Manual Sod Cutter

[Adam_M]

Has anyone used one of the manual kick-style sod cutters? The bluegrass has sort of invaded some of my beds, and coincidentally I also have some areas that could use sod, so seems like an obvious solution. Any recommendations if so?

I'd rather not rent a power one, I only have 100 or so linear feet of bed to cut (and another 100 wherever it lands) so I'm OK with the manual labor.

[ken-n-nancy]

Yes, I have a manual kick-style sod cutter, and love it! The only problem with them is that they are crazy expensive to buy in the first place. I bought one made by Quail. I did ask for and receive a small discount (10%?) by ordering it direct from the manufacturer. It is at least a 100% US-made product and supports an American small business.

I bought it because I have regular sod-transplanting as part of my battle against Poa trivialis. If your planned usage is a one-time thing, it is also possible to rent the manual sod cutter at some places. However, you'll probably need to call around, as not many people want to rent a manual tool anymore.

I remember watching a few YouTube videos on using the manual sod cutter before making the purchase. There was one by a woman who used one to remove sod from a fairly large garden area which sold me on getting one.

You could also check on craigslist for a used one, but they're a pretty rare tool, so you probably won't find one there, but one never knows...