Quality Gardening Tools

[dstig1]

If you want really nice stuff Lee Valley makes great tools. But spendy
Garden - Lee Valley Tools

 

[Ford850]

If your going to look at RazorBack you might want to check one these companies for pricing:

A. M. Leonard
RazorBack All Steel Spade with 15in Blade | A.M. Leonard, Inc.

Gempler's
All-Steel Spade Gempler's

Might want to check them for other quality hand tool too... I have dealt with both in the past with good results....

I forgot about A.M. Leonard. They have a very wide selection of tools for the homeowner and professional. A.M. Leonard Tools for the Horticultural Industry since 1885. I've bought from them over the years. It's fun just to browse their selection of specialty tools, many I haven't seen for years.

 

[jjp8182]

So I've had to buy a variety of garden/hand tools and so far the Ames brands (Ames, True Temper, Razor Back, etc.; AMES Includes Many Famous U.S. Brands | AMES USA ) would get my vote (with the higher prices actually reflecting quality across their brands) along with Bully Tools, and Fiskars (mostly their cutting tools), along with the Home Depot Husky brand, and Lowe's Kobalt brand (have a couple mattocks from that line). ...and if you really don't mind forking over the cash Nupla striking tools are pretty good (not sure who else even makes high quality dead-blow tools with interchangeable faces)

Just added a Mutineer handle and hoe heads from Johnny's Select Seeds so I'll see how that turns out ..... heard good things about the products sold by Gempler's and A.M. Leonard though too.

The biggest gripe, I'd have with any/all of them is (with few exceptions) even though they generally get the steel right (or right enough) they seem to get the finish on wood handles so very wrong and it ends up feeling rougher than a 2x4 in hand. So because of that I generally go with fiberglass handles - or fiberglass wrapped handles (the better fiberglass handles will likely have either wood or steel reinforced cores at the high pressure/bend points).

Just me though, and I'm not using these things daily (and with the hard clay around here, if I did I'd be investing in equipment instead).

 

[5030]

Never knew Ames was those other brands too, but then with cordless tools, one or two companies own them all as well.

 

[5030]

Fiskars makes great stuff. I have one of their pole pruners, axe, extendable limb saw, several of the loppers, and my wife has several of the hand pruners. All quality tools. Do they make hoes, shovels, etc.?

I don't believe so, just manual cutting tools. I swear by their axes and hatchets. Great stuff. So are their bypass loppers but Corona is just as good. Menards (here sells them both.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Stainless Tools are the only way to go in my opinion. You don't find them all rusted if you forgot to clean them and put them away.

 

[bcp]

I really like my Long-handled Steel Digging Shovel (57-1/2") | Fiskars

More:
Shovels & Digging Tools | Fiskars

Bruce

 

[Gem99ultra]

Fiskars makes great stuff. I have one of their pole pruners, axe, extendable limb saw, several of the loppers, and my wife has several of the hand pruners. All quality tools. Do they make hoes, shovels, etc.?

I also like Fiskars. However, the last 3 pair of pruning shears I bought from them didn't hold up well, nor did their machete. No doubt I chose their cheapest model of both, so I don't hold that against them. I should have learned, buy cheap, buy twice - or three times :laughing:

 

[Takman]

This might have been mentioned. I didn't read all the posts. I have a few and ordered through gemplers.com when that had a free shipping promo.

Rogue Hoe Distributing, LLC | "When only the toughest hoe will do!"

 

[bunyip]

Wolfe are nice but expensive, German and we use Felco secatuers which are arguably the best you can get.

 

[Jstpssng]

Wolfe are nice but expensive, German and we use Felco secatuers which are arguably the best you can get.

I had to look up Secatuers… This was what I saw first. B-21 Fine Wine & Spirits

I can see where it may ease your aches after gardening but...

Felco's can't be beat. I felt a little frivolous spending the money; after all, my parents ran a greenhouse/flower shop all of their lives and always got by with less expensive pruners. They were well worth the money though, especially when I was pruning 60 full sized apple trees every year. Besides, I've probably spent a lot more than that on all of the junk pruners I've bent and thrown away over the years.

 

[oosik]

I'm just too old for much of that manual stuff. If it can not be done with an implement on my tractor - its most likely not gonna be done.

 

[bunyip]

We have Felcos and inherited my late Mothers set about 4 years ago, she died in the mid 90's and had had them for quite some time, the design had not changed and parts are readily available, cost us $35 to have them refurbished and they are like new, the ones I bought cost about $120 but will only need replacing if the are lost.
Bought a cheap post hole di9gger, the two shovel blades that are hinged, broke at the hinge second time we used it, I don't learn.

 

[CADplans]

I purchased two shovels in the last 4 days,, (both fiberglass handled)

1) is a Razor-Back round nose long handle ($30)
2) is a Ames square nose long handle (on sale at a local hardware, $15)

Both shovels measure to be 14 gauge,, the finish on each is radically different,
The Razor-Back has a double steel handle connection,, which makes the shovel feel twice as heavy,, literally.

Both shovels have WAY OVERSIZED foot step,, so, I hope that makes digging easier,,
I had never seen a shovel with such a large step before,,

We will see how they do,,
The Razor-Back is USA made,, I did not look at where the Ames $15 shovel was made,,,

 

[bullbreaker]

Hey All,

Is it possible to purchase quality garden tools in the USA? I'm talking about shovels, hoes, rakes, etc.

Kevin

If you can find them check out Wolverine Wolverine Hand Tools | Tools Not Toys out of Holland Michigan . There higher end stuff pricey but worth it IMO . I have a couple of there all steel spades , etc . There motto is "Tools no Toys" .

 

[goeduck]

If you can find them check out Wolverine Wolverine Hand Tools | Tools Not Toys out of Holland Michigan . There higher end stuff pricey but worth it IMO . I have a couple of there all steel spades , etc . There motto is "Tools no Toys" .

Thanks for the link.

 

[Tomtint]

We have had decent lick with the tools we buy at our local Agway store here. The Lowes / Home Depot stuff is just simply junk. The Agway stuff is always more expensive but you buy it once.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Fiskars makes great stuff. I have one of their pole pruners, axe, extendable limb saw, several of the loppers, and my wife has several of the hand pruners. All quality tools. Do they make hoes, shovels, etc.?

Strike machete's from that Fiskars list. They're about as sorry as anything I ever paid good money for. I do like their pruners and loppers though. Very durable.
On the dark side of hoes and shovels, I hope to never have to wear one out.

 

[Oaktree]

We have had decent lick with the tools we buy at our local Agway store here. The Lowes / Home Depot stuff is just simply junk. The Agway stuff is always more expensive but you buy it once.

+1 on Agway tools. Unfortunately, a lot of their stores around here have closed in recent years.

 

[bullbreaker]

Not made in the USA but certainly priced rite . I own the Stihl pro maul (Big OX) and the Stihl pro wood splitter axe. They are made in Germany by Ochsenkopf / Gedore . I have found the ones that say Stihl on them are priced cheaper . You can pick them up at some JD tractor dealers or some private mom and pop lawn equipment stores .

They go for 100 bucks plus tax (Stihl branded) and worth every penny imo . They have overstrike collars on them btw .
Heres a comparison vid , I have one of each .


Stihl Pro Splitting Axe vs Pro Splitting Maul - YouTube