Written by Terry Smith

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Top garden forks rated for strength, durability, and price

This article was last updated on August 14th, 2020 at 5:51 am

Best Garden Forks Reviewed

Garden forks have been used for eons to lift, loosen, break up, turn over soil, and remove weeds much like a spade. 
Many gardeners prefer a fork to a spade when working on stony earth, as the tines will break through easier and have less chance of getting stopped or causing your foot to go off at an angle as you strike a rock. They can also be used as a rake to remove weeds and such.
 Most garden forks have four metal tines attached to a handle made of wood, metal or, these days, some other strong man made material. 
When choosing a garden fork, you want to think about a few things – what materials are used in its construction? Do you want something that is lightweight at the cost of strength or vice versa? How comfortable do you think it would be to use for long periods of time?
 Will the tines stay sharp and give you good digging performance? How well balanced is the tool? For that reason I’ve reviewed the best garden forks to save you time.

Comparison table: Top garden forks rated for strength, durability, and price

ProductWhat We ThinkPrice

Fiskars Light Digging Fork, With 4 Tines, Length: 113 cm, High Quality Steel Tines/Aluminium Handle, Black/White, 1019603

  • Digging fork (Total Length: 113 cm) with 4 tines for loosening and turning the soil in soft...
  • Easy digging and grooving into the ground thanks to 4 sharp tines
  • Great comfort during operation for a back-friendly posture to protect from muscle strains...
  • High durability thanks to high-quality steel tines and aluminium handles
  • Contents: 1 x Fiskars Light Digging Fork

Wilkinson Sword Unknown 1111201W 100 cm Carbon Steel Digging Fork-Black

  • Wolf garten range of tools
  • Ideal for gardeners
  • Multi tool sport from Wilkinson Sword

Spear & Jackson Select Stainless Border Fork & Spear & Jackson Select Stainless Border Spade Set

  • Stainless steel head
  • Polypropylene shaft

Kent and Stowe VBPHUKA1094 70100016 Stainless Steel Border Fork, Silver

  • Ideal for borders and beds
  • Used for cultivation, soil turning and breaking up soil
  • Stainless steel head and tines
  • FSC approved Ash handle
  • Extra long crank for strength

Spear & Jackson 4550DF Traditional Stainless Steel Digging Fork

  • Traditional digging fork
  • Mirror polished stainless steel head
  • Rust resistant with minimal soil adhesion
  • Weather proofed hardwood shaft for greater durability
  • One-piece hardwood shaft, split to form a wishbone handle

Amtech U1500 Border Fork

  • Drop forged steel head
  • Polypropylene d shaped handle
  • Approx 24" (600mm) handle
  • Am-tech branded
  • Ideal gift

To answer these and other questions we have compiled a list of the 7 best garden forks out there and reviewed them for you here-

Spear & Jackson have done it again, bringing us a top quality product at a good price.
 Manufactured to a high standard, yet costing £58.89 with free delivery, this Spear and Jackson border fork would be a nice addition to your tool shed.
 To minimise the amount of soil that sticks to the tines, the fork’s head has been made of mirror polished stainless steel, and this has the added benefit of preventing rust.
The shaft is made of polypropylene which is a material known for providing strength without adding too much weight.
 A nice feature of this garden fork is that the handle is angled forward a little and this helps you to lift soil easier and lowers the strain on your hands and wrist.
The products dimensions are 97 x 18 x 7 cm and it weighs 1.76 Kg.

  • Made to exceed British standards for loading
  • Lightweight
  • Mirror polished stainless steel tines prevent rust and sticking
  • Polypropylene shaft provides the head with stability
  • Angled handle for comfort and easy lifting
Fiskars are so confident in the quality of this garden fork, they are offering a lifetime guarantee, and that’s something that can’t be sniffed at.
 Durability and a long working life is assured by the 4 sharp tines that are made out of very high quality steel.
 The whole thing measures 105cm long and the curved aluminium shaft is ergonomic, oval shaped and coated with plastic. This coating not only improves your grip on the fork, but also helps to protect it from cold.
 A d-shaped handle provides you with a comfortable hand position and dampens shock and this is also helped by the fact that the handle is angled slightly.
 The overall design and colour scheme of this Fiskars digging fork is modern and stylish

  • Stylish modern design and colour scheme
  • Strong boron steel pines
  • Ergonomic aluminium shaft
  • Plastic coating for better grip and insulation
  • Comfortable handle
  • Lifetime guarantee

3. Spear & Jackson 4550DF Traditional Stainless Steel Digging Fork

This digging fork has been given a traditional style and it looks fantastic. The contrast of the solid hardwood shaft against the shiny polished steel head is a real eye catcher. The way the one piece shaft splits to form the handle is also a thing of beauty. 
Not only does it look good, but this fork has all the quality you would expect from Spear & Jackson. The hardwood used for the shaft has been treated to make it weatherproof and increase its durability.
 The mirror polished steel head and tines are not just for show, they also serve the purpose of keeping dirt from sticking to the tool and stopping it getting rusty.
 At 90.5 cm it isn’t the longest fork out there and would be ideal for those of us who aren’t blessed with being 6 feet tall. They’ve also made a nice trowel and hand fork that would compliment this nicely.

  • Beautiful traditional design
  • Mirror polished steel tines
  • Weatherproof hardwood shaft
  • Compact and good for working in tight spaces
  • Rust resistant

4. 

Amtech U1500 Border Fork

Priced at £11.18, this compact border fork offers good value for money.
The head is made from drop forged steel and this gives it a little extra weight but also inspires confidence in its sturdiness and strength.
Polypropylene is a common material of choice for hand tools these days as it has a good combination of hardiness and being lightweight. This polypropylene shaft has a good sized 24 inch handle so getting a decent grip is easily possible.
 Amtech have given this product a 3 year guarantee.

  • Low price
  • Drop forged steel head
  • Polypropylene body keeps the weight down
  • Good sized handle for grip
  • Compact size 93 x 30 x 15 cm
  • 3 year guarantee

The main draw of this particular fork is given away in the title above- ‘carbon steel’. 
Wilkinson sword have made a decision to make the head and tines of this tool out of carbon steel instead of stainless steel for a good reason- carbon steel is stronger and stays sharp longer.
 The tines have also been given an epoxy coating to stop soil adhering to them and slowing down your work. For extra stability, the head socket has been double riveted.
 The wooden shaft is made from weatherproofed ash and is 100 cm long, which is an ideal length for the average person and the handle has a soft grip to prevent blisters but you could always buy garden gloves too.

  • Carbon steel head and tines
  • Anti-stick epoxy coating
  • Double riveted head socket
  • 100cm Weatherproof ash shaft
  • Soft grip handle

Kent and Stowe tools have been designed in the UK to have a traditional look and feel to them. The company aims to provide you with an 1800s rustic design but with the build quality that modern materials offer, and have given this particular fork a 15 year guarantee.
 This fork has been made with a long crank to improve the overall strength of the tool, and Kent and Stowe have managed this without effecting the overall balance, which is excellent.
 Stainless steel was chosen for the head because of its corrosion resistant properties. 
The shaft is made from ash and splits at the top wishbone style to form the handle.

  • Traditional rustic design
  • Stainless steel head and tines
  • Extra-long crank for strength
  • Good balance
  • Solid ash shaft and handle
  • 15 year guarantee

About Terry Smith

I’m Terry Smith from gardentoolbox.co.uk, a professional landscape designer, hobbyist gardener, and barbecue fanatic with 20 years experience building and restoring. So as you go through my site you'll watch me document some of the professional garden installs I make as well as the major projects I take on at home. While sharing those experiences and guiding you, I'll be recommending some great tools I use to enable this along the way so you can really buy in confidence. Always feel free to pop me a message: info@gardentoolbox.co.uk

View all posts by Terry Smith