A backyard needs regular maintenance to keep it in good shape, looks, and inspiring designs according to your preference.
To achieve this, you need handy garden power tools to carry out maintenance tasks meticulously and save time.
There are tens of different garden power tools to buy for setting up and maintaining a lovely garden and backyard. However, choosing the best ones might be challenging if you don’t know the exact tools you need for specific gardening tasks.
This article explores ten irresistible garden power tools that will make setting up and maintaining your garden and backyard easy and save you a load of time that you can spend doing other equally important tasks.
Let’s gear up and see what tools you should buy to save time in the backyard.
1. Hedge Trimmer
A hedge trimmer comes in handy when you want to trim the hedges around your home to keep them neat and in good shape. The traditional way to do this was to use handheld manual pruning tools, but now you want to use a power trimmer to do it in the shortest time possible.
Modern hedge trimmers can trim not only soft hedges but also cut woody stems, meaning that you don’t have to worry about those overgrown stems anymore.
The good thing is that cordless or battery-powered hedge trimmers are highly portable and can be used anywhere in the backyard, far from the house.
If your hedge is close to the house where you can access mains electricity, you can go for an electric hedge trimmer instead.
Petrol hedge trimmers are also available if you do not want all the hassle of risk cords and recharging batteries. But you will deal with the nasty-smelling petrol fumes, and your carbon footprint will be high!
If your hedges are high up, consider buying a long-reach hedge trimmer to ensure you can easily trim the topmost parts of the hedge. You have the liberty to choose between hedge trimmers with single- or double-sided cutting blades, with the latter offering more cutting flexibility.
2. Grass Trimmer
Do you have only a small-sized garden not suitable for a big lawnmower? If that’s the case, consider buying a grass trimmer.
Grass trimmers are also excellent for trimming garden edges and getting rid of stray blades growing in hard-to-reach areas such as near outdoor furniture and walls.
The best grass trimmers will offer you flexibility with rotating heads for creating perfect lawn edges and adjustable cutting angles for easy trimming near immovable obstructions or under shrubs.
Grass trimmers come in various shapes, designs, and sizes. The trick here’s to choose a long one to make it easy for you to reach otherwise inaccessible spots like extreme garden edges, scary shrubs, and immovable obstructions like fixed garden furniture.
Most grass trimmers are cordless or battery-powered with rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries. Still, you can also find petrol-powered ones that will save you the agony of batteries going out of charge when you least expect them to ruin your garden trimming engagements.
3. Leaf Blower
Leaf blowers come in handy at home when you have to clear away the debris and leaves scattered around the garden, backyard, or walkways.
Leaf blowers are suitable for blowing away grass cuttings in the summer, clearing winter debris, and blowing away fallen leaves in the autumn.
If you buy a cordless leaf blower, you’ll have the freedom to reach every outdoor space, but the blast may be less potent compared to corded leaf blowers. The latter is suitable for small outdoor spaces and gardens close to the house or a convenient source of mains electricity.
Petrol leaf blowers are less common, owing to people’s avoidance of the nuisance of petrol fumes and the desire to reduce their carbon footprint for a better environment.
You might want to take the blasting notch higher by going for a leaf blower and vacuum as it collects grass cuttings, leaves, and other small garden debris for easy composting. A leaf blower with vacuum functionality has a small bag attached to it into which the leaves and debris go.
Leaf blowers are easy to use, whether corded or battery-powered, and they are also lightweight and can be held for prolonged periods in the hands without causing undue fatigue and pressure on you.
4. Lawnmower
Lawnmowers are inevitable garden power tools for extensive gardens or backyards where you have to cut the grass regularly to avoid excessive growth.
Overgrown grass becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and a harbour for leaves and debris, and you want to keep your lawn tidy and safe for outdoor living at all times.
As with most other garden power tools, lawnmowers are either cordless, corded, or petrol-powered. Each of these three types has its share of advantages and shortcomings.
Many people prefer petrol and battery-powered lawn mowers for large lawns, while mains-electric lawnmowers are more suitable for small lawns.
5. Garden Shredder
Do you want to use shred garden waste for easier handling and faster decomposition? Garden shredders will be your go-to equipment for shredding wood trimmings and garden waste into smaller sizes to use as mulching or speed up the decay process.
Petrol or electric garden shredder will set you back between £100 and £1,800, depending on whether it is just a plain shredder or has other functionalities that may include a chipper or mulcher.
6. Garden Tiller or Cultivator
Garden tillers and cultivators are an excellent option when you have to weed or cultivate your garden.
Electric tillers are better when your garden is small and near to the house or a source of mains electricity, while petrol tillers and cultivators fit the bill for extensive gardens, whether or not they are far from the house.
Because they do not require a cord or electricity to operate, petrol cultivators and tillers are highly portable and more flexible. They allow you to reach more garden space where the electric ones may not reach because the length of the cord limits them.
7. Rear Collect Lawn Tractor
If you have a large garden with plenty of grass to cut, a lawnmower will be tedious to use. Instead, you can save yourself time and do more than just cutting grass by buying a rear collect lawn tractor that cuts grass and collects it in a large bag.
Depending on the manufacturer, the tractor may also have a mulching system that allows you to use the grass cuttings as a natural fertiliser for your lawn instead of throwing it away to rot in a waste pit.
8. Log Splitter
Outdoor living spaces call for a fireplace or fire pit to provide warmth and lighting during cold days or nights. Log splitters come in handy for splitting large wood logs into small sizes suitable for your wood stove or wood fireplace.
An electric or gas-powered log splitter will set you back between £180 and £1339 or more. The price point depends on the manufacturer, size, and the log capacity of the splitter.
For a small backyard fireplace, you can expect to spend £180-£830 for a splitter that will last you a long time.
9. Water Pump
Whether you want to pump water into or drain some out of a backyard garden tank, fish pond, lazy spa, swimming pool, or water fountain, a petrol or electric water pump will save you plenty of time and the agony of manually adding or draining water.
Water pumps can pump up to 1800 litres per minute, depending on the make, size, and power source.
Electric water pumps pump between 150 and 258 litres per minute, but the rate may be higher for some brands and sizes. For faster rates, petrol water pumps will be your best bet.
If your water feature is far from the main electricity supply in your house, consider buying a petrol water pump for its portability compared to electric water pumps that are limited by the length of the cord.
10. Pole Saw
Imagine the agony of climbing up ladders or trees to cut branches or trim hedges that are high up from the ground level!
You can save yourself time and such agony by using a pole saw to trim tall hedges and prune the branches of tall trees without the need to climb up a ladder.
Pole saws also come in either corded or cordless versions, and you have the liberty to choose the one that will best fulfil your needs for getting rid of the overgrown foliage around your home.
Bottom Line
Garden power tools are popular for two significant reasons – they save you plenty of time and are an easy way to do both light and demanding gardening tasks without taking a toll on your body or finances.
The good news is when you use the right garden power tool for the right job, you will save yourself not only time but also money that you would otherwise spend on expensive maintenance or purchase of brand-new tools.
For every backyard activity from splitting logs to cutting grass to trimming hedges to tilling and cultivating your garden, there’s a suitable electric, gas or battery-powered tool you can use to save time and complete your task meticulously.