Not so much removal as prevention = mulch. For removal that depends on the location. I use hands, hand fork, digging fork, dutchhoe.

I love my Ken Ho.

I am so dependent on it and so afraid of it breaking that I have two new ones still in their packages on a shelf- and I've had this tool for what feels like at least 20 years. I could absolutely be misremembering but it's really old.

Last year I ordered quite a bit of mulch and I mulched every single bed. Now I have voles everywhere. Just odd, because in the 11 years I've been here, it hasn't been a problem. Also; I have a bad back so now, having to do a lot of weeding sitting down.

My hands. I just reach down and pull, most stuff comes out pretty easily. For stuff with a taproot, I use a shovel to loosen and then pull. Best to do after a rain, much easier to yank stuff when ground is moist. Agree with Floral re: mulch -- weeds never get a good stronghold.

I sometimes use a hoe for the vegetable beds, but mostly when I've direct-sowed (e.g. beets) and don't cover the ground with mulch. If I keep up with it, it's fast and easy -- if I don't, ugh!

A drywall jab knife - serrated, narrow, a little flexible and cheap. Very good at getting down to the buried nuts that have sprouted in my lawn, or to cut around the root cluster/ taproot of something so it is easily lifted out.

Japanese garden ho e is great since its small and agile enough to work around plants. You can just drag it across the soil to cut off all sorts of weeds And you can swing it downward to uproot some decent sized weeds too

I like my dandilion pricker, which is very similar to the screwdriver gawdenfever uses. I feel like i get the whole darned thing out! (but it comes back -lol) . I tried a hula hoe but I’ll have to try it again. It is much quicker. If I could ever get ahead of the weeds I’d put down mulch ...and be very happy for quite a few years!

I love my CobraHead. It has replaced my dandelion fork as my best small plant removal tool. It can even extract sprouted walnuts and acorns and sometimes, spiderwort if it's not a really big old clump. It took a little while to get used to it. I "hit" near the unwanted sprout as if it was a hammer, then push it sideways to pop the sprout out. Much easier on my back.

I like a small pry bar. It works for digging rocks without bending and weeds. The side is flat for smoothing dirt.

hydrangeahead: I just got one and I love it!

For a smaller area I love our "Bandit Hand Loop Weeder":

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/garden/garden-care/weeders/73258-garden-bandit-hand-loop-weeder?item=PA330

I have Rouge’s loop weeder, also something similar with a long handle for use while standing, but my absolute favourite is my hori hori knife.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/garden/garden-care/trowels/10504-hori-hori-knife?item=BL113

I can dig for a long root, uproot shallow weeds, and cut off seedlings just below soil level. Besides that, I can lift small plants, dig a small hole, and use the serrated side to cut through tough roots and even cut back a plant or a clump of tattered grass. This knife and a good pruner are my main garden tools.

I bought a hori hori knife this year and find that it’s useful for so many gardening tasks, especially weeding.

Rogue Garden Hoe. https://roguehoe.com/product/575g/

O Terry Haselden...I LOVE a hoe - essentially a knife on a stick. After my secateurs, hoes are my most used garden tools. Hoed off weeds are a main (free) mulch for me, along with leaves, compost and such.

rosaprimula, I still pull what I can, but bending gets old and sometimes you just gotta stand up and use a hoe. This is hands down the best I've ever used. Sharpened on three sides, quality steel that holds an edge well, light weight. Love it.