True Temper 2942600 Grass Whip with Double-Edged Serrated Steel Blade and 22 in. Hardwood Handle

This is an excellent tool for clearing weeds and light brush growing in shady areas of your property. You will be very happy with the speed and ease with which you can clear knee-high annual weeds, small vines, young thorny briars, and first-year saplings with this tool. It is easier than breaking out a gas-powered brushcutter for small tasks. This is not a scythe, however, and thus it is not ideal for mowing or cutting tall, thick grass growing in full sun.How to use:You should wear gloves and eye protection when using this sort of tool. Keep spectators back as, obviously, you are swinging a blade around and could inadvertently sling objects.Prepare your work area by clearing fallen limbs and cuting up thick diameter woody vines (over a few millimeters) growing in the area. Make sure that there are no hidden rocks, stumps, metal, or similar non-cuttable items present that could damage your tool and cause you to strain or injure yourself.Hold the tool like a golf club with the blade parallel to the ground and make smooth (not aggressive) pendulum-like swinging motions, as if you were practicing a golf stroke with a sand wedge. Do not reel up as if you were driving a golf ball; keep it below the hips. Slowly advance forward (small steps) and you will clear a two to three foot swath. Overlap tracks slightly for an even cut. The tool’s momentum will do the cutting, and if you are forcing it you are encountering too-thick brush or you should raise your cutting height.The tool will sling the brush to the left and right of the user, as it cuts on both the forward and reverse stroke.As you work, pause and keep an eye out for fallen limbs and similar objects as you uncover them from the brush. If you hit them, you will strain your shoulders and wrists. It is best to work briefly and then rest and inspect the area; fatigue will cause operator strain or potential injury. Patience and well-planned operation will yield good results.Note:Check the bolts and nuts on the tool after purchase and the first use, then periodically thereafter. The nuts on the handle of my tool needed to be re-torqued after the first use. The nuts on the blade are lock nuts and they were fine. It is unlikely that the blade could separate from the unit and become a projectile even if one bolt failed (you would notice), but you don’t want to lose parts or risk hurting somebody.I have a long-term shoulder injury and found that I was able to use this tool successfully provided I did not overexert myself and was cautious so as not to hit fallen branches or try to cut tall thick grass growing in full sun. A true scythe is what you should use for tall grass in full sun.Beware that Amazon.com may ship this tool in a very large box (see my photo).If you appreciate the information I have provided in the review, please click the helpful button so that Amazon will rank and display my content where everyone can see it. I was NOT provided a free tool for this review. Thank you!