Yard & garden tools and supplies
Tools and supplies that match the calculators on this site. Check each product’s label for coverage and rates. These are the kinds of tools each job needs, not products we have lab-tested; links go to Amazon search results so you can compare brands.
Moving and spreading material
A yard of mulch or gravel is a lot of shoveling. The right barrow and fork make it half the work.
- Wheelbarrow (6 cu ft class)Mid-range price
Most home wheelbarrows hold 4–6 cubic feet — so a cubic yard of mulch is five or six trips. Two wheels are steadier on soft ground.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Garden dump cartMid-range price
Easier than a wheelbarrow for hauling bags and pots, and it tips to unload. Check the rated load against what you will carry.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Square-point transfer shovelBudget price
Flat blade for scooping gravel, soil and sand off a driveway pile — a round shovel leaves too much behind.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Bow rake / landscape rakeBudget price
Steel tines for spreading gravel and soil and leveling it flat. The flat back of a bow rake doubles as a leveling tool.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Mulch / manure forkBudget price
Many tines grip shredded mulch and compost that slide off a shovel. Much faster for spreading bulk mulch.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Measuring and prep
Accurate measurements are what make the calculators useful.
- Measuring wheelBudget price
Rolls off long distances — driveways, lawn edges, fence lines — quicker and more accurately than a tape for one person.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Soil test kitBudget price
A quick read on pH and nutrients. For detailed results, many state extension labs offer inexpensive mail-in tests.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Hand tamper (8 × 8 in or 10 × 10 in)Budget price
Compacts gravel in small areas and along edges where a rented plate compactor won’t reach. For a whole patio base, rent the plate compactor.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Coated work glovesBudget price
Grippy, cut-resistant palms for handling stone, block and bags. Buy a couple of pairs — they wear out fast on concrete block.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Raised beds and soil
- Galvanized metal raised bed kitMid-range price
Long-lasting and quick to assemble. Check the height — many kits are 12–17 in tall, which changes how much soil you buy.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Cedar raised bed kitMid-range price
Naturally rot-resistant wood, easy to extend or stack for depth. Expect the boards to weather gray.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Compost bin or tumblerMid-range price
Turns yard waste into the compost the calculators keep telling you to buy. Tumblers are tidier; open bins handle more volume.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Square foot garden gridBudget price
A ready-made 1 ft grid that sits on top of the bed so you can keep plant counts per square straight.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Weed control and edging
Edging keeps mulch and stone where you paid to put them.
- Landscape fabric (woven or heavy non-woven)Budget price
Separates stone from soil under gravel and rock. Less useful under wood mulch, which breaks down into soil on top of it anyway.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Landscape fabric staplesBudget price
Pins fabric and edging down. Budget roughly one every few feet along seams and edges.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - No-dig landscape edgingBudget price
Plastic edging pinned with spikes — keeps mulch in beds and grass out. Fine for mulch; too flimsy for gravel paths.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Steel or aluminum landscape edgingMid-range price
Rigid edging that holds gravel and pea gravel in place and keeps a clean line against lawn.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Lawn
- Broadcast spreaderMid-range price
Spreads seed and granular fertilizer evenly. Use the setting on the product label, then check it on a measured area.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Handheld spreaderBudget price
A hand-crank spreader for seed and fertilizer on small lawns and patches.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Pump sprayer (1–2 gal)Budget price
A hand-pump tank sprayer for liquid weed control and spot treatments. Keep one only for herbicides, and calibrate it on a measured area first.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Lawn leveling rakeMid-range price
A wide, flat head for dragging topdressing and sand into low spots without burying the grass.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Lawn roller (fill with water)Mid-range price
Presses new sod and seed into the soil. Fill it partway — you want contact, not compaction.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Hose timerMid-range price
Shuts the water off for you. Handy for new seed and sod, which need frequent short waterings.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Patios and walls
Plate compactors are usually rented; these are the small tools you will want to own.
- Rubber malletBudget price
Taps pavers and wall blocks into line without chipping them. A white head won’t leave black marks.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Paver screed rails / leveling kitBudget price
Rails and a straight board for screeding bedding sand to an even 1 in. Pipe and a 2×4 also work.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Polymeric joint sandMid-range price
Hardens in the joints to lock pavers and resist weeds and ants. Follow the bag’s watering instructions closely.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Paver edge restraintBudget price
Holds the outside row of pavers so the patio doesn’t spread. Measure the perimeter — that is how much you need.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Water and ponds
- Rain barrel (50–65 gal)Mid-range price
A lidded barrel with a screened inlet, spigot and overflow. Linkable models make it easy to add a second one later.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Downspout diverterBudget price
Fits into the downspout and sends water to the barrel until it is full, then back down the spout.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Rain barrel linking kitBudget price
Hoses and fittings to join barrels side by side, so overflow from the first fills the next instead of running off.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Soaker hoseBudget price
Weeps water slowly along its length — good for beds and rows, and low enough pressure to run from a rain barrel.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Rain gaugeBudget price
Tells you how much of this week’s inch the sky already delivered. Cheap and surprisingly useful.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - EPDM pond liner (fish-safe)Premium price
Flexible rubber liner that folds into curves and shelves. Check the size against the calculator before ordering — stock sizes step up in whole feet.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Fences and posts
Call your utility locate service before digging any post hole.
- Post-hole diggerMid-range price
A clamshell digger lifts soil out of narrow, deep holes that a spade can’t manage.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Post levelBudget price
Straps to a post and shows plumb in both directions at once.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Concrete pads and footings
Mix bagged concrete a bag or two at a time, and keep it damp while it cures.
- Mortar / concrete mixing tubBudget price
A wide, shallow tub for mixing one or two bags of concrete at a time with a hoe — much easier than mixing in a wheelbarrow.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Mortar / mixing hoeBudget price
A hoe with holes in the blade pulls water through dry mix quickly, so bagged concrete mixes evenly without clumps.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Magnesium floatBudget price
Smooths and closes the surface of a small slab or pad after screeding. A hand float is enough for pads up to a few feet across.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.