Purchased this item along with the short handle, to make it easier to fork over and weed our flower beds, without having to bend over too far. I can do the job sitting on the gardening stool. Also the round times are easier to push into compacted soil/weeds and the longer handle gives more leverage to prise out perennial weeds than the usual short handle hand forks. As to the quality, it is a very strong and well made tool, and should certainly last out the 35 years warranty it has.