Thanks for taking the time to read my article on the best garden digging fork. If you are new to gardening, there is an assumption that all garden forks are roughly the same type of fork, and do the same job..
That isn't actually the case as there are a number of different types. There are, believe it or not, ten different types of garden forks. The reason that we mention this so early in this article, is because we want you to be sure that you are buying the right one.
In this article we show you the different types of garden fork that are available. We then show you what we believe to be the best garden digging forks, and have created a top list based on actual online buyer ratings.
We have then done a summary review of each garden fork on the list. The prices range from about £9-30, so you should be able to find a fork that suits your wallet.
To help you decide which is the right type of fork to buy, we have included a short table below, that explains the different types of garden forks available, and what they are used for.
In this article we are going to focus on the best digging forks for gardens, and which types of digging forks are the best to use.
Top 8 by Buyer Rating
Below we have listed a good quality range of garden digging forks, and have ranked those by showing the highest buyer rated first. These are ratings that have been given to these forks, after they have bought and used the product, and then taken the time to leave an online review.
1. Spear & Jackson 4550DF Traditional Stainless Steel
- It has 4 prongs made of mirror polished stainless steel
- Measures 90.5 x 18.5 x 12.5 cm
- Weighs 1.95 Kilograms
- This is a traditional digging fork
- It has a weather proofed hardwood shaft which is split to form a wishbone handle
- This is a classically designed and popular digging fork
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £26.00 - 88% customer satisfaction based on 2,500+ buyers
2. GARDENA NatureLine Digging Fork
- This fork has long, sturdy tines that are made of hardened high-quality steel with a high-quality coating
- It has the classic D-Handle that ensures that the fork fits your hand well
- The robust handle is made of high-quality Ashwood from sustainably managed forests
- It is suitable for turning over, removing and loosening soil in a manner that is easy on plant roots - especially in thickly planted areas
- It comes with a 10-year Gardena warranty
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £40.00 - 88% customer satisfaction based on 600+ buyers
3. Kent and Stowe VBPHUKA1108 70100206 Carbon Steel
- This fork is from the high quality Kent and Stowe brand
- It has been designed to work on large soil areas
- An excellent choice for cultivation, soil turning and breaking up soil
- It has a stainless steel head and tines
- It also has a n ash FSC approved handle
- The head size is 30 x 17 cm
- It is perfectly weight balanced for excellent performance
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £24.94 - 88% customer satisfaction based on 150+ buyers
4. Fiskars Light 1019603
- It has 4 prongs made of hardened steel
- Measures 105 x 18 x 9.8 cm
- Weighs 1.12 Kilograms
- Has a lightweight oval-shaped aluminium shaft
- Drop-shaped soft grip handle for optimal grip
- Has a plastic sleeve to help with a good grip and also helps insulate from cold
- Ideal for loosening and turning over soil, harvesting and composting
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £44.00 - 88% customer satisfaction based on 1,200+ buyers
5. Bulldog 7103772890 Evergreen
- It has 4 prongs made of carbon steel
- Measures 102.2 x 26.6 x 7 cm
- Weighs 2.02 Kilograms
- This Bulldog model has an ergonomic handle which reduces stress on the wrists
- It has a 28 Inch wooden (Ash) shaft
- It has been designed to be a very good choice for digging between existing plants and shrubs
- Head size 11.5" x 7.5" (290 x 190mm)
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £29.79 - 84% customer satisfaction based on 150+ buyers
6. Rolson 82652 Ash Handle
- It has 4 prongs made of carbon steel
- Measures 9 X 20 X 99.5
- Weighs 826 grams
- The head has been heat treated with a hammer tone finish
- It has a wooden handle made of ash but please note the handle is plastic
- This one is a good choice for smaller people as the shaft is shorter than on typical garden forks
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £13.00 - 84% customer satisfaction based on 500+ buyers
7. Amtech U1700 Digging Fork
- It has 4 prongs made of drop forged steel
- Measures 100 x 37 x 15 cm
- Weighs 2.12 Kilograms
- 24" handle D-shaped handle
- One of the most affordable forks on the UK marketplace
- This is a light digging for with the main advantage being the price
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £12.99 - 76% customer satisfaction based on 120+ buyers
8. Kingfisher CS560 Border Fork
- It has 4 prongs made of hardened steel
- Measures 14 x 14 x 94.5 cm
- Weighs 2.02 Kilograms
- D-shaped soft grip handle for optimal grip
- This product is slightly smaller than a normal digging fork, but is very effective at getting the job done
- One of the most affordable garden forks on the UK market
Check Amazon UK for Availability - Price when reviewed £12.95 - 84% customer satisfaction based on 300+ buyers
Different Types
Fork Type | Fork Description & Use |
|---|---|
Digging | This is the most popular type of garden fork. It can be used for all types of digging, and is suitable for digging vegetable gardens, lawns, flower beds, and borders. |
Border | This is a smaller and lighter version of the digging fork. It can be used for digging narrow borders and raised beds. This is preferred for lighter digging work. |
Trench | This is as the name would suggest is suitable for digging trenches and also for working with hard core. It is also good for working on harder and stony ground. |
Compost | This is as the name would suggest is suitable for working with manure, compost heaps and also very good for mulching. The most common have four tines with very fine points that allow it to get through the fibres of rotting compost. These tines are usually widely spaced and also curved. |
Hand | These small hand forks are a great choice for working on borders, tubs and pots. They are really useful for weed removal and for breaking up the soil before planting. These are usually sold along with a small gigging spade/trowel. |
Pitch | The pitch fork is mainly used to move straw and hay around, and for mucking out at farms and horse stables. These are usually either 2 or 3 pronged with sharp ends. |
Potato | The pitch fork is of course to help dig up potatoes without damaging them. These forks are also good for working with other root vegetable such as carrots and radishes. They typically have 9 tines and each tine has a rounded end. |
Ballast | This looks like a compost fork but is made to be able to tougher work, such as working with hard core. They typically have 8-9 closely placed tines and the tines form a basket shape. |
Insulated | The pitch fork is the only choice if you suspect that you may be digging close to buried electric or telephone cables. They are made from fibre glass and will have 1 or 2 layers of insulated material around the shaft and handle. |
Telescopic | With the telescopic fork you can adjust the shaft length to suit your frame. These are really only available as weeding forks, though there are a few digging forks available with this telescopic feature. |
The big question we want to answer here is what actually makes a good digging fork, and one that is especially suited to digging up gardens, and for general fork work in borders and garden beds.
Forks are used for a variety of jobs around the garden that include:
- Weeding
- Turning over the earth
- Digging borders
- Digging on raised beds
- Digging flower beds
- Digging vegetable gardens
- Aerating the soil
If it is for any of the above purposes, then you really have three choices of fork which are:
- A standard garden digging fork
- A border garden fork - this is simply a slightly smaller and lighter version than your normal garden fork
- A hand fork - this is mainly used for weeding on borders and beds, and you can also get these with long handles, or with long shafts.
We have described these in more detail below, just so as we can make it clear what the differences are in these fork types. We also include the benefits and drawbacks of using one type over another.
What Digging Fork Do You Need?
Below I have given some more detail on the three different types of forks that can be used in the garden, for general digging and/or weeding purposes.
The Standard Digging Garden Fork
This is the one that most people will be familiar with. This is classed as the general purpose garden fork. It can be used to dig borders but can also be used on larger flower beds, and on vegetable gardens.
These garden forks typically have four, strong tines (prongs) and a long handle. They can deal with any type of digging. It is also worth noting that they are great for working on soil types that are made from heavier clay.
The Border Fork
The border fork is slightly smaller than a garden fork. That makes them much lighter than a standard garden fork, and are also much easier to handle and use.
They are perfect for working in what are classed as tight spaces. That of course includes borders and raised beds. They are also ok to use on smaller flower beds.
As a side note these are also a better choice for those who are no longer as fit as they used to be. I am just over 60 now and a smaller fork like this is a perfect choice for digging borders.
As they are lighter you just won't suffer as much from user fatigue, as you would from handling a larger and heavier fork.
The Hand Weeding Fork
The hand weeding fork is a good choice for getting down close to the border and removing weeds. They can also be used to break up the ground just before planting.
The disadvantage of those is of course that they mean you have to kneel down or bend over to get close to the ground. To counteract that problem, garden tool manufacturers have come up with two alternatives which are:
- Hand forks with long handles
- Hand forks with longer shafts often referred to as weeders
We have summarised those three options in the table just below. In the remainder of this article we shall focus on the standard digging fork. If you want to read about the other types, then please click on the links in the table to read about those.
Fork Type | Uses and Benefits |
|---|---|
Standard Digging Fork | A great general purpose digging fork that is suitable for all types of digging in beds and borders. |
Border Fork | Similar to the digging fork but smaller and lighter, and suitable for lighter digging. |
Hand Fork | The small hand fork normally used for weeding |
So as you can see you have some choices to make. However, if the fork is going to be used for general purpose digging, then you will want to buy a standard garden digging fork.
That type of fork is suitable for all types of digging, be that vegetable beds, flower beds, raised beds and borders.
There are only two real requirements for any type of good quality digging fork:
- It has to be able to do the job quickly and effectively
- It needs to last as you don't want to be constantly having to buy tools all of the time.
My strong advice is therefore to spend just a little bit extra on your purchases, and buy forks that will last. In other words they won't bend, break or rust.
Just below we have completed a summary review of each of the 10 products on our top 10 list of garden digging forks.
After those reviews we have also included a full and detailed buying guide, which is specific to garden digging forks.
Our Verdict on the Best Digging Fork
Hopefully we have provided you with enough information to be bale to make the best choice for a digging fork that will suit your needs. There really are lots of choices to be had, and we have picked out what we believe to be the top 10 according to many online buyers.
Any fork from Fiskars or Spear & Jackson will be a solid reliable choice, though you will pay a little bit more for these. They are however made to last, and they are also better designed in our opinion.
If you only plan on doing some lighter digging, then one of the cheaper models priced at under £15 will do the job, providing you won't be using a garden fork too much.
If you are willing to pay anything between £25-30 for a good quality digging fork, then you should expect that fork to last you for years.
