where can I get cheap gardening tools?

upferret

Hi, Im looking for some cheap gardening tools where should I startr?

the_optimist

I've got most of mine from Wilkinsons.
Car boot sale might be another option but make sure they work ok.

System

No 1, any £1 shop
No 2, any freecycle advert
No 3, any council recycling dump

If these fail, you might have to start spending big money (lol) Wilkinsons

Lord_Gardener

If you want cheap tools, worth checking out Lidl, who often have good deals!

annie123

Don't skimp on a good spade and fork if you have heavy soil.
I brought some cheapies last year, didn't even last an hour before they both broke!! The digging fork prongs snapped in half!!
Brought a second lot of cheapies same thing.

I am now the owner of a nice set that I expect to last me years!

samcat_2

I agree with Annie.

My spade handle came off digging my heavy clay.
Cheap trowels and forks are not worth it if they wobble at the sight of soil and won't get in the ground. :-(
I've learnt that cheap tools can be a false economy.

Don't buy plastic whatever you do! Not even if it is just £1
Lidl may be good but just judge the quality and don't buy it if in doubt.


After struggling with tools myself -I've decided to go for quality. It will take a few years to build up. 1st investment last year was a gorgeous long flowerbed trowel ... ideal for potting on and bulbs... for £8 from an RHS shop. (and is v. similar to the Sneeboer -rolls royce of tools -flowerbed trowel that costs a whopping £28.50). It will last for years.

Car boots and Charity shops are definately a good idea. Could you ask parents, grandparents to borrow (or even have) their tools? gives them an excuse to update.

conradmum

I agree it's a false economy to buy cheap tools if you're serious about gardening. Good quality tools are cheaper in the long run. And secondhand good quality tools are the cheapest, so look for places you can get these. There's a secondhand furniture shop in my town that sells old garden tools as well. Or join your local freecycle and ask on there. You could also have a look in the local newspaper small ads section.

Caroline2CV

Wny not 'sow the seed' by requesting your family/friends club together to get you a quality stainless steel tool instead of cards/other presents? Cleaning S/steel tools after each use is so much easier

Tool maintenance on cheaper tools is time consuming!

Boro_Boy_3

I whole-heartedly agree with my fellow message posters. Please do not waste your money on cheap, economy brand garden tools. They really are a false economy. Get down to your local car boot sale early and search for some gardening bargains. I tend to look for elderly folk selling off their old gardening equipment. If it has lasted their lifetime I'm sure you will get many more years use out of them. While I'm on the subject of car boots, I find them to be an excellent source for value-for-money plants and vegetable seedlings. Good luck

kethry

i think the exception to this would be is if you're starting out from scratch and you have *nothing* in the way of tools.. and/or you're not 100% sure you want to continue this in the future.

in both circumstances you could do a lot worse than to buy dirt cheap tools for the one year.. and then save up (bit by bit) to get the heavy-duty-good-long-lasting ones. This will a) mean you can get started straight away, b) save you money if you decide not to continue, and c) if you're actually fairly hard up anyway, it may be the only way you *can* do it, because otherwise you spend your first year saving for the tools.. and doing nothing in the garden. and that's no fun for anyone (let alone discouraging).

keth
xx

Jnelhams

See if you can try as many differing tools from friends and neighbours as possible, as there are lots of different types of Spade shapes, as well as Pruners, Hoes, and Forks. This way you will find a type that suits you that you can then go and buy. A good tool to have for weeding is a Swan Neck or Onion Hoe (same tool) this is a very useful hand tool.