20 BEST Garden Tools I ALWAYS Use (Non Powered)

[@drewsenthused6079]

Never forget, the humble bucket.

[@Mrbfgray]

Which brings to mind the watering can.

[@miniwarrior7]

Seriously! I'm not digging all season long he has 4 shovels and 3 rakes in this list haha

[@LazyIRanch]

There are at least 4 buckets on my porch at any given time! My favorite is an old one that's really thick metal and heavy, that's about 70 years old. Doubles as a weapon!

[@plantsoverpills1643]

I never have enough of those!!!!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Bucket! Yes! OMG you've nailed it... Cheers :) P.S If I had thought of that I could have made several "kick the bucket" jokes... :)

[@justinhansen7320]

Don’t stop what you’re doing! My parents just gave me 48’x26’ of their land to do whatever with not much but its the greatest gift I’ve ever received. I wanna start a garden on it so it’s gonna be fun. I’ll be coming back to your videos to learn from your experience. Thanks for making awesome videos! Prayers for you and your land from Utah!

[@ekksoku]

I'm curious - how you going with that mate?

[@Mweedy420]

Same here, I'm curious too. How is the garden growing?

[@metagamejiujitsu3141]

aye, whats you got growing bruh?

[@Mweedy420]

Well I guess we'll never know

[@mariannesouza8326]

I think he turned it into a cricket 🦗 farm. 😂. Get it?

[@JW-yt7lr]

Best tool in my garden ? A decent Garden Chair ! Great to sit back in and admire all the work I've done each day during Lockdown . Also to contemplate what else needs doing !!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Beautiful! :)

[@paddygora8413]

Yeah a chair a bottle opener and a stubbie👍sit and admire your work and all its positive achievement

[@repakulasrinivasulu6308]

@@Selfsufficientme in i. Msg the ta

[@nataliemarshall3991]

a few chairs and a small table to gather your friends to admire your work and have a toast

[@seriousdude490]

and a bottle of water to sip while admiring what you have accomplished

[@Joy1957K]

I'm an Aussie and proudly so, but I think what makes me even prouder is reading the comments from all the subscribers and visitors for this dinkum aussie icon! You are loved. 👍👍👍👏👏😊😉😘

[@Selfsufficientme]

I often get asked, "how do you deal with trolls and negative comments?" Simple, there are so many more positive comments from wonderful people that it's impossible to feel down or disappointed by abuse or unfair online commentary. I accept constructive criticism - I think that's good - it helps me improve, but there are so many helpful and uplifting comments under my videos that I'm only ever left feeling good after reading through them. Lots of funny dad jokes too lol... Cheers :)

[@Joy1957K]

@@Selfsufficientme As we get older we learn to ignore negativity.... unfortunately not so at schools. Shame we cannot put an old head on young shoulders.

[@TheGreatDrAsian]

Don't worry about the background sound Mark! I literally can't even hear it. Your mic must be really good at only picing up stuff close by or something, but don't sweat the stuff in the background so much :) You're awesome - thanks for all your hard work!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Thanks for the feedback I do appreciate it - I was wondering if people were getting annoyed by the noise or not... Cheers :)

[@peterribolli8300]

@@Selfsufficientme . Not at all. Hardly noticeable. Have a great day:)

[@ericarose3486]

@@Selfsufficientme Can confirm, I only hear the birds, never a neighbor. Plus, we all love you so much, even if we could hear the tractors, we wouldn't mind.

[@A_nony_mous]

@@Selfsufficientme There's background noise? It's not noticeable.

[@andrewthomas3930]

Agreed, he uses a good microphone. Cant hear the background noise much at all..:)

[@SharpWorks]

That AOC comment at 17:36 is the best! I liked the video before but now I wish I could like it a second time!

[@nathanz4922]

Even Australians know about this wack job? I wonder if they, also, think of farting cows every time her name is mentioned. . . . . Hmmm

[@wtfisyoutub]

@@nathanz4922 Brit here, I hate her more than my own politicians and that takes some doing haha!

[@noahway13]

That was SO funny, Not AOC. Oh my god, my sides are splitting.

[@ryno4ever433]

He didn't really come out for or against her. I'm not sure what's not to like about AOC. She's one of the few federal level politicians in the US that's not bought by corporations and is actually for working people. The only way you could think otherwise is if you didn't do that research on your own and just believed what American conservatives say about her.

[@ballsthatclank]

@@ryno4ever433 good joke

[@3phemaral]

Having a good set of gloves, a long sleeve workshirt and pants is a necessity for me. After military service and years in the garden you may have developed rough hands, so that may not be as essential to you. I like touching the plants with my bare hands and do most of the time. But some jobs inevitably lead to a lot of scratches and my skin is pretty sensitive. Finding some protection that isn’t too heavy and is still comfortable in the heat takes some time, but it is well worth it.

[@pnwoutdoors8873]

Hey man, I’m a us soldier and use my E-tool all the time! Thanks for your service. My wife and I bought 20 acres in the forest and plan to start a self sustaining life, so I watch your videos all the time.

[@evannoynaert]

I just had to replace my wheelbarrow. I got one with two front wheels. It is such an improvement for me. I often work alone, so I don't have someone to steady the wheelbarrow when I am loading it. It is so easy to throw something off the truck into the wheelbarrow and hit a side so it tips over. I haven't had that problem at all with the two-wheeled variety. I expected to have a loss of mobility and for it to be harder to push. But it has been no problem at all. In fact, the double wheel is easier to push over rough or soft ground. If one wheel falls in a hole or rut the other wheel supports the load until the hole is passed. The double wheels also do not sink as badly in soft ground or soft soil. I actually replaced my weelbarrow in the middle of a bigger job. I was impressed because I noticed that the single-wheel barrow had left some fairly deep ruts in the ground where it was soft. The double wheel was leaving almost no rutting in the same ground with roughly the same moisture content. I was hauling 5 cement blocks in each load, so the weight was identical. It was good visual evidence that the double wheel was indeed easier to push over that stretch. As a side benefit the double wheels should have been giving me less soil compaction over my lawn. The double wheel is itself heavier than the single wheel. But that is only an issue on the rare occasions when I have to lift the wheelbarrow. For rolling and using it on a daily basis it actually feels lighter and easier to use.

[@pollywolly7988]

I replaced my rusted through barrow with a two wheeler too. It has a much deeper capacity and I love it. I rarely push it though, neither did I push my barrow. I've always found it easier to pull it, horse and cart style, although I'm more of a Shetland Pony than a horse so maybe that's why I find pulling easier!

[@Berkeloid0]

I've often wondered why the one-wheeled barrow still exists. I thought there was a good reason for it but about all I can think of is that it's slightly easier to tip out a heavy load, if you don't mind it going sideways. But I guess the real reason it only has one wheel is because it was cheaper to produce many moons ago when things were hand made. With the price of mass-produced goods today, it makes much more sense to get a two or even four wheeled version I think, unless you have particular niche requirements.

[@MSMAXIALE]

I love my WORX wheelbarrow

[@Selfsufficientme]

I've never seen or heard of a two-wheeled barrow (until now) see, that's why I read the comments! Thanks Evan cheers mate :)

[@gwilliammaggs]

Growing up in England, my dad worked at a Royal Airforce Base, he had somehow acquired a wheelbarrow that someone had made that had an aircraft nose tyre and a huge box, you could load this barrow up with an incredible amount. Steel handles and with that tyre it would go anywhere. I’m sure that is still doing as good a job today as when I used it 60 years ago.

[@kirstenwhitworth8079]

The tools I use more than any others on my little homestead are: * Carabiners in various sizes. I clip them to just about every hand tool and watering device I own so that I can easily hang it on a fence - otherwise, I put the tool down somewhere and lose it for a year or so. * zip ties - I use these to make temporary fence gates, fence corners and many other quick jobs. Most recently I used them to attach Tibetan prayer flags to conduit in the corners of my raspberry patch to make the deer thing the fence is much taller than it is. Working so far! * hog rings & hog ring pliers for more permanent\heavy duty gate hinges, etc * rolled welded wire - from hardware cloth to field fencing, I use tons of this stuff to exclude/protect animals and plants. I _always_ make a ring of welded wire to protect young trees and shrubs. I use hardware cloth to protect planting from my ducks & geese, and to keep snakes and rodents out of the aviary. * welded wire panels make great fences, trellises, arches, and gates/ The are great fencing for my berry patches and veg garden. * (powered) angle grinder for cutting welded wire - works great on hardware cloth all the way up the cattle panels. * bonsai wire for training young fruit trees - I don't prune trees as much as I used to; now I shape my young fruit trees for easier harvesting. E.g., my apple trees are 4-5 feet tall. * concrete mixing tubs - great for mixing soil, fertilizer, and compost or for bathing ducks & geese * t-post driver (American version of star post). I like you hand sledgie, but I love my t-post driver. I'm only 5'3" - the sledgie is too much work to drive posts for me. * buckets! Buckets for watering my flock, for organizing tools by type of job, for weeding, for portable seating. I have lots of buckets!

[@Luke-xx1ri]

Hey champ you missed the difference between a comment and a fucking thesis🤪

[@kirstenwhitworth8079]

@@Luke-xx1ri If it is too long for you to read, skip it. Don't be a troll.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Top list and I agree with them all! You've given me several ideas thanks Kirsten! Cheers :)

[@kajala11]

I'll collect & recycled the plastic political signs after voting day in the multiple sizes for my homestead. The metal stakes are a sturdy gage for projects & useful in the garden too. I use the signs in my coop to block holes in the fence or stop drafts, bury it to keep the fowl from digging down. Set up under purches to easily catch & remove their waste...ect. Multiple uses in a garden too! Best part...free, free, free! 😁

[@kirstenwhitworth8079]

@@kajala11 Great ideas!

[@mumpygumboo8554]

I find a kitchen fork handy for weeding around tiny seedlings, like new carrots, for example.

[@suecampbell4811]

Ok Mark - we did it. We just ordered an 82 foot HoseLink, cover, additional bracket and connects. Thank you for the 10 percent discount (we also got a first order $10 discount and free shipping!)! You are the second KZbin person who recommended this product and as soon as you said you liked it, we were sold! If one person who we trust says it, it's an eye-opener. If another person who we trust says the same thing, it's a SALE! We appreciate you sharing your experience and helping us to be more and more self-sufficient!

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Sue and thanks for letting me know about your purchase and that the discount worked (thank goodness) I hope you guys are as happy with the product as I am. Cheers :)

[@hmcvideo76]

I met the old fellow that does the ads at a gardening event at Centennial Park in Sydney about 12 or 13 years ago. I was sold then and am still waiting for the opportunity to buy one... although lockdown is driving me to the country. I could tell back then it was a good product and I'm glad they've done well.

[@suecampbell4811]

​ @Jules Mac I'm able to pull on the HoseLink hose with one hand, with very little effort. I walk all over the garden (we have the 82 foot length hose). When I'm done, I pull the hose towards me once (the way I do when I use the vacuum cleaner and want the cord to retract) and HOLD ONTO the hose as it retracts into the housing. Why? Because you don't want the spray nozzle to hit the floor and get damaged. So I walk towards the housing while holding the nozzle and let it go once I see that there's no more hose on the floor. It's very simple and requires VERY LITTLE effort.

[@northernerinnc3179]

I have my dad's garden cart with its bottom very rusty and holey--- I put a large cardboard box in and the cart still works fine. Thought about getting a piece of sheet metal, thought about getting a new cart, decided the box works well for me.... and it's a free fix.

[@craiden4346]

One should never forget the humble hand trowel. My most used tool.

[@shawtop]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWG5coSgpdhso7M

[@jasenkehl1998]

I agree, I use mine all the time.

[@papitohernandez4150]

a trowel helps us to bow. give thanks to what you have. :) long live the king. 👑

[@PaleGhost69]

Remember to passive aggressively share this video with all the tools in your life.

[@michaelwalsh9881]

I’ll passive aggressively hit the like button

[@lettucemhmmyesqueen9194]

I didn’t mean to make a face, but it did, 😂

[@sebastienschubert2991]

Top comment

[@shawtop]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWG5coSgpdhso7M

[@PaleGhost69]

@@shawtop Youd think a grown man would know better than to act like an unsupervised 8 year old on a laptop.

[@prubroughton2327]

inow have one at the age of 72. I ran an organic seedling nursery for many many years and we always watered by hand. The most important tool I think for a gardener especially organic so you can use your next best tools fingers for pest control. Keeping a careful eye out when watering, you can control many pests long before they ever become a real problem.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Perfect! Couldn't have put it better myself... All the best Pru! :)

[@parkerbeck3580]

Loppers! More for my trees and brush than the garden, but I love 'em nonetheless.

[@Thingys-Jill]

I'm late to the video, but my top tools include: a kneeling pad, a circle hoe, a hand spade, a long handled spade, a wheel barrow, a sprayer, a basket for collecting stuff in, my different pruners, a hose, and my labels for when I plant things!

[@nesspav]

Hey mate, already been binging your vids since yesterday but just wanted to say how much I appreciate your candidness (especially when you admitted they sent you one and you’ll get a percentage of sales from your viewers) when discussing products and how refreshing your approach was rather than tiptoeing around collaborations with companies and acting coy. Just that one line of honesty made a world of difference to my experience on your channel 🤙

[@tonyr7393]

Get yourself some linseed oil for restoring those wooden handles. Especially for your grandads heirloom shovel. They come up all lovely and shiny.

[@panddm2590]

Friends - Use BOILED linseed oil.

[@Seapin1]

I add mineral turps 50:50 to regular linseed oil to act as the drying agent.

[@rodhales9536]

He should have some left over from his military days, I know I did from mine servicing rifles.

[@Seapin1]

I put some on an 50 year old cricket bat & if was like a sponge. I don't know how many times I coated it but it was a thirsty bugger!

[@Selfsufficientme]

Will do Tony thanks mate! :)

[@Andysfishing]

You’re doing bloody well Mark. What are you doing uploading at midnight? Sneaky sneaky, ha ha. It won’t be long before you got that 1,000,000 subs mark Mark, ha ha, congrats to you.

[@ecologytoday]

Hey Mark ! Maybe you can make some interesting plans for getting to a million subscribers.

[@AraceaeFanatics]

He probably started the upload much earlier, and it took a great bit to upload a quality video.

[@tedjames2534]

Lookout, Andy is dropping in trying to get extra subs off more successful Aussie youtubers...

[@YorTroYorTroY]

@Max Raider That good ole NBN. No Bloody Net

[@Aliagriculturefarm]

Hmmm nice

[@davidstudent7698]

here in the U.S. of A, the blue big box store with a name that starts with "L" carries a small childsize rake for less than $7.00. works great and is even made of metal with a wood handle. Great rundown of neededs. thanks

[@18Bees]

The timing is awesome. Just got my first cup of coffee in my hand and watching this is a good way to start the Sunday morning. Excavator....another great tool. 😎🐝

[@joekunedo]

Great way to get the day going. Just got my coffee as well headed to the grow room now lol. 💪🌱

[@smartaussiehomestead5813]

We have our original wheelbarrow from 25years ago...when the bottom rusted out we screwed in a carpet square...the best thing ever...used it for another 5 years before we had to replace the wheelbarrow.

[@edwardwhite9793]

Hi Smart, it’s nice meeting you here.. I’m Edward, it would be nice getting to know you,if that’s ok with you? My mom once said good friends are never too much to have. if you don’t mind, can we be friends?? Lovely smile you got there on your profile picture😊.

[@quackerzdb]

Love how you don't beat around the bush. Here's the tool, here's what it does, here's why it's great, next.

[@bethanyhunt2704]

You know you're a SERIOUS gardener when you have minimum 3 types of rake :) Those bags do open, but you have to cut the string. Then you pull one of the ends and the stitching comes undone. Finding the right end to pull is the tricky bit, but I always take the time because those plastic sacks are great for storage.

[@winnipegnick]

Hey, Are there videos on how this is done? I've also struggled with the stitching as well. LOL

[@tak-el-uc]

I appreciate how open you are about any affiliations you have to the products you talk about.

[@fionaimison2042]

👍really good, your sound is so good, we can hear you clearly above the birds & machines

[@edwardwhite9793]

Hello Fiona.

[@markjones7045]

i've actually got more than half of these and i'm not even a good gardener. maybe there is hope for me yet.

[@Selfsufficientme]

LOL... Mark, if I can grow a ton I'm sure you can! Cheers :)

[@SchneidersG]

Nice to see someone with practical experience that shows actually useful tools. Most channels are just promoting gadgets for sale that are not really that useful. Nice work mate!

[@kimmywhitt6112]

I enjoy learning your tips and tricks. One of the greatest KZbin channels. Have a wonderful day. :)

[@coffeebreaktude]

When I was in Vietnam we spent an evening with some Australian soldiers and had a blast. They had a terrific sense of humor like you do. Plus I like the accent.

[@myheartisinthemountains2660]

I really like your drying rack! So simple but I never thought of it before. 💚

[@dougney3026]

Hello from Virginia 🇺🇸 My wife and I love your channel. We'd love to come to Australia and visit you someday . What you do is really great and teach a lot.

[@243WW]

Mate agree with all of them. I use Grandpa's old tools as well, he's helping me in the garden that he loved to do.

[@carlesarjona1826]

Thumb up! 👍 The not listed tools that I use the most are: Watering can Flexi tub Lopping shear Cultivator Trowel Sickle Stirrup hoe Telescopic polesaw Hedge shear Pocket chainsaw Rope I don't have engine tools so I need several non powered tools.

[@terrycooper2459]

Another great video! Try coating the wooden handles of your tools with Boiled Linseed Oil. They will look better, feel better, and last a long long time.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Will do thanks Terry! Cheers mate :)

[@leonsteyns]

Also, less prone to develop blisters this way. For the white collar office crowd (like me…). Great video again!

[@PlaneReality]

Literally only 0.30 in and had to pause this to say something. That claw hammer... is tool #1!!! Not kidding. I am an auto mechanic by trade, but switched to carpentry/remodel/deck and docks construction over the last decade in my rural area. So... why do I say it about the hammer... it is in fact an excellent digging/gardening tool! I have ended up using it so often especially when driving stakes or digging ect working hand on in a garden area! ML and Blessings Always. TY for the great video! 💪❤🙏💯

[@faberkanigan4719]

Bucket dude, you forgot the bucket hahaha. Just kidding, but I use it a lot, for carrying vegetables or solid fertilizers. Love your videos mate, keep on.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Yes, a bucket is definitely a big miss on my part (should have been 21 lol) cheers :)

[@plaidpie]

My smaller garden tools were trying to escape me, probably to get to Australia, until I decided to cut the back off of old wood chairs, add casters, take off the seat and sink a wood box to hold everything as I move about. I also use the wood from seat (sans puffy stuff) as a stool , or roll around big pots, and more. By attaching old straps/misc. handles I can pull my Chair caster carts through any terrain. I've also used the wheels from abandoned items to make my own garden carts. I found a dinky crib, added wheels, a handle, hardware cloth, and it is sooo dang cute. I lined it with landscape fabric planted radishes, then wheeled it all over the porch to find where those pesky radishes were happy. I prefer my rolling storage chair carts to putting stuff away constantly. Since reading comments below I'm going to add a sand/mineral sprits box on the side of my chair tool holder, so I can dip tools, wipe clean & put inside my chair box. Tie racks are a staple in thrift stores and great for hanging small tools. I found one that spins ($2.00) attached it to a 2 x 4 frame on the table edge and can reach over for tools hanging at my eye level. I don't have to root around in a drawer or check for a hook on the side of the work bench. I can always see if a tool has taken a walkabout and is trying to find a new, better looking owner. The nerve of some tools!

[@amandamichelle9687]

So good to see I'm not the only one unable to undo those bag ties. 😂 Another excellent video

[@kennethlatimer4607]

Worst invention ever. Never worked.

[@Arnie1066]

Occasionally I succeed, then the next bag I think right I got you this time.... I never actually hear the bag laughing but........

[@juneshannon8074]

Amanda Powell it’s not easy, being a dressmaker I understand how to do it. You need to untangle the bobbin/bottom thread from the top thread, then you can just pull the bottom and it undoes in a jiffy. Oh you need to start at the end of the bag which was last to be sewn. I think it’s harder to explain than to do it, lol.

[@carolestephens8198]

Mark L 😆😆😆. so true!

[@CitizenAyellowblue]

June Shannon how about a video?

[@Titus-as-the-Roman]

another tool I use quite often is one of those Flat Looped Weeding Hoes which has a sharp cutting surface each side of the lower blade. They're invaluable in cutting off the roots to many weeds, specially thick stemmed ones.

[@mssixty3426]

I have one of those, it makes quick work of weeding in fine gravel and elsewhere in the yard. I've heard it called a swive hoe.

[@Kreygore]

I love how passionate you are about your garden, wildlife and products you enjoy using.

[@lisakukla459]

This is a very good starting point for anyone not knowing where to start on tools. So many options can be overwhelming, but this narrows it down nicely to what you're most likely to need. Mark, I do think you need a bucket full of sand and oil for a little rehab on those tools. A few plunges in will get the existing rust off, and the oil left behind helps prevent further rusting. A lot of folks say to use old motor oil, but that always seemed kinda icky to me. Expired cooking oil makes more sense, in my view.

[@lisakukla459]

@@edwardwhite9793 No, thank you, Edward. What you are doing is quite suspicious. Your mother should have also told you it is impolite to scam internet strangers. Shame on her, and shame on you.

[@louisfalberts7760]

recently built my first raised bed garden. 3.6m x 1.2m and 0.8m high. Filled with stumps, smaller stumps, kitchen waste, topped up with home made compost. Prepping it for the coming winter, and in the next season it will take its maiden voyage. Thanks for all the inspiration man

[@craigsudman4556]

I like to paint the handles of my wooden garden tools bright orange. Great video, thumbs up.

[@jamesporcelli8062]

I too use an army entrenching tool. They were very good quality and useful in the army and quite handy in the garden as well. The only thing I'd add to your list is a yard or meter stick, just to measure depth and spacing because I'm not experienced enough to eyeball everything; or use my fingers alone for reference.

[@Aurora3242]

💜🤩🥰🤗 I bought my elder parents one of those wagons (with the removable sides) to bring in their fire wood from the large pile in the yard- now they also use it to take out the trash & bring in the groceries - it goes up the porch steps so easily... I just use mine for the yard.

[@MelbournesEast]

Thoroughly entertaining as always. I’m ex-Navy myself! My dad has trillions of tools in triplicate, so after watching this video I’m going to ask him for the army style mini pick. We used those for digging a hole for toileting when camping. Had not thought about it for the garden. Would be perfect.

[@chrispedersen6999]

Hi Mark 😁. Great video. My go to BEST tool ever is a Victorinox fine serrated tomato knife (4.5inches). I Can't do without. Swiss made, round tipped or pointed they will slice to the bone if you are not careful, I prefer round tip. On a lifestyle block in NZ, spray free. Weeds get away with sun and rain. I remove weeds by cutting plant from roots, just below the surface, remove flower heads to prevent seeding, edge around beds, rip through flax, prune vines& small branch's, harvest fruit and veggies, Plant seedlings, rip through carpet (placed under mulch) to prevent rabbits digging up the roots, trim back kikuya runners and difficult ornamental grasses, trim around beds and trees shrubs, take cuttings from herbs and plant using blunt blades as a dibber/twister, cut cardboard, rope, potting mix bags, plastic containers for seedlings, recut hose or alkathine water pipes, also cut through old drain coil to place around young tree trunks(rabbits 😒). I keep bright colours for garden and black or blue for the kitchen. A quick turn around from a weedy mess to tidy, 💕 my knives.

[@WhatWeMadeTeam]

When the wheelbarrow gives out. Get one with 2 wheels next time. The added stability is so nice. Helps with arm fatigue too.

[@Kearnesy]

Interesting never even thought of that or even seen them

[@pollywolly7988]

I just replied to someone else re my new two wheeled barrow. I love it, but I've always found it easier to pull my barrows than push them. I find pulling reduces my fatigue.

[@rodhales9536]

They have lots of 2 front wheels in Thailand(i now actually like them) and very rarely a single

[@Selfsufficientme]

Great idea! Thanks :)

[@digs1223]

He wants the arm fatigue, helps him keep his forearms looking like popeye's

[@artcreativelydone7761]

I'm watching this (again) two years later! I love my GARDEN CLAW for breaking up the soil, weeding, and NO bending over! I have TWO version of this, one is over 20 years old, but the one mentioned here is a newer version. The Garden Weasel Garden Claw 91316 - Gardening Tools - Weed Puller and Tiller - Weeding Tool and Cultivator

[@Tunnelrat6666]

I always have my Hori Hori Soil knife on my side.

[@quentinbonafede4237]

You are both a garden wizard, and a mic sorcerer. I am on the path toward trying to homestead myself and your advice has been invaluable

[@LordBikealot]

I'm a complete gardening novice, and I can't tell you how much I've learned from your videos. REALLY, thanks a lot mate. All the best

[@Selfsufficientme]

Great to know and thank you! Cheers :)

[@christinagay3354]

This is my favorite video that you have done... (And I've watched a LOT of em) I was just recently given several worn down, VERY used tools that were my Daddy's, who passed away almost 5 years ago. Before they were my Dad's, they belonged to my Granddaddy. They are absolute treasures to me. And my husband is using my Dad's John Deere riding mower (still going strong and my Dad bought her a couple of years before he passed) to cut our lawn while I'm using Dad's old, big, wheelbarrow that I love.🥰

[@1ccortez]

The empty box of "Free Tools" and your reaction really made me laugh. Your videos are great!

[@LoveMusic-pd5iz]

Don't know how I missed this one ... but I like that all your tools don't come from an expensive garden center. Here's an idea I came across in a 1940's gardening book. Get a large bucket or wash type tub. Put clean sand in it (sometimes labeled washed or playground sand). Then put some clean oil, the kind your vehicles use, in it and stir it up. When you're done in the garden for the day, rinse any dirt or residue off your tools then plunge them in the oily sand several times. It will remove sap...well, most of it and debris and leave a coating that protects from rust. This little system works well...If I remember where I put down all my tools.

[@maryiorio426]

For clearing out an overgrown garden bed by hand, my favorite tool is a hand held Japanese Weeding sickle. It’s great for hacking at tough roots

[@tegami4you]

Would that be a Okatsune 405 or 404 red handle?? That is my weapon of choice against vines and massive blackberries!

[@robert574]

I live in Florida and have all of my Grandfather's old gardening tools, they are quality. One thing I did recently was grab some of the orange plastic tar paper tacks from my hurricane supplies and remove the tacks. I carry some of the orange disks in my pocket and mark spots that I need to take a look at like a tree root growing up or a thorny vine to catch between my toes (lots of those). It lets me find and make quick work of them when I have my tools out. My snake tools are next, but they are a more recent addition. I believe in relocation to the zoo for anything with fangs or pretty colored bands. I'll bet you get a lof of snakes and critters.

[@lobeckdr]

The hoe is my number one used tool in the allotment- mainly for weeding and not having to bend. I LOVE the animals that scream at you and am looking forward to watching your vids as we go into the uk winter

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Louise, a hoe is definitely handy in your allotment situation - a perfect tool! Yes, honestly, I really do love all the animals that scream at me too - it's like living in an Australian zoo here lol... You guys go into the big freeze and we head into the big fry pan. Cheers :)

[@geoffphillips5872]

That Sulphur Crested Cockatoo proves Mark is in Australia. Noisy buggers.!!

[@edwardwhite9793]

Hello Louise.

[@ruthmoore1448]

Great homemade wooden tool handle on your saw, very cool tool.

[@thomasmcgraw6629]

My personal favorite is a hand mattock. Drop forged head with the standard flat blade on one side and three times on the other.

[@mattk6101]

They're awesome

[@LazyIRanch]

I live on a mountain made of decomposing granite, boulders and rock everywhere. The mattocks and my 10 foot heavy iron prybar are used frequently. I'm a skinny old lady, so I need a big lever to move heavy stuff, since I don't have anyone around to help.

[@kwicsociety9663]

I see I'm not alone in that. We have two: one like yours described, and one like Mark's in the video, only with a short handle. GREAT tools!

[@susanmillar3801]

Yes! I've had mine for over 20 year. I'd be lost without it.

[@davelewisohio]

We discovered hand mattocks a year or two back and now they’re indispensable!

[@capnpugwash5403]

As an expat pomme out in the West Indies, I have learned to use a variant of what you would call a machette which locally is called a cutlass, they have varying lengths but their shape is different to yours, with a long parallel blade with a curved tip which has more metal than the rest of the blade which gived it inertia, making it very effective at chopping thick tree trunks, brush or in skilled hands hedges and grass. It is an all round tool which because of the wider curved top is also used for digging holes, and when you want to chop weeds but don't want to dull the blade you use the back of the top part of the blade. When I first started gardening here I wanted to use the specialised tools from the UK to do sundry jobs. But now apart from a fork, spade, large plastic rake, and sometimes tree loppers and chainsaw, the most common tool I use is "The Cutlass". Love your vids by the way. My chucks have donated quite a few stale eggs to the garden thanks to your tips. We have around a hundred totally free range, and many times if we didn't find where they are sitting, and they have bombed a hen with maybe a dozen eggs which we don't want to hatch, after a cooling off period they fertilize the tomatos and corn.

[@kenbellchambers4577]

I have two tools, my top two favorites, which you didn't mention. The first is a manure fork, which has a long handle and four thin cold-forged tines like a pitch fork, and a cane knife, which is a slightly down sized, shorter knife similar to a machete, but much lighter and more easily managed. The manure fork is my main compost turning tool, and it is magic. It is about 100 times easier to use for turning compost piles than a digging fork with thick stuuby tines and a short handle, as it slips into the material without stress, and does not require bending over. I would not make compost if I didn't have a manure fork. The quality forks are expensive, but for moving most organic materials, are simply wonderful. The cane knife also saves much wasted energy compared to a machete due to the weight being about half of a machete or even a lightweight tommahawk or hatchet. I use it for cutting weeds as you would use a sickle, in combination with a short four legged stool so I can avoid bending. This is an amazing tool which I also use with the stool and a chopping block for sizing mateials for the compost heap.

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Ken! I'll have to find myself a manure fork! Cheers mate :)

[@kenbellchambers4577]

@@Selfsufficientme I love your masses of harvested veggies. I make a lot of compost at my place because I am employed manageing the forest fuel in a productive way. I end up spending most of my time processing this stuff, dragging it back out of the forest in twenty kilo bundles with a rope. Then I run it through a chopper that is solar electric, and make compost out of it as I go. It is comprised of dead palm fonds, dead tree fern branches, bark, leaves, dead wood, weeds, sticks, lots of lantana, privet, bracken, tobacco bush, and twenty other things. I am in the middle of a forest in the semi tropical area south of you in NSW, and I have no crop protection and a zillion predetors, so gardening is a challenge. Now, I will have the green sunami to deal with again, and I am still behind from last autumn with that. As a weed farmer, the feed stock is coming out of my ears. Anyway, thanks for your kind reply and keep up the excellent work. You are doing a great public service and providing great advice, and all with a friendly countenance.

[@Wren_01]

We can hear you very clearly so the tractor next door wasn’t a problem. You have great sound. Great information! So good that your boys do work in the garden to and your wife… great channel :)) thanks

[@tokiravenborne6252]

i work in landscaping and use a "double action hoe" for weeding, edging, and turning soil. But i've found many other uses for it over the years

[@Selfsufficientme]

So that's what it's called!? I don't have a double-action hoe but I'm keen to check it out further now that you mentioned it! Cheers :)

[@KMx108]

I think it's also called a stirrup hoe. Great tool.

[@dianeneale1007]

@@Selfsufficientme in California I think they may be called a "hula hoe"!

[@nills2gills811]

I want you to know you are one of the few people I actually look up to, thanks

[@plantsoverpills1643]

I admire your resourcefulness. I find it equally challenging to keep my tools as well maintained as they deserve. I’m usually so pooped after a day of gardening, rounding them all up and getting them out of the elements is usually as good as it gets. And.. I could easily compare holes in our 2 wheelbarrows with yours!!!😉 but a good wheelbarrow is definitely well worth the $$$!! I find the small hand shovel very useful as well as a soil screening tool and my garden fork is so bent, I use it backwards to try and straighten it out!!!🤣 those darn rocks. My digging bar has helped me move more big rocks than I can count. And I enjoy the effect my edging tool has in the garden. Kudos to the inventors of all these useful implements.

[@fufufuaru]

I helped around a bit when my dad bought an overgrown farm lot. My fave tool was my dad's old machete (retired military) that was quite slim and short so it was easy for me to use. While they were working on the soil, I'm whacking away at vines from trees and chopping down any thin trees that didn't bear fruits or had any good use. I also always used gloves that had that rubber layer at the palm but breathable woven fabric at the top part. I didn't dig on the soil with my hands so it didn't get thick with dirt. I loved the shovel but it was the regular size one and it was quite heavy for me. I just used the trowel lol and left the heavy digging to my dad.

[@TheGrinningViking]

Heya Mark, the background noise wasn't a big problem even with the hullabaloo over there - but if you're worried about it there's this free program called audacity that's really good at editing out background noise. Works a treat and dosn't add much time to editing, probably enough that you can make it up with the time you save not having to reshoot things. Especially since you would only have to use it in particularly rowdy days. It's a bit long for the comments, but there's better video tutorials out there than I could give anyways. Great video as always!

[@KeyCarist]

So glad it’s not just me. The charcoal bags we use for barbecuing have the same strings and I just rip the bags open. People look at me like I’m a fool when I tear a bag of charcoal apart but I’ve never been able the get them to work consistently.

[@IjoniVee]

This list will be so helpful on my gardening journey. I definitely could have used this before I started gardening this year! The one tool that has been essential for me has been my bypass loppers. My home’s previous owners planted a ton of fruit trees. It’s helped me a lot with the branches.

[@bryanseeds2222]

That 3rd hand saw is some amazing ingenuity & it's something that I'd fabricate to repurpose a tool too. 👏 👏 👏 love it sir!

[@crism4932]

Hello Mark, from Colorado in US. I love your videos, always very knowledgeable. Which is also a big tool, your brain besides your hands. I also use a hand spade and a hand three prong rake for very small spaces that a large tool won't fit in. Your garden is incredible, thank you for sharing your expertise. Crystal

[@mattk6101]

How do the plants do with the low humidity in CO? I want to move there in the future and I wonder if my peppers and others will do okay.

[@crism4932]

@@mattk6101 Hi Matt, thank you for your question. I don't have problems with peppers and the humidity. However, I have a 10 x 12' greenhouse that I use which helps with the humidity. The only problem is it can overheat during our hot summers, so using fans is necessary. Depending on where you plan to move to here in Colorado will depend on your soil type. We have a lot of clay, so working soil is critical. I also use timers on my watering, especially when we r under water restrictions. I have been gardening here for at least 40 years. I also use a companion planting guide which helps in maximum production.

[@Selfsufficientme]

G'day Crystal! A hand spade and three-pronged rake/trowel for smaller spaces or jobs are top suggestions. Thank you :)

[@densamme1752]

I love my 3 legged stool, it has hole in the seat for carrying, a basket below for tools beer and small pieces of trash

[@TheTrock121]

Something about Winter gives you a deadline to restore or maintain tools. Glad we have 4 seasons.

[@richardbarzdo599]

Thanks Mark. The two tools not mentioned that I find used a lot are the Dutch Hoe and a curved blade lino knife which is great for cutting string, plastic whipper snipper trimmer and plants.

The number one tool in my garden is the internet, anything I need to know, find out, or order, I use it.

[@katiemorgan8826]

Just started following you....Thanks mate! Grateful 63 year old grandmother in USA!

[@minkles1330]

“I wouldn’t recommend joining the military just to get one of these”.... hahaha 🤣

[@shawtop]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWG5coSgpdhso7M

[@mischaeidmann4036]

Very good one xD

[@kajala11]

Military surplus is your friend...😏

[@darrennorth7987]

Neither would I. Im still walking around cripled with ankle rebuilds that the army said was part of the job.

[@000pps]

Hi Mark, I would never have thought that there can be such a big difference in gardeners' tool preferences. My top three tools which I use most often are not existent in your list of 20 tools. My #1: a two-prong weeding tool. Prongs are parallel, about 20 cm long, with about 3 cm gap between. They are quite strong, not impossible, but almost impossible to bend them. I use it of course for weeding, but also for planting or transferring plants from one place to another. They are especially great in tight spaces between plants which I don't want to damage. #2: a rose fork. It is a bit similar to the hand tool: two parallel tines quite close to one another. But the handle is about 80 cm long so the fork is used while standing more or less upright, tines are about 35 cm long, slightly curved, and very important: it has a D-handle so I can smash it into compacted rocky clay or smash it with a lateral rotation, or bend it forth and back and what not - no T-handle please. My rose fork lacks steps extended to the side which is a pity since I need to step onto 2 cm only. But still I use it all the time. The normal garden fork is rarely used since I own the rose fork. #3: a leather tool belt on my hips. I carry the two-prong hand tool, strong secateurs, or pointed scissors to pinch off withered flowers, cord, or other small things in its holders. How often did you lose your secateurs in the garden? I found rusty ones years after losing in a garden bed and in the compost. Since I have the belt, no loss anymore. Gone are the times of throwing the secateurs on the ground because I needed both hands for something else and bending over to pick them up again, throwing down, picking up, throwing down, picking up... This is how my chopping work at the chipper used to look like - not anymore. Not in my top three or top five, but in my top twenty there are other tools you may not use: the chopper to create mulch from all waste under 4 cm diameter, large folding containers to collect material for chopping or for the compost, a rake to clean the lawn at the end of the mulching session or clean it from leaves in fall, a mower, pots of many sizes, garden hose, sprayer, watering gun, all elements of a soaker hose system, Velcro tape to fasten plants to poles, small writable plastic stripes to mark what I seeded where, fleece to protect plants from cold nights, my phone to forecast the weather and identify plants/weeds using the Google Lens app, and - coming soon - a broadfork which I am about to purchase.

[@timetherington1986]

Australian Army: Uh... so THAT'S where that equipment went!

[@timetherington1986]

tbh I am the biggest tool in my garden.

[@CinemaSasquatch]

I had a welder neighbor build a broadfork for me because I am a big fellow. It needed to be wide for me and heavy duty. I use it instead of a rototiller to break up my soil at the beginning of a new plot. I ordered the ash handles on-line and shaped them to fit my new garden tool.

[@sbjwalks]

I keep spray oil at the back door, everytime somthings a bit rusty just give it a quick spray and keeps everything coated and protected also in spring i give my wood handled tools a wipe with linseed oil keeps the handles from splintering

[@womanualaborhs2013]

I Found Spray Cans So Troublesome - Always Stop Working Before The Cans Empty ;-( So I Started Get'n The Large Gallon Or Pour Style & Put'n It In Squeeze Bottles W/A Pointed Nozzle (Beauty Supply Stores, Etc Carry Them Cheap)...Works Gr8 & No Clog'n ;-)

[@corlfranco9371]

i like the combat knife, the sharpening stone, the mini axe, the mini hacksaw, the micro garden spade, the clasic razor blade, a strong dry stick. Welding apron, rubber steeltoe boots. All sorts of buckets and trays. Flashlight, string. Tape, bread twist ties. Big strainers, funnels. Fire... I think out of all of the tools, gear and gadgets in the garden the one i find very helpfull is the devices, the semiconductors and microchips to control, asist and make advanced observations

[@gerrymarmee3054]

I love hearing about your army days!

[@mapleholler9800]

The folding shovel.....I love the shovel. I've had one of those for 50+ years. The first time I remember using it, was 1967 when we were building the foundation for my parent's home. Days hotter than all get out, on my knees on the new concrete floor of what would be the basement, mucking sticky clay and river rock (hated that ground) out, to lay the drain around the foundation. Couldn't really use a regular pick and shovel, due to the proximity of the bank to the edge of the foundation. That little one made it a bit easier. Have misplaced it twice over the years, but eventually found it each time. Finding it, was just like Christmas. Modern foldable shovels just aren't the same. Just sayin'. Thanks for the video. Just watched a few of yours and appreciate the content. Have decided that I won't be getting any ducks, thanks to you. I like the eggs, but....... Have a good day!

[@npherholdt]

Love my pick mattock! Great list and coverage. Would be interesting to list in order of “what to buy first” for a home gardener - obviously generalised for general purpose gardens :) would not be first on the list but the mattock is my top 3, great for moving, turning and even digging

[@SuperKingslaw]

I always carry a Hori Hori garden knife with me into the garden. A short, stout convex hand tool that has one straight edge and one serrated edge that comes to a point. Really useful for hand digging, weeding, chopping, making trenches for planting or use like a dibble for making holes for planting. They also usually come with a ruled depth marker etched in. Very handy.

[@PeterPrestonUK]

The mini sledge hammer, or as I’ve called it for 30 years, the “WUMP” hammer!

[@turpy1234]

I've always known them as a Mash Hammer.

[@jetson2075]

@@turpy1234 Me too. Or club hammer. But Mash hammer is more popular. I was a brickie and needed one of these things daily. I remember calling to my apprentice " get me the mashie " I still have 3 different sizes from my bricklaying days.

[@johnbush2811]

Un the US that is called a 2 pound drilling hammer.

[@Myn6211]

I know this was posted several months ago but I really enjoyed seeing your choices. Like you, I love having my hands in the soil and one garden tool I have found extremely useful, because of that is a hori hori knife. It has a measure guide in it's center, can be used like a trowel and the other side has a serrated edge for cutting through root systems. It's great for working up the soil to losen it. I've used it to remove tree/shrubbery roots, trenching to make potato hills, and so much more. It's my favourite go to tool because I don't have to constantly be switching one tool for another and at my age, once down I like to stay there for awhile. My knees are just so grateful for that.😃

[@jimreid9674]

Don't get hung up 'looking after' gardening tools. Just use them often enough and they look after themselves. I love seeing the rust and paint worn off and the metal on my tools smiling back at me showing their appreciation. A barometer of the hard work we have both done together. Good feeling that. You look like a useful bloke Mark, friggin forearms like Popeye. Must be all that spinach. 👍

[@michael7423]

I loved this one even with the cockatoo that sounds like my wife! If this were a test I’d pass with flying colors, I have all but one of the tools you mentioned. Thanks again Mark for sharing your great Self Sufficient me life! Stay safe and keep well my friend from across the big pond. 🇺🇸♥️’s 🇦🇺 / 👁♥️🇦🇺

[@Selfsufficientme]

LOL... Cheers Michael! All the best mate :)

[@Ziggyc54]

Leatherman Wave is always on my belt. So handy around the house and garden. And I live on the side of a steep hill, so steps, retaining walls are a part of life. To get stuff from the top to bottom and vice versa, my hand truck is invaluable. I have lost count of how many tonnes of dirt, gravel, bark etc, etc I have moved around this place with my handtruck and 3 buckets. Still, it’s what keeps me fit and fed. 👍 And that star picket remover caught my eye. I’ve never seen one before. Jiggling and a water jet is my current removal method. Blast some water into the hole, jiggle, rinse and repeat. 😉 thanks for another informative video, mate.

[@aussiegardener5703]

Your wooden handles could do with some linseed oil, Mark.

[@Selfsufficientme]

Very true! It's on my list... Cheers :)

[@yes350yes]

For gardeners some of these tools are a must. Certainly wheelbarrow, rakes of kinds , pruners [good ones] 4 tine forked tools for removing or stirring up soil, folding table yep always a need and use , mini sledge yep. A tool I use more than any other is a simple forked hand tool for stirring up soil for planting and during season and doesnt interfere with roots of plants.

[@FlokiFire]

In Australia every animal screams at you! 🤣

[@thistles]

Even the tarantulas!

[@powerflumi]

Only those that can't kill you, out of frustration

[@robotsnthat]

@@thistles Tarantulas' wouldn't last long in Australia, the little Redbacks would have them for breakfast.

[@thistles]

@@robotsnthat Australia has many species of tarantulas. They include some species that are called "whistling spiders," that are famous for their unique stridulation. I've seen some American widows kill tarantulas unfortunate enough to wander into their webs, but tarantulas certainly aren't a normal part of a widow diet. I'm betting the same is true of redbacks. Redbacks stay in their webs and tarantulas generally stay in their burrows until a male goes looking for a mate.

[@LazyIRanch]

@@thistles I sure hope they don't have tarantula hawk wasps in Australia. Poor tarantulas! The wasp stings the spider (second most painful sting in the insect kingdom) which paralyzes it. Then the wasp drags the spider back into it's own hole and lays its eggs in the spider's abdomen. The larvae hatch, while the spider is still alive but disabled, and eats the poor spider. I like tarantulas, we have lots here in the desert and they are docile, and eat lots of pests. When I see a tarantula hawk, I usually try to smush it to protect my hairy friends.

[@gruntasanaussie4594]

The definition of a (machine) is something that creates a mechanical advantage, or any tool! A crowbar, a screwdriver, a spade, they are machines or tools. Thanks Mark you do an awesome explanation of everything you do, I have the same passion.

[@LogHouseFarm]

I have seen you use the E.T. in a few of your videos, and each time I think to myself "I could really use one of those" They do seem difficult to find though.

[@AxelGB88]

Same!

[@desertdanblacksmith1394]

I usually use a handy man jack with a chain wrapped around the tee post.

[@rock13fish]

If you search for wildland firefighting tools you can find them pretty easily. They'll be long handled but you can either cut it down or rehandle it. There are quite a few places that sell them.

[@LogHouseFarm]

@@rock13fish thanks!