The weather is warming up, so it’s time to get outside and into the garden. Gardening is a relaxing hobby, but it is most enjoyable with high-quality tools. We did the research to find all of the gardening tools made in the USA and surface which brands are still sourcing and assembling locally. Below are the results of our research.
Complete List of Gardening Tool Brands Made in the USA
Wilcox’s products are all proudly stamped with a ‘Made in the USA’ emblem and are backed with a lifetime guarantee, showing their faith in the quality of their products. Their offerings include trowels, weeders, scoops, digging hoes, and some miscellaneous items. Wilcox also offers the option to customize some of their products by having your logo or name embossed into the stainless steel.
Based in Kansas, Prohoe Manufacturing is a family-owned business that has been making field and garden hoes since 1990. What started as a Christmas gift has expanded into an offering of over 60 products, including crossover flat hoes, field hoes, fire and trail building hoes, garden hoes, scrapers/rakes, scuffle/colinear hoes, and short-handled hoes.
All of Prohoe’s products are crafted by hand and made using recycled agricultural disc blades, which are not only incredibly strong tempered steel but also environmentally friendly.
Shovels, rakes, and diggers are some of the most important garden tools that you can have, and Bully Tools offers quality versions made in the USA. Bully products all feature lightweight fiberglass handles with soft-touch rubber grips for comfort. They also come with reliable 11-gauge American steel for long-term durability. The digger and shovel don’t come with very sharp edges, but offer decent performance for their price range, making them a good solid value for dependable performance.
As the name suggests, Fisher Blacksmithing handcrafts all of its gardening equipment individually using traditional blacksmithing techniques. Their products are made using steel heated in the forge, which is then shaped over an anvil using a hammer and tongs. Fisher’s garden tools are set into hand-turned American black walnut handles, meaning that there are no welds in these tools, making them more durable and sturdy. You can also get some items with hand-stitched leather over the wooden handles.
The handcrafted gardening tool set from Fisher Blacksmithing features five common gardening tools, all with hand-forged steel ends and black-walnut handles for comfort and strength. All the handles are fixed to the blades of the tools using solid steel rivets for strength. Featuring a stylish appearance, the most common handle tools are included in the set, making it useful for anyone looking to get into gardening.
Their product range includes trowels (in various shapes and sizes), planting dibbles, rakes, hoes, gardening forks, dandelion diggers, crevice tools, and a garden tool belt.
CobraHead is based in Cambridge, Wisconsin, and makes several hand tools for gardening, though their most popular product by far is a weeder and cultivator. This nifty tool was developed by gardeners for gardeners to plow through any soil to break up soil or root out pesky weeds. The blade is made of tempered steel and is made to be super durable. It comes with a recycled plastic handle designed to be easy to grip and feel comfortable in either hand.
Garden Works USA makes a bunch of top-shelf gardening tools, several of which are made in the USA. Here you can purchase everthing from gloves to rakes, soil scoops, weeders, cultivators, and trowels. Their website is easy to navigate and even has a section dedicated to “USA Made Tools”.
Brinly is a well-known American company that produces lawn equipment. They have a few lawn and garden products made in the USA, although not everything they offer is produced domestically. The country of origin is clearly labeled on their product pages though, under the “Specs” tab.
If you’re interested in just a small garden for your apartment or home, the EarthBox kit works well because of its simplicity and effectiveness. This company produces DIY gardening kits for various purposes as well as a few other handy gardening tools. Standard EarthBox kits include an aeration tray, planter boxes, fertilizers, potting mix, and a tube for watering.
Midwest Tool & Cutlery has a great selection of gardening tools and has been a trusted name in the industry for nearly 80 years. They pride themselves on durability and performance for all their tools, and we think they certainly hold up (I have a pair of their snips).
Red Pig Garden Tools hand-forges tools for home gardeners, landscapers, and farmers alike. They have just about everything you need, from digging tools to rakes and more. Everything is hand-forged with fire, steel, and an anvil.
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Garden Tools
How to Find Gardening Tools Made in the USA
Rather than just handing you a list of American made gardening tools, we want to help you learn how to find the best ones yourself. These tips below dive into the world of gardening tool manufacturing, covering where materials come from, what different labels mean, and tips for finding top-notch tools made in the USA. Let’s start by breaking down what “made in the USA” really means and how to understand it.
What Does “Made In The USA” Mean?
When looking for American-made products, it is crucial to understand what constitutes “made in the USA.” The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defines it as a product that is “all or virtually all” made in the USA – including all parts, processing, and labor.
For more information on FTC regulations regarding “made in the USA,” check out our labeling guide.
Materials
One of the most important things to consider to look at when purchasing products made in the USA is the materials used and where the materials come from. For example, when you’re looking for shovels and hoes, the handles and the blades need to be made from American materials. The same is true for pruning shears and other gardening tools. Many gardening tools are made from steel, wood, or plastic.
Steel
Steel is used for various gardening tools, such as shovels and hoes. Although China is the world’s leading steel producer, the USA doesn’t do too shabby and comes fourth in the world for steel manufacturing. Additionally, US-made steel is around three times stronger than Chinese-made steel. So, you should ensure you’re getting steel tools made in the USA if you’re after quality. But since most manufacturers looking to cut costs will generally opt for the cheaper Chinese steel, double-check the material’s country of origin before you purchase your gardening tool.
Wood
Wood is also commonly used for gardening tools as handles. US lumber production is a major industry, so you can easily find wooden gardening tools made with domestically sourced wood. However, it is important to make sure the wood is responsibly sourced. Look for tools made with sustainably harvested wood or FSC-certified wood, which have been sustainably harvested and contain no toxic chemicals. Also, it’s worth keeping in mind that despite America’s rather large lumber industry, China still ranks higher than the USA in terms of lumber production. So, double-check the country of origin before purchasing.
Plastic
Plastic is another popular material for gardening tool handles. As with most other materials, China is the number one producer of this material, but the USA produces 20% of the world’s plastic, which is not an insignificant amount! As a general rule, you’ll be more likely to come across plastic made in China, but with a bit of research, you should also be able to find American-made plastic.
Labeling
The second step to finding US-made gardening tools is to look at the labeling. Title 19, Chapter 4, Section 1304 of the US Code states that all imported products must be labeled accordingly. This law, in addition to the FTC’s protection of the “made in the USA” label, helps us more easily find US-made products.
But keep in mind that the FTC does not do the best job at policing the usage of the label. There is no pre-approval process, so it’s up to companies to determine whether or not their products meet the “made in the USA” criteria.
You should also watch out for confusing verbiage on certain labels. Companies may use labels similar to “made in the USA” to confuse consumers. For example, “assembled in the USA” or “manufactured in the USA” mean that only a portion of the manufacturing takes place in the USA as they may use foreign materials. Another label companies often use is “made in America,” but America can refer to Canada or Mexico as well.
A final thing to watch out for is patriotic imagery, such as using the American flag on labels. Just because you see a flag does not automatically mean that the product is made in the USA.
Other Tips
There are a few other tips to keep in mind when looking for American made gardening tools.
Check Online
Go on the company’s website to look for information about the country of origin of their product. If a product is truly made in the USA, you should be able to find this fact advertised on their website. Specifically, check out the company’s About Us page or the production information page. On the other hand, if the product is made abroad, you’re more likely not to find the country of origin. This is because companies are not required to state the country of origin on their online or promotional materials, unlike the physical labeling of the product.
Check Social Media
Many companies now have accounts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where they post updates about their products and may provide information about where their materials are sourced and where their product is made. You can also use these platforms to contact the company directly and ask questions if you need more information.
Call the Manufacturer
If you’re still unsure if a gardening tool is made in the USA, you can always call the manufacturer directly. They should be able to provide you with detailed information about their production process and the materials used.
Gardening Tools Not Made in the USA
There are several brands that are not making their gardening tools in the USA. We did a little digging to find out where they are manufacturing their gardening tools. See the full list below – we’ll continue to update this as we find out more.
- Felco – Made in Switzerland.
- Nisaku – Made in Japan.
- Fiskars – Made in Finland.
- Radius Garden – Made in China.
- Corona Tools – Have factories in Spain, the United States, Mexico, Columbia, Brazil, China, and India.
