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Join Which? GardeningBest Buys for autumn gardening: 7 tools that impressed our experts
Make autumn gardening a breeze with these top-performing tools from our independent tests
Hannah has dedicated her career to understanding what matters to consumers, and writes practical, trustworthy advice to help people spend wisely and make everyday life easier.
Autumn marks the start of the new year in the garden, with plenty to tidy up and get ready for the spring ahead.
As well as essential garden maintenance, it's also the perfect time to plant spring bulbs, perennials, trees and shrubs, giving them the best chance to grow before dry summer weather returns.
Working through your autumn gardening tasks doesn't need to feel like hard work. Reliable tools can help you get the jobs done with ease.
Whether you're clearing fallen leaves or protecting your outdoor space for the colder months ahead, these Best Buy products can help you save time in the garden.
This article is exclusively for Which? members. Join Which? or log in now to reveal the gardening tools that impressed our experts.
1. A lightweight leaf blower for tackling small tasks
This leaf blower isn't the most powerful on test, but it still does a brilliant job of clearing fallen autumn leaves from flower beds, lawns and patios.
It feels very light to use and has comfortable handles. The trigger is easy to use too, and good for controlling speed.
While the battery life is fairly short, it takes little time to charge. At an affordable price, you'll also be getting a leaf blower that delivers Best Buy quality alongside Great Value.
Manca Virant, Which? senior researcher and writer, says: 'A Best Buy leaf blower delivers sufficient power to clear debris, while offering enough control to direct leaves precisely and avoid damage to surrounding plants or flower beds.'
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2. Sharp secateurs for easy pruning
These secateurs have a very sharp blade, which makes cutting effortless.
We also found them very comfortable to use and easy to wipe clean. Their sharpness was also like new at the end of the trial period.
Ceri Thomas, Which? Gardening editor, says: 'Autumn and winter are busy times for cutting back plants. Secateurs are perfect for cutting stems up to pencil-thickness. Any bigger and you want to use loppers or a pruning saw instead.'
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3. A stable, ready-assembled wheelbarrow
Whether you're lugging compost or rearranging plants, this fully assembled wheelbarrow can help you tackle your autumn garden tasks straight away.
It has a shallow pan, is easy to tip and the contents didn't move around in the barrow as we pushed it in our tests.
It also runs well over most surfaces and the handle width and length are comfortable. However, some of our testers found the moulded ridges on the hand grips uncomfortable.
Sarah Wisson, Which? senior researcher and writer, says: 'Always try a barrow for size before you buy. The handle length, height and width between the handles can make a big difference to manoeuvrability, as can the unloaded weight of the barrow.'
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4. A powerful pressure washer for post-summer clean ups
This pressure washer impressively cleans all outdoor surfaces. Even the gentler nozzle is able to thoroughly clean surfaces, such as decking.
However, the water comes out with such force that it could damage wooden decking or pointing around paving, so the flow must be controlled with care.
Nevertheless, it's comfortable to use, and the various parts click together easily. The hose also gives you plenty of reach and is especially useful for cleaning large areas of hard surfaces.
When combined with the best patio cleaner from our tests it can leave paving slabs spotless in minutes.
Manca Virant, Which? senior researcher and writer, says: 'A good pressure washer will quickly and efficiently clean the dirt from your patio.
'It's also important that it doesn't cause damage if it's very powerful, so finding the right distance, nozzle and pressure to work with is key to using one.'
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5. An affordable, protective pair of gardening gloves
Gardening gloves are a handy solution for tackling thorns and messy garden tasks. But you don't need a premium-priced, all-leather pair of gloves to achieve excellent results.
These budget-friendly gardening gloves are just as effective. Our experts use them on a daily basis because they're resilient, keep your hands dry and protected, and wash well.
We also like the fit of these gloves. The nitrile palm offers some protection from thorns and prickles, although it can feel a little sticky when operating machinery.
Ceri Thomas, Which? Gardening editor, says: 'A good pair of gloves keeps your hands clean and protected, while also allowing you to feel what you're doing so you can do a great job.'
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6. The best garden shredder we've tested
This shredder is able to chomp through large amounts of garden waste. The internal drum mechanism efficiently pulls branches and prunings into the machine, producing a highly consistent fine mulch.
It refused to stall in our rigorous tests, coping well with dense waste, thick conifer prunings and tough fibrous material.
Even when tested at maximum branch capacity, it had only a single minor blockage, which the machine's auto-reverse feature cleared in just five seconds.
While it's undeniably large and bulky, the handles and wheels make transport smooth, although you'll need to move slowly to keep the unit properly balanced.
Manca Virant, Which? senior researcher and writer, says: 'Garden shredders are large, powerful tools that take a fair amount of your storage space. However, if you have a lot of leaves and garden debris to shred, it's worth investing in a good model to make your life easier.'
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7. A comfortable garden kneeler
This thickly cushioned garden kneeling pad provides outstanding protection and an ideal level of support.
It's very slim and has a carry handle, making it easy to transport around your garden.
It's also simple to keep clean, requiring a quick brush or wipe down. It dries well and showed no signs of deterioration during our rigorous tests.
Ceri Thomas, Which? Gardening editor, says: 'Working low down next to the plants can be very uncomfortable if your knees aren't cushioned or are left feeling damp from the soil.
'This kneeler meant we could enjoy gardening rather than grumbling about aches and pains.'
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