When it comes to yard work, you have two options: do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. If you’re the one who wants to do the former, you need to have a set of tools under your arsenal to help you give your yard a nice look. Here’s a list of 10 useful outdoor tools that every homeowner like you should have.
1. Garden rake
A garden rake is a good multipurpose tool to have, and it has a sturdy build that allows you to rake up materials such as gravel and mulch. If you need to scoop, scrape, spread, or level materials lying around your yard like leaves, gravel, and mulch—a garden rake is a must-have.
2. Shovel
Almost everyone who does yard work has a shovel. It is primarily used as a digging, removal or addition tool for loose gardening materials such as soil, compost, fertilizer, etc. But what most people don’t know is that there are several types of shovels. You can still use the normal shovel for various things, but you will probably not get the best results.
3. Wheelbarrow
If you’re moving large quantities of soil, compost, plants, or gravel, you should consider buying a wheelbarrow. You can still use alternative methods like a bucket to move materials from one place to another, but a wheelbarrow makes everything easier for your back. However, be sure not to overload your wheelbarrow to avoid potential injuries.
4. Snow blower
Tired of shoveling snow off your walkway or driveway during the winter? A snow blower may do the trick! Clearing snow using a shovel may take hours to finish, but with a snow blower, you’ll be back inside your house, relaxing in a matter of minutes.
5. Lawnmower
When it comes to maintaining your lawn or giving it a makeover so you can have a lovely yard, getting a lawnmower is a no-brainer. Not only does it help you cut grass neatly, but it also helps you finish your yard work within the shortest time possible.
6. Pressure washer
A pressure washer is a good tool for cleaning your walkways or any exterior surfaces outside your house. It can easily remove caked-on dirt, grease, soil residue, and other materials lying across your driveway or walkway—giving it a nice, clean look. You may still use the old “brush and soapy water” method, but if you want to save time and remove stubborn dirt easily, you should try getting yourself a pressure washer.
7. Pick mattock
If you want to expand your garden a little bit but the soil is quite hard to dig through using a shovel, or you want to remove stubborn, deep-rooted weeds—a pick mattock is right for you. With a pick on one side and an adze on the other, you can finish work quickly, even in hard soils.
8. Grass shears
The quick way to cut grass on your lawn is through a lawnmower. However, grass that the lawnmower has not cut may require some manual labor. And in those cases, a good pair of grass shears is your friend. There are 2 types of grass shears: a grass shear with horizontal and vertical blades. Horizontal blades are best used to cut grass that your lawnmower has not cut, and vertical blades are used to trim the edges of your lawn.
9. Hand trowel
We’ve already mentioned a couple of digging tools in this list, but a hand trowel is worth mentioning. It is good for digging small holes, potting, transplanting seedlings, planting bulbs, annuals, or perennials.
10. Gardening gloves
And last but not least is gardening gloves. Doing yard work can make your hands sore and irritated without the right protection as you are exposed to thorns, splinters, and dirt. So for better safety and comfort while working, make sure to buy yourself good quality gloves.
Yard work can be fun and exciting, especially if you have the right tools to help you finish some tasks. If you’re a homeowner who wants to make these tasks even easier, you may want to look at our MAGNATRAC® RS1000. It’s a compact, powerful machine perfect for homeowners looking to finish large projects like grading a driveway, plowing piles of snow, digging a small fish pond, and more.