your favorite garden tools

[garden_vato]

show us your favorite garden tools! i thought this would be a good idea, just to see if some of us know of better shovels than others, or better pruners, weeders, trowels, all that kind of stuff. heres a couple of my favorites, both of them new this year

ridgid digging fork. i shopped around a whole bunch before i decided to buy this particular fork. the think i like about it over all the others that i looked at is the heavy hardwood shaft. you can tell it means business. the second part, the deal maker, is the handle. its made out of stainless steel and has a nice wood grip. the only drawback it has is that the tines are not quite as hard a metal as the handle is, but it still chews up the dirt like nothin



fiskars titanium blade ratchet pruners. why did i buy it? just look at it. if rambo was a gardener, this would be the pruners he would buy. it has a titanium coated blade to give it extra tooth and durability, and it has a ratchet drive in it so that instead of having the pressure go to your hands, it rests on the steel and titanium. if the branch is being stubborn, you release a little till the ratchet clicks into the next slot, give it more pressure, and away comes the branch. i love it.



the ratchet system

[Emerald]

My favorite loppers are ratchet loppers and now they got left outside on the shed hook and the fiberglass handles are not as stiff as they used to be and they don't cut the same! having a bad nerve in my back has been interfering with my gardening, and the ratchet loppers made it easier for me to do stuff by myself..
I also have the "claw" which works great for my compost mixing and planting works the hole up very nice.
But my best tool by far is...(drum roll please) THE HUBBY!!! lol poor fella has to do all the hard lifting for me as I can't anymore.. but he does love that fresh garden produce so I don't hear to much grousing.. lol
Plus the more veggies and mater sauces I get put by the more of our grocery budget can go to either a bit of savings or luxury items which would have to forgo.

[jokenmar]

Well, I will have to get some pictures and post later. This will be fun,

[nedwina]

We just got the bigger grub hoe from this guy: www.easydigging.com and it's a beast. Great quality, good design, and incredible price. I just ordered up the smaller version & the grape hoe.

He also has a Planet Junior design wheel hoe- anyone who has a big garden with long rows should have one. They do the job.

ETA: They're not available at that site, but those Wilcox stainless steel hand tools are high quality & indestructible. I have one of their trowels, and I'll probably leave it to someone in my will because it's certain that it will survive me! http://www.lehmans.com/store/USA_Mad...___W100S?Args=

[Jackie-T]

My favorite garden tool in the spring is the BCS rear tine tiller makes a hard job easy and kind of fun. I have the diesel model that I was told recently is no longer exported to the us. A little later on my favorite tool is what is commonly called an onion hoe at least around here. It has a narrow blade and the same width as the hoes sold in the store now a day. I wish someone would make them again as they make hoeing the weeds so much easier especialy if kept good and sharp. As for pruners my favorites are the Felco number 2 fit my hand well and cut accuratly. If I am having trouble cutting something then I go to the long handle bypass loppers.

[deciduousLychees]

My favorite garden tool is this big long heavy pointy metal rod thing I've got. I don't even know what the word for it is, but nothing makes digging easier, going through hard dirt and using it as a lever to pop up big rocks.

[Jackie-T]

Originally Posted by deciduousLychees

My favorite garden tool is this big long heavy pointy metal rod thing I've got. I don't even know what the word for it is, but nothing makes digging easier, going through hard dirt and using it as a lever to pop up big rocks.

Yup that is a very handy tool we call it a pry bar there is probably another name for it also.

[TXDirtDog]

This is pretty much my garden tool bag. About the only other tools I ever use are hand pruners for roses, twine for tying up vines, and an axe if breaking new ground that has tree roots.

Yeah, they're all well worn, and need cleaning. I just haven't had the spare time or energy at this point to get it done!

[garden_vato]

lol emerald. i want to get a pair of ratchet loppers for pruning the fruit trees, but the ones i want are pretty expensive so itll be awhile.

nedwina, that hoe looks like it could tear up granite! i want one now!

jackie im gonna have to check out that onion hoe. i use my grandpas tiller every year...not sure what brand or model it is

lychees, youre right. pry bars are a great thing to have. we use them a lot at work and i find them to be really useful for stump and root removal, as well as breaking ground.

dirtdog thats a nice lil collection you got goin on there. id like to have a really small set of really dependable and durable tools the way you do, so it wont take up so much room in the garage and the shed.

thanks for posting everybody! lets see some more for the rest of you who havent shared with us

[sacratamato]

Yep.
All good tools.
Great pics!

As for myself,
My favorite gardening tool,
Is my brain.


Based upon my 3 (+) decades,
Of "hands on organic gardening experience", that's what I rely upon.

When that fails me (occasionally),
My 2'nd favorite tool,
Is my Annual garden journal.
I always carry a pencil/note-pad in my back pocket, when out in the garden.

GL everybody this season!

Later,
Sac