New Garden Products
Tested and reviewed by Fred-in-the-shed
Updated 18th May 2022

(click here for new DIY products)
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New Heavy Duty 48v Cordless Hedge Trimmer
Bosch 18v Long Reach Cordless Hedgetrimmer
Stihl Self propelled Cordless Mower
Cordless Lawn Raker & Aerator
Lightest Heavy-Duty Wheelbarrow
Pressure Washers and Patio Cleaning Products
Tub Trug Trolley
Root Assassin Spade
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Mountfield Freedom 500 48v Cordless Hedge Trimmer

Easy to handle - Huge Performance
Over the last 20 years of
testing products for this site I have seen cordless hedge trimmers improve every year.
This new 48v model has clever electronics that enable the battery to
communicate with the motor to provide just the best level of power.
The Italian made battery is available in 2, 4 and 5 amp hour versions.
The 58cm blade can cut up to 18mm stems and the handle can be rotated to 3 different positions.
This is an ideal replacement for a petrol tool for anyone with a large or overgrown hedge.
The battery can be used in mowers, chainsaws, blowers, and trimmers in the Freedom 500 range.
Find out more about this tool and the rest of the Mountfield Freedom 500
range
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Long reach Telescopic 18v
cordless hedge trimmer
Bosch Universal Hedge Pole Review

Bosch Universal Hedge Pole 18 V

Bosch Universal Hedge Pole 18V
Bosch AHS 50-20 LI 18V Hedge Cutter
I am currently testing the new Bosch long reach
cordless hedge trimmer.
This product runs off the same 18v Li-ion
battery as my favorite hedgetrimmer the Bosch AHS 50-20 Li.
The long reach version comes with a shoulder
strap but is still a bit of a beast.
If you are pretty strong you will have to take
rests every 10 minutes or so but used sparingly this is a very
useful tool.
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Self Propelled Cordless Mower

Stihl RMA 443 TC
The latest and best cordless mower is this Austrian made Stihl RMA 443TC
that I am currently testing on my lawns. This model uses a 36v Li-ion battery
from the Stihl Pro range and has 2 battery slots so you can have a spare ready
if you need it. With two batteries it can cut up to 450m sq depending on the
length of your grass and how level your lawn is.

Stihl batteries have built in gauge to check power
levels.
This is the biggest of the 5 Stihl cordless mowers with its 18 inch (46cm) cut and
the fantastic folding, height adjustable, mono handle. This clever handle saves
space during storage but also allows easy access to the grass box. Another
innovative feature is the Eco mode motor that adjusts the blade speed to the
thickness of the grass. This increases the efficiency of the battery and
enables the mower to cut larger areas as it done not waste energy.

Stihl mowers are the best quality and you can't buy them online as they are only sold from
machinery dealerships. For this top of the range model the total price with a battery and charger will be
around £650. Smaller models and different battery options are available and
Stihl have hundreds of dealerships all over the UK.
One you have the battery and charger you can use it in
many other Stihl Pro power tools like chainsaws and trimmers that are
all available on their own.
Click here to see my special page dedicated to cordless
mowers
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New
Cordless Lawn Raker


I love powered lawn rakers but they can be a pain to
use due to the cable getting in the way .
This new Cobra S3840V model
uses a seriously powerful 40v 5 amp battery.
It uses a cartridge system so you can use wire tines
or for deeper aeration metal blades.
Cobra S3840V 38cm (15in) Cordless Battery Scarifier
& Aerator
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The Lightest Heavy-Duty Wheelbarrow
To test the Ecobarrow hose I lent it to the labourers
building my new house.
Seeing a "plastic" barrow initially made them laugh! I
explained that the frame was actually nylon and body super tough
recycled Polyethylene.
The Ecobarrow was used for 6 months alongside a
traditional steel builders barrow. It
wasn't long before the steel barrow started to be left aside.
The 70 litre body can take up to 200KG of weight and we exceeded this
frequently.
It is made in South Africa, comes with a 5
year guarantee and is fully UK supported.
One feature the guys loved was the ergonomic handle shape.
This barrow is more expensive than a steel barrow but is easier to use
and will last as long.
Buy an Ecobarrow from a Trusted Fredshed Partner
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BEST PRODUCT FOR CLEANING PATIOS
Patio Black Spot Remover 4 Litre for Artificial Stone
If you have a natural stone patio or one made from concrete
slabs it is inevitable that after a while it will become slippery,
lose its colour and eventually blacken. Some of this filth will be mould and slime but some will
be black spot, which are tree spores that start to grow into the fabric
of the stone. Due to this deep ingress blackspot cannot be
totally removed by pressure washing alone.
In fact over use of
a pressure washer can damage the surface of the stone, so I went on a mission
to find the best way to clean a patio.
In May 2016 I discovered Patio Black Spot
remover and tested it on my patio in Oxford The main feature of the
product is that you just spray it on, (undiluted) from a Hozelock type spray
gun , leave it 30 minutes and then lightly pressure wash it off.
I found that within minutes of spraying
a milky foam appeared on the slab surface and I could actually see the black spot dissolving.
12 months later my slabs are still clean whilst the trial ones that I
only pressure washed are going black again. From this I conclude that the
patio black spot removal fluid does a very good job.
During cleaning I managed to overspray
onto some plants but these were
not harmed.
The product is available in 2 and 4
litres containers. It is not cheap but is incredibly
effective and will save you a lot of time and for a lot of people
time is money! The product is also made in the UK and has very good UK customer support.
5L Pump Action Pressure Sprayer - use with water, fertilizer or pesticides
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Improved Karcher Pressure Washers

German company
Karcher are the leading brand for pressure
washers and constantly innovate new features. I was not a big fan of domestic pressure washers
in general as I have found most to be unreliable, difficult to
use and a pain to store.
The K4 model
shown has an 1800w motor so is very powerful with 130 bar of
pressure and the best model for washing patios. In 2019 Karcher
added a smaller and
lighter compact version for easier storage. The K4 compact does
not have the plug in detergent bottle or the full control
digital spray wand.
Both K4 models have the same power output and
sliding handles
for easy storage and only the larger model is available with the
full range of accessories.
Kärcher K4 Full Control Pressure Washer
Kärcher K4 Full Control Home Pressure Washer
New Product To Reduce Time Spent Cleaning Patios!
Pressure washing a patio is time consuming and messy so I
am testing Roxil Patio Cream which claims to waterproof and protect the
slabs so as to reduce the regrowth of mould and other nasties. I am
happy to put cream on my face and leather car seats but never thought of putting some on my patio!
So I cleaned a slab, let it dry and then brushed in the
cream. Already it looks better than the non-treated slabs so I will report the progress here as time goes on.
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Lightweight Trolleys and Tubtrugs
My Mum (RIP) with her UK
made Trug Trolley
The Fredshed long time recommended Tubtrugs have been a boon to
many gardeners since I found and featured them 20 years ago. Now their use can be enhanced by this superb little
truck to enable you to easily move material and turn your Tubtrug into
a lightweight alternative to a wheelbarrow.
My Mum loved this
trolley and used it for gardening and taking the washing out to the
line.
It is also made in Lancing, Sussex in a factory near to the one my lovely Mum working in making rubber ducks!
Trug
Trolley with sturdy wheels
Tubtrugs 42L Large Flexible 2-Handled Recycled Tub, Pistachio
Tubtrugs 26L Medium Flexible 2-Handled Recycled Tub, Pistachio
Tubtrug Flexible Micro: Red
Wheeled Truck To Lift and Move Heavy Pots

This excellent invention was known as the Plant Pot Mover Trolley and originally sold
by Fort Wheelbarrow company. I have had one for
years and many readers have bought them and been happy with my
recommendation so it is not really a new product but is back
again after being discontinued for some years. To use the
trolley simply tip the pot forward a little and slide the bottom
plate under it. Then slide the top hook over the edge and you
can lever the pot up and begin to move it. I can even lift very
large heavy pots like this from my wheelchair!
UPP
Plant Pots Mover for Plant Pots up to max. 75 kg
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Which is the Best Spade to Buy for Digging out Roots?

Many readers tell me they break their forks and spades whilst digging
out plants.
This is usually caused by having to use excess force because a root has
been left and even the strongest tools will break or bend if levered
hard enough.
The Root Assassin has downward facing sharp teeth to cut those roots and
the long thin shape of the head gives easier access to those roots.
If you have large shrubs or a lot to remove I still recommend using a
prybar as well as the Root Assassin because it is essentially a digging
and cutting tool and not a levering tool.
Root Assassin Spade
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Spiral Auger For Making Holes For Planting
and Fenceposts

Fiskars Quikdrill
Fiskars 2320541 Size Small "QuikDrill" Gimlet - Black/Orange/Grey |
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The lightest cordless chainsaw at 3.76KG including battery

STIHL MSA 120c 36v BATTERY POWERED CHAINSAW

This is not the most powerful cordless chainsaw available but it certainly
is the most well designed and efficient one.
It has all the features found on petrol chainsaws but it is much easier and safer to handle.
For more details see link below or your nearest Stihl dealer as these tools are not sold online.

Click here to see my special page dedicated to cordless chainsaws
Coming soon - under testing
WORX WG384E 36V (40V MAX) Dual Battery Cordless 35cm Brushless Chainsaw
WORX 20V 2.0Ah Battery
Clipper Box - Lawn Edge Clippings Collector

This simple gadget clips to the side of your edging
shears and collects the grass clippings. If you have a big lawn this can save hours of clear up work over the season
Makes a neater, cleaner job for OCD types - I love it.
ClipperBox - Attaches to existing garden shears to collect clippings
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Best Apple Collecting Tool

Apple Wizard
New Lightweight tool for picking up apples without bending!
If you have fallen apples and want a fast and easy way to collect them then
this UK made tool is ideal.
It works like magic and I just love using it. The flexible stainless steel
cage just gently opens and the apples roll in.
Makes a superb present for anyone with apple trees and will pay for itself
if you can eat or store your apples faster.
This is a top quality product and the UK manufacturer offers a repair
service should you need it.
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MORE NEW PRODUCTS TESTED BY FRED
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NEW STYLE COMPOSTER, WITH SUPER INSULATION

Hotbin Mini Composter
The hotbox compost bin
is a unique design that speeds up composting by containing the heat from the
decomposing food and plants.
It is constructed of thick black
Polystyrene that absorbs the suns energy and superheats the material
inside. There is a thermometer built into the lid to allow you to
monitor the heat levels.
I am currently testing the Hotbox
composter and am amazed at hot quickly the material rots down to
allow you to add more and more. I keep the bin full to the top and
have inserted a mixture of food waste, hedge and lawn trimmings,
weeds and other plant material.
Over the last 20 years of running
Fredshed I have tested many weird and wonderful compost bin and so far
this is the best performer.
I tested the first large version which has been constantly improved and now joined by a more compact
"mini" version.
HOTBIN
Compost Bin - LARGE
Setting up my Hotbin
After 5 years use I am impressed with the performance of the Hotbin.
It has taken mountains of mixed material
If you mix some lawn clippings in now and again it helps to keep it hot.
The resulting compost is very good and easy to get at.
Click to see other more traditional composting bins
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Fiskars Best Selling Hi Tech
Weed Puller Is it
any good?

I tested the Fiskars Weed Puller on soil and
lawnsIt is great for the larger,
deep rooted weeds, no use on small weeds.It
can be fun and a bit addictive to use in the right conditions.
NEW LIGHTWEIGHT VERSION - USE LINK BELOW
Fiskars Light Weed Puller - Black
If you watch TV then you
probably will have seen the advertisement for this "new wonder tool"
to make weeding easier than ever. As part of my work I have been
testing weeding gadgets over the last 18 years and have tried most
of them.
The important thing to realise about weed pulling
gadgets is that there are many different types and sizes of weeds
and none of the gadgets can cope with them all. Another reason for
this is that weeds will be located in different soil types or even
lawns. Compared to most of the ones I have tested
I
can say the Fiskars weed puller is pretty good at pulling out the
larger weeds. It is made from very tough but light fibrecomp material.
You will need to have reasonable eyesight and hand eye
co-ordination so that you can locate the jaws of the tool around the
weed. Once located you press down with your foot and lever the
handle backwards to remove the weed.
The tool is described as a lawn weed puller but I
found it to equally useful on soil. Wherever you use it remember
that a large weed will leave a large hole so have some soil ready to
fill in if it is your lawn.
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Itip handles to reduce strain when using your Wheelbarrow

The itip handles are easy to fit and comfortable in normal
use, but are superb when you need to tip the barrow up as you
don't need to change your grip or strain your arm and shoulder
joints! RRP is £24.99 but even at this price it is a bargain
compared to a visit to a chiropractor or a day off work due to
sore shoulders or wrists. I fitted the handles to my builders
barrow and it was much appreciated by the builders, especially
when tipping heavy brick hardcore into a skip.

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LATEST ROBOT MOWER

WORX LandRoid wi-Fi Enabled Robtic Mower
I spotted the latest Robotic lawnmower at the Hampton Court Flower show.
Over the last 16 years I have tested many robot mowers and found most of them
quite hard to program.
This one can be totally set up and controlled from your phone and does not even
have an LCD screen for me to swear at.
Any programming can be overridden, which is good as I know that all these clever gadgets are
only as good as your Wifi signal.
The main downside with Robot mowers is that most of them can't cut to the edge so
you need another mower or trimmer to finish the job.
This is due to safety rules and the nanny state!
This new Worxs Landroid as a unique blade design that cuts almost to the edge and
only leaves a 2.5cm strip to deal with.
WORX WR110MI 20 V S700 "Landroid"
Wi-Fi Enabled Robotic Mower 
click
here for my page on cordless and robotic mowers
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If you found my advice helpful and would like to support my work,
please return to this page and use my links when purchasing your
tools.
Also any other products bought from Amazon at the same time will
produce a small commission that helps cover my hosting costs.
Or if you prefer, you can make a
small donation using the PayPal button below.
Thanks - Fred
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© Fred Walden
2022
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