Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange
Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [tools]

For questions about the maintenance, usage, techniques, evaluating, and storage of gardening handheld tools. For questions about larger equipment or machines use the [equipment] tag.

For questions about gardening and tools and equipment that are handheld: maintenance, usage, techniques, evaluating, and storage. This applies to everything from trowels to walk-behind power tillers. Questions about the "best brand" or "where to buy" are off-topic and will be closed.

For larger machines and equipment use the tag.

115 questions
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What are the (essential) Tools that every gardener should own?

Credit where credit is due, this idea is pinched from over here: Tools that every Do-it-Yourselfer must own What tools should every gardener own, have at their disposal (preferably essential tools)? As this is a community wiki there is no one right…
Mike Perry
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What qualities should I look for in gardening tools so that they're long lasting?

I've been purchasing most of my lawn equipment from a home improvement store and most of the equipment (rakes, shovels, etc) I have bought from them over the last 2 years has broken during what I believe to be "normal use". They have been pretty…
Brian
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Which style of weeding tool for small, densely planted flower beds and raised gardens?

I bought a house with beautiful landscaping: small flowerbeds and decorative shrubs and trees, tucked away in various corners of a hilly, rocky lot. The flower beds are very densely planted. There are a lot of hand-hoes, cultivators and weeders out…
RI Swamp Yankee
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Is shovel made of spring steel really worth it?

A local shop offers a shovel made of spring steel (specifically - steel used for leaf springs) which is like twice as expensive as a regular one. The implication is that using special steel makes a more durable and reliable shovel. Is such shovel…
sharptooth
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When would I prefer a shovel with a rounded blade over one with a pointed blade?

I've got used to shovels that have a pointed blade like this: which is more or less the right shape for digging ground. Now the very same shovel (same handle, same everything) comes in this design with a rounded blade: which I'd guess would not…
sharptooth
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How can I dissolve the gunked up fertilizer in a Scotts Turfbuilder drop spreader?

My spreader is gunked up with fertilizer so that the agitator does not spread out the fertilizer and seed anymore. How can I dissolve the fertilizer that is gunked in the agitator so that the spreader will work again?
0A0D
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What are these garden tools used for?

I received a set of garden tools, and I'm not sure what a couple of them are used for. Could you help me identify these tools?
kleinejenn
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What is the gardening purpose of an l-shaped groove knife hand tool?

What is the gardening purpose of an l-shaped groove knife? (credits to http://www.chillingtontoolsonline.com/groove-knife-p62 ) It appears to be a weeding or cultivation tool, a little-bit like a "wrong sided" billhook.
Samuel Russell
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Anvil or by-pass pruner?

I have a few potted plants, and plan on expanding with more different variety of plants. Not sure what kinds. I am looking for good quality pruners that will be most suitable for my different kinds of needs. I heard that anvil and bypass pruners…
4-K
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Garden tool handle shapes: the DTs

In this image (source: Spade (Wikipedia), creative commons), the spades have a T handle. On most modern spades there is a D handle. There is of course a third alternative of no cross piece at all, just as with long-handled spades. Forks and other…
Colin Beckingham
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How does a bow-knife weed cutter compare with a string trimmer?

In hard-to-mow areas, I use a string trimmer to occasionally cut back the weeds. I recently found a tool for sale which could potentially be used in a similar fashion, but without any gas. It's called a Bow-Knife Weed Cutter. I found it here, but…
J. Musser
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Chainsaw maintenance: infrequent usage

I bought a battery chainsaw to help with winter clean up. I don't expect to use it much during the other seasons so I'm wondering how to store it. Leave the bar oil in or try to drain it? How much should I worry about cleaning out the wood bits that…
ethrbunny
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Tool name: Hoe with spikes

What is the technical name for this style of hoe? Source: Reddit The reason I ask is: I'm trying to find this style of hoe for sale in Ontario, Canada. But when I google "hoe", the results only have the spade portion of the hoe, not the spikes.
User1974
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Measuring leaf blower force

It seems that many manufacturers are moving from CFM/MPH claims to using newtons of force for comparisons. Does anyone know how they're measuring it - what tool/meter, from the motor or tube, etc.?
Alain Collins
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What is the garden wire used for?

I noticed that the wire named Twist tie is also named Garden wire. But I can't find such wires used in gardening when searching "Garden wire" on Google images. What is the typical use for this kind of wire in gardening? For joining plants? Or for…
Fructibus
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