19 Best Farming Tools for Small Farms in (July) 2023

Are you looking for the best farming tools to help you and your family run a more efficient small farm? Look no further! We’ve rounded up the top picks for efficient farming tools perfect for small farms.
Whether you’re just starting out or have been running a family homestead or farm operation for years, this blog post will shed some light on which tools can help increase efficiency on your property.
Keep reading to learn which tools we recommend when it comes to making sure that each season runs as smoothly as possible. Let’s go!
Why do we need tools?
It might seem pretty self-explanatory why we need farm tools, but let’s talk about what our needs are versus our wants. We would all love to have enough money in the farm budget for that 45k John Deere tractor from day one or that F-350 4×4 Super Duty farm truck but let’s discuss the right tool for the job and the basics of what we can use to get the job done and are readily available at your local store.
Essential Farming Tools
1. Gardening / Work / Farm Gloves
While technically not a tool, gloves can be one of the most helpful job aids if you’re interested in working with your hands outdoors! Not only do they make the process of working with a garden much easier, they also provide much-needed protection that your bare hands may not have while using your tools.
Robust gloves protect your hands from potential cuts or scratches that can come from handling hazardous materials, as well as provide resistance against prickles and thorns, cuts, and abrasions. Additionally, gloved fingers allow for a better gripping ability when trying to pull out weeds or weeding tools properly. All in all, whether you are an experienced green thumb or new to the job, investing in a few good pairs of gardening gloves is highly recommended!

2. Wheel Barrow
Utilizing a wheelbarrow can be a great tool to take on any outdoor tasks you may have. Whether carrying mulch and plants for your gardening project, hauling supplies around the garden, or transferring heavy items from one place to another, it’s a versatile tool that can save you time and effort!
Not only does using a wheelbarrow reduce the strain on many muscles and joints, but it also allows you to move heavier items and produce less physical danger. You’ll love how effortlessly a wheelbarrow helps out when tackling big projects.

3. Broad Fork
Have you heard of a broad fork? A broad fork is a gardening tool that works to aerate the soil through double, triple, or quad-tined prongs, allowing for better circulation of air, moisture, and nutrients. If you want your garden to thrive, this is an essential tool! Not only does it create fewer clumps in the soil, but also improves its overall health and structure.
Additionally, using a broad fork tool requires less effort than other tools like spades or rototillers because it minimizes compaction of the roots. Plus, it’s easy to maneuver and helps preserve beneficial microbes like mycorrhizal fungi. Because the soil is not turned, buried seeds do not get turned and therefore there are fewer weed problems in the long run.

4. Buckets
This might seem like a weird one, but we have about 20+ buckets on our small family farm. We use them to throw weeds in, (namely Puncture vine) carry tools to a section of the farm, add water and place our fresh cut flowers and veggies into, make our soil microbe solution, and so much more. The uses are endless. Make sure you put them away when you are done, the sun can take a toll on them and make them brittle. They are inexpensive and have a lot to offer.

5. Water Hoses
A garden hose is a great tool to have on the farm if you’re interested in job efficiency and getting the job done quickly and properly. It eases up the process of watering your plants while being light and easy to maneuver around. Provided you get a sturdier one that can withstand varying weather conditions, using a garden hose is integral to making sure your job gets done without any fuss. From watering your crops and plants to cleaning out buckets or pens they can make farmers’ and homesteaders’ lives a bit easier. So, if you want your job completed with maximum convenience and time efficiency, investing in a good quality garden hose will be worth your while!

6. Dripline Irrigation
This was one of the first things we invested in on our farm. In California, water is expensive so we installed drip irrigation in all our 4×20-foot growing rows.
Drip irrigation allows you to get the water exactly where it is needed, closest to the plant roots. Even on very windy days, with 35-50+ mph winds our plants and crops are happy. All the lines are run off of hose bib water timers.

7. Cutting tools
This can range from simple hand saws, axe, utility knives, sawsall, grinders, or my favorite, a machete. If you’re interested in taking on the job of managing your own farm, you’ll need the right tools to make sure it runs as efficiently and productively as possible.
Investing in a set of these tools can be an invaluable asset to run your farm properly, from tending the crops, and flowers to preparing wood for livestock enclosure or firewood. They provide accuracy and control for various critical tasks like trimming branches, branch pruning and turning tree stumps into firewood logs. Cutting tools will help you complete your daily chores quickly and more efficiently and enjoy the fruits of your labor in no time.

8. Garden Cart / Utility Cart / Yard Cart
Whatever you might call them, we have found our utility and garden carts indispensable. We use them to haul our buckets of flowers and veggies, place our pumpkins harvests on, and take out seedling trays ready for transplant. Our toddler like to ride in it too.
It can help save you valuable time and money by allowing you to move heavy loads effortlessly over rough terrain; this is especially true if you have lots of property to cover and do it in less time. The carts have saved our backs on numerous occasions, our toughest cart can hold up to 1000lbs. We use them almost every day.

9. Rakes
There are 10+ types of rakes that make useful tools that I can think of, but which are the most useful on the farm or homestead? The number one rake to have is a metal bow rake with a wood or fiberglass handle. It is sturdy enough to use on all surfaces, including clay, sand, grass, and gravel. The tines can move and grab soil, grass clippings and leaves easily. The back of the rake can be used to push and pull soil to level out rows.

10. Rotary Tiller
A rotary tiller is an excellent tool to make gardening or farming tasks easier and more efficient. Tillers can be used to break up the soil, mix in nutrients and amendments, or create furrows for planting row crops. Additionally, they are capable of making light work of established sod, weeds, and other vegetable matter that can impede garden growth. This makes it possible to put newly tilled gardens into production much faster than if using traditional manual techniques. Since different types of tillers are available with various power sources, one can find the right model for any size garden project. Investing in a tiller is a great choice for any gardener who’s looking to make their experience better in every way possible.

11. Compost Soil Thermometer
Using a compost thermometer to monitor your compost bin is one of the best ways to continuously create nutrient-rich soil for all your gardening needs. Compost thermometers measure the heat emitting from a compost pile, allowing us to keep the optimal temperature and moisture levels in the bin and compare them to different stages of decomposition. With this information gathered, gardeners can adjust the consistency of their compost pile according to what they are hoping to get out of it: be it nutrient-rich soil or quick decomposition with the maximum amount of nutrients. This tool offers an easy way to ensure that our home compost systems are working effectively and efficiently. A compost thermometer also allows us to quickly tell if there are any issues brewing in our piles that need attention, so it is definitely worth investing in one!

12. Lawnmower
From cutting our front and back yard grass to mowing down the weeds in our 24″ walkways between planting rows. Our lawnmower is a must-have and welcome addition to any small farm and homesteading operation.
We even use our mower to chop up weeds, flowers, and veggies that we plan on composting. We stack them all in a pile and run them over with the lawnmower. We use the bagging option to collect the mulched heap pile and empty it into our compost pile as a nitrogen source. True and real recycling at its finest. Just remember to keep the metal blades sharp and in good condition.

13. Weed Wacker / Eater / String Trimmer
One of the most indispensable power tools we have on the farm is our weed whackers. Also called weed eaters, string trimmers, weed trimmers, etc. Whatever you call it, they all do the same job. You can use them for cutting weeds, clearing new and old flower/vegetable beds and even chopping up leaves to use as mulch. Some models even have available attachments such as a chainsaw, lawn edgers, and hedge trimmers.

14. Shovels
15. Hand Pruner / Shears
16. Trowels
17. Seeder
18. Harvest Baskets / Crates
19. Tractor
21. Knee Pads
23. Seed Starting Trays
I’ll update the rest of this list soon. 🙂
FAQ
What are tools used by a farmer?
While there are many tools used by farmers depending on the size of their farm. Here is a quick breakdown of some of the many tools used. by a farmer.
Gloves, wheelbarrows, broad forks, tillers, weed whackers/weed eaters/string trimmers, shovels, hand pruners/shears, trowels, seeder, harvest baskets/crates, tractor, post digger, etc.
What is the most common farm equipment?
The most common farm equipment used on a farm would be tractors with different attachments and implements such as balers, combines, plows, mowers, planters, and sprayers.
You will also find rotary tillers, lawnmowers, weed eaters/ whackers, and many other tools and equipment.
What are simple farming tools?
These are the simplest types of farming tools. They have been around for decades. These include hoes and rakes, hand forks, broad forks, garden forks, pruning and cutting shears, pick axes, spades, and chopping axes, hatchets and hand trowels, shovels, watering cans, sickles, wheelbarrows, pruning saws, knives, machetes, hand saws, etc.
Most of them are single and double-bladed implements. They were most often hand-forged and made by blacksmiths.
How many tools are used in farming?
There are 100s tools used in farming. While tools are used by farmers in their farming practice. Not all tools are needed or used by every farmer. Depending on the size of a farm, small or large. Some of these tools include Gloves, wheelbarrows, broad fork, rotary tillers, weed whacker / eater/string trimmers, shovels, hand pruners/shears, trowels, seeder, harvest baskets/crates, tractors, post digger, etc.