At some point last year, I came across my all-time favorite multi-tool.

When I am outdoors or working in the yard or garden, these come in very handy for me. Technically, the exact kind that I have is the 20-1/2 inch GroundWork Multi Function Chop Saw.

I know that it looks pretty savage, which is a plus, but it does more than that! I found it at a Tractor Supply store up in Wisconsin the first time, though I have seen them in other Tractor Supply stores across the country. One of the interesting things about it is that when I found it up in Wisconsin, it retailed for about $10.99, and sometimes went on sale for $7.99. When I found it one sale, I even picked up extra for myself and for some friends. When I found it for sale in Arkansas though, the price tag was $19.99. Obviously I didn’t feel like paying about $10 extra just to buy one down here, so I only purchase more when I am in Wisconsin.

Purchase More?

Yeah, it is such a handy tool that I like having extra around. If I keep at least one in the truck, I’ll have one with me when I am out and about. If I keep at least one at home, I’ll have one available even if Hive account@mama-pepper left with the truck somewhere. C’mon, how many pairs of scissors do you have?

Interesting enough, I just found out that it is currently on sale at the Tractor Supply website for $7.99, so it's a great time to pick on up too!

THE FEATURES

Small Notch

This sharp little extra is very sharp indeed. Once I accidentally sliced my finger tip open, and the blood came rushing out. I had to cut the draw string off of my hoodie and use it as a tourniquet just to stop the bleeding. Man did that hurt for a long time. Eventually it healed though, so let’s get back to what you are supposed to use it for.

I think that it is mostly designed to cut rope or twine, but it works great on small vines too. I like having it handy because it is located in a spot that you normally wouldn’t use anyway.

Large Notch

This one is great for slicing through vines and such with a pulling motion. Often, I can even hook it beneath the root system of smaller bushes and brush and uproot them with a quick tug. Thankfully I have not had any mistakes with this part.

Saw

The saw is a handy feature to have available. Sometimes when hacking at a branch or tree just doesn’t do the job you can switch to the saw. Also, if you want a cleaner edge to what you are cutting, the saw is the way to go!

Blade

The blade on this tool comes very sharp, and it is easy to keep almost razor sharp with a grinding wheel. This is the feature that I use most often, and what really made me appreciate the tool. I could slice my way through some pretty large branches and smaller trees with a single stroke.

Additionally, you can use it much like you would an axe to chop through larger trees. I like working with man-power often, as it takes more energy and requires no gasoline, so there is no expense just to do it “the old-fashioned way.” I am in the process of clearing some land that we are going to purchase so that I can replace the bushes, shrubs, vines, and trees with ones that produce edible fruits, nuts, leaves, and berries. Whenever I am working on that, I almost always take at least one of these with me.

Handle Hole

The hole in the handle is a great option to have. If I wanted to, I could thread some rope through it so that it wouldn’t fly out of my hand if I lost my grip. So far I haven’t gone flying off the handle, so I have not secured a rope to it, but it is still nice to have the option to without having to drill a hole myself.

Hanging Hole

At the far end of the blade is another hole. This one is for hanging it on your wall, garden shed or workshop desk. Eventually I plan on building a few small sheds around the property to store useful gardening tools in. Inside each of these will be a wall of tools hanging, and I hope to have one of these in each. It comes in so handy that it will be nice to have various ones available around the property stored out of the elements to prevent corrosion and rust.

CONCLUSION

In closing, I just wanted to take a moment to share this really useful and practical tool with all of you. I really enjoy using it and find it very helpful. When I remove Green Briers I like to use the large notch to slice them off near the root and then twist the blade and saw around the rest of the vine. Then, I can move the sharp and dangerous vine without touching it. Later, I’ll use the hook of that large notch to rip the root system out of the soil.

Personally, I think that this tool is worth the $20 USD that they try to sell it for down here in Arkansas, I just prefer to purchase it for about half of that up in Wisconsin instead. I'd recommend it to others for sure, and have even given a few as gifts already.

I done plenty of slicing, cutting, chopping, and sawing with these so far, and plan on doing a lot more in the years to come. Do any of you have one of these already, or have you seen them at the store? If not, what is your favorite tool for getting these types of jobs done?