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How to Make Good Garden Tools Last a Lifetime

June 17, 2014 ♛ By Melissa J. Will

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Good quality garden tools can last a lifetime with ongoing basic care. When you find a tool that works really well, it’s worth taking the time to maintain it.

Confused by pruners? This shows you how to decide which pruner is best for the jobs in your garden.

These old garden tools will last a lifetime with proper care.

Making Garden Tools Last a Lifetime

pruning tool

No two gardeners seem to prefer the same tools: it depends on what you’re growing, how you like to work, and the type of maintenance your garden requires.

But there’s one thing we all come to realize: cheap garden tools are cheap garden tools—more often than not, you get what you paid for.

Once you know which tools you like, start investing in the best ones you can afford and take the time to keep them in good shape. You’ll not only save a lot of money but have a collection of treasured tools to rely on throughout your gardening years.

Years ago I realized my tools would not last unless I made time to properly care for them. This means stopping early after a long day in the garden to get everything clean, sorted, and put back in its place.

Besides keeping the tools in good condition, it’s very nice to have the tools ready to go next time.

Related: See my DIY Garden Tool Shed



4 Tips For Best Garden Tool Care

1Make Them Stand Out

Brands like Fiskars have bright orange markings which make them highly visible in the garden, but some brands and older tools do not. If they are good tools, it’s easy to make them more noticeable with paint or tape.

  • Paint the ends of the tool handles so they stand out in the garden.
  • Or, mark them with a distinctive color of duct tape.

We all misplace garden tools now and then—sometimes finding them in the compost pile years later—but it’s awful to lose a great one permanently.


2Clean

  • After use, scrub off dirt under garden hose.
  • Rinse in diluted household bleach (4 teaspoons bleach per quart or liter of water for at least one minute) if necessary.
  • Dry thoroughly.

This can both prevent the spread of disease between plants and prevent corrosion.


3Storage

  • Before storing your tools, be sure they are both clean and dry.
  • Store tools hanging up. See how I create tool hangers  (below).
    If every tool has a designated place, you’ll notice what’s missing at the end of your gardening day.

4Maintenance

This could be an annual task or more often if your tools get a lot of use.

  • Protect wooden handles with boiled linseed oil.
  • Tighten loose screws.
  • Lubricate moving parts with 3-in-1 oil or WD-40.
  • Sharpen – learn to do it yourself or take tools with dull or nicked blades to professional sharpener.
4 Simple tips for best garden tool care - make your tools last for years!


Painting Tip

Painting tool handles and making hangers

1Drill Hole

Drill holes through top of wooden handles. Position the hole so that bulky rake heads will hang parallel to the wall.

4 Simple tips for best garden tool care - make your tools last for years!

2Sand Wood

3Edge With Painter’s Tape

4Paint End of Handle

Use an exterior (outdoor) primer-paint combination product or stain suitable for wood surfaces.

You can also add a protective coat of outdoor polyurethane or a similar product if you want the paint to remain pristine. I don’t bother with this.

4 Simple tips for best garden tool care - make your tools last for years!

5Add Stencil (Optional)

Nerdy idea: I created a simple leaf stencil with cardstock and used white spray paint. Allow to dry.

6Add Hanging Wire

4 Simple tips for best garden tool care - make your tools last for years!

7Hang With Cup Hooks

4 Simple tips for best garden tool care - make your tools last for years!

My black and white tool handles are easy to see in the garden plus they match my stenciled wheelbarrow and lawnmower, of course. It was worth doing it just to see how it made my husband laugh!

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

Next

How to Deadhead Flowers for More Blooms
How to Make Good Garden Tools Last a Lifetime
What to Prune in Fall & What Should Wait
See More >>
These old garden tools will last a lifetime with proper care.
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Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will
a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt
(Ontario, Canada).
Join me as I share creative + frugal home & garden ideas with a dash of humor.
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