Garden forks and spades are indispensable tools you need for gardening. In the garden, long-handled forks carry great responsibility: It’s their purpose to break up compacted soil, spread a sheet of straw mulch around the roots, and aerate the fertilizer. Garden spades, on the other hand, can be your best buddy when it comes to working the ground, prepping, and edging beds. We all know that gardening can be hard work at times. That is why we have listed down the best garden forks and spades to help you ease the burden and assist you in choosing the best ones for your gardening needs.
Comparison Chart
IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | PRICE |
---|---|---|---|
TABOR TOOLS Digging Fork | The TABOR TOOLS Digging Fork is among the most versatile tools you can have in your garden. It is intended for digging, aerating, and turning the soil in beds and gardens. Its tines split up even the most hardened soil and clay. | ||
CYRUS Garden Tools Set for Gardening- 3Pcs Hand Tools | This Cyrus Garden Tool Set features a comfortable handle and overall design that make turning, loosening, lifting, and mixing loose materials like soil, compost, or mulch more comfortable than ever. | ||
Truper 30293 Tru Tough Spading Fork, 4-Tine, D-Handle | This Truper garden fork has a long handle that is made of North American ash wood and has a long lifespan. Also, this model is known for its outstanding efficiency in shock absorption. | ||
Radius Garden 20301 PRO Garden Stainless Steel Digging Fork | The Radius garden fork blends a traditional, stainless steel blade design with the Natural Radius Grip for excellent user experience. This heavy-duty digging tool is meant to last a lifetime, and the company guarantees it. | ||
Fiskars 46 Inch Steel D-Handle Square Garden Spade (2-(Pack)) | With its flat, narrower blade, Fiskars D-handle garden spade is the best tool you need to cut an arrow-straight trench, lay down clean borders, and edge flowerbeds in record time. | ||
Spear Head Spade Gardening Shovel with Steel Reinforced Fiberglass Handle | The Spear Head Spade is considered a hybrid shovel and spade blended as one. It is meant to reduce the labor of digging and cultivating by hand. It’s sharp, and tapered edges can cut into the compacted ground and slice through deeply rooted perennials. | ||
Radius Garden 23311 Root Slayer Perennial Shovel | The award-winning Root Slayer is a multi-purpose shovel fit for gardeners on the go. It can also serve as a spade and eliminates the necessity for other tools, such as saws and hatchets. |
A Detailed Review on the Best Garden Forks and Spades
TABOR TOOLS Digging Fork
The TABOR TOOLS Digging Fork is among the most versatile tools you can have in your garden. It is intended for digging, aerating, and turning the soil in beds and gardens. Its tines split up even the most hardened soil and clay.
Product Highlights
This spading fork features 4 prongs that are long, broad, and sharp enough to guarantee that they can penetrate even the hardest soils. With these four-diamond steel tines, you need not exert too much energy when digging.
This tool also comes with a 30-inch hardwood handle to give you better control and minimal flex. Also, the material the wood handle is strong and durable, so you can be sure it will last a long time. The D-grip comes in a bright shade of yellow that makes this fork stand out. But aside from the bright color, it also provides better control, extra support when digging and is very comfortable in your hand.
The Good
This TABOR TOOLS Digging Fork ranks higher among other gardening forks in the market. It’s easy-to-use, and high-quality features such as the ergonomic D-grip and four forged diamond-pointed steel tines make it more attractive to buyers, especially those who are into gardening.
The Bad
Although the TABOR TOOLS Digging Fork is highly-rated, there is only one issue that most buyers point out: the spading fork is relatively small than expected.
PROs
- Forged spading fork head
- Four diamond pointed steel tines for soil penetration
- 30-inch hardwood handle for strength and durability
- Poly D-Grip for added leverage and control
- Made in the USA
CONs
- The fork is too small
CYRUS Garden Tools Set for Gardening- 3Pcs Hand Tools
This CYRUS Garden Tool Set features a comfortable handle and overall design that make turning, loosening, lifting, and mixing loose materials like soil, compost, or mulch more comfortable than ever.
Product Highlights
The CYRUS Garden Tool Set is made of premium stainless steel that is durable and can withstand your daily gardening needs. This set of equipment is finished with polished cast-aluminum, making the blades and tips shiny, noncorrodible, and easy to clean.
Once you have this product from Whale Leaping, you will also have a packing bag to keep your tools in. With a braided rope attached to it, you can hang the packaging bag easily. This garden tool set provides a clutter-free storage on your garage, leaving you stress-free with your gardening.
The Good
Along with the product’s specs, you will also be impressed by the warranty given by the manufacturer to ensure you its quality. With a one-year warranty, this garden tool set will be your best partner in gardening.
The Bad
Although this product is backed-up with a one year warranty, other users may point out that the wooden handles could get worn out faster than the metal body.
Truper 30293 Tru Tough Spading Fork, 4-Tine, D-Handle
This Truper garden fork has a long handle that is made of North American ash wood and has a long lifespan. Also, this model is known for its outstanding efficiency in shock absorption.
Product Highlights
This tool features a 30 inches (76 cm) long ash wood handle and is a four-tined spading fork.
The length from the grip to the tip of the tines is 40 inches, with a total weight of 3.7 pounds. This model is lightweight enough that makes hard work in your garden comfortable and effortless.
A D-grip handle also makes the tool very comfortable to use. The shape will help you balance and take better charge over the fork during gardening work. You can use this fork to turn up the soil, compost, or hay and to dig through compacted dirt.
The Good
Not only that, but this product also has a lot of good things with it; it comes with a head with four tines made of gray steel. The head is protected by its clear coat, ensuring durability. Plus, it makes cleaning much easier. You simply need to rinse your fork with a hose and splash coating with a silicone spray every so often.
The Bad
Among the downside that customers complain about is that the tines are a bit brittle and may break over time. Also, some users shared that the fork is not for heavy-duty work and that they also encountered some issues on quality control.
PROs
- Comfortable and practical D-grip handle
- Four tines with high-sharp points
- Durable ash handle
- 10-year warranty
CONs
- Tines are brittle, might break over time
- Not for heavy-duty use
Radius Garden 20301 PRO Garden Stainless Steel Digging Fork
The Radius Garden 20301 PRO Garden Stainless Steel Digging Fork blends a traditional, stainless steel blade design with the Natural Radius Grip for excellent user experience. This heavy-duty digging tool is meant to last a lifetime, and the company guarantees it.
Product Highlights
This Radius Garden 20301 PRO Garden Stainless Steel Digging Fork features square tines that are ideal for gardening tasks. The durable stainless steel tines and the resin-encased carbon steel shaft with extra-wide steps offer safety and performance.
The O-handle features four times the gripping surface of other conventional tools, and provides extra support and reduces hand stress.
Also, the over-molded handle has a comfortable non-latex and thermoplastic grip for comfort and ease of use. The tool weighs 4.8 pounds (2.2 kg) and measures 42.9 inches (1.1 m) long.
The Good
A lot of good reviews about this tool and among them are the high-quality, sharp tines that penetrate almost every type of soil, including those stubborn ones. The solid steel shaft offers superior strength, and the O-shape handle is slip-resistant for comfort and ease. Plus, they also offer a full lifetime warranty that makes it a candidate for the best garden forks and spades.
The Bad
Other than bad customer service, some users pointed out that the tines are a bit brittle, so it easily breaks off and that you will need a little time to get used to the weird shape of the handle.
PROs
- Stainless steel head with four sharp diamond-shape tines
- Solid steel shaft
- Slip-resistant O-shaped handle
- Full lifetime warranty
CONs
- Bad customer service
- Brittle tines may break off easily
- The weird shape of the handle
Fiskars 46 Inch Steel D-Handle Square Garden Spade (2-(Pack))
With its flat, narrower blade, Fiskars D-handle garden spade is the best tool you need to cut an arrow-straight trench, lay down clean borders, and edge flowerbeds in record time.
Product Highlights
Fiskars D-Handle is an ideal spade for cutting a trench, edging garden beds, or slicing through solid turf. It has a 14-gauge sharp steel blade that measures 9.75 in width and 8.75 in depth. It also features an extra-large foot platform that will help maximize efficiency when digging.
The D-handle allows for a double-handed grip. The length of this spade is 47 inches. The steel is also powder-coated, which will repel rust and makes it easier to clean.
The Good
This tool is the best garden buddy for those heavy tasks. This is because it has a large foot platform, large D-handle, durable steel shaft, and a powerful steel blade. Add to that is the lifetime warranty on the product.
The Bad
On the negative side, the handle is made of plastic, and the head and handle holder is not hand-forged from a single piece of metal.
PROs
- Large foot platform
- Large D-handle
- 18-gauge steel shaft
- 16-gauge steel blade
- Powder coated
- Lifetime warranty
CONs
- Plastic handle
- It is heavy
Spear Head Spade Gardening Shovel with Steel Reinforced Fiberglass Handle
The Spear Head Spade is considered a hybrid shovel and spade blended as one. It is meant to reduce the labor of digging and cultivating by hand. It’s sharp, and tapered edges can cut into the compacted ground and slice through deeply rooted perennials.
Product Highlights
The Spear Head measures 40 inches in length and weighs almost 4 pounds. It has a strengthened fiberglass handle that aids lessen shock and vibrations. The plastic handle is a cushioned D-grip and coated with UV inhibitors to stop the damage from sun exposure.
The blade is honed at a 35-degree angle to give it a more long-lasting and practical edge. It is formed from carbon manganese steel and completed with a powder coat finish. A large footrest is also available on the blade to help for easier digging.
The Good
Aside from its hybrid property, being lightweight, durable steel, and excellent performance, this tool is made in the U.S.A. and is backed by a lifetime warranty.
The Bad
It could be too light and small for some people.
PROs
- Hybrid shovel/spade
- Lightweight material
- Sharpened manganese steel
- Powder coated
- Large footrest
- Made in the U.S.A.
- Lifetime warranty
CONs
- A bit pricey
- Could be too small for others
Radius Garden 23311 Root Slayer Perennial Shovel
The award-winning Root Slayer is a multi-purpose shovel fit for gardeners on the go. It can also serve as a spade and eliminates the necessity for other tools, such as saws and hatchets.
Product Highlights
The Radius Garden is a shovel, and root saw meshed into one. It has two defining features. First is the O-shaped handle, and the second is the inverted V-shaped tip blade.
The unique O-shaped handle gives more support and allows for a more gripping room so both hands can be used at once. The carbon steel handle is covered in resin for a better grip.
The blade is powder-coated carbon steel that repels rust. The inverted V-shape tip blade with teeth along the outer edge is intended to rip through dirt and cut roots easily. With the saw blade feature, this shovel can hack up to 1.25 in diameter roots. The 3.5 inches extra-wide step increases stability during use.
The Good
The coolest feature of this product is probably the inverted, V-shaped cutting tip that is specially designed to rip through dirt and roots easily. Plus, the blade is made of powder-coated carbon steel, and the shaft is encased in resin carbon steel and non-latex grips.
The Bad
Despite its valuable features, this tool weighs a hefty five pounds and is 45 inches in length. Plus, there is a U.S.-only lifetime manufacturer warranty with this product.
PROs
- Shovel/root saw combo
- O-shaped handle
- V-shaped tip
- Wide steps
- Lifetime manufacturer warranty
- Powder-coated carbon steel blade
CONs
- It is heavy
- Warranty in the U.S. only
Conclusion
We rounded up an excellent shortlist of the best garden forks and spades for you to consider. All of these tools have many versatile options and high quality and features. Garden forks and spades are indispensable tools that every gardener and enthusiast should consider. And with this article, we hope that you will find the best tools to make your garden work easier. Know more about garden tools.