Kickstarting A Bright Idea

 

Vincent shows us his new Ring Weeder invention

Just occasionally I see something new on the market and ask myself “Why didn’t I think of that?”  My last great idea was back in the 80’s when I designed an automated tarpaulin sheet to cover perishable asphalt on HGV’s. The mechanism was simple and did away with all of the fiddly catches, saving the driver time enabling them to move more loads and make more money.  Unfortunately I kept the idea in my head and someone else developed it in the late 90’s. Such as life.

Some people are a bit more organised than me though and actually go ahead with an idea they have and put it into production. This “Why didn’t I” device is just one piece of moulded plastic that fits over your index finger to help you weed in awkward places.  I have lost count of the amount of gloves (all left handed) I have worn out by pressing my finger into the soil to get out weed roots.  This simple device does away with all of that. I thought it was so good I contacted the inventor Vincent Suozzi, who lives and teaches in NY to explain what exactly the device is and how it all came about.

What is the Ring Weeder and how does it work?

“The Ring Weeder is a garden tool that slips onto your index finger that helps when pulling weeds by hand in those densely planted areas where larger tools won’t fit.  The Ring Weeder allows you to get the whole root which will save you time and effort in the long run. Better weeding, fewer weeds.”

Where could it be used?

Vegetable gardens, flower beds, and every space in between, they all need to be weeded. I want to improve the process so you spend less time weeding and more time enjoying the fruits of your labour!”

How did the idea come about?

“While weeding a flower bed using a screw driver-like tool, I came up with the idea of something that attaches to my hand to make the weeding quicker and more efficient. I am right handed and didn't like to use my left hand to pull out the weed which forced me to put the tool down and then pull out the weed with my preferred hand. This made for a slow and boring process.

I misplaced this tool one day and spent twenty minutes searching for it since I didn't want to run it over with my lawn mower and risk damaging the machine or even worse: potentially hitting someone with it. That’s one reason why the first production models are bright orange!”

How did you go about developing the idea?

One day in 2012, I went to a friend called Tom Malloy who specialises in welding. After carefully explaining my idea, Tom went to work on what was dubbed "The Garden Claw" which fitted over three fingers and looked like something out of the film Edward Scissorhands!

I realised that using only one tool on my index finger along with the help of my bare thumb felt more natural and comfortable than my first idea.” I called the next design the “Garden Nail.” After testing, it was clear that rotating the nail tip under the finger greatly improved leverage and comfort. Soon after, the name "The Ring Weeder" emerged since you actually slip the device on your finger like a ring.” 

 Are you doing this on your own?

“My wife has been supporting me all the way and I have a Mechanical Engineer and Project Advisor onboard now to make sure every angle is covered in the project which really helps at this stage.  My sons have been an important part of the process too and suggested I get funding from a website called Kickstarter.com. Kickstarter is a website which helps finance creative projects by individual donation or “Crowdfunding” By placing an order for $8 you get one of the first Ring Weeders off the production line and this has given me the development funds I needed to progress.”

How much have you raised so far?

The Ring Weeder has so far raised over €20,000 of startup cash from over 820 people who have pledged money for the first ones produced.”

How will the money raised from Kickstart help with development?

“With the help of the pledges I will be able to get the tooling needed (cavity mould) and the first production run of The Ring Weeder.”

Any other ideas for the garden?

“Maybe I have a few, I’ll keep you posted!”

 Vincent is passionate about his idea and leaves us with a pearl of wisdom: “I always tell my students and my two sons to always give everything your best effort, because if you don’t, you will always have regrets.”

Pledge Now

The initial pledge on Kickstarter runs until Saturday (Aug 17^th) so you still have two days to put in your pledge for the first batch.  Ring Weeder on Kickstarter.com