nice to use as a dedicated pair of secateurs


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #9 on: March 13, 2019, 04:14:57 PM
I tried the straighten the bent part and it broke off entirely. It's just cheaply made. It worked well for a while... but thicker branches did it in. Still all one-handed use though, it wasn't like I was bearing down with a great amount of force.

Charles.


us Offline gerleatherberman

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #10 on: March 13, 2019, 04:18:08 PM
CC,

Overall, would it be good for pruning small branches on azalea bushes? And use the saw on thick branches?

Pontificating particularly pious positions pertaining to polymorphic paraphernalia. G-Man.


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #11 on: March 21, 2019, 06:36:03 AM
If you’re careful maybe. It’s just not a robust design and it will fail eventually. One tiny bit of over doing it will ruin the tool completely.

Charles.


us Offline gerleatherberman

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #12 on: March 21, 2019, 06:37:38 AM
Thanks, Charles! :cheers:
Pontificating particularly pious positions pertaining to polymorphic paraphernalia. G-Man.


dk Offline MMR

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #13 on: March 21, 2019, 09:26:29 AM
That is actually a really neat MT

Quality looks good too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Kind regards,

MMR

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us Offline tommywp

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Re: Brookstone 5-in-1 Gardener's Multi Tool
Reply #14 on: March 29, 2019, 02:02:17 PM
Had the same experience. Mine broke within a few uses and couldn’t hold up to branches that hand clippers should be able to handle.   :-\


 

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