Tools

[Loubear]

What tools does everyone use? Do you go for good quality/expensive or cheap and cheerful and easily replaced? I've had to admit defeat that I've lost completely, rather than just misplaced, my ancient trowel. The cheapest one in the garden centre today was £10 which seems quite a lot for the cheapest.


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[bretty666]

That doea seem expensive.. i go mid range to try and get a mid range product..im no pro so i dont need the most expensive stuff but im too much of a brute fir the cheapest stuff..i tend ti look for comfortableness and balance aswell...if a spade already has a heavy head its gonna make it harder ti lift

[iGrow]

Try Joseph Bentley tools available at B&Q... They have a good guarantee and for me are comfortable. Not the cheapest but you remember quality long after you have forgotten the price. If you want cheap, try stainless steel trowel from Wilko

[Aberdeenplotter]

My tools apart from my stainless steel spade and fork are mainly old. Old = quality steel instead of the cheap soft rubbish tools are made from nowadays. My hoes in particular are far superior to anything on the market today. Keep your eye on Freecycle/freegle and Gumtree and also have a good rummage at car boot sales and the likes.

[RaptorUK]

I've had to admit defeat that I've lost completely, rather than just misplaced, my ancient trowel. The cheapest one in the garden centre today was £10 which seems quite a lot for the cheapest.

I've bought a stainless steel + Ash handle trowel recently on ebay . . . £3 + £2.55 delivery

OK yes, it was made in China but the quality was good enough for something costing just over £5

[noviceveggrower]

Hi. I go for the mid range stuff and I do find Wilko stuff seems fairly good. Aberdeenplotter has a good point about car boots you'd be amazed what tool people get rid off and they've only been used one growing season if that. Sometime you can find some old tools there that will last a life time as they were made to last not like some of the tools made these days.

[rustylady]

What tools does everyone use? Do you go for good quality/expensive or cheap and cheerful and easily replaced? I've had to admit defeat that I've lost completely, rather than just misplaced, my ancient trowel. The cheapest one in the garden centre today was £10 which seems quite a lot for the cheapest.


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Moral to this story - don't buy tools from Garden Centres. Wilkinsons are much cheaper, and reasonable quality.

[Dorothy rouse]

I 'loose', tools around the allotment, they usually turn up eventually, but think in future I'm going to look for cheap tools with brightly coloured handles, yellow, red or even blue! Not many blue things on my plot.

Wilkinsons are good, and very reasonable quality, I've had nothing break from there.

[iGrow]

I broke a trowel from Wilko recently hence the purchase of a Joseph Bentley one with the guarantee. I bought it from a GC only to find them cheaper at B&Q...

[fran2340_1]

I'm going to put bright coloured tape on my things as I put them down and then can't find them or remember where I've put them. Lol

[Loubear]

Thanks everyone, I guess the moral of the story is to use one of the many and varied tool belt/tidies/truths I've got and not just spend my time trailing around looking for the stuff I put down all over the place! :-)


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[Nicos]

I used to buy the best I could afford in the UK

..several years later I think I would go with really old ones from car boot sales...they really do seem to be better made and perhaps only need a basic makeover.

[Bill HH]

A lot depends on your circumstances, if you are on an allotment that is prone to break ins then go for the cheap stuff, but if you're at home and can lock them in garage get the best you can afford.

I have a hammer that is over a hundred years old, its had 3 new heads and half a dozen new handles rather like a brimless hat without a crown.

[WendyC]

I have a hammer that is over a hundred years old, its had 3 new heads and half a dozen new handles rather like a brimless hat without a crown.

Like Trigger's broom.

[bretty666]

Ok..scrap what i said about moddle of the range...snapped my second spade.today i was entering it into the soil and it snapped at the weld..thats the 2nd one iv snapped on the weld...so...heavy duty tools..go top range!!