Whats the best makes for garden hand tools?

Lotus-eater

I wouldn't have put Wilkinson alongside S&J.

It depends what you are using forks for, if you just want to turn over already loose soil then a cheapy rubbish supermarket job, would probably be ok. But then I got one and bent it in two minutes by using it too hard.

If you have hard virgin soil or big roots/stones to bring up, then using a cheap job is silly and won't work.

I love my S&J fork, but I wouldn't use it as a pry bar to dig up a stuck root system.
I've bent various other cheaper forks, including a SS Wilkinson job, using much less pressure than I think they should have broken with.

I'm sure if I bought a sneeboer fork it would last me the rest of my life at least, difficult to justify it though when my S&J does a similar job.

MrsE_2

MUMMYTO2BOYS wrote: »

For your average garden you're best buying cheap. OH (Professional gardener) has bent Bull Dog and S&J tackle within weeks and wouldn't fork out(!) for any better than smartprice.

My DH is a big guy & wealds the garden tools with some power behind them. We bought a couple of cheap tools & all are broken.

What does your OH use for professional gardening?

humphriess

Read somewhere that the best place to buy things like spades is from a builders merchant as they are often more sturdy. Haven't done this myself though so don't know if its true.

MUMMYTO2BOYS

MrsE wrote: »

My DH is a big guy & wealds the garden tools with some power behind them. We bought a couple of cheap tools & all are broken.

What does your OH use for professional gardening?

Mainly Spear and Jackson and Bulldog.

Lotus-eater

MUMMYTO2BOYS wrote: »

Mainly Spear and Jackson and Bulldog.

Sorry, I read it as he would only use smartprice tools now? ie cheap supermarket jobbies? I did wonder about that.

DKLS

I saw a tip on one of the american "Tool Time" type shows, and they recommended, having a bucket of sand in the garage, with some old oil, in to help clean your garden tools, must admit it does work well.

I have just picked up a few new Wolf tool heads from the local garden centre for a bargain price as they making way for xmas stock. :eek: It is still august right?

Ken68

Thanks Mrs E...good thread, useful.

MUMMYTO2BOYS

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Sorry, I read it as he would only use smartprice tools now? ie cheap supermarket jobbies? I did wonder about that.

At home he uses cheap supermarket jobbies, his employer provide the tools at work.

MrsE_2

MUMMYTO2BOYS wrote: »

At home he uses cheap supermarket jobbies, his employer provide the tools at work.

& are the makes the employer provides S&J or Bulldog or something else?

Many thanks

MUMMYTO2BOYS

Yes, to clarify - he uses Spear and Jackson, Bulldog, B&Q and cheap tools at work, and finds that they are all liable to break, bend or fall in bits, therefore when buying his own for our garden he buys cheap tools.