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The Ultimate Guide to Garden Tools and Machinery: Everything You Need to Know

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Garden tools can help you transform the look of your outdoor space with ease. Whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned professional, knowing about the best machinery can get you the desired results.

From pressure washers to hedge trimmers and more, there are plenty of garden tools available to streamline processes. The good news is that with so many types of gardening equipment, you can find something to help you with everything.

According to Statistica, since the Covid-19 pandemic, people have discovered a love for gardening because it helps to “relieve stress and anxiety”. As the love for gardening continues to grow, so does the need for useful garden tools.

At GLC, we have a range of high-quality gardening tools and machinery. Whether you’re trimming an unruly hedge or keeping your garden tidy with blowers and vacs, we partner with only the best, most reliable manufacturers. For genuine spare parts and products you can trust, we have everything you need.

Are there more garden tools out there that you’re missing out on?

Let’s find out.

Essential Garden Tools & Machinery

We’ve established that garden tools are important. But what tools are available? You might be surprised at the equipment that is out there to help you.

Here are some examples:

Aerators: Improve Lawn Health

Aerators are essential for improving and maintaining the health of a lawn. Aeration is the process of perforating soil with small holes to improve airflow to the grass roots and allow for nutrients and water to reach and circulate.Spike aerators punch holes, while plug aerators remove small cores of soil, allowing for better airflow and improved soil relief.

The main goal of this garden tool is to prevent the soil from compacting and allow all the good things it needs to flow freely. As a result, your lawn looks lush, healthy, and full of life.
Whether you choose to use a manual aerator, one that clips onto the back of a ride on mower, or a motorised one, they all work to improve the health of the soil.

The Cobra S40C Petrol Lawn Scarifier / Aerator has a powerful 212cc petrol engine, making it an excellent choice for efficiency. By combining a scarifier and aerator, this garden tool is highly useful and necessary for healthy grass.
With 18 solid steel blades, it can penetrate the soil effectively and improve its overall condition.

Explore our collection of high-quality aerators here.

Scarifiers: Revitalise Your Lawn

Scarification is the process of removing dead thatch and organic matter, such as moss, from a lawn, allowing oxygen, water, and nutrients to reach the roots. This process helps prevent the buildup of material that can block essential elements from reaching the soil.

Scarifiers work by using rotating blades or tines to remove thatch, moss, and weeds, improving lawn health. While they help loosen the soil, their main function isn’t aeration, which requires specific aerating tools.

With scarification, it’s very much a “trust the process” situation. It won’t look the most aesthetically pleasing initially, however, the lawn’s newfound health will speak for itself in no time.
The Stiga SVP 40 G Petrol Lawn Scarifier / Aerator has a powerful 189cc petrol engine, making it a staple piece of garden machinery. This scarifier/ aerator also has a 16” (40cm) working width, meaning it can tackle a lot of areas in one go and help streamline the process.

For added ease and convenience, a 3-in-1 lawn mower, scarifer, and aerator is the perfect tool to help you significantly improve your lawn’s health and appearance. 

Blowers and Vacs: Great for a Garden Clean-Up

Keeping a tidy garden is a priority for many homeowners. Leaves and debris might appear on your lawn and patio during autumn, or you might need to pick up grass clippings after a summer mow. Blowers and vacs are designed to help you clean up your garden efficiently and without hassle.

Blowers work by moving leaves and debris into one area, making it easier to gather everything up and remove it. Vacuums work by sucking up any mess and sometimes have the added feature of turning it into garden mulch.

These days, many products come equipped with both features, so you can easily interchange between the two.

You can opt for cordless blowers, which are great for manoeuvrability and mobility. These battery-operated ones are usually lightweight, making them easier to use for longer periods of time if necessary. However, corded blowers are also reliable and will last the duration of every use.

The Stihl SH 56 C-E Petrol Vacuum and Blower is an excellent example of a product that can do both. Designed for regular use, you can use it easily on your patio and lawn, achieving your desired results every time with its 27.2cc “2-Mix” engine that’s both reliable and easy to start.

To discover more high-quality blowers and vacs, explore our collection here.

Tillers / Cultivators: Prepare Your Soil for Planting

If you’re a gardening enthusiast or looking to enhance your garden with plants and flowers, preparing the soil for planting is vital. Tillers and cultivators come in handy, as they work to break up any compacted soil and mix in organic matter, like compost. This will make the ground loose and fertile, the perfect growing conditions!

A cultivator is a garden tool designed to loosen soil and improve aeration. It has tines or blades that also help deter weeds by uprooting and disrupting them before they can interfere with garden health. Cultivators come in different sizes. Some are small, hand-operated tools for home gardens, while larger models can be attached to tractors for bigger spaces like farms.

Tillers, on the other hand, are typically more powerful and suited for breaking new ground or revitalising compacted soil. While cultivators are better for maintaining existing garden beds, tillers are ideal for larger-scale soil preparation.

The Stiga SRC 775 RG Petrol Tiller / Cultivator is both powerful and compact, with superior build quality to help you achieve the best results. It features a powerful Stiga TM60 (182cc) petrol engine. With two gears, forward and reverse, it offers great manoeuvrability and adds to the ease of using it.

Take a look at our comprehensive collection of tillers and cultivators here.

Grass Trimmers: Achieve a Precise Finish

Nothing quite helps you create a tidy lawn like a grass trimmer; they help you get to those pesky edges! You can generally choose from cordless battery-powered models, petrol grass trimmers, or wheeled ones.

Also known as strimmers, these garden tools are great for tidying up areas that your lawn mower can’t get to. For example, they’re normally a bit too bulky to get around the bottoms of trees, along fences, and near any flower or garden beds.

With plenty of different options, you can opt for a grass trimmer with the features that suit you the best. For example, a cordless option will be lightweight and great for small/medium size gardens and a petrol one will use its power for bigger, more demanding tasks.

The Stihl FSA 30 Cordless Grass Trimmer includes 1x AS2 battery and 1x AL1 charger, making it a very powerful addition to your garden. Being cordless, it’s lightweight, compact, and very easy to manoeuvre. Its soft grip handle makes it easy to hold for longer periods, and you can easily change its height to achieve the best results.

Hedge Trimmers: Keep Hedges Neat and Tidy

As long as it’s within hedge cutting season, using hedge trimmers can significantly enhance the look of a garden. A good hedge trimmer helps you maintain straight lines that are sleek and tidy, whether you’re tackling a big job or just trimming it.

Generally, you can get:

• Cordless hedge trimmers
• Long reach hedge trimmers
• Petrol hedge trimmers

Each model comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, it just depends on the space you’re working with and the results you want.

The Stihl HLA 66 Cordless Long Reach Hedge Trimmer is lightweight, easy to use, and it has adjustable cutter blades to help when tackling deeper or taller hedges. Using brushless technology, the long reach hedge trimmer is almost fully “wear-free” and features the Stihl EC Motor, which is highly energy efficient!

Do you need to neaten up your garden? Shop our collection of hedge trimmers here.

Pressure Washers: Blast and Clean Hard Surfaces

Outdoor surfaces look best when they’re sparkling clean, but we all know this isn’t always the case. Patios, driveways, and decking can quickly lose their aesthetic appeal, and a pressure washer, also known as a jet wash, can help with this.

The best pressure washer for a patio will have different settings that you can adjust to meet your needs. For example, delicate surfaces will need less pressure and tougher jobs will need a lot of force to get the job done.

You can use a pressure washer on garden furniture or to remove any dirt or grime from hard surfaces. For both homeowners and gardeners, a pressure washer can help with both practicality and appearance.

The Stihl RE 110 Plus Electric High Pressure Washer comes equipped with a robust brushless motor and an aluminium high-pressure pump for more demanding jobs. This pressure washer is great for seasoned gardeners and beginners, being easy to use and handle. It has a rotary nozzle, and an adjustable fan jet nozzle, and comes supplied with a cleaning agent spray set.

Explore our collection of pressure washers here and transform the look of your garden.

Shredders: Turning Waste into Mulch

Garden mulch can work wonders for your garden. Shredders can help you create this at home, as well as stopping you from wasting anything. Debris, like twigs and sticks, can be turned into mulch and useful for improving your garden’s health. This is a great way of enriching your soil and reducing waste, making it a very environmentally friendly option.

Lawn mower mulching refers to a kind of mower that has mulching (shredding) functions that chop grass clippings into fine pieces and distribute them back onto the lawn. There, they’ll work their magic and return essential nutrients to the grass, helping to conserve water and improve soil health.

The Stihl RM 4T Petrol Mulch Mower (Self Propelled) works quickly to get you excellent results. It has an easy-to-move front wheel, helping with manoeuvrability. The Kohler XT675 (149cc) petrol engine is an excellent feature, powering the mulch mower and making sure you’ll achieve excellent results.

Reduce garden waste and take a look at our collection of chippers and shredders here.

Water Pumps: Efficient Water Management

Water pumps work by moving water from one place to another. For example, if there’s been a lot of rain and you need to drain the water, or if you need to water flower beds. Or, if you have a pond, you might want to transport water from there to a different location in your garden. Water pumps are garden tools that are powerful and efficient, and make water management much easier and more controlled.

The Stihl WP 300 Water Pump has a powerful 212cc 4-stroke petrol engine and a 2” hose connection. It has the ability to deliver water volumes of up to 615 litres per minute, making it an efficient and handy garden tool. Its integrated suction basket protects the pump from dirt particles in the water, meaning you can use it for longer without worrying about maintenance.

Find more excellent models here.

Lawn Mowers: Keep Your Grass Neat

lawn mowers are essential if you want to achieve tidy grass, as opposed to looking out the window at a jungle every day. Mowers help to maintain an aesthetically pleasing garden as well as promote lawn health by preventing disease and keeping the grass at an even level. Whether you have a small garden or an expansive space, choosing the right mower can make lawn care more efficient and simple.

Generally, the options are:

• Cordless lawn mowers
• Petrol lawn mowers
• Ride on lawn mowers
• Robot lawn mowers

Cordless mowers are good for smaller spaces as they’re lightweight and easy to manoeuvre. As long as they’re sufficiently charged, they’ll last for the duration of your grass cutting needs. Alternatively, petrol, ride on, and robot mowers are ideal for larger spaces. Petrol mowers have powerful engines, which are great for more challenging tasks. Ride on mowers essentially do the hard work for you and can cover a lot of ground quickly. Robot mowers are a cutting-edge solution that allow you to relax as they work their way around your garden.

The Stihl RMA 453.3 PV Cordless Mower (Shell Only) has a variable speed power drive system that allows you to set the drive speed between 2.0-4.5km/h. With the added benefit of its mulching and discharging abilities, this mower will transform the look and health of your garden with ease. Not to mention, it’s a fresh new design!

Ready to cut your lawn to perfection? Shop our collection of lawn mowers here.

Choosing the Right Garden Tools for Your Needs

When selecting the right garden tool, you need to consider what you need it for and your specific requirements. Gardens come in all shapes and sizes and we all have different preferences of tools, and you should take this into account.

Here are some factors to consider when choosing your garden tools:

Garden Size

Gardens come in a variety of sizes and this can impact the type of tool you choose. If you have a large garden, you’ll likely need bigger, heavy-duty equipment. If you’re cutting grass or trimming hedges, you’ll benefit from using petrol-powered products that work best for more challenging tasks.

If you have a smaller garden, cordless models are great as they’re more lightweight and often more compact. As a result, they’re easier to store and put away, as they won’t take up as much space. Being lighter too, you can also use them in smaller gardens for longer periods of time without worrying about fatigue.

Frequency of Use

How often you use the garden tools will impact the type you opt for. Professional gardeners will likely use tools, like shredders and trimmers, regularly, meaning they’ll benefit from larger models like petrol-powered lawn mowers, chainsaws, or grass trimmers.

More casual users, like homeowners looking after their gardens, will probably prefer to use light, cordless garden tools. These tools are lighter and easier to use, and you’ll probably use them less often if you’re just looking after your garden.

Corded vs Cordless Garden Tools

Corded garden tools provide power to larger spaces without you having to stop and charge. You can continuously use the tools for as long as you need them (as long as they’re plugged in). Corded tools often have a lot more power and are better suited for larger, more challenging tasks.

Cordless garden tools are becoming increasingly popular as gardeners realise how convenient they are. They’re lightweight, easy to use, and offer greater mobility. They’re ideal for gardens without a power outlet, regardless of size. However, for larger spaces, while they’re still convenient, you may find that you need more power than a cordless tool can provide.

Why Invest in Quality Garden Tools?

For both professionals and homeowners, investing in high-quality garden tools and machinery is absolutely necessary. What might seem like an expensive investment will save you money down the line and prevent high maintenance costs or replacements later on.

Some other benefits are:

Better performance: Quality garden tools are normally made with reliable and durable materials, boosting their effectiveness and performance. Whether it’s a sharp hedge trimmer for precise cuts or a high-powered pressure washer for deep cleaning, quality tools make every task smoother and more reliable.

Time-saving: Dull blades, weak motors, or poorly designed tools can make gardening time-consuming and frustrating. High-quality tools help you work faster and more efficiently, allowing you to achieve better results in less time.

Cost-effective: Opting for cheap garden tools can result in a high turnover of equipment or regular repairs that add up over time. High-quality gardening tools will require less maintenance and keep their standard up for longer, saving you money in the long run.

How Can GLC Help?

At GLC, we partner with reliable and trusted brands that manufacture garden tools and machinery of the highest quality. Every part is genuine and crafted with precision to make sure you achieve the best results.

Whether you opt for a cordless chainsaw by Stihl, a Stiga lawn scarifier/aerator, or cordless batteries that’ll serve you well, you can rest assured that they’ll provide excellent results and last a long time.

The Ultimate Guide to Garden Tools and Machinery: Everything You Need to Know

High-quality garden tools and machinery are the secrets to a beautiful garden. Keeping a well-maintained garden requires the correct tools and equipment. From hedge trimmers to shredders, pressure washers and more, your garden will thrive with the right tools that are high-quality and built to last.

Whatever you need for your garden, at GLC, we’re here to help. Our comprehensive range of products makes us a trusted supplier for all your garden needs. We provide a service and repairs option, meaning you can make the most of our years of expertise and experience and trust us to keep your garden tools in top shape.

For more information just fill out a form on our website and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Or, to find the best garden tools and machinery for your outdoor space, explore our website and our top quality products.