Recommendations for Reliable Gardening Tools?

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I'm looking to upgrade my gardening toolkit and could use some advice. I'm in search of reliable, durable, and affordable tools for general garden maintenance (e.g., pruning, weeding, planting, etc.). Do you have any favorite brands or specific tools that have worked well for you?

I've heard a bit about Hyper Tough tools,kobalt tools,husky tools—has anyone here tried them? If so, how do they hold up for regular use?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
 

Meadowlark

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Welcome!!

If I was limited to one garden tool, it would be this:

1737036162058.png


It fully meets or exceeds your criteria of reliable, durable and affordable (but not cheap).
 

Chuck

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Welcome!!

If I was limited to one garden tool, it would be this:

View attachment 106598

It fully meets or exceeds your criteria of reliable, durable and affordable (but not cheap).
I have been saying this for years. It is by far the most used gardening tool I have. It is known by the name Hula Hoe, Push Pull Hoe or Stirrup Hoe. The one pictured is the expensive one. I bought a cheap one about 15 years ago and all it ever needs is the edge to be filed to regain its sharpness.
 

Oliver Buckle

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I am from UK, so don't know about your brands, but after years with a heavy old steel shovel I recently got a lightweight aluminium one, cuts the work by half.
Try the search function, top right, it's the sort of question that may well have been asked before.
Meanwhile, welcome to the forum.
 

pepper2.0

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I have been saying this for years. It is by far the most used gardening tool I have. It is known by the name Hula Hoe, Push Pull Hoe or Stirrup Hoe. The one pictured is the expensive one. I bought a cheap one about 15 years ago and all it ever needs is the edge to be filed to regain its sharpness.

I got one a year or two ago on Amazon, I think I paid $35 Canadian if I remember correctly. Much cheaper than the Hula hoe, but works great and I've put it through hell lol. It is the only garden tool I use on a regular basis all garden season. Other than that the only garden tools I use are my tillers and shovels.

One of my tillers is a Troy-Bilt Horse, I think it was made in the 70's or early 80's but it is built to last and will last longer than me I'd imagine lol.

Another garden tool I just thought of that I use mostly in the fall is my wood chipper. A cheap one but perfect for turning all the fall leaves and garden plants into mulch for the compost, also great for any branches or small tree's 2.5 inches and under in diameter. Also, a lot of fun tossing black walnuts in it lol.. but that is for my own weird amusement and doesn't go into the compost.
 

Heirloom farmer1969

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I got one a year or two ago on Amazon, I think I paid $35 Canadian if I remember correctly. Much cheaper than the Hula hoe, but works great and I've put it through hell lol. It is the only garden tool I use on a regular basis all garden season. Other than that the only garden tools I use are my tillers and shovels.

One of my tillers is a Troy-Bilt Horse, I think it was made in the 70's or early 80's but it is built to last and will last longer than me I'd imagine lol.

Another garden tool I just thought of that I use mostly in the fall is my wood chipper. A cheap one but perfect for turning all the fall leaves and garden plants into mulch for the compost, also great for any branches or small tree's 2.5 inches and under in diameter. Also, a lot of fun tossing black walnuts in it lol.. but that is for my own weird amusement and doesn't go into the compo

I got one a year or two ago on Amazon, I think I paid $35 Canadian if I remember correctly. Much cheaper than the Hula hoe, but works great and I've put it through hell lol. It is the only garden tool I use on a regular basis all garden season. Other than that the only garden tools I use are my tillers and shovels.

One of my tillers is a Troy-Bilt Horse, I think it was made in the 70's or early 80's but it is built to last and will last longer than me I'd imagine lol.

Another garden tool I just thought of that I use mostly in the fall is my wood chipper. A cheap one but perfect for turning all the fall leaves and garden plants into mulch for the compost, also great for any branches or small tree's 2.5 inches and under in diameter. Also, a lot of fun tossing black walnuts in it lol.. but that is for my own weird amusement and doesn't go into the compost.
Them old troy built was hard to beat. I turned a many acres behind one back in the day. It's a shame what they are today. After I think it was Mtd that bought them out, they went down in quality big time.
 
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Thanks for sharing! I appreciate your input.It sounds like a great choice, and I’ll definitely consider ordering it!. Also, could you share the website where I can order it from?
Welcome!!

If I was limited to one garden tool, it would be this:

View attachment 106598

It fully meets or exceeds your criteria of reliable, durable and affordable (but not cheap).
 

Oliver Buckle

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It seems people are answering with their favourite type of tool, The OP says he is upgrading, I guess he already knows what type of tools he wants, but is interested in brands, so he ends up with something superior to those he already has. He mentions specific brands, but about the only brand recommendation I have seen is for a tiller made in the 1970's and Meadowlark's hoe.
 

Meadowlark

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Them old troy built was hard to beat. I turned a many acres behind one back in the day. It's a shame what they are today. After I think it was Mtd that bought them out, they went down in quality big time.
Yes, big time erosion of quality. What a shame.
 

pepper2.0

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It seems people are answering with their favourite type of tool, The OP says he is upgrading, I guess he already knows what type of tools he wants, but is interested in brands, so he ends up with something superior to those he already has. He mentions specific brands, but about the only brand recommendation I have seen is for a tiller made in the 1970's and Meadowlark's hoe.

I thought of that before I posted, but Meadowlark already replied with about the only hand garden tool I can think of that someone might bother buying as a name brand.. maybe a garden weasel too. As far as regular shovels, hoe's, garden rakes etc I couldn't even tell you a name brand, I have several of each but not one of them has a name anywhere on them.

Without knowing how large of a garden the OP has and if it is a large plot like Meadowlark has, or a 4'x8' raised garden it is hard to picture what kind of tools exactly they would use or need.

Personally I would go on the local buy and sell markets, facebook marketplace etc and look for a used old tiller that isn't made mostly of plastic parts if that is something needed. I don't know the name of my cheap Chinese wood chipper off hand, but a quick google search for "cheap Chinese made garbage wood chippers" should find one lol.

Other than that, any tools I do buy new that I expect to last are always Makita and DeWalt, but unless building a greenhouse I don't think those kind of tools would be needed in a garden.
 

pepper2.0

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Yes, big time erosion of quality. What a shame.

Same as almost everything made these days that is mass produced. Companies don't make as much money if something lasts longer than a few years. Also even though a lot of stuff is "made" in USA, most of the parts are shipped from China.
 

Meadowlark

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Thanks for sharing! I appreciate your input.It sounds like a great choice, and I’ll definitely consider ordering it!. Also, could you share the website where I can order it from?
I ordered from Amazon...but there are several resellers that offer it. Search for "Hoss tools" and you can see the complete line including the hoe.
 

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