A bad workman always blames his tools, but that’s because he doesn’t have the best tools to use!
Gardening can be done in any way you like. From the no-dig gardening method, to adding a cardboard weed barrier to companion planting, your garden is your sanctuary.
However, most gardeners use a myriad of tools to get the job done. Everyone has got an idea about the basics, but there are so many tools out there that knowing what to use and when can be stressful.
We’ve found the absolute best gardening tools for each part of the garden, including those you may have not even considered as being part of your shed.
Let’s take a look at our top 15 favourite choices, and give you insight into the reasons why they’re an investment.
Best gardening tools for 2024
Fiskars PowerGear2 UltraBlade Softgrip pruner, $81.57, Amazon
A pruning shear is 100% required if you are a regular gardener with vegies, flowers or hedges that need to be cut back seasonally. These Fiskars pruners not only have amazing function and power, they are also contoured to the hand for easy and comfortable use. Whether you want to prune your roses in winter or cut back your citrus before summer ends, these are the best choice on the market.
Key features:
- Can cut through branches up to 3/4 inch thick.
- PowerGear technology that gives you up to 3X more power on every cut.
- Fully hardened bypass-style steel blade.
- UltraBlade coating that bonds to the blade for an edge that stays sharp 5X longer.
- Contoured, rolling handle fits the shape and natural motion of your hand for comfortable use and reduced hand fatigue
Quality Products Direct country style gardening bag, $88.50, Hard To Find
A gardening bag allows you to transport your tools easily from the shed to the garden. This means not only will your pottering around and tending to plants become much easier, but your tools will last much longer by being protected from rust and bad weather. This gardening bag is stylish and durable, and even has riveted handles for easy carrying of heavy items.
Key features:
- 100% cotton heavyweight ticking fabric.
- Large central compartment with external pockets for tools.
- Riveted handles in contrast cotton webbing.
- Wipe-clean coating and mesh inserts in the pockets for easy cleaning.
Fiskars Garden folding produce harvesting knife, $35.67, Amazon
For the gardeners that lovingly tend to their vegie patches, this is the best gardening tool for you. Not only is this harvesting knife precise and sharp, the unusual shape of it allows you to skirt leaves, stalks and other plant parts that you don’t want to damage when retrieving produce. The handle folds and acts as a sheath when not in use as well, so there’s no danger of harming yourself in the process either!
Key features:
- Precision-ground, stainless steel blade.
- Curved at the tip, allowing easy access through dense growth without damaging surrounding plants.
- Foldable, ergonomic design offers comfort and compact storage.
- Push-button lock makes knife easy to close with one hand, keeping it secure when in use.
Garden Sense premium men’s garden gloves, $11, Big W
Gardening gloves are sometimes considered a luxury in the gardening world. While they are not necessarily needed to get the job done, gloves provide not only protection from dirt and other natural material, they can also be a form of sun-protection as well. These Garden Sense gloves are made of genuine leather and give great stretch for you to feel flexible while gardening.
Key features:
- Multi-purpose garden gloves.
- Genuine leather.
- Flexible.
- Knuckle protection.
Available at:
- $11 from Woolworths
ESOW Garden Tool Set, 3 piece cast-aluminum heavy duty with hand trowel, transplant trowel and cultivator hand rake, $31.80, Amazon
This is the godly trinity for every gardener. For raised or ground-level garden beds, for vegie patchs, for potted plants and even for indoor plants, you will need a hand trowel, rake and transplant trowel. This set of three from ESOW has a soft-grip handle for comfort and a heavy-duty cast-aluminium blade for durability. What more could you want from your gardening tools?
Key features:
- Ideal for a variety of tasks including pruning, digging, weeding, loosening soil, aerating, transplanting.
- Ergonomical and soft-grip handle.
- Made of High Quality TPR material that reduces the pressure on the wrist and hand.
- Heavy duty Cast-aluminum high hardness, durable, not easy to rust and broken.
- Polished cast-aluminum blades and tips are shiny, rust-proof, extremely sturdy and easy to clean.
Cyclone Handy bypass lopper 410mm, $31.50, Catch.com.au
Prune your larger shrubs, hedges and backyard trees with this bypass lopper from Cyclone. Not a necessary garden tool (unless you’ve got a lot of big nature in your garden), but just as Cyclone has got ‘handy’ in the name, these loppers are certainly good to have lying around for when you need them.
Key features:
- Bypass action ideal for live & green wood.
- SK5 carbon steel blades.
- Non-stick coated cutting blade.
- Strong steel handles.
- Durable plastic grips.
- Cutting capacity 30mm.
Greenfingers 30M retractable hose reel garden water brass auto rewind in grey, $156.95 (was $174.95), Myer
A simple hose may do the trick when watering the lawn or your garden beds, but rewinding it back up is certainly a hassle. This Greenfingers 30m auto rewind hose is perfect for hard-to-reach places in the garden, and will wind up all by itself! With storage and hose reel combined, you don’t have to worry about tripping over the hose or having it damaged by extensive UV exposure.
Key features:
- Integrated hose storage solution.
- Incrementally locking.
- Auto rewind system.
- UV resistant materials.
- 180 swivel wall mount.
- Brass hose and tap fittings for maximum corrosion resistance.
- Slow rewind function.
Available at:
- $129.95 from Amazon
- $129.95 from Catch.com.au
- $192.95 from MyDeal
BULLY TOOLS 62510 14 Ga. round point shovel with fiberglass long handle, $204.99, Amazon
A round point shovel is great for a variety of tasks in the garden. Whether you need to dig out some edging near your lawn or completely revamp your garden beds, having a shovel is always handy. This one from Bully Tools is reinforced with fibreglass, creating a long-lasting, durable shovel for your landscaping needs. While it is on the pricey side, this one comes with a life-time warranty, so you can put it to good use without worrying about damage.
Key features:
- Handle designed to increase leverage and reduce fatigue
- Manufactured strong and durable
- Perfect tool for digging and landscaping
- Wide forward step provides greater control
- High strength fiberglass handle
Standing weed puller, $36.45 (was $72.90), Hoselink
Removing weeds without bending over or kneeling on the hard ground is a godsend, and this weed puller from Hoselink does just that! This gardening tool works to eliminate joint and back pain, and speed up the mind-numbing process that is weeding. With a built-in ejection system for release weeds after pulling, there’s no need to worry about having to pick up discarded weeds as well!
Key features:
- Easy-grip handle.
- Ergonomic design eliminates the need for bending and kneeling.
- Built-in ejection system helps release the weed after it has been removed from the soil.
- Weighing only 1kg, you can easily transport the weed puller around the garden as required.
Giantz lightweight cordless leaf blower, $91.95, Myer
A leaf blower hands down is more efficient and fun to use than a rake. If you’ve got an extensive amount of leaf litter, or you have lots of deciduous trees on your property, then this cordless leaf blower from Giantz is the perfect choice for you. An investment that is definitely worth it for the cost per use!
Key features:
- One-hand operation.
- 20V Lithium-ion battery with charger.
- Speed blowing capacity.
- Narrow nozzle and detachable tube.
- Ultra-compact power source.
Available at:
Quality Products Direct Kneelo Kneeler, $63.50, Hard To Find
This may seem like a surprising choice for a gardening tool recommendation, but your knees and body will definitely thank you. Gardening, while great for your peace of mind, can be quite hard on the joints. This waterproof and spongy kneeling cushion is perfect for tending to low garden beds, pulling weeds or harvesting from your vegie patch.
Key features:
- Encased in waterproof, durable neoprene.
- Quick dry, wipe clean, nylon coating.
- Material:
- Shell: neoprene
- Inner: EVA foam encased in memory foam
Pop up heavy duty garden waste bag, $25.90, Hoselink
For the days where you need to do a big clean up of the garden, this pop-up waste bag is the perfect gardening tool. Whether you’ve got a large amount of leaves to rake or dead palm fronds to put in your green waste bin, a garden waste bag provides easy transportation of any natural material.
Key features:
- Equipped with a sewn-in spring, the bag effortlessly stands on its own.
- Crafted from premium-quality, durable materials.
- Two large carry handles offer a comfortable grip.
- Can be folded down and secured with sturdy push-clips.
Morgan & Taylor Yanna bucket hat in sage green, $59.95, Myer
Although it’s definitely a necessary tool for the outdoors, hats are often forgotten by many. This wide brim hat easily covers every delicate upper body area that is prone to sunburn. Not only a sun protector, but also a great fashion statement, with a lovely sage trim and band.
Key features:
- Brim: 10cm wide.
- One size.
- Contrasting band around the brim, and a matching trim on the crown.
Available at:
- $29.98 from The Iconic
Sabco high power outdoor broom,$22.95, Amazon
While it may be surprising to some, an outdoor broom is one of the most used gardening tools ever. Having a good quality broom, like this one from Sabco, means you can easily sweep up dirt, leaves and natural debris left after a long day of gardening. A broom can be used after windy weather, to clean up a potting mix spillage or just general outdoor cleaning on the patio. This Sabco broom is made from flagged PET, meaning it is strong, powerful and most of all, durable for any kind of outdoor conditions.
Key features:
- Ideal for outdoor usage like decks, garages, stairs and courtyards.
- Handle measures 45 cm in length and has a strong, metal ferrule.
- Bristles are flagged PET and can collect even the finest dirt and dust particles.
- Reversible design allows for even wear on both sides of the broom head.
Herb seeds starter kit, $43.90, BHG Shop
Finally, if you’re just beginning to build up your garden, and don’t know where to start, growing herbs from seed is simple and quite speedy. This starter kit from BHG Shop is the perfect gardening tool to get you started.
With all the necessary equipment and 6 different herb seed packs, you’ll soon be an experienced gardener ready to take on a large-scale vegie patch!
Starter kit includes:
- 1 RHS BASIL Aroma 2 seed pack
- 1 RHS CORIANDER Calypso seed pack
- 1 RHS DILL Nano (Dwarf) seed pack
- 1 RHS MINT Applemint seed pack
- 1 RHS PARSLEY Laura seed pack
- 1 RHS ROSEMARY seed pack
- 39 x 76.2mm Round Peat Pots
- 5 x Seedling Trays 220mm x 85mm
- 3 x Black Drip Trays 230mm x 370mm x 55mm
- 50 x Plant Markers
- 2 x Planter Tools
- 1 x Pair Gloves
How to assess what is the best gardening tool
Quality
Gardening tools should be of a high quality, so that they last you more than one season, and provide effective help in and around the garden.
Quality can be discerned from not only material of the tool you purchase, but also the craftsmanship. For example, gardening tools with metal components like trowels and shovels should have minimal seams and joins, making it harder for them to rust.
Of course, finding quality tools that have life time warranties is also very helpful, especially if they are on the pricier side. This means that you can save your money in the long run, and have a tool that is built to last as long as your garden does.
Material
All of the tools listed above are made from strong, durable materials. They are specifically made to withstand outdoor conditions, including adverse weather and exposure to dirt and natural substances.
Ensuring you have tools that are made of the right materials will mean that your quality is high, the tool will be extremely functional and the price will be worth it.
Comfortability
A tool is only as great as how easy it is to use. If your gardening tools are not comfortable to your hands and body, then using them, and gardening on a whole, will not be an enjoyable experience.
We made sure to include tools that have maximised comfort, so blistering, joint pain and other regular gardening pain is limited.
And of course, including gardening tools such as hats and gloves is definitely required for protecting yourself from the Aussie sun!
Caring for your garden tools
Caring for your tools should be a simple process.
Wiping down trowels and pruners after use is a no brainer, but keeping small tools away from long exposure to dirt, like in a gardening bag, will prevent rusting and deterioration.
Having a garden shed or protected outdoor space for larger tools is definitely recommended to help extend their life.
What is the most used gardening tool?
Hand trowels or gardening trowels are one of the most popular tools for gardening. These hand-held shovels help break up dirt and dig holes for seeds and bulbs. You can also use a hand trowel for weeding and transportation of plants.
How often should you replace gardening tools?
Gardening tools should not need to be replaced at all if they’re of high quality. However, many tools will need sharpening annually as well as oiling (for power tools) and regular cleaning.
What to consider when using garden tools
Your tools are your best friend in the garden, so making sure they don’t get misplaced or forgotten outside is important. This is so they don’t deteriorate or rust. A successful garden does not require a huge amass of tools or a garden shed, but having the right items handy will mean a thriving and happy garden.
Finally, safety should always be your top priority in the garden. This means that keeping your tools clean and out of walkways will prevent any illness or accident. Keep any pets and small children away from dangerous tools while they’re in use as well.
Looking to save money on gardening tools? Check out our coupon codes for MyDeal, Myer and more.
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