13 essential yard tools every homeowner should own

With the holiday season upon us, you may be re-evaluating your yard tools–or lack thereof. In this post, we share a list of 13 essential yard tools every homeowner should own (at least, if they do all their own yard work). Plus, we give reasons why we included each on this list. Quick note: If you don’t do all your own lawn care and landscaping (and opt to hire a service pro for certain tasks), not all of these tools may be necessary to purchase.

1. Leaf Blower

We believe this is the most important tool you should own. Because if you allow fallen leaves to sit in your yard, then sunlight, water, and other nutrients won’t get to your turf. This will kill your lawn, leaving ugly patches where grass used to be. So, using a blower every three weeks or so to get up fallen leaves is going to be essential for maintaining a healthy lawn.

Even if you have a yard service that you employ to clean up your leaves, you still need a blower. Because if you do any entertaining in your yard, you’re going to need to clean up trash and other debris. A blower can help with that. Also, a blower can help remove any other yard debris that ends up on your lawn.  

2. Rake

Use this only when getting leaf piles in bags for hauling away. Using a rake to create leaf piles can damage your lawn by tearing and uprooting your grass. Plus, since raking takes longer than mowing, you’ll be walking on your grass more often. This causes soil compaction, which prevents water and nutrients from getting to the soil.  

3. Shovel

A shovel is perhaps one of the most common tools homeowners tend to own. And for good reason, since it’s useful for a lot of things, such as:

• Putting out mulch
• Refreshing plant beds
• Filling in holes
• Planting flowers
• And more! 

4. Hedge trimmer

Use a hedge trimmer to regularly trim and prune your trees and shrubs. Doing so will help them survive longer, since you’ll be removing dead or diseased branches and allow more sunlight to reach them.

Keep in mind that most hedge trimmers cut branches that are less than an inch in diameter. For larger branches, we recommend using another tool.

5. Loppers

These are like hedge trimmers, but they trim bigger branches. Unlike a hedge trimmer, loppers will allow you to trim branches that are more than one inch in diameter. This is important because in order to ensure healthy plants and trees can survive, you want to lop off any dead or damaged branches. Trimming these branches will also improve the overall look of your property.

6. Pole saw

A pole saw allows you to trim branches in the air. Typically, pole saws reach branches that are around 15 feet high, but longer pole saws are available. Again, cutting off brittle or diseased branches will help the entire tree survive. 

7. Lawn Mower

You may not need this if you use a lawn mowing service. Still, there are plenty of options available to you if you decide to purchase one, including electric mowers that may be able to take care of your entire yard with one battery charge.

8. Edger

Again, this may not be necessary if you employ a professional to do this for you. That said, edging is extremely important for your lawn (not just because it improves the look of your property). Edging promotes the health of your turf by allowing water to drain properly around your lawn and reducing soil erosion.

9. Weed eater

A weed eater helps you keep your lawn alive. Because when weeds spread over your turf, they can choke out the healthy grass and plants, killing your beautiful lawn.

10. Ladder

A ladder can be beneficial for a variety of outdoor tasks, including:

• Cleaning gutters
• Hanging decorations (such as Christmas lights)
• Trimming branches
• Changing out outdoor lighting bulbs

For safety and support, we recommend using an A-frame ladder. For most folks in the US, a 6-10 ft ladder should be high enough.

11. KombiSystem

You can actually use this tool as a weed eater, hedge trimmer, edger, blower, pole saw, and more–just by changing the heads on it. It’s a highly useful tool that can replace different devices. One reason why we like it is because it uses the same power supply for the various heads you can swap on it.

12. Pickaxe

You can do a lot of stuff with this. We think of it as a wonder tool, since it’s really versatile. Some of the yard tasks it helps you do include:

• Breaking up hard soil, so it’s easier for planting
• Removing rocks or roots that are embedded in the ground
• Leveling uneven ground for setting up garden beds or placing stepping stones
• Improving drainage by allowing you to create channels in areas of your yard where puddles tend to form

13. Wheelbarrow

This is great for moving yard debris, refreshing your plant beds, or transporting fertilizer (which provides necessary nutrients to your soil). It’s also useful for moving other heavy items, such as stepping stones.

Wrapping up

These are our picks for the essential yard tools every homeowner should own. Getting and using these tools will allow you to maintain a healthy, vibrant lawn. If you would prefer a local lawn or landscaping pro to use their own tools to maintain your lawn, start using our platform directly on our site. With the Mow & Blow platform (and app), you can find local pros, select your services, pay your invoices, and more.

And if you want more expert tips for keeping your lawn well-maintained, keep checking this blog. We’ll continue to post lawn care tips based on our own professional experience, so you can continue to love the look of your lawn.