Question: Hand held tools

Hi guys, we're some engineering students, hoping to get some advice from you all.

We're being sponsored by a gardening tools manufacturer to make a new, hand held electric gardening tool as part of our degree.

The issue is that none of us garden at all, so we're doing some research into what sort of tools people would be interested in using.

As you're all budding gardeners, we thought you'd be the best place to start.

If you've got any ideas about what sort of hand held electric tool would make your life easier, or something that really annoys you with your gardening, we'd love to hear from you!

Thanks!

 

Blimey. Does everything have to revert to electrics? I thought part of the joy of gardening was the manual asect of it. I am actually looking to buy GOOD hand tools, but by hand tools I mean a scythe, a really good digging fork and an equally good digging spade. I expect there are other tools I will need after that, but I am still learning so I don't know what I need yet, but i would go out of my way to AVOID electric tools for the garden.

 

Bosch really are trying hard this year to come up with some new ideas aren't they?

 

Last Autumn I was scooping leaves into plastic bags to turn into leaf mold and my son-in-law saw me and asked why I don't use the leaf collector and vaccum them up, it'd be a lot quicker. My reply was that I didn't want to do a quick job, I wanted to enjoy it, which manually I was. So no electrics for me thanks!

 

There is another thread running on a similar subject to this from another student. Are all you students working for Bosch this year? It's a crafty way for them to make money when they are picking up free designs and information from students and in turn, those of us here on GC.

 

Where does it say anything about Bosch?

This thread is from an engineering student and was begun 4 months ago.
The other thread is from a Product Design student.

This student didn't mention Bosch.

... or maybe a great way to find potential new talent to recruit?
Or, perhaps the company is in partnership with that particular University?
Maybe a company is sponsoring the research and boosting the Universities coffers?
Or, maybe, it's ... just a university project?

I don't know for sure I don't know the university, nor do I know which company (if any?) was involved in setting this project.

Well, to be fair, there wouldn't be much point in focussing on a forum such as breastfeeding mothers to ask their opinions on hand held gardening tools. While they may get a response or three, they might well be marked down for not exploring the relevant market
Equally, students *have* to complete their project; GC members are not obliged to answer their posts. So, its safe to assume that anyone on GC who does answer student appeals for suggestions, does so freely, willingly and with a mind set of helping the student.

I had to undertake projects naming specific companies when I was at University. At no point were we supplying those companies with free ideas/solutions/miracle fast track solutions to the big bucks. They were just that: projects.

 

A teeny battery powered suction unit for when I over water something and need to drain some of the water from their trays without having to lift off the heavy pot to pick it up and dump it?

Course, I'm probably the only person to over water anything....

 

Wanna bet on that?

 

Something like a cheap Turkey baster perhaps?

 

Oh, you clever boy! Never thought of that - I've got an extra one somewhere... thanks for the heads up!

 

As a whole @"M" do we gain anything from these students questions? Most join the forum, ask questions and disappear with no feed back as to what they've achieved. I find that an impolite way of going about gaining knowledge from us.

 

Well, for arguments sake, they did say they don't garden however these people seem to really be asking us to do their lessons for them?

Or has been suspected, of having a commercial "partner" and that suspicion is with good reason, because this is the second post by the same demographic and very closely posted. If we don't get the fish we want, throw the line in again?

If I was asked to research a topic purely for my own gain, high marks/money, I would do so. But maybe that's because I'm an old dame with different ideas about how a degree should be earned.

 

It happens in waves @CanadianLori, I think it must be the timing within the academic year.

I think most people would not mind at all helping people achieve the best they can. The problem seems to be that as @Sheal says, they usually pile on, launch their surveys at us, and possibly, but we usually have no way of knowing, they harvest our ideas. I say 'possibly' because more often than not, we never hear anything back. Most don't even come back to say thanks or anything.

 

The poster's data says joined last October....

 

As Lori has pointed out, this is an old thread where they've not come back so closing this one