12 Tractor Supply Lawn & Garden Tools You Probably Didn't Realize Existed

Lawn care and gardening tasks are not always easy or simple. Working outside introduces plenty of complications that homeowners and even lawn care professionals have to navigate. The heat is a big issue, and working quickly and efficiently often falls by the wayside when stifling heat descends upon your outdoor workspace. Yet, a fast pace can make all the difference in getting out to handle your to-do list and then calling it a day on the yard work. Having the right tools for the job is also crucial when trying to beat the heat or otherwise manage your lawn efficiently.

Most people who handle their own landscaping tasks will have plenty of basic tools at their disposal. The string trimmer, lawn mower, and a bevy of rakes and shovels are all fundamental elements that belong in just about any garage that supports household-led lawn care routines. But these additional, somewhat niche tools from Tractor Supply Co., a solid option for home improvement gear, and particularly for outdoor projects, fill in plenty of gaps left behind by these baseline implements. These 12 tools are interesting and unique, offering something different from the typical approach to lawn and garden care that most tool users may already be familiar with.

A plate compactor is a heavy piece of machinery that won't be the right option for all home improvers seeking to handle their outdoor maintenance tasks. If you don't have any hardscaping around your house or don't plan to add any in the near future, this tool isn't all that useful. However, the plate compactor is a tool that makes absolute mincemeat of flattening and compaction tasks ahead of a variety of hardscaping and construction tasks, including paving or even decking installation, concrete pad pouring, and more. 

I personally own a hand compactor (another tool that many renovators may not have realized existed), and it gets the job done well. But this tool requires so much physical effort that planning out the timeline for an installation legitimately revolves around the time and energy required to bash down the base layer.

The YardMax 2.5 Horsepower Recoil Plate Compactor is a $410 purchase that can change this strategy entirely. It runs on a 79cc engine delivering 2.5 horsepower. The tool produces 5,900 blows per minute and offers up 1,850 pounds of compaction force to smash through flattening and compacting tasks in a hurry. Far more expensive models are available from Tractor Supply and elsewhere, but this is a relatively inexpensive option that delivers huge upgrade potential over a hand tamper.

The GroundWork 5/8-Inch by 400-Foot Hose Reel Cart turns what you might expect a hose reel to look like on its head. The tool holds up to a 400-foot, 5/8-inch-diameter hose, allowing you to move a heavy amount of water supply gear around the yard with ease. The tool runs on all terrain, has 10-inch pneumatic tires that deliver mobility even over bumpy or uneven ground, and includes a metal wire basket underneath the reel to keep your hose ends from dragging while providing a bit of support for a few small hand tools.

The cart is listed for $180, making it a fairly expensive option to organize your garden hose needs. However, if you require significant mobility from your hose to handle extensive watering needs, this is an ideal choice to support both efficient use of the tool and easy mobility. It's also finished in a rust-resistant powder coat that adds durability and a nice overall look.

Many tool users who do their own landscaping will want to invest in a range of cutting solutions. Hedge trimmers, brush cutters, and more all play a role in this setup, but you don't need to invest in each one individually to bring their capabilities into your garage. 

The Wild Badger Power 17-Inch 26cc 4-in-1 Power Head is a $200 purchase that includes four different cutting implements bundled together. The tool includes a brush-cutting disc, a pole saw, an extended hedge trimmer, and a string trimmer head that all attach to a single power head for versatile operational capability with one support tool.

The unit runs on a 26cc gas engine operating with a full crank two-cycle layout. It also features an easy start process, requiring just five pulls to get the engine turning. This defeats one of the major issues that typically come into play when considering whether to invest in gas- or battery-powered lawn tools. The tool also utilizes aluminum supports to reduce the engine's vibration, giving users greater control over the unit throughout its use, regardless of the attachment you're running at any given time.

Edging tools aren't particularly niche or surprising finds, but most homeowners who mow their own lawn will be primarily familiar with powered implements that perform this task. If you're looking for a traditional experience with an edge tool or need a quick and inexpensive replacement for an edger that has recently died on you, the Bully Tools 9-Inch Manual Lawn Edger is a $45 choice that offers plenty of versatility for such a basic piece of equipment. The tool features a T-handle top with rubber grips to provide solid comfort and reduce slippage while you operate the unit. It features an extra-wide footplate and a round blade at the bottom to cut into the edge of your grass more easily. I don't have this specific tool, but I do use a manual edger that's similar in style to cut the areas where my grass meets the walkways. 

Essentially, you'll jump on the tool or ram your foot down on the foot plate just as you would while digging with a shovel. However, the straight blade drives into the grass without any angular direction. This produces a dead straight cutting pattern that chops away at stray bits of grass growing over onto your sidewalks or driveway. The tool is made from 12-gauge steel and is made in the USA, offering an extra reason to consider the implement for discerning buyers looking for domestic products. It also features a powder coat finish to prevent rust and add increased durability. It's backed by a lifetime warranty, too, allowing you to rest easy long into the future.

Lots of homes feature sprinkler systems to give the yard a good soaking. These are particularly important when the rainy weather isn't heavy enough to provide the moisture your lawn needs to stay healthy. But sprinkler systems aren't always designed to cover flower beds and other growing areas, instead focusing on the lawn itself. This is where a tool like the Rain Bird Landscape and Garden Drip Irrigation Watering Kit comes into play. It's an $80 purchase at Tractor Supply and comes with everything you need to get started on automating the irrigation system for your flowers or vegetable garden.

The kit delivers a drip irrigation function, allowing you to slowly provide water to your targeted plants over a lengthy period of time. The kit comes with a 50-foot distribution tube and 50 feet of ¼-inch tubing. It uses micro bubblers, sprayers and drippers to provide a range of watering options within the setup. The kit also comes with a faucet connection and a pressure regulator, as well as a variety of fittings to put the whole system together however you see fit. The setup can water up to 22 plants and offers 80% water savings compared to other options, while eliminating the need to spend precious time watering your underserved target areas by hand.

Lawn mowers are a classic piece of garage equipment, and there are plenty of choices when considering a new mower for your lawn care needs. Naturally, there are cases to be made for both electric and gasoline-powered options, but one tool that may not be on many radars is a gasoline-powered mower that doesn't rely on the classic steel lawnmower blades that demand routine sharpening to operate efficiently. The Earthquake 22-Inch 160cc Walk-Behind String Mower features a sizeable four-cycle Viper engine and sits on 14-inch, "never-flat" wheels that are large enough to roll easily through thick grass and other growth.

The tool is unique in that it cuts with a 22-inch nylon line instead of traditional cutting blades. This makes the tool an odd hybrid sort of unit that sits between a string trimmer and a lawn mower, delivering the versatile cutting capability of the trimmer in a tool body that resembles a push mower. The result is a piece of equipment that delivers the best of both worlds, offering immense cutting power with a line that can reach difficult areas with ease and features quick changes when necessary. The tool is $480 and comes with a 5-year limited warranty, offering good coverage that supports a lengthy lifespan in any garage.

The GroundWork Aluminum Garden Cultivator is a pole tool that features rotating aluminum tines. These digging elements rotate as you push and pull the tool along the ground, tearing away at densely packed soil and ripping apart weed root systems. The tool is priced at $25 and utilizes a 46-inch-long steel handle with a PP grip attached to the end for comfort and a firm grasp. This allows users to aerate garden beds and other areas in their yard without having to bend down to ground level.

A cultivator tool is a solid addition, allowing for routine churning of your garden beds' growing medium to introduce new amendments you've added to the top and to flush the growing space with fresh air. Ahead of new planting or as a routine aeration task, breaking up dense soil and letting the dirt mix around a little can be instrumental in achieving the results gardeners are looking for with vegetable patches, flowers, and more.

Most gardeners are familiar with the hoe and know what it can do in the yard. Hoes are hand tools featuring a rigid blade that's ideal for ripping up weeds, cutting growth down when necessary, and digging in the soil. These are great for digging through heavy clay soils and for breaking up clumped earth, too. But the typical hoe is situated at the end of a long handle that allows for upright, standing operation. The True Temper Handheld Action Hoe takes this tool and flips it on its head with a notably stubby handle. The tool features the classic True Temper handle design, featuring a comfortable and fairly sizeable grip stuck onto the back end (I use a variety of True Temper shovels and rakes in my own yard, for reference here).

Instead of the classic handle, though, this tool features a total length of just over 16.5 inches, making it a one-handed digging tool you'll use at ground level. The tool is designed for precision digging, and it can be a great option for cutting weeds down to size with tactical efficiency. It can cut roots deep under the soil, letting you dislodge unwanted growth without hassle, and it features a hardwood handle for solid durability. The tool is $15, as well, making it fairly inexpensive.

Many gardens suffer from underwatering issues. Getting moisture coverage to extend to all of the nooks and crannies of your growing area is a sore spot for many landscapers trying to stretch their capabilities to the limit. Most people won't have the time to hand-water all the missed edges and corners on a regular basis, leaving these underserved areas to wither with time and potentially turn into an eyesore. The GroundWork 3/8-Inch by 100-Foot Soil Soaker Hose can change that, however. It's priced at $27 and offers a niche capability that you won't want to introduce into your primary garden hose.

This tool features a network of tiny holes bored into its walls and a cap at the far end. Instead of pushing water out to the spout, this tool lets water seep out along its length, delivering water at ground level to penetrate directly into the root layer of your lawn or garden beds. The tool uses up to 70% less water to achieve its aim than a conventional sprinkler, and features a restrictor to control the pressure of the tool, offering flow rates of 0.5 to 1 gallon of water delivered to your target area per foot per hour. Setting the soil soaker hose around the areas that your primary watering system misses allows you to simply connect it to your spout and turn on the flow. Alternatively, it might even make a decent replacement for traditional watering systems altogether in the right lawn.

Traditionally, landscapers have relied on standard chains to grab and rip away stubborn growth that didn't come out of the ground easily under hand-pulling pressure. The $80 Brush Grubber Shrub/Clump Grubber is a tool that adapts this classic use case for a material that isn't a garden tool but could serve in this role in a pinch. This tool features notable improvements to the makeshift removal method, including a three-chain system with a tightening loop to firmly grasp your target material and minimize slippage. It's 4 feet in length overall and features no-slip grip links to drive home its utility as a quality grabbing and pulling option for tearing away unwanted growth.

The tool can grab and remove shrubs and other growth with up to 12-inch diameters. That's a significantly large amount of plant material, and it can make all the difference between a relatively easy removal and having to break out the mattock for a more demanding separation (a tool I use regularly, and specifically a model that's older than I am). Rounding things out, the tool features a bright green finish coating to help make it easier to spot when it's sitting on the ground or hiding somewhere in one of your garage storage drawers.

The typical home improver will have some basic cutting implements available, including shovels, perhaps an axe, and even a mattock, which is a criminally underrated home improvement tool. But a unique take on a hand-powered cutter is the GroundWork 16.25-Inch Brush Axe. It features a carbon steel blade finished in a darkened coating for durability. The tool measures 16.25 inches in total length, and the blade introduces a marked curve at the ends in an upward-facing point. The tool is $40 and offers a multifaceted cutting function that can serve as an equal parts brush slasher, nuanced pruning tool, and even delicate digger.

The tool's curved blade offers a natural athleticism, and it's attached to a lengthy wooden handle that lets the user choke up on the unit for targeted cutting. Naturally, you can also swing from the end of the handle, featuring a flared taper at the edge for better grip when working with its full length. This tool offers a unique take on the bladed garden instrument, and it's one that's sure to fascinate anyone who encounters it.

Picking up seeds, pods, and nuts is a major pain. If you have lots of trees in your neighborhood or see a canopy directly overhead in your yard (or your neighbors'), you'll frequently end up with a littering of tree components on the grass as the seasons continually march onward. Some of this fallen foliage is harmless, and many a child has spent the fall months frolicking in the fallen leaves of their community's surroundings. But seeds and nuts are a different story. These dispersal tools fall from trees and start growing into new saplings, sometimes at a brisk pace. If you don't collect them quickly, they may sprout and develop a strong taproot that's hard to remove.

The Corona Tools QuickCollector Ground Clearing Tool is a $35 purchase and features a wire drum-style design at the end of a 48-inch carbon steel handle. This delivers a long reach that lets you pick up fallen material from a standing position. All the tool requires is a back-and-forth pushing and pulling motion to roll across the ground and snag loose material. It also features a spring steel cage that flexes easily, making pickup a breeze as well as the removal task that comes after you've successfully traversed the yard in search of interlopers from above.