Burgon & Ball Draw Hoe May 2012
Burgon & Ball RHS-endorsed Draw Hoe first look
This new Burgon & Ball draw hoe is an attractive-looking hoe with a long wooden handle and a sharpened stainless steel head. We gave it a quick hands-on test to see whether its performance could match its good looks.
Is this hoe good at weeding?
A draw hoe, with its swan neck and wide blade, can be used for lots of jobs around the garden – such as pulling earth towards you when earthing up potatoes, making a flat trench for planting peas or chopping the tops off large weeds.
The square blade of this hoe, at around 9cm wide, is narrower than other draw hoes we’ve seen, which are often up to 15cm wide. This might mean some jobs take slightly longer to complete, but when using it for the first time we found there was a very sharp edge on the blade, which made chopping the tops off big weeds very satisfying.
Is this comfortable to use?
The long handle was comfortable for our assessor (who is 1.7m tall), so would probably suit most people of average height. It might not be so good for taller people, who might have to bend to get the right angle. Wooden handles are always pleasant to use and this ash one was no exception.
Our verdict
Pros: Very sharp blade, attractive, reasonable price at £26.95, practical
Cons: Narrow square blade, not suited for taller people (over 1.7m tall)
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