Ethan Walker

Hand pruners run out of road at about three-quarters of an inch. The moment a live branch pushes past an inch, the blades crush the bark instead of shearing it, and you are reaching for a two-handled tool. That is where the best bypass loppers for thick branches earn their keep. A bypass lopper works … Read more

Most leaf rakes are built for a quarter-acre lot, not a property with three mature maples dumping leaves every October. Finding the best leaf rakes for large lawns comes down to head width, tine material and how far the handle lets you stand up straight. I spent weeks with ten of the most-reviewed rakes on … Read more

If you have never gardened before, you need six things: a hand trowel, a transplanter, a hand rake, a weeder, a cultivator and a pair of pruning shears. Everything past that is a bonus, not a requirement. That single fact is the whole reason so many people buy the wrong garden tool sets for beginners … Read more

Weeds are not a moral failing. They show up in April, take your lawn in May, and by July every dandelion has seeded a hundred of its own. The difference between a lawn that recovers and a lawn that slowly gives up is almost always whether you removed the root. Snipping the top leaves a … Read more

A garden hose reel is a storage device that keeps a hose wound, organized and protected instead of lying in a heap on the ground. In a small yard, that heap is the problem: it eats walking space, becomes a trip hazard, kinks the hose and slowly shortens its life. The best garden hose reels … Read more

The best above ground pools for small backyards are 8 to 12 ft round pools or long, narrow rectangles with 30 to 36 in walls, set down with 1 to 2 ft of clear working room on every side. The INTEX Rectangular Frame 8 ft 6 in by 5 ft 3 in is our top … Read more

The best solar pool cover for an above ground pool is the INTEX 28014E 16 ft Round Solar Pool Cover. It floats on the surface with the bubble side down, cuts evaporation by up to 95 percent, and at 16 ounces one person can spread it over an entire round frame pool in under a … Read more

Every above ground pool fills with dirt. Sand settles on the liner, pollen turns the water hazy, and one windy afternoon can drop a season’s worth of leaves into a 27 foot circle. The difference between a pool you enjoy and a pool you tolerate is almost always how well the bottom gets cleaned. We … Read more

Every hot tub filter cartridge looks the same in a product photo, and almost none of them are interchangeable. A cartridge has to match your spa’s outside diameter, body length, and the connection at the bottom or center, and get that wrong and the filter either will not seat at all or will choke the … Read more

The single highest-risk moment in owning a hot tub is not the water. It is the climb. A 36-inch rim means a 36-inch unaided ascent with wet hands, wet feet and a deck that may be slick with soap, and for anyone with reduced hip or knee range of motion that moment is where most … Read more