CONSUMERS : Twools Give Short Arms a Long Reach

If spring gardening chores are staring you in the face, you might want to consider Twools, a new line of garden tools that convert from short handles to long ones with an extender.

Introduced by Rugg Manufacturing Co. of Greenfield, Mass., the convertible Twools have a 30 1/2-inch extender that can be screwed snugly into the end of each tool. There are 11 garden instruments in the Twools line, all constructed of chrome-plated tempered steel with handles of tubular steel covered with a poly-plastic material. A starter set, which includes a digging trowel, a scratcher, a spring rake and the extender handle, costs about $22.95. Other Twools range in price from $5.49 for the Dutch hoe to $22 for the latest addition, a steel pruning saw.

“Gardeners no longer must crawl around flower beds or stretch like contortionists to reach around shrubbery,” company vice president Bill Rugg said.

Twools are available at Armstrong Garden Centers in the Los Angeles area or mail order from J Collard Ltd. in Long Beach, Calif., phone (800) 541-4550, or directly from Rugg Manufacturing Co., P.O. Box 507, Greenfield, Mass. 01302; phone (413) 773-5471.

The Essential Mate

A handy new gadget is FolioMate, a compact kit filled with office essentials that fits in your daily planner or notebook binder.

FolioMate, which has six holes on its border so it fits nicely in any six-ring organizer or three-ring notebook, is made of black molded plastic, is a slim 1/4-inch thick and weighs only one ounce. The kit includes: scissors; ruler; knife; sewing kit with a needle, thread, safety pin and buttons; letter opener; comb; a red or black pen; highlighting marker; colored pencils--red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple and black; eraser and tape measure. FolioMate costs $25 (add $3 for shipping and handling) and can be purchased from Bedol International Group Inc., 1768 Fillmore Drive, Monterey Park, Calif. 91754; phone (818) 288-3043.

Digital Tire Gauge

Tired of trying to decide if your tires are a few pounds low in air pressure by looking at them? That can be a real problem with steel-belted radials. So you may want to try AccuTire, a small, digital tire-pressure gauge.

The device, from Measurement Specialties Inc. of Wayne, N.J., is powered by a lithium battery that MSI representatives say will last a lifetime. You simply unscrew the tire-valve cap, push the AccuTire nozzle firmly on the valve and press the “on” button. Wait until it beeps, then remove and read the digital display.

The suggested retail price for AccuTire is $19.99, and it will be available in mid-June in auto-parts and selected department stores. To locate a store near you, write Measurement Specialties. Inc., 1133 Route 23, Wayne, N.J., 07470, phone (201) 633-0440.

Strapping the Pain

Consumers plagued with painful tennis elbow (tendinitis), shin splints, aching knees or muscular backache may want to try a new Canadian product, LaStrap.

Developed by Anthony J. Last, a Canadian physicist who was searching for relief for his own tennis elbow, LaStrap is a washable sleeve that holds a pad filled with a puttylike material that Last says neutralizes vibration and absorbs shock, while retaining body heat to the problem area.

LaStrap is available from Health for Life, a Los Angeles research company that also publishes fitness and conditioning programs based on its sports research findings. LaStrap for the elbow, shin or knee costs $29.95; for the back, $39.95 (plus $3 for shipping and handling). To order, call (800) 523-9983 in California, (800) 874-5339 outside the state, or write to Health for Life, 8033 Sunset Blvd., Suite 483, Los Angeles, Calif. 90046.