Best Garden Tools: Rogue Hoe, NRG Trowel, and Zeon Electric Riding Mower

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The amazing, ergonomic NRG garden trowel is the first of our best garden tools.
The amazing, ergonomic NRG garden trowel is the first of our best garden tools.
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Hustler Turf’s zippy, zero-turn Zeon electric riding mower easily makes our Tools for Wiser Living list.
Hustler Turf’s zippy, zero-turn Zeon electric riding mower easily makes our Tools for Wiser Living list.
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The first of our best garden tools, Rogue’s hard-working 70G hoe does triple-duty.
The first of our best garden tools, Rogue’s hard-working 70G hoe does triple-duty.

As we all know, there’s a lot of unnecessary, or necessary but poorly made, stuff on the market. To help you identify products that meet high standards of design, materials, and/or function, we’re marking Earth Day 2009 by naming our first three MOTHER EARTH NEWS Tools for Wiser Living. Calling them the “Best Garden Tools” might be a little presumptuous, but they’ll certainly stack up favorably against others of their kind.

An Essential Low-Tech Tool

There’s nothing like a quality hoe to keep weeds in their place. We’ve tested many hoes over the years, and our all-time multipurpose favorites are the Rogue garden and field hoes. Instead of the cheap, lightweight metal used in most commercial hoes, Rogue hoes are handcrafted from high-quality tempered steel made from recycled agricultural disc blades. The blades hold a sharp edge extremely well, and have a slight curve that helps the hoe cut into the soil. These simple, classic hoe designs are offered in several styles and widths, including extra long handles for taller gardeners.

We thought the Rogue Hoes might be too heavy for routine garden weeding, but the extra weight means you don’t have to chop as hard. Some models, such as the 7-inch wide “70G,” do triple duty, easily cutting irrigation ditches and reshaping raised beds.

These hoes are versatile and superbly designed with high quality materials and recycled steel — truly a Tool for Wiser Living. You can order Rogue hoes from sales@roguehoe.com. Prices start at $26.

  • Published on Feb 19, 2009
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