Posts tagged quality gardening tools

After years of buying and replacing garden tools, I have finally learned that when you buy quality tools, they can last for a lifetime rather than a season or two.  I may have been a little slow but eventually I got really tired of contributing broken crap to the landfills and decided to learn what makes a garden tool high quality.

I would like to share some of the information that I have gathered to help you learn to identify quality in a garden tool so that you can feel confident about what you buy. I would also like to offer thanks to Fred Walden of fredshed from whom I learned a lot.

The head of the garden tool is the first thing to check when it comes to quality. The material should be high quality steel and it should be forged rather than pressed or machine formed. Yes, indeed I have learned about forging!  Forging involves heating the metal and then shaping it by force and produces a stronger more durable piece than machining. A single piece of steel is used to prevent the need for welds or other connections that weaken the piece.  The quality and care taken finishing the head is another factor that can impact the sharpness of the cutting edges of the tool and its ability to retain a sharp edge.

A number of types of steel are used in producing gardening tools, including stainless steel, Boron steel as well as some proprietary blends. Wow, who knew there were so many kinds of steel and I even watch Modern Marvels and the Science channel? Stainless is the most resistant to corrosion but is also typically more expensive.   Many pieces are tempered to provide for additional flexibility. Some quality tools have a polished stainless steel finish, while others are burnished or painted. The polished stainless is shiny and looks pretty while the tempered has an old-world feel. High quality steel helps maintain a sharp edge to the tool so you don’t have to worry about sharpening the tools all the time.

Another thing to check regarding the head of a garden tool is the connection to the handle. The metal should wrap securely around the shaft and be well connected because it really sucks when you break the handle off a tool. Hardwoods such as ash make for excellent sturdy handles.  A wooden handle typically offers more flexibility and less vibration and cold transfer than a metal or fiberglass handle and many toolmakers today use sustainable woods.  Plastic can also be a good handle choice for smaller garden hand tools.

A variety of handle designs are offered for longer garden tools including a T-shape, D-shape or straight handle with a ball on the end to prevent your hands from sliding off.  Garden hand tools come with many styles and grips as well, including ergonomic and two handed models. The shape of any garden tool handle is a matter of personal preference and there is no one best model, but a T-shape on a longer tool or a two handed model hand tool can give you more pushing power and greater leverage.

The length of the handle on garden tools depends heavily on the tool, your height, whether you prefer to use it sitting, kneeling or standing and what you are using it for. The longest handles provide you with the greatest reach and leverage and require less bending when working while shorter handles give you more flexibility and precision in tighter areas. For gardening tools used while standing a longer handle requires more arm strength which is an area where I am somewhat lacking while a shorter handle requires more leg strength where I do better.