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The arsenal of any avid gardener is incomplete without a high-quality garden fork. If you don’t yet have one, now is the best time to find the perfect fork to fit your needs and complete the gardening toolkit of your dreams!
From aerating the garden to turning over soil, these forks have many uses in a gardener’s daily life. With the right pick, you can make your laborious garden tasks more manageable and efficient. We’ve made the choice easier for you by offering our top picks based on performance, durability, and ease of use.
Best Garden Forks to Buy
Here are the reviews, technical specifications, pros, and cons of the best forks for UK gardens.
Spear & Jackson’s fork boasts stainless steel construction, ensuring longevity and rust resistance for efficient and reliable gardening.
Bulldog’s professional fork delivers strength and precision, making it the top choice for skilled gardeners and demanding tasks.
RHS Burgon and Ball’s all-steel fork guarantees durability, combining strength and resilience for long-lasting performance in your garden.
Faithfull’s fork prioritizes comfort, featuring an ergonomic design for a comfortable grip and efficient digging in your gardening endeavors.
Wickes Carbon Powagrip provides affordability without compromising quality, offering a reliable and cost-effective digging fork for your gardening needs.
Why You Need a Garden Fork
If you tend to your garden frequently, you probably understand how tedious certain tasks can get in vegetable garden care. Well, a fork is one of the many tools that can take away the strenuous labour of these tasks.
Forks can help with tasks like turning over soil, digging quickly, transplanting carefully, and maintaining various plants around the garden. They allow you to effortlessly remove weeds, rocks, and debris while aerating the soil for better nutrient absorption.
Common Types of Garden Forks
Believe it or not, garden forks come in many different types, including:
- Digging Fork: Digging forks are the most common type preferred by gardeners. Their sturdy, flat tines are versatile enough to help with various garden chores.
- Border Fork: Border forks are light and small, making them ideal for edging and maintaining flower borders. They can easily fit in tight corners.
- Manure Fork: These forks have wider and flatter tines to handle bulky comfort, manure, or mulch. They can also spread and turn over other organic matter.
- Spading Fork: Spading forks have long and pointed tines to break up hard soil, dig deeply, and mix compost with ease.
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The Best Garden Forks in 2024
Explore the top garden forks of 2024, built for sturdy soil turning and efficient gardening, making it easier to cultivate a thriving and well-nurtured garden.
01
Best Stainless Garden Fork
Spear & Jackson’s Traditional Digging Fork
Reasons to Buy
- Ergonomic and easy to use
- Durable stainless steel head
- Comfortable on bare hands
- Cuts cleanly through the soil
- Relatively lightweight
Reasons to Avoid
- Relatively short length
- Not for heavy-duty tasks
Most gardeners prefer stainless steel heads when it comes to their tools. In that case, the Spear & Jackson’s Traditional Digging Fork is the best pick. The tines are made from mirror-polished stainless steel.
This material doesn’t just exude timeless elegance but also guarantees longevity. You can count on this fork to last at least ten to 15 years. It’s rust-resistant and non-stick, so cleaning it is a breeze.
The traditional design is coupled with a weatherproofed hardwood shaft. That means you can count on greater durability and resistance to the elements.
The shaft is made from a single piece of hardwood, leaving no room for splits and breakage. The best part? This fork won the Grow Your Own Great British Growing award.
Why Do We Recommend Spear & Jackson’s Traditional Digging Fork?
We recommend Spear & Jackson’s Traditional Digging Fork for its durable construction. Made from mirror-polished stainless steel and hardwood, this fork is designed to last.
More information available on the Spear & Jackson’s Traditional Digging Fork page.
| Material | Mirror-polished stainless steel head and hardwood handle |
| Head Size | 30 x 18 cm |
| Shaft Length | 71 cm |
| Height | 90 cm |
| Weight | 4 lbs |
Spear & Jackson’s Traditional Digging Fork is suitable for those who work with loose or sandy soil types. It offers a durable and weatherproof solution for digging and cultivating garden beds.
02
Best Professional Garden Fork
Bulldog Digging Fork
Reasons to Buy
- Comfortable and durable shaft
- Ideal for professional use
- Small and compact
- No breakable welds
- Perfect for border work
Reasons to Avoid
- Users reported bent tines
- Narrow on the shoulders
- Somewhat heavy
Professional gardeners require a more robust and feature-studded garden fork than usual. If that sounds like you, the Bulldog Digging Fork will check all your boxes. It’s practical and versatile, assisting you with a wide range of garden care tasks.
Its best feature is the solid forged head, guaranteeing strength and durability. It’s epoxy-coated, so you don’t need to worry about rust or soil adhesion in wet conditions. Even more, the handle is made from reliable fibreglass.
Thanks to its comfortable handle, you can avoid wrist strain. Based on the build, this fork is suitable for digging between plants and general maintenance tasks.
Why Do We Recommend The Bulldog Digging Fork?
The Bulldog Digging Fork is robust and durable enough for professional use. With features like a solid forged head, ergonomic handle, and epoxy rust-resistant coating, it’s designed to assist with heavy-duty garden care tasks.
Further product details can be found on the official The Bulldog Digging Fork page.
| Material | Solid forged head and fibreglass handle |
| Head Size | 29 x 19 cm |
| Shaft Length | 71 cm |
| Height | 100 cm |
| Weight | 4.6 lbs |
The Bulldog Digging Fork is suitable for professional gardeners or landscapers looking for something reliable and efficient. It offers durability, versatility, and precision in one compact tool.
03
Best Durable Garden Fork
RHS Burgon and Ball All-Steel Digging Fork
Reasons to Buy
- Very strong build
- Lightweight body
- Well-spaced tines
- Effective performance
- Sustainable ash shaft
Reasons to Avoid
- Low-quality finish
- Poor finishing
- Expensive
Investing in high-quality garden forks is only smart when they last long enough. Luckily, you can get at least 15 to 20 years of use from the durable RHS Burgon and Ball All-Steel Digging Fork. It’s endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, so you know it’s reliable.
Its stainless steel head is its best feature, ensuring unparalleled durability. Combine that with its FSC-certified hardwood handle, and you have a tool you can really count on. It’s highly resilient to the corrosive effects of soil, humidity, and alkalis.
The fork also has a treaded top, spreading the load with ease and reducing fatigue during long work hours. It’s suitable for turning over soil, digging, and prepping the soil for plants.
Why Do We Recommend The RHS Burgon and Ball All-Steel Digging Fork?
If you value durability in your garden tools, the RHS Burgon and Ball All-Steel Digging Fork is the best-fitting recommendation. Made from stainless steel and FSC-certified hardwood, this fork is built to last.
More product details can be found via The RHS Burgon and Ball All-Steel Digging Fork manufacturer page.
| Material | Stainless steel head and FSC-certified hardwood handle |
| Head Size | 29 x 18 cm |
| Shaft Length | 80 cm |
| Height | 111 cm |
| Weight | 4.6 lbs |
The RHS Burgon and Ball All-Steel Digging Fork is suitable for those who need a premium, rust-resistant tool to give them great value for their money.
04
Best for Comfort Garden Fork
Faithfull All Steel Digging Fork
Reasons to Buy
- Ideal for larger spaces
- Hardened carbon steel head
- Comfortable use
- Perfect for tall users
- Reasonable price
Reasons to Avoid
- Somewhat heavy
- Not suitable for clearing and moving materials
- Not non-stick
If you spend many hours gardening, comfort must be your top priority. Professionals and nature lovers are all too familiar with fatigue and strain in their wrists and backs after a long day of caring for their garden. The Faithfull All Steel Digging Fork does a great job of keeping you comfortable until the end.
The head is made from carbon manganese steel, while the wooden handle boasts even more robustness. These materials, unfortunately, add to the tool’s weight, making it harder to carry. Still, the extra weight makes it easier to turn soil and dig deep.
Its treaded top makes the tool ideal for larger spaces when you need to move more soil in less time. If you’re tall, you’ll also appreciate the 107 cm height. The best part? The Faithfull fork is super affordable.
Why Do We Recommend The Faithfull All Steel Digging Fork?
The Faithfull All Steel Digging Fork is designed for maximum user comfort and ease while still maintaining its reliability. It’s versatile enough to deal with various hardening tasks like digging, soil turning, and more.
Learn more about the product on The Faithfull All Steel Digging Fork page.
| Material | Carbon manganese steel head and wooden handle |
| Head Size | 33 x 22 cm |
| Shaft Length | 70 cm |
| Height | 107 cm |
| Weight | 5.9 lbs |
The Faithfull All Steel Digging Fork is suitable for those who need a durable and budget-friendly tool to keep them comfortable while working on their gardens. Other than user comfort, it also prioritises durability and wear resistance.
05
Best Affordable Garden Fork
Wickes Carbon Powagrip Garden Digging Fork
Reasons to Buy
- Epoxy-coated steelhead
- Affordable price
- Comfortable handle
- Handle hole for easy storage
- Great for the price
Reasons to Avoid
- Poor-quality handle
- Users reported easy breakage
- Not for turning soil
If you’re looking for a high-quality garden fork on a budget, look no further than the Wickes Carbon Powagrip Garden Digging Fork. At around £10, this tool is definitely a steal.
Just because it’s affordable doesn’t mean you have to compromise on its build. Made from carbon steel, the head is durable and rust-resistant. All it needs is a quick rinse after every use to keep it in top shape.
For its low price tag, the Powagrip performs shockingly well. Whether you’re digging deep or transplanting your flowers, it’ll speed up the process with ease.
Still, it’s worth noting that users did complain about the flimsy plastic handle and its easy breakage. If that’s something important to you, you may need to replace the handle.
Why Do We Recommend The Wickes Carbon Powagrip Garden Digging Fork?
We recommend the Wickes Carbon Powagrip Garden Digging Fork because it offers an affordable price tag without compromising on quality. Made from carbon steel, this fork is durable and easy to use.
Further product details can be found on The Wickes Carbon Powagrip Garden Digging Fork page.
| Material | Carbon steel head and soft-grip plastic handle |
| Head Size | 18 x 20 cm |
| Shaft Length | 60 cm |
| Height | 95 cm |
| Weight | 5 lbs |
The Wickes Carbon Powagrip Garden Digging Fork is suitable for those who want to complete their gardening tool kit on a budget. It offers a secure grip, rust resistance, and versatility in one compact tool.
How We Evaluate Garden Forks
To determine the best garden forks available in the UK, we conducted thorough testing and evaluation. Each fork was put through a series of tasks to assess its capabilities. Our assessment criteria, with equal importance given to each, were as follows:
- Functionality: We examined how effectively each fork could penetrate different soil types, its ease of use in various gardening tasks, and the overall versatility of the tool.
- Comfort and Design: The ergonomics of each fork were evaluated, focusing on handle comfort, balance during use, and overall weight. We also considered the materials used in the construction of the handle and tines.
- Durability and Material Quality: We assessed the resilience of each fork against wear and tear, looking at the quality of materials used, such as stainless steel or carbon steel, and the construction’s sturdiness.
- Value for Money: This included whether the fork offers additional features, its warranty period, and how it compares in price and quality to other forks in the market.
Our comprehensive guide aims to help you find the ideal garden fork for your needs, taking into account these crucial factors.
Buyer’s Guide for the Best Garden Forks
Consider these factors when looking for a suitable fork for your UK garden.
- Fork Type: As we mentioned above, forks come in many types. Read our complete guide to learn their specs and intended use before you pick one.
- Handle: The handle contributes most to the fork's ergonomics. Make sure it's not just sturdy and reliable but comfortably shaped, too. YD-shaped ash wood handles are a prime option.
- Weight: If you're going to use your garden for longer tasks, make sure it's lightweight. Heavier models can offer better digging power for quick yet heavy-duty tasks.
- Material: Consider the material and durability of the tines as well. You can't go wrong with stainless steel, but iron and carbon steel are good picks, too. Most of all, it should be rust-resistant.
FAQs
Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about garden forks.
Wooden handles may be a more traditional and sustainable option, but they can be less comfortable. Plastic and rubber grips offer better ergonomics and comfort for extended use, especially in wet conditions.
Most experts recommend against using the average garden fork to dig out tree roots. But you may find heavier-duty models that can handle such tasks. Otherwise, it’s better to use a mattock or pickaxe.
Maintaining a garden fork is as simple as cleaning it after every use. Storing it in a dry place and applying a protective coating will also prevent rusting.
