My Favorite Low Cost Farm Tools
We farmers need rugged tools that are ready to perform a task quickly and efficiently. I must admit, I am a tool abuser, and durable tools are a requirement around here. I am also a tool lover, who feels immense joy when a tool fits into the overall system nicely, and does so without breaking the bank or the back.
The tools on this list are my favorites on the farmlet right now. They are low to no cost tools that I rely on, and I will explain how and why they are better than (the many!) others I have tried in almost 2 decades of farming. Perhaps they will have a place in your farm system too, and I’ll try to make the argument for avoiding spendy options that are just capitalizing on the popularity of small scale market gardening, and are not top quality.
Of course- there are plenty of things (not listed here) that are required for farming like I do which are cheaper… or… vastly more expensive than the items listed here, there is no silver bullet tool- but its nice to put together a constellation of tools that help your farm function at its best level.
You can click on the photos for links to online vendors that carry these products or equivalents (I do not have any affiliation with these companies FYI, nor do I get a cut)
The Low Cost Tools:
Japanese Weeding Sickle Hoe
$11.44
This is the perfect hand hoe for me. The construction makes it so that the blade doesn’t ‘pop right off’ when you are working on a stubborn weed, or just using it for a single season like the ones sold by Johnnys that have a weld that gives out causing that problem. Made for either right or left handed folks.
I use this to do any sort of “on the knees” weeding, but it is also my go-to transplanting tool, which I also use to tug my plug tray along behind me.
Univent Vent Opener
$49.99
This contraption attaches to panel windows or louvered vents in a greenhouse. They are installed on the inside of the greenhouse, and the black cylinder is filled with wax- which expands and contracts in response to rising and lowering temperatures and as it does it opens and closes your greenhouse vents automatically. There is a bit of threading that you can “set the temperature” that your vent opens at, mine opens around 75* (I just tested this in situ, its not labelled with temps or anything). It takes a little modification to install on a louvered vent as I have in this photo, but all it takes is drilling out a small metal rivet. for larger (heavier) vents, it’s also possible to instal multiple vent openers on the same vent for extra strength. No electricity needed.