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The latest and best Garden Handtools tested
and reviewed
by Fred-in-the-shed |
Updated 24th October
2008
This page features , Secatuers, Saws, Loppers, Forks ,
Spades, Cultivating tools, Shears for Lawn and Hedging.
Rakes, Axes, and Tree Pruners.
Best Secateurs
Having tested dozens of Secateurs now I
have found good and bad pairs at prices from £5 - £50. There are so many cheap
copies of good designs and even more in the useless gadget category. Below
are my favourites that I use daily.
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A budget price alternative to Felco secateurs
best buy quality pruners
These Swedish made ergonomic secateurs are my personal
favourite bypass secateur and at about half the price of the Swiss Felco's
they are a very good option.
The ergonomic handle shape is genuinely better to use
and the Bahco PG range of secateurs come in a wide range of sizes. The
pair featured here and used by myself are the PG -M2-E model which is
medium sized, economy version. ( no frills just built work -bit like me)
Bahco make the widest range of secateurs and cutting
tools of any manufacturer and all spare parts are available which is why
Bahco cutting tools are very popular with professional gardeners.
Another reason I like to recommend these secateurs is
that if you lose them the low replacement cost will not be too painful.
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Diamond Sharpener for Secateurs and Knives
This simple and easy to use little tool is specially
designed to keep your secateurs super sharp with just a couple of swipes
now and again.
Keeping secateurs sharp is very important as your plants
are less likely to become infected at the cut - AND equally as important -
you will require less strength and effort if your blade is sharp.
buy this Fredshed tested and approved diamond sharpener
for £8.99 inc delivery. UK only
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Handmade garden tools
from Holland
This new longer handled trowel compliments the
tried and tested little hand fork from Sneeboer tools of Holland.
Sneeboer tools have been around for generations
but have only recently found there way to these shores as quality
garden tools get harder to find.
The fork and trowel shown right are hand crafted
from a special type of stainless steel and have seasoned Ash
handles. I will also be testing many other Sneeboer tools
including Mattocks and large digging tools.
Using hand crafted quality garden tools is a
revelation and helps make your whole gardening experience more
enjoyable. The tines of the fork are extra strong and the flat
profile helps lift more soil.
The Ultimate trowel is longer and thinner than
normal and just what you need to dig small planting holes with
ease and less bending.
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see the Sneeboer Ultimate Flowerbed Trowel
see the Sneeboer Stainless Steel hand fork
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De Wit have made no-nonsense rustic steel tools in Holland for
several generations. The tools have fine wooden handles and
traditional carbon steel working parts.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Sietse DeWit last
year in Birmingham as he launched his family's tools into the UK.
With brother Derick managing the Technical part of the
company and Uncle Klaas running the manufacturing, Dewit is
a real family firm
If you are looking for a rare, unusual or old
fashioned tool then it is likely that DeWit have what you need.
DeWit garden tools are made in Holland and
are the result of generations of experience in manufacturing from the
DeWit family.
DeWit tools are now available in the UK and so if you are looking for unusual, old fashioned
garden tools built to last e-mail
fred@fredshed.com
for more details.
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The DeWit lawn edging tool is well made and has a
generous T handle for comfortable use.
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Choosing The Best Loppers and
shears
Geared Shears and Loppers for more power
From Wilkinson Sword
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I get lots of e-mail about broken loppers, mainly ratchet and
telescopic loppers. Whilst these tools look great in the shop they may
only last 5 minutes at home.
I prefer simple well made tools like these geared loppers. These
Wilkinson Sword loppers have oval section handles that will not bend and extra cutting power
from the simple geared mechanism. They
are also far more durable than ratchet loppers and easier to use. Using
gears on garden tools does give them considerably more power but has a
small downside which is the wider opening required. |
Click
here to buy from Amazon.co.uk
(medium size) or buy the larger version from my affiliate
partner
Wilkinson
sword
geared bypass loppers
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Best Kindling Axe - Bush or Brushing Hook
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This superb little axe is made in Finland and has a super strong but
lightweight (hollow) handle made from a new material called
fibrecomp. The blade is top quality steel and also has a grey
protective coating to prevent rusting and keep it slicing cleanly
through branches and in this case, old skirting boards for my wood
burning stove!
I had seen this axe but was in no rush to try it as I generally
prefer wooden handled tools. However after trying it I was so
impressed and can honestly say it is one to the best tools in my
shed. The lightweight and long shape make it well balanced and easy
to use.
Price £30 approx. |
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Garden Saws - Pruning Saws - Tree Saws - Bow
Saws
Traditional Garden Tools- Mattocks,
Picks and Azadas
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For really tough jobs like clearing
weed infested land or digging trenches in heavy soil there is nothing to
beat a JCB.
However if you haven't got 50k to spare or your
shed is full why not consider the old fashioned alternative?
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
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A Complete range of Quality Tools With Interchangeable Handles
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Gardening Tools For Children
The Wolf Multichange system is now available with
plastic tool heads and telescopic
handles. Ideal for children and also for people who need extra light
tools.
Bulldog Tools of Wigan also make the best quality
miniature Forks and Spades, Hoes and Rakes available. For
watering cans I recommend the innovative Pinpoint from Nucan that is small
and releases the water at the push of a button.
see the largest range of children's garden tools online Buy Kim Wilde's Book
Gardening With Children from Amazon.co.uk
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| 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 and my favourite hollow tine lawn aerator.
Broom brushes and even fruit picking attachments make this the widest
range of tools available from any one company.
The Wolf multichange system is made in Germany to the highest
standards.
click here for best prices on Wolf Multichange tools
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Still can't find the tool
you are looking for?
For free
expert advice - on buying tools, (on and off-line) mail me at
fred@fredshed.com
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