The Handler, sounds like the name of a B-movie villain, is a modular lawn and garden hand tool system. It also comes with its own wall-mounted storage system for your garage, for space-saving accessibility.
The Handler tool system comes with a long D-grip fiberglass handle and 5 tool heads: a 14 tine metal garden rake, a 24″ push broom, a 22 tine metal leaf rake, and a round point shovel. The tool heads attach to the handle by means of a nylon locking tip and stainless steel ball bearing retention mechanism.
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Street Price: $92 and change, via Amazon
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First Thoughts
While overly optimistic about The Handler tool system, it seems a little imperfect.
First, with a list price of $99 and street price of $92, The Handler system is a little pricey for just 4 tools.
Second, where are the other options? This system is modular, but you can only buy a 5-piece kit, or a 8-piece “Mega” kit that is similar but with the addition of a second handle, a smaller thatching rake, and a flat head shovel.
Where’s the long straight handle option? Long D-grip handle option? Individual accessories and attachments?
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The Handler system looks great for what it is, and I think that it has the potential to be even better. I’m just a little impatient in wanting more. It’s unfair to expect them to release everything at once, but the promise of additional handle sizes or styles, or individual attachments, would go a long way to ebb my hesitations.
NoDeuces
I needed each of these tools for light use, so I bought one and I have loved it. I would bet that if I needed to engage in any back breaking work – especially shoveling – I would not like this system.
skfarmer
unless it is a super tight attachment i would hate it. there is nothing worse than a broom, shovel or similar tool with a loose head.
the price? well you won’t walk out with top end tools but you could surely find 4 usable tools for less than 92 dollars with a little careful shopping.
i often find myself needing to switch back and forth between those tools on a frequent basis and would find switching the handle annoying. it looks like a solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist since it more than likely doesn’t do any of the jobs better than a stand alone tool.
Nathan
if you said this was a worx tool system I wouldn’t have been shocked.
for 92 dollars I think I can get atleast 3 if not all 4 of the tools in decent/top quality versions with full handles. also I don’t mind wood handled tools – minor MX and they last quite some time.
the engineer in me is worried about that nylon connection with SS ball detents. I don’t mind the ball detents per se- it’s the nylon connection point. fiber filled nylon – better – coated steel end – even better.
Yadda
If all your needs for each of these tools is light and you don’t have much space then this might be a good system. Dedicated tools are much better and the handles on each of the dedicated tools works much better ergonomically. Looks like a great father’s day gift for the Dad that doesn’t do anything.
Tom
It seems like most of these tools could be had in a standard form for less money. Why go modular if there isn’t a big cost savings?
Brian
I want to see all 4 of those tools are $20 at lowes for kobalt.
I cant imagine youd have much leverage for the shovel with the joint being right there at head.
Overpriced and under performed I think. Looks like the yard tool equivalent of the little pink mechanic tool box with the 4oz hammer and the screw driver set that will never come out of the shrinkwrap. Tools for the person that wants to check off the box of “things an adult should own”.
Brian
That should say “I want to say ive seen all 4 of those tools for $20 at lowes”
Peter H
A system of interchangeable tools and handles makes sense, but it needs to offer a wider variety of tools than this system has. I bought a number of tools in the Wolfgarten multi-star system, and they have held up quite well. I especially like the option of using the short or long handle on the mini tools — the small rakes and hoes and garden forks.
http://www.wolf-garten.org/nc/products/hand-tools-gloves.html
Pete
I just bought a lowes “no hassle guarantee” shovel for $20-ish with a fiberglass handle and it works great. I see no point in this system unless you had no room. I don’t wanna be switching handles every time I need to do a different task. And what if the handle it self breaks? Then you can’t use ANY tool. could you buy a replacement handle at your nearest home store?
Oscar
That’s what I was thinking . Sometimes I need to rake and broom while mowing my lawn. It would seem like a hassle having to switch from attachment to attachment and if the handle brakes on day. Then what??????
ktash
I know people who don’t like to garden but they have to put in easy-to-grow flowers to make their house look good. These tools would work for them. I’m a gardener and often use two or more tools at the same time. My first thought was how frustrating to have to change the handle all the time. Also, different tools have different handles for gardening.
Here’s a gimmicky tool that works amazingly well. The Garden Claw Gold cultivator.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Garden-Weasel-Garden-Claw-Gold-Cultivator-DISCONTINUED-91306/100051614
Unfortunately, it has been discontinued and replaced with another model, one with straight handles by another company on Amazon and other places. The ergonomics are not at all the same. My neighbor has this type and it is not near as good as the original. Handles matter, is one point. I’m sure it’s cheaper to manufacture. I’d still get one, though.
Another one of my points is that if you are thinking of getting a Mother’s or Father’s day gift for someone who likes to garden, get them something like the garden claw. Not the modular set.
fred
I agree that there are much better garden tools to give as gifts. Some of my wife’s favorites are left handed Felco pruners, and some of the Dewit hand tools from Holland:
http://www.gardentoolcompany.com/collections/vendors?q=dewit+garden+tools
Tom
The real issue here is with just one handle, you can’t guilt a friend or family member into helping you in the yard. You are giving them a way out!
fred
I’m not cramped for space having a largish 3 car garage with a 10 foot ceiling and stand-up attic – but I’m not sure that its the handle that takes up the room in storing garden tools. I have some pegboard with brackets – and some plywood with larger brackets along a small portion of the back wall of my garage – where I hang my brooms, rakes, shovels, etc. Most are stored at least 3 deep – one behind the other so they take up less wall space. Judicious arrangement and staggering of wide (like rakes) and narrower tools (like hoes and shovels ) at different heights along the wall packs a lot into a relatively small space.
Adabhael
It seems to me if you have enough space to need long-handled yard tools, you probably have enough space to store them?
To me, this tool is a special-case of the Swiss Army Knife problem. I can see the logic of multifunction tools (assuming sufficient quality) for a portable or vehicle-kit where space and weight are the real restrictions. For example, both Mag-Lok and Inteletool sell similar modular tools for jobs like wildland firefighting. I doubt each individual tool would be anybody’s preferred option for a specific application, but a kit like that could put a full set of pretty good tools in the back of every ranger’s car or truck. Pretty good tools that are right there when needed are way more useful than a perfect tool back in a depot someplace.
The range of options, prices, and the warranties for those modular tools suggest they are more industrial-grade than the homeowner system here, so if you want more tools for your module, and/or higher quality, that is a place to look.
Maybe the Handler is perfect for an apartment dweller with a plot in a community garden?
CT
I’ve broken enough of these tools to avoid the “break one, you break them all” situation of an all-in-one.
Not to mention the hassle of having to assemble your tool of choice every time you want to use one.
no thanks
garrett
Not sure I’ve ever seen a worse idea. Lessee, almost a hundred bucks gets you 1 tool and pieces of 3 more.
Hmmm…maybe if you paint it black and stick some picatinny rails on the handle?
Jimmie
I don’t like it.
1) For $100, you have 4 tools but you can only use one at a time. You can’t just drop the shovel and grab the wire rake.
2) You’re buying into what appears to be a proprietary attachment mechanism. What if it becomes loose or sloppy or breaks in the future? If you can’t find a replacement, you’re out 4 tools.
For $100, I think I’d rather go to Lowe’s and buy four decent standalone tools.
Kevin
if storage space is such a premium a better idea would be coming up with a creative storage solution for storing stand alone tools rather than buying an over priced gimmicky product
RICHARD DECKERT
NO THANKS! I have individual tools that fit my needs better. and more economically.
fred
It’s not so much that one-handle with multiple ends is such a bad or even novel idea. Others like Gardena Combisystem, Fiskars Quickfit , and Wolf-Garten multi-change are even more complete or diverse in what “end-effectors” are offered as part of their systems. Some of these come with storage racks to make a nice display – but I still think it’s more display and gimmick than actual utility.
I also just saw a TV commercial and Display at Lowes for Troy-Bilt’s Flex system – where you buy one engine with wheels and handle to attach to a lawnmower, snowthrower, pressure washer, and leaf blower attachment. I suspect this is targeted for homeowners rather than professional landscapers.
What I do think is a worthwhile concept – that seems to have caught on seeing how many variants now exist in the market – is the idea of having one trowel handle that can attach to several different blades. This is appealing because in a small toolbox – you can carry many different smooth and notched trowel blades with a single handle – all taking up much less space compared to multiple trowels. I see that these are offered by Gundlach (Versablade), Hart (Quick-Tatch) , Barwalt (Ultralife) and Alpha (Smart Trowel).
Stuart
I agree about lack of utility. Unlike the Troy-Bilt Flex (https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/troy-bilt-flex/%3C/a%3E%29, where users probably won’t want to use more than one engine-powered tool back and forth, there are lots of times when users might want to use multiple pole handle gardening tools during a work session.
fred
Stuart
I mentioned the Troy-Bilt Flex (sorry that I forgot that you had posted about this) because I thought that it might have utility for homeowners. While a landscaper crew might be using a leaf blower at the same time as running a lawnmower – this is not likely for a homeowner – and certainly I can’t think of why anyone would need to mow the lawn and blow some snow at the same time. Also – with the Troy-Bilt Flex – one engine/handle – with multiple attachments – probably would save some space in a garage – and should also save some money.
skfarmer
i can’t believe nobody has commented on the storage system. one would need a whole wall to attach all of the included holders to hang the tools. notice that it would take up much more real estate than 4 real tools on one homemmade or commercially made holder.
Caleb
I could see it being useful for someone who is extremely limited on space if they had more handle options and if they sold the heads separately.
I would be interested in something heavier duty to keep in the truck for camping and off road driving. Maybe one handle for a shovel, ax, garden rake, show shovel, pick, and splitting maul. Other than that it seems like it would be fairly useless.
Joe
To be fair, the name is all about a modular gardening tool set. This would be tools my spouse would use in her flower beds to plant, weed, and sweep the patio areas. I don’t see a mention of them being contractor-grade. I wouldn’t invest in this stuff for on the job work. Again, this would appeal to my wife’s sense of compactness and “duties”. I wonder when they will make these tools in a pink color?
Jon
For Some reason it replaced my last comment with the reply.
Stuart
When someone who has never commented before talks about how amazing a completely unrelated brand of tool or product is, it’s flagged and deleted as spam.
Ahmadi
I want to purchase in a bulk quantity but the company is not replying me………