Garden Tools tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed

Gardening Tools and Products

tested and reviewed by Fred-in-the-shed

Updated 31st July 2010

Best Secateurs - Which Secateurs should you buy?

I have tested hundreds of Secateurs over the last 30 years and have found very good ones at prices from around £10 up. Sadly there are so many cheap copies of good designs that buying secateurs has become a tricky business .

Below are some of my favourite secateurs that I have personally used for many years. My own preference for secateurs is to have 2 pairs - one anvil ratchet type for cutting thick dead or robust stems and one bypass Secateur for the thinner more delicate living stems.

Best Quality Secateurs

These classic Secateurs have been copied by all and sundry. Felco is the choice of the professionals and you can literarily SMELL the quality when you buy new ones.

At about £35 they are quite an investment but can be serviced and repaired to last your lifetime. (Please contact Burton McCall)

Many professionals I know and most of the gardening celebrities on TV tend to use Felco secateurs.

There is a large range to suit your hand size and pruning requirements. Unless you lose them these secateurs really will last your lifetime. Model no 2 are the original ones. Felco also pioneered the use of rotating handles to reduce RSI and skin chaffing. See models no 7and 12 (10 for left handed use)

The only small criticism I can make of Felco secateurs is that the small metal safety catches can be hard to access by people with arthritis or large cold fingers.

Made in Switzerland

buy Felco secatuers online from a discount supplier

Best "all-round" secateurs ?

New Ergonomic handle and easy to use Safety catch

These German made pruners were designed with comfort and ergonomics in mind and result in the most comfortable and easiest to use tool.

The downward curve of the blades puts your wrist in the best position and reduces the risk of repetitive strain injury (RSI).

The large yellow safety catch is easily visible on the top of the tool and can be used by left or right handed people and those with reduced dexterity from conditions like arthritis. Another good feature is the hard grey teflon coating to the blades that protect them from the corrosive properties of some gooey saps.

medium size bypass or anvil

use this link to compare prices or if other links dont work

These Wolf Comfort secateurs are aptly named and come in 3 sizes in both anvil and bypass blade types.

large size bypass or anvil

Ratchet Secateurs for Easier cutting

In my work former work for the NHS as a Horticultural therapist I recommended ratchet secateurs to hundreds of patients with arthritis or who had a weak hand grip.

This enabled many people to carryon gardening when they would otherwise have given up. However anyone can benefit from using ratchet pruners as you will be able to cut larger stems more easily.

The ratchet action will enable you to cut woody stems up to 25mm with 30% less effort and reduce the chance of damage to arthritic knuckle and finger joints.

The downside to ratchet pruners is that they only come with Anvil blades, not bypass and the pumping action required takes slightly more time (were talking nanoseconds).

There are many versions available but these new ones from Bulldog Alan Titchmarsh range are as good as any and are made from Aluminium and also have a finger guard built in.

If you use the link opposite you will get them at a brilliant price and support my work too as anything purchased from my links generates a small commission for Fredshed.

Teflon coated blade and aluminium body with softgrip pad and fingerguard.

Click below for the new metal ratchet secateurs from Mr T and Bulldog Tools.

(Also the excellent 2 sided sharpener from Felco)

Best Value Good Quality Secateur

If you want cheap - but good secateurs, with a really clean cut these new bypass secateurs from the Bulldog Alan Titchmarsh range are superb value for money.

They have a top quality Japanese steel blade and are mostly Aluminium for strength but have comfy durable grips. For the money these have to be the best secateurs and are a real pleasure to use.

Despite costing around £12 these are well made secateurs. The only small downside is the unusual rear mounted safety catch and a the fact that they are a one size fits all job. I keep a stable of different secateurs scattered around my gardens and in the car. I am always pleased to see these ones and use them mostly for pruning live stems where I need a good clean , accurate cut.

These secateurs will make a great present and should last many years with just an occasional oil and clean.

Good Choice Mr T!

Use the link above and support Fredshed too

A lower price alternative to Felco secateurs?

Ergonomics taken to a new level

Bahco are a EU manufacturer formally known as Sandvik. In the UK their tools are mainly used by landscape gardeners who like the wide range of secateurs and the reliable supply of spare parts. In 2007 they introduced new Secateur ranges. The ergonomic handle shape curves in 2 dimensions and which I find genuinely nice to use. The Bahco PG range of secateurs come in range of 3 handle sizes, AND 2 blade sizes. The pair featured here (and used by myself) are the PG -M2-E model which is a medium sized, economy version. Whilst the blades are good they are not as good to use as Felco and the small button like safety catch is really annoying.

Bahco make the widest range of secateurs and cutting tools of any manufacturer and all spare parts are available . This makes Bahco cutting tools very popular with professional gardeners.

Made in France

Sharpening Secateurs

Keeping your secateurs sharp is very easy and will make a lot of difference to your plants and possibly your joints and tendons.

Bahco make a neat little sharpening tool with a tungsten carbide blade whilst Felco opt for a small dual sided ceramic stone. The Darlac Diamond sharpener is also very good and comes in 2 grades. All work well but the important thing is to use them regularly and clean the blade well before sharpening. Diamond and stone sharpeners do not work well if clogged with grime. It is also good top spray any cutting tool with a PTFE lubricant before putting them away in the shed. The one below is UK made and smells of lavender!

I prefer the 2 sided Felco sharpening stone as it offers course and fine in one tool.

If you found my advice helpful you can support my work by returning to this page and using my links when purchasing your secateurs. Also any products bought from Amazon using the links below will produce a small commission that helps cover my hosting costs. thanks, Fred

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The Best of British - Solid Forged Forks and Spades

Bulldog Tools- Made in Wigan

This pair of classic British made border tools cost around £70

I have used Bulldog garden tools for more than 35 years and my dad - "Big Fred" used them before me. Despite the influx of cheaply made Far Eastern forks and spades Bulldog has survived and makes the same top quality products in the same English forge - as it has done since 1780!

The Bulldog Premier forks and spades are hand forged in Wigan using the best Swedish steel, worked by skilled craftsmen. These tried and trusted tools are the favourite of contractors and enthusiasts across the world.

Priced between £25- £42 these tools seem relatively expensive but will outlast cheap tools several times. In the long term you save money - and help the environment buy buying locally made tools that will last and not become landfill after a short time.

To buy Bulldog Tools in the UK please click the link for my special page for Bulldog tools

Fred's Page For Bulldog Tools

click here for more information on forks and spades

Alternative Digging Tools

This is a Mattock Fork (also known as an Azada Fork)

It is not a good idea to use your garden tools for really tough jobs like clearing weed infested land or digging trenches in heavy soil or for building work. Most garden tools sold in the shops are designed for use in well cultivated soil.. Much better to use a more ancient tool that goes back to the iron age.

These tools are described by various names such as "mattocks", "picks" , and in Spain the "Azada". They are very common in developing countries and are far less likely to break than a fork or spade when used in stony ground.

If you have good arm strength and co-ordination the fork style tool may cause you less back pain when digging than the typical tools we insist on using in Britain.

For more info on alternative digging tools e-mail fred@fredshed.com

click for more alternative digging tools

Tools for clearing Brambles, Thistles and Scrubby Growths

If you suffer with Brambles or scrubby growths then you need to get mean and buy yourself a slashing tool to chop them down.

There are a wide variety of hand tools available and they make an eco friendly alternative to using a petrol trimmer - and will last a lot longer with no need for maintenance or spare parts.

For lighter vegetation use a sickle (swaphook) or its longer handled brother the scythe - as used by my mate the grim reaper.

For heavier vegetation including woody stems use a slasher dunse or brushhook. They are more like a long handled meat cleaver and very effective.

Good makes are Bulldog , Spear & Jackson and Fiskars.

The Fiskars Handy Brush Hook below is a superb tool from Finland and I have had the pleasure of meeting the inventor. it comes with a case and is also great for chopping firewood.

Buy the Fiskars Brush Hook from a Fredshed Partner

(£25- £29 approx)

Practice your Golf Swing and clear the weeds at the same time!

click for slashers, scythes, sickles swaphooks and brushhooks

Long Handled (cut&hold) Pruner

Golden Shed Award winner

Long Handled Cut and Hold Pruner

This long handled cut and hold pruner is one of my favorite tools and one that I have used for over 10 years. That's why it won the first ever Golden Shed Award.

It comes in different sizes from the 650mm version shown here right up to the telescopic one that extends to 3m!

This tool is ideal for light pruning up to16mm thick, and for deadheading roses etc. Whilst working as an NHS horticultural therapist I recommended this tool to hundreds of patients with back pain. I received many letters of thanks and never had a tool returned faulty.

650 mm version shown left- but the best version is longer at 1m and is superb for reaching climbing roses or into the back of deep prickly borders.

The "snapper" can be used one or two handed and has a lot of handle adjustment. It is also very well made and I am still using one that I have had for over 10 years.

There are now 4 versions of this tool

650mm

1.5m

Telescopic version

Heavy Duty Pole Pruner - Fiskars Long Reach Universal Cutter.

I have used this tool for about 8 years now and still marvel at its incredible cutting power and ease of use.

It is easier to use than traditional tree pruners as the cord is on the inside and does not get tangled up in the branches.

Also the multi-angle head contains a brilliant mechanism with a belt and chain that enables the tool to effortlessly slice through branches up to 32mm.

There are 3 ways of activating the cut, pull the sliding handle, pull the side cord or for extra reach pull the ball at the bottom of the handle. Superb design!

The Fiskars Geared Universal Cutter won a 2002 Golden Shed Award and has recently won other prestigious design awards. In 2008 it was re-engineered using newly available materials and is now lighter and cuts with an anvil blade which is less likely to jam on a hard stem..

The standard version is 1.6m long and weighs only 1.1kg. This is ok for large shrubs or small trees but if you want to be more ambitious the telescopic version that extends to over 5m is the one to buy.

This is an unconventional tool, but trust me, if you have branches to prune in hard to reach places, you will love this one. The advantage over a conventional cord operated tree pruner is that there is no cord to get tangled in the branches. The downside is the extra cost so I have put a link below (right) to a couple of good quality, standard pole pruner for those who want to stick to the old ways of doing things.

compare price at another Fredshed partner

This Fiskars Telescopic Universal Cutter is a Golden Shed Award Winning Product

This is me with the shorter version (220638)

cutter can be operated from 2 places

Great for reaching into prickly bushes too!

Angled head for perfect cutting

Small Hand tools, Forks and Trowels

Dutch Made Gardening Tools

There are 2 family firms in Holland making top quality hand crafted gardening tools.

DeWit tools use hi boron carbon steel for strength and flexibility. As this metal ages it goes black and develops an "antique patina".

Sneeboer tools use Stainless Steel which is more expensive and some say looks nicer.

Sneeboer have just bought out this new long handled flowerbed trowel that is so nice to use.

see the Sneeboer Ultimate Flowerbed Trowel

see the Sneeboer Stainless Steel hand fork

special offer!

get £5 off any 3 Sneeboer tools when you quote Fredshed at the checkout when using the links above. Use the links below to see more DeWit garden hand tools

DeWit make the largest range of small garden handtools available including 3 shapes of trowel and dozens of hoes, including the Stealth Weeder - invented by me!

Click to See the Dewit range of Garden Tools

see stainless steel Dutch tools from Sneeboer

DeWit Carbon Steel tools with longer handles

My Favourite Fork and Trowel

Whilst my readers know that I am not a fan of stainless steel for full size forks and spades I am more enthusiastic about its use in small hand tools.

As stainless steel is not as strong as normal carbon steel it is more suited to the smaller tools that suffer less strain.

These Spear & Jackson E series tools are a joy to use as they are well made and have comfortable soft grip handles.

If you are using handtools a lot then you will really appreciate these handles. I have left these tools out in the garden to see how durable they are and they are doing well. Wooden handled tools would have started coming apart by now as the changes in temperature and moisture shrink and crack wood.

I also like the hole in the handle for a hanging strap.

At about £8 each these tools are very good value and will probably outlast wooden handled tools as the plastic and rubber is good quality and seems not to be affected by water and weather. I use these tools a lot and leave them outside to see just how durable they are. So far very good!

If you prefer traditional wooden handles the Draper range are a good price for the quality supplied

Timber Raised Beds

Growing plants in raised planters have many advantages and has been growing in popularity in recent years.

Easy access, not walking on the soil and good drainage all help to make raised bed gardening an enjoyable and productive experience.

I have tried many systems over the years including these wooden slot together systems and some of the more modern plastic ones.

Click here to see the latest range of raised beds designed for allotment use

Long Handled Spade as Used by Grizzly Adams

If you have a hole to dig the traditional English style spade may not be the best tool. Almost everywhere else in the world people use the " gravedigger type spade". In fact I even saw Grizzly Adams using one yesterday on the TV!

Long handled round point spades are also known as Irish Spades, Celtic spades and even Cornish spades. It could also be known as a Irish Shovel and Cornish shovel as it fulfils the purpose of a shovel and a spade.

Most spades can work like shovels but shovels don't usually work like spades - complicated isn't it!

The long handled and round point make hole digging a lot less strain on your back. The tool shown is a top quality version that you can have delivered to your door for £28 . If you have a dead bear or mule to bury get one now and spare your back unnecessary strain!

The pointed end makes digging into stony ground easier and this is also my favourite tool for digging up and dividing perennials. This particular tool is a bit short at 4'2" but a longer and larger version is also available.

E-mail me at fred@fredshed.com for details of how to order a long handled round point spade. (Celtic Spade, Irish shovel, Cornish pasty.....)

Best Gloves for Gardening ?

You would have thought that leather were the best gloves for gardening but I find them too restrictive and they also have a tendency to go hard if they get wet.

My favourite gloves for gardening (and DIY) are made from a rubbery plastic material developed for the medical profession.

These superb gloves are machine washable, flexible but super strong. I also use them to push my wheelchair so they have had plenty of testing over the last 6 years.

The gloves come in different thicknesses depending on your needs. The thin plantmaster type are so good you hardly notice that you have them on, but they protect your skin from dirt and chemicals ,inc natural plant substances.

For heavier duty work and dealing with thorns the thicker green gloves are better but still allow you a good degree of dexterity.

heavy duty small -------medium ---- large

use the link below if you prefer another retailer. Please use my links when purchasing gloves if you want to help my work testing and reviewing the best gardening products. - (long term since Feb 2000!)

buy the best Garden and DIY gloves

Showa gloves are the real deal and cost around £5

I bought some cheap copies at a garden show and they ripped in no time.

Dont waste your money on poor quality gloves

(Towa gloves are also good)

Thin but strong - small - medium - large

Wolf Multichange Garden Tools

To cover a plethora of jobs in the garden I like to have a system of tools that fits different handles. .The advantage of this is that you save space on storage and can transport lots of tools all at once.

The Wolf multichange System has been around the longest and is superb quality. The range includes the amazing soil miller cultivating tool, a hollow tine lawn aerator and tree pruning attachments. The longspan rake is great for levelling soil before turfing.

click here for best prices on Wolf Multichange tools

click here to buy wolf Multichange handles online

Brooms, brushes and even fruit picking attachments make this the widest range of tools available from any one company. This system has been around many years and will be available for many more.

The Wolf multichange system is made in Germany to the highest standards.

I have used this multi-change system for 20 years now and also tried many "wanna-be" systems.

With the exception of the very hard to find Gardena Combi-system all were poor in comparison and none have the range and varety of handles and heads.

In 2010 Wolf tools are now owned by the same company who make Wilkinson Sword tools and a limited number of tools will be available in black and orange and branded Wilkinson Sword.

Best Loppers Tested - Which Garden Loppers should you buy?

Over the last 15 years I have tried and tested dozens of pairs of garden loppers in my various jobs. Loppers have evolved over the years with the introduction of telescopic handles and ratchets. The early versions and some of the current budget version of these tools are rubbish and best avoided. The strength of loppers were greatly improved with the introduction of oval rather than round tubing and telescopic loppers improved with sliding rather that twisting adjustment on the handles.

My personal favourite loppers are these telescopic ones from Wolf of Germany.

There are the most durable telescopic loppers I have found and are a joy to use due to their strength, and lightweight which is very important when used at arms length

Click to see prices of Wolf Loppers from Fredshed's recommended supplier

old version above

- new below - with lighter handles

Fantastic New Geared Shears and Loppers

I have been using geared loppers and shears for a many years now and dozens of readers have bought them on my recommendations and provided positive feedback.

This first geared loppers were from Wilkinson Sword and they have now been improved further with the use of lighter stronger handles.

As the Wilkinson Sword brand has been bought by MTD of the USa the best new geared loppers are made by Fiskars of Finland.

These loppers have the all important gearing mechanism that provides extra cutting power but now the tool is 80% hi tech plastic which makes them ultra light - but still very strong.

Available in 3 sizes! (formally known as Wilkinson sword loppers)

use my links below to make sure you get the latest version

3 bypass blade models and the large Anvil version for clearance work.

Best Garden Loppers?

Carbon fibre handles & Swiss Engineering

My favourite loppers for many years have been my Wolf telescopic ones. Now Felco of Switzerland have bought out these state of the art, carbon fibre handled, bypass loppers and I am very impressed.

The blades are made from precision ground, top quality steel and this tool has the sort of engineering usually seen in Formula One cars.

The carbon fibre handles make these medium size (24 inches long) loppers extremely light but very strong.

At around £90 you would expect superb cutting performance and this is what you get, plus a design statement too. If you can afford it and enjoy having the best then you wont be disappointed. Or if you want to buy a special gift for a a special gardener then these loppers have to be the ultimate gardening gift!

click to buy from a Fredshed recommended retailer

Best Hedge Shears

The hedge shear is one of the essential garden tools and one that if selected badly can cause you a lot of pain and hard work. It is also a garden tool that requires more maintenance than most to keep its performance.

Buying cheap shears is a fools option unless you have one bush and little money. A quality pair of garden shears are a pleasure to use and will last many years with only a little attention now and again.

The choice is enormous and some of the old ones are still the best. Recent innovations include lightweight telescopic handles and some sort of gearing or leverage to make cutting easier.

To test hedge shears I took 5 of the best I could find and used them over a 10 year period. During this time other shears were occasionally introduced to the trial and all of the tools were loaned to my test team for further feedback.

During this ongoing trial over 25 shears have been used but most abandoned to concentrate on the best.

I tested many makes and types of Garden shear from the ridiculous £2.20 Tesco specials to the £50 Golden Ceka classic shear.

Best Telescopic Hedge Shears

My favourite are these German made shears that cost around £35, shown far right on the group of five. The handles are oval for extra strength and adjusted by durable sliders rather than the unreliable twisting mechanisms found on inferior models.

Click here for best price on the Wolf Telescopic Hedge shear

* tip -avoid telescopic tools like shears or loppers with round tubular handles, they usually jam, go for oval tubing, it's stronger. Even cheap Chinese made hedge shears have now copied this design as it is stronger. However take care when buying unbranded cheap Chinese tools as many use poor quality metal or do not harden and temper it properly to reduce costs.

Think about it, how can a pair pf metal shears weighing 2kg be made and transported from China and be sold in Tesco for £2.20 and a profit be made?

In retail a 50% margin on shop sales is usual, so do Tesco buy these tools for £1.10p?

Best Quality Standard Hedge Shear

My favourite are these German made shears Golden Ceka shears with a wavy blade that have been around many years and have the best cutting ability but are a tad heavy.

The most commonly used shears amongst professional gardeners are from Bahco of Sweden who make a huge range of no frill hedge and garden shears like these P51 models shown (orange handles). They are available in 2 handle lengths and unless you work in confined spaces I would recommend the longer handled model.

Bahco are literally at the cutting edge of blade technology and also provide simpler budget priced tools with the same quality blades for domestic use.

Bahco P51

Professional hedge shear

This has notches for cutting thick stems