Best Tools: 10 Garden Forks to Buy In 2024
As a gardening enthusiast, there are many tools that you will need to raise some healthy plants and to keep the field free of waste. A robust and lightweight garden fork is one of these tools as you will need it to do important things like digging and aerating the soil and also turning and moving hay, compost, and mulch.
There are many types of this handy tool out there and from different brands. Garden forks will also differ when it comes to features like the number of prongs and their size and also the length and type of handle. In this article, we will review some of the top picks in the market to make the selection easier and faster for you.
You can also read other product reviews such as shovel, weeding tool, Hori Hori knife, garden hoe, lawn aerator, garden tiller.
10 Best Garden Forks - Reviews
Image | Product Name | Blade Material | Length | Weight | Rating | Current Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Fiskars Steel D-Handle Ergo Garden Fork | Boron Steel | 47 in | 4.72 lbs | 4.6 | |
 | 2. True Temper Forged Spading Fork With 4 Tines | Diamond Steel | 30 in | 3.9 lbs | 4.6 | |
 | 3. Truper 30299 4-Tine Tru Pro Spading Fork | Steel | 30 in | 3.7 lbs | 4.4 | |
 | 4. Ames Floral Spading Fork with 4 Tines | Steel | 46.5 in | 3.3 lbs | 4.0 | |
 | 5. Truper 30293 4 Tined Spading Fork | Steel | 30 in | 3.7 lbs | 4.3 | |
 | 6. Flexrake CLA324 Hand Fork | Carbon Steel | 13 in | 7.2 oz | 4.8 | |
 | 7. DeWit Forged Hand Fork | Boron Steel | 10 in | 8.0 oz | 4.4 | |
 | 8. Spear & Jackson 4552BF Border Fork | Stainless Steel | 37.6 in | 3.1 lbs | 4.6 | |
 | 9. Radius Garden 203 PRO Digging Fork with 4-Tined | Stainless Steel | 42.9 in | 4.8 lbs | 4.3 | |
 | 10. Spear & Jackson 4550DF 4-Tine Digging Fork | StainlessSteel | 37.6 in | 3.1 lbs | 4.0 |
#1. Fiskars Steel D-Handle 47-Inch Ergo Garden Fork
Editor's Rating: 
(4.6 / 5)
The Fiskars Steel D-Handle garden fork is ideal for loosening and lifting garden waste and material like mulch, hay, and compost. It comes with a welded boron steel head and a heavy-duty steel shaft that give it a long lifespan, and it will outlast most others that come with a wooden handle.
This Fiskars fork has the longest handle on our list. The handle is also longer than most others in the market. Also, the steel handle will not flex like fiberglass which can make the load feel heavy.
For the grip, our long-handled spading fork has a unique angled D-grip that is one of its most outstanding features. The grip will ensure that your wrist remains in a neutral position when using this tool so that you will not have to strain a lot and also ensure that you always get an excellent grip. This grip makes this fork one of the most comfortable in this list.
Fiskars' boron steel tines are long and pointed which gives them the ability to penetrate a hard and dense soil and loosen it with ease. They are sharp enough for the job when you get them, and you will not need to do anything else before using this fork. And finally, the company backs it with a lifetime warranty.
#2. True Temper Forged Spading Fork With 4 Tines
Editor's Rating: (4.6 / 5)
Ames makes this fork with a forged head which makes it very durable, and you will not need a replacement for many years. This spading fork comes with 4 prongs that are long, sharp and broad enough to ensure that they can penetrate even the hardest soils with ease. With these 4 diamond steel tines, you will not have to use a lot of energy when digging, and they make it the best fork on our list for working on stubborn soils.
This fork comes with a 30-inch hardwood handle that gives you better control of the tool and minimal flex. Also, the wood handle material is strong and very durable, and if you take good care of it, you can be sure it will last for as long as the head.
Finally, the poly D-grip at the end of the hardwood handle comes in a bright shade of yellow that makes this fork stand out. But apart from the bright color, it provides better control, extra leverage when digging and is also very comfortable in your hand.
#3. Truper 30299 4-Tine Tru Pro Spading Fork
Editor's Rating: 
(4.4 / 5)
Truper 30299 features a 30-inch long fiberglass handle that makes it lightweight and is also very durable. It also has a D-grip handle that will help you get better balance and control when digging or loosening the soil. Truper uses white ash wood for the handle which gives this fork an excellent flexibility and resistance balance.
The 4 heavy duty tines have a slight bend that makes it even easier for them to penetrate the ground and they are tougher than most others on this list. This spading fork is ideal for commercial and professional use because of the high-quality materials and construction.
Truper 30299 is one the best spading forks in the market, and it has a total weight of 3.7 pounds and is 39.3 inches long from the tip of the tines to the end of the grip.
#4. Ames Floral Spading Fork with 4 Tines
Editor's Rating: 
(4 / 5)
This Ames floral spading fork has a perfect weight and size for working in a garden with raised beds, and it will always do the job within a short time. It has a forged steel head with 4 tines that can dig hard soils and help you to loosen them fast while using minimal energy. The forged head is strong and very durable, and it can withstand harsh work conditions, and so it will serve you for many years.
The long hardwood handle makes it easy to use and is also very durable. Gardeners will never have to agonize about it breaking in the middle of the job. Ames caps this handle with a D-grip at the end that will make gardening easier for you as it is very comfortable on your hand and it gives you better control of the tool. This fork is one of the easiest to work with in the market thanks to the comfortable grip and sturdy handle.
Shocks should be the least of your worries when using this fork because the hardwood handle absorbs most of them. This fork weighs 3.3 pounds and has a total length of 46.5 inches. And although it has a bright overall appearance, the fork is not prone to staining and is also easy to maintain and clean.
#5. Truper 30293 30-Inch 4 Tined Spading Fork
Editor's Rating: 
(4.3 / 5)
Truper 30293 comes with a 30-inch North American ash wood handle that has a long lifespan and is very efficient in shock absorption. This handle makes this fork the best on our list when it comes to shock absorption. Also, it has a D-grip that makes it very comfortable and also provides better control and balance than what you get from other digging forks.
This robust fork comes with a gray steel head with 4 tines. The head also has a clear coat for extra protection to make sure that you will use this tool for a long time. Its 4 prongs are sharp enough when you get the fork, and can handle compost and hay or turn soil immediately. The clear coat makes cleaning easy after the job as you only need to spray it with a hose and give it an occasional coating with a silicone spray.
Truper 30293 has a total weight of 3.7 pounds which is lightweight enough for a spading garden fork, and it is 40 inches long from the grip to the tip of the tines. The manufacturer backs this tool with a free-replacement 10-year warranty.
#6. Flexrake CLA324 Hand Fork
Editor's Rating: 
(4.8 / 5)
Garden forks do not always have to come with a long handle because a handheld one like the Flexrake CLA324 still works well and this is more so for those that have small gardens. This fork is the cheapest on our list, but it still gets the job done and is also easy to use and without having to use a lot of energy.
Flexrake models this fork after traditional handcrafted ones to give it an antique look. The level of craftsmanship and detail on this fork also give it a striking look. And this makes Flexrake CLA324 one of those garden tools that gardeners will want to have around for many years.
The 3 tines on this fork are of a durable carbon steel material to ensure maximum durability. These tines are 13 inches long, and they have what it takes to handle small and medium scale gardening projects.
The 33 cm oak handle is hand-turned with outstanding craftsmanship. Both the blades and handle will not bend when working and they have a total weight of 7.2 ounces which makes this the lightest tool on our list.
#7. DeWit Forged Hand Fork
Editor's Rating: (4.4 / 5)
This Dewit fork is a comfortable and well-balanced tool that is ideal for working in small gardens. Both the handle and head are strong and sturdy which gives them the ability to penetrate and aerate any soil type, but it is better suited for working on clay soil.
This handheld fork comes with tempered boron steel head with 3 tines that maintain a sharp edge and so you do not have to keep sharpening it every time you want to do some gardening. The European ash hardwood is also very durable, and the manufacturer gives it a unique shape to make it easy to hold and to ensure maximum comfort when gardening.
Despite this being a sturdy garden fork it is still very lightweight. It has a total weight of 8 ounces and is 10 inches long from the handle to the tip of the blades. In our list, it is only heavier (slightly) than the Flexrake CLA324. And like most other DeWit tools it comes with a lifetime warranty and so you will have nothing to lose when you buy it.
#8. Spear & Jackson 4552BF Stainless Steel Border Fork
Editor's Rating: (4.6 / 5)
Spear & Johnson 4552BF comes in a traditional border fork style. It features a polished stainless steel head with 4 long tines with some sharp ends that make it easy for this fork to penetrate hard soils. The head is narrower than what you get in a traditional digging fork, and so it will be an excellent choice when you want to work in areas that do not have a long of space.
The stainless steel head has minimal soil adhesion, and so you will not have to do a lot of cleaning after the job and is also rust-resistant for a long lifespan. This stainless steel head connects to a hardwood shaft that is weather proofed for increased durability. The shaft splits at the top to create a wishbone handle that offers a lot of control and is also very comfortable.
This fork weighs 3.1 pounds making it the best garden fork on this list for individuals that prefer to use lightweight border forks and it has a total length of 37.6 inches.
#9. Radius Garden 203 PRO Digging Fork with 4-Tined Stainless Steel Head
Editor's Rating: (4.3 / 5)
Radius Garden features a high-performance O-handle grip that ensures minimal hand and wrist stress when gardening while also maximizing the power. This handle is non-slip and spacious enough to accommodate both hands, and you can use it on both wet and dry weathers efficiently. The handle on this garden fork will provide up to 4 times the size of the gripping surface that you get from other garden tools. Radius Garden 203 has the best handle on our list.
The shaft is high-quality steel encased in resin, and it connects to a stainless steel head with 4 sharp tines that can penetrate stubborn soils almost effortlessly. These prongs have a square shape and are in a traditional English style that makes this the best tool for moving mulch and debris, and also for cultivating or turning the soil.
This professional quality fork also has an extra-long and seamless pocket. It has a total weight of 4.8 pounds and is 42.9 inches long from the grip to end of the tines. Lastly, Radius Garden backs it with a lifetime guarantee.
#10. Spear & Jackson 4550DF 4-Tine Stainless Steel Digging Fork
Editor's Rating: (4 / 5)
Spear & Jackson is famous for making some of the best quality garden tools, and their 4550DF border fork lives up to this reputation. The 4550DF is a perfect tool for digging in borders and confined spaces, and it has all it takes to do the gardening job fast and do it well.
This garden border fork comes in a traditional style and with a steel head that is mirror polished to create an impressive overall look. The head is broader than a digging fork, and it comes with 4 long and sharp tines that are ready for the job when you get it. These tines are rust-resistant and with minimal adhesion to the soil which makes cleaning and maintenance of the fork easy for you.
Spear & Jackson 4550DF comes with a hardwood shaft that it weather proofed to ensure maximum durability and it does not flex as much as fiberglass. This one-piece wood shaft splits at the end to form a unique wishbone handle that is comfortable and makes the gardening tool easy to control.
Finally, this fork weighs 3.1 pounds, and it has a total length of 37.6 inches.
6 Types of Garden Forks
Garden forks come in different types and styles, and so it is important to know how to differentiate them so that you can choose what suits your needs. In most instances they tend to differ in the manner in which the prongs attach to the handle, the number of tines and their shape, shaft length, material and the overall weight.
#1. Digging Fork
The digging fork (spading fork) comes with four long tines that have sharp ends to make it easy for them to penetrate the soil. There are also others that have insulated prongs, and they are ideal for working near live cables.
These forks are perfect for digging, and this is more so when you want to penetrate hard ground. They can also come in handy when you want to break up, sift or oxygenate soil. The four tine digging fork is also the right tool to use when digging up stubborn bulbs and roots.
#2. Pitchfork
The pitchfork or the hay fork has 2 or 3 prongs, but some can also have 4 and with an extra long shaft. This fork does not come with a grip because in most instances it does not make any difference when using it. You can use it for moving bulk material like barley, straw and hay bales.
A pitchfork will be very helpful when you want to clear waste when doing some landscaping or tree trimmings after cutting them. Also, you can use to move and turn compost and other dense waste materials.
#3. Potato Fork
A conventional potato fork can have as many as 10 prongs that have blunt ends to ensure that they do not damage the crop. However, there are some that will only have 4 that have a bayonet shape on the ends. And as the name insinuates, its fundamental purpose is lifting potatoes during harvest time. But you can also use it to harvest other root vegetables like carrots and radishes.
#4. Border Fork
The border fork or what some individuals refer to as the ladies fork comes with a shorter shaft and narrower head than a traditional digging fork. It usually has 4 tines that are quite long and with sharp ends for easy soil penetration.
This fork is ideal for working in narrow spaces where you cannot use the digging fork. A border fork is also the right choice when working in raised beds and borders. People with small body frames will find it easier to use than the digging fork.
#5. Compost Fork
The compost, mulch or manure fork comes with a different number or tines depending on the intended purpose. Their shape and length will also vary from one fork to the other. The compost fork is ideal for aerating, loosening and loading manure or compost for transportation. You can also use it to turn most other organic materials including mulch.
#6. Trenching Fork
Trenching forks are similar in appearance and design to the traditional digging fork, but they are ideal for heavy-duty work. Their 4 sturdy, broad prongs are thicker than what you get from most other forks and are what gives them the ability to handle heavy chores. These gardening forks are for breaking up stubborn and uncultivated soils and also when you want to prepare grounds for cultivation.
Resource: gardentoolcompany.com
Last Updated on January 19, 2019 by