12 Gardening Tools You Should Never Buy

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Gardening is a fulfilling hobby, but it takes a little know how and the right tools to keep things flourishing. As you start out or build up your collection, it’s hard to resist the temptation to grab every shiny new gadget. However, not all tools are worth your time or money though. In fact, they can even take up space in your shed, gathering dust or even worse, make your gardening tasks more difficult than they need to be.

This article looks at 12 gardening tools you might want to skip. By steering clear of these, you will be able to concentrate on the equipment that genuinely makes a difference in your garden.

Plastic Lawn Edger

Plastic lawn edgers are frequently marketed as the simple remedy for crisp lines in the paths of garden beds or walkways. In theory, they sound like a good idea, but in practice they usually bend, crack, and break after a couple uses. They also don’t offer the same precision of control as metal edgers do. However, if you’re looking for something that will actually last, and give you the sharp, clean edges you’re after, invest in a durable steel one.

Motorized Weeder

It might sound like a motorized weeder will save you time and effort, but it’s usually more trouble than it’s worth. Not only are these machines heavy and hard to use in smaller spaces or delicate plants, but they can also be hard to maneuver. Plus, they are expensive and sometimes the results are disappointing. You can just as easily use a good old fashioned hand weeder or hoe without the hassle.

Electric Pruners

Electric pruners might seem like a time saver, but aren’t always the best choice for most gardeners. While they may make cutting through tough branches easier, they’re bulky, expensive, and require a charged battery. Manual pruners do the job as well on smaller pruning jobs and are lighter and less expensive.

Garden Kneeler With Seat

For those who want to forego the knee and back pain that gardening can bring, a garden kneeler with a seat sounds like the ideal solution. But these tools can be quite bulky, and take up a lot of space in your shed. After a short time of use, many find them uncomfortable and impractical. If you need to take your break, a simple portable garden stool or kneeling pad is a better choice.

Watering Wand

While advertised as the way to precision water your plants, water wands can be cumbersome and awkward to use. For most cases, a traditional watering can with a long spout or a well thought out hose nozzle will do just as good as job, without the added complexity. The watering wand is almost always more of a hassle than it’s worth unless you have very specific needs.

A Garden Rake With Adjustable Tines

There are some gardeners that would be interested in a garden rake with adjustable teeth, because they think it’ll be more versatile for different tasks in their yard. The truth is that these rakes are usually quite flimsy and don’t work near as well as a normal rake. The mechanism of adjustment can get stuck, not easy to change among its settings, and thin metal teeth aren’t strong enough for any weightier rake jobs.

Built in Planters Trellis

Photo Credit: Jaclyn Vernace/Shutterstock

A trellis with built in planters sounds like a great space saving solution for vertical gardening, but it’s usually more trouble than it’s worth. These are awkward to set up and maintain and the planters may not provide adequate drainage for healthy plant growth. In most cases, a more simple standalone trellis combined with individual planters or containers is a much better option.

Leaf Blower/Vacuum Combo

The ultimate yard clean up tool, often marketed as a leaf blower and vacuum combo, are more of a hassle than a help for many gardeners. They’re loud, heavy machines that need a lot of maintenance. If you don’t have a big yard to pick up leaves from, a simple rake or leaf bag will be just as effective without all the noise or complexity.

Soil Test Kit

Some gardeners could find soil test kits useful, but most don’t need them. You will find that the majority of gardeners can do just fine without one, especially if you are working with garden soil that’s reasonably healthy. If you are growing a particular plant that has very specific needs, a soil test might be helpful, but for most home gardeners, the results just aren’t worth the investment.

Battery-Powered Lawn Mower

While battery powered lawn mowers sound like they are low maintenance and eco friendly, they do come with a few drawbacks. First, they have minimal battery life, so you’ll likely need to stop mid mow to recharge. They also aren’t as powerful as their gas powered counterparts so they won’t be as effective on larger lawns or thick grass. For the average homeowner, a traditional gas mower or push mower may provide more power and reliability.

Self-Watering Planters

Many self watering planters are sold as the holy grail of gardening for the busy gardener who doesn’t have the time to water their plants every day. They can help with occasional over-watering, but they don’t always get the job done. The water reservoir can become clogged over time, or in some self waterers, they simply don’t provide enough moisture in hot spells. On the whole, it’s better to buy good quality pots with some drainage and water your plants as needed.

Gardening Gloves With Special Features

Gardening gloves with built in kneepads, extra grip, fancy materials, are tempting, but often unnecessary. The truth is, however, many of these gloves are uncomfortable or too bulky for most gardening jobs. A simple pair of durable, breathable gardening gloves is often the best bet. It is very basic, protects your hands, doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and doesn’t make you miserable.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.