Gardening Tools and Such - Shovels and Rakes

Thanks to the Prepped & Planted clients (and friends) who've asked for recommendations of good quality gardening tools. I'll start by saying that I tend to use tools as long as they last or until I start getting splinters from handles. I currently use a pointed shovel and rake that my brother and sister-in-law gave me five years ago, when they moved 1,600 or so miles from Colorado. No idea how long they'd owned the tools before I started using them. Last year, I had to put a new fastener in the rake to keep it together, but they're both still doing the job. When it's time for a new shovel and rake, I've identified some great options!

We'll start with shovels. My inherited shovel is a Stanley, but that brand can be elusive these days. I went to the Stanley Tools website. Other than a picture of a shovel scooping some gravel, the "shovels and forks" page is blank. No way of drilling down to choose a shovel, or even read a product description of a shovel, unfortunately. Though there are garden hose sprayers and other products available (maybe they'll appear in a later and applicable post).

Moving forward.... I like to buy USA made products, when possible, especially when I plan to use said products not just for a season or two, but for decades. With that in mind, there are two USA made tool companies I recommend: the first is Ames Companies, established in 1774 (!) - their garden tool brand is called True Temper. The second USA made tool company is Bully Tools, established in 1994.

Digging deeper (total groaner, I admit it), here's an Ames True Temper pointed garden shovel, and their square shovel, which is ideal for scooping soil mix into your raised beds. And here's a Bully Tools round point shovel and their square shovel. I tend to use my shovels sideways and slant-wise at times, and these USA made long-handled shovels make it easy to get fancy and rotate mid-chuck.

If you're more a fan of no nonsense D-grip handles, here's Bully's pointed version and their square shovel. Not to be left out, Ames True Temper has a D-grip pointed shovel and a D-grip square shovel.

Bonus tip: in the fall, I rake leaves into piles and then scoop them with a wide scoop/snow shovel onto a tarp, roll up the whole mess, and bag it for use in my garden compost bins throughout the year. Give this scoop shovel a try from Bully Tools. It's only 3.5 pounds and is one-piece construction, so you won't have to install a new fastener years into the deal. Double bonus.

Now, for rakes. I recommend the same two USA made companies - Ames Companies True Temper and Bully Tools. I use a level rake after filling my raised beds with soil or after digging in compost in late fall/early spring, and again when it's time to plant, to create a smooth garden canvas. Beautiful. Here's True Temper's Double Play level rake (longer tines break up soil, shorter tines are spreaders), or their standard level rake. Bully Tools has a standard style 16-inch level rake.

When raking fall leaves for the above-mentioned compost bins, I use, well...a leaf rake. I tend to like the metal tine style for one raking session and the next I switch to the "clog-free" wider poly tine style. Both styles can facilitate patience-building, as the leaves still get caught. After the 10th time of stopping leaf-raking operations, up-ending the rake, and removing leaves that've been run through or crammed in, I put the rake down and walk in the house for a drink of water. A minute or two later, I've finished reminding myself that though the compost bin does most of the amazing work of changing organic matter into dark, rich compost, the bin doesn't fill itself. I then recommence raking with a more positive attitude.

Anyhow, here is the True Temper tine leaf rake and their clog-free poly leaf rake, and here is the Bully Tools tine rake and their 31" clog-free poly tine leaf rake. Bully Tools also offers a smaller, 24" clog-free poly tine leaf rake. I think I'd prefer the smaller one, with its straighter lines. The big one is rather fan shaped, which might cover a little more area, but I like to maintain those outside borders a bit more strictly. In total opposition to my tendency to shovel wild and free....

And no, I'm not a fan of leaf blowers. That conversation (rant) could go on for a looooong time, and start an unproductive, larger conversation (rant) amongst all those who deal with mass quantities of leaves each fall and potentially those of their neighbors. We'll just leave it at that. Heh.

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