Useless "Roll-out Easy Pathway"

[Colin_M]

Has anyone else bought a "Roll-out Easy Pathway" from the Organic Catalogue (and other places)?

Since I fancy the idea of a no dig allotment, I thought these would be a good idea. However the first warning sign came when I started assembling it.

The plastic clips joining each section aren't held in to anything. As I carried it down to the allotment, it fell into three sections. Having re-assembled it, I tied to roll it out and it separated into several more pieces.

This thing seems to be a waste of time. Is there a cunning trick that I've missed somewhere or have I just wasted £23?

Colin

[Deb P]

I'm suprised it's a self assembly pathway, I would have thought it would have been ready assembled at least!

What you have described really doesn't sound right/any good at all. Can you contact the manufacturer/shop for a refund/explaination? It does not sound it has been sold 'fit for purpose' at the moment!!

[Allan]

It is useless on soil as it is hollow underneath and presses into the soil. I haven't had problems with the plastic clips but they are a very tight push fit. They do break when they get several years old. You can sometimes prevent this by laying it on black woven ground fabric, Mypex, Terratex or similar names. The best use I have for it is across some concrete that is standing in water at times, it keeps our feet dry.
Yet another example of a product that has got into all the catalogues but is not a practical idea, like the Sonic Molechasers and shed lights.
James Dyson's ballbarrow wass ideal on soft ground, there is a US firm marketing a modern equivalent, even moves to release it in this country but it isn't cheap.
Allan
Allan

[Colin_M]

It is useless on soil as it is hollow underneath and presses into the soil. I haven't had problems with the plastic clips but they are a very tight push fit. They do break when they get several years old.

Thanks Allan, I thought as much. AS for sopil, any uneven surface causes the sections to separate as the clips can't keep them together.

I think it's time to ask for a refund,

Colin

[Colin_M]

To their credit, the OGC have refunded the price, saying "it does not work as well on rough ground".

Colin

[Allan]

That's good news.
There are far too many products on the market which don't seem to have been thoroughly tried out by a practical gardener for an extended period to see if they are any good. My guess is that the firm's MD thinks of them while shaving, rushes them into production quickly just to make money.
If you are canny enough to sort out the ones that really work usefully and then buy during the almost inevitable clearing of stocks you can sometimes win.
One I got recently is a Draper long-hsandled trowel, stainless steel, orange handle, nothing to stop the trowel head bending as soon as you try to use it so no real digging possible. I think it is still in Ferndale Lodge catalogue. The classic is the Sonic Molechaser.
Allan

[jane E]

What's the matter with the sonic molechaser? Doesn't it work? Interested, because we've got moles hovering round the edge of a new lawn. So far they've hardly progressed past 2 sonic mole scarers. When they did once we put dilute Jeyes fluid down their hill. I know that's drastic, but it called for drastic measures short of trapping them.

[Allan]

I bought two of them, ran them for many months and watched the results. As far as I could see there were many more molehills round the molechasers than elsewhere. By the time I had done all this it was too late to send them back under guarantee so it was a total waste of money not just on the molechasers but also on all those size D batteries which are not cheap. I asked for reports on the forum some time ago as to whether anyone else had any better results, no YES, lots of NO.
One molechaser corroded away with the batteries, the other went to a friend who had a different use for them, never heard any more of it.
Unless you can find any supplier that will give an unqualified guarantee of satisfaction for at least a year, don't buy.
On re-reading your posting,is this too late for you to get a refund?
Allan