15 Types Of Garden Hoes And How They All Differ

We dug into the world of groundskeeping and discovered 50 types of garden hoes. Easy Digging, an authority on digging tools, simplified our research by classifying them into five groups based on "what they are most useful for, the action used to operate the tool, and what soil type they work best in." The categories are as follows: digging hoes, draw hoes, reciprocating hoes, flat hoes, and sweeping hoes. 

Even though we cannot cover each variety of hoe, we will discuss the most common to help you make smart purchases in the future. When it comes to garden hoes, there are two things to note: the purpose of the tool and the action which makes them work. Digging hoes, for instance, use a chopping action to penetrate and work the soil. Reciprocating hoes, on the other hand, use a to-and-fro scrubbing motion to remove weeds in medium to soft soils. If you want to choose the right garden hoe every time, continue reading.

Grub hoes are part of the most common types of garden hoes. Essentially, they are digging hoes because they use swift, downward motions to dive into the soil at a 45-degree angle to sever root systems or stems. Weed Cut says that a standard grub hoe weighs between two to five pounds and consists of a shaft connected to a heavy-duty blade. 

After swinging this garden tool into the soil, you can pull it towards your body to further loosen the roots or lift it high to avoid disturbing the soil. Be sure to always use your grub tool on relatively flat lands or soils devoid of rocks. See how to use a grub hoe.

A common misconception is that an eye hoe and a grub hoe are the same tools. They are not. The former is classified as a draw hoe and the latter, a digging hoe. An eye hoe, otherwise known as scovil hoe, is the oldest, stoutest variety of garden hoes. It is a heavy-duty garden tool, traditionally featuring a smooth, ash wood handle that fits snugly into a tapered collar or hole atop the blade, Red Pig Tools describes. 

This garden tool is great for hacking large weeds and grass clumps, as well as scraping through the soil to eliminate small weeds. Eye hoes are one of the most common types of garden hoes. See how to use an eye hoe.

Foreseeably, these types of gardening hoes feature a beautiful heart-shaped blade made of carbon steel and long handles that resemble a baseball bat. They are particularly easy on the back muscles because they use a push and pull motion instead of a chopping action. Per Gardeners' World, heart-shaped hoes are sturdy and can be used to break up hard ground at the start of the season or loosen compacted soil caused by erosion. 

Its narrow blade head makes it easy to get to all those weeds located in tricky spots and between plants. When using a heart-shaped hoe, ensure that the blade lies flat on the ground. See how to use a heart-shaped hoe.

Field hoes are one of the best types of gardening hoes for eliminating dense, established weeds. They possess heavy-duty blades made of high-grade tempered steel, which penetrate soils at a 45-degree angle. The hoe head has three sharp edges — the base and both sides — giving them superior cutting power. 

This, according to Backyard Diggs, makes field hoes the perfect gardening tool for chopping hardened earth, aggressive weeding, breaking up sod, landscaping, and cultivating crops. In most cases, field hoes have a 40- to 60-inch handle made of wood or fiberglass, which locks firmly in place in the eye of the hoe head. See how to use a field hoe.

What we have here is a scuffle hoe, one of the popular types of gardening hoes. It features a blade that is sharp on both edges and can cut weeds in soil when pushed forward or drawn back, via Weed Cuts. The depth of cut achieved with this tool largely depends on how deeply or lightly you move it through the earth. 

You can work a scuffle hoe on the surface of the soil to cut root crowns or angle it ¼ to ½ inch deep to sever the roots systems of a weed. Be sure to sharpen your scuffle hoe regularly to maintain accuracy and optimal performance. See how to use a scuffle hoe.

These types of gardening hoes are termed light draw hoes because they have longer and lighter necks, which permit adjustment, unlike standard draw hoes. Once you find a comfortable angle, you will notice how quickly and effortlessly they slide on the ground to cultivate, destroy weeds, or break up soils. 

Swan neck hoes, also known as half-moon hoes, have incredibly sharp forged edges to help you pull weeds easily at the soil surface without chopping the soil, via Backyard Digs. In most cases, their design consists of a curved neck, long handle timber or metal shaft, and powder-coated carbon steelhead. See how to use a swan neck hoe.

Swage hoes, otherwise known as Ploskorez hoes, are native to Russia and are considered one of the most popular types of gardening hoes. They are the most versatile tool on this list, capable of shaping growing plants, mixing up concrete, slashing overgrown weeds, and performing a slew of weeding tasks. They can also be used for soil preparation work, mixing and applying fertilizer and compost into the soil, and planting seeds and seedlings in hard-to-reach places. 

As Easy Digging writes, swage hoes are compact, made of stainless steel, and typically are 5 inches long with a 1.5-inch wide blade. See how to use a swage hoe.