Essential tools to buy for uprooting: weeds, trees, and shrubs!
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Got stubborn weeds, a tree, or bushes with tricky roots?
You're in the right place!
At Yoojo, we are lucky to have access to thousands of gardeners who help individuals every day with many kind of gardening services.
So, I asked them: "What tools are best for uprooting weeds, trees, and shrubs?"
You’ll find their answers in this guide, including:
- a summary table of the most important tools,
- detailed descriptions of their functions,
- photos of each tool,
- and their prices.
Let’s get started!
Summary
- Summary table of essential tools for uprooting in the garden
- All the essential manual tools to uproot weeds
- Machines to remove weeds effortlessly
- All the manual tools to uproot a tree
- All the machines to easily remove a tree
- All the tools to uproot small shrubs
- 💶 If I buy all the tools, how much will it cost?
Summary table of essential tools for uprooting in the garden
For those of you looking to save time, I’ve put together a summary table with all the crucial information to make your purchasing decision easier.
Below, you’ll find specific details about each tool.
| Tool name | Function | Essential or optional | Average price in the UK (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
Hand tools for uprooting weeds | |||
| Hoe (or manual weeder) | A tool with a narrow, long blade, ideal for pulling weeds out deeply. | Essential | £8 |
| Weeding knife | A knife with a thin, pointed blade for removing weeds between paving stones or in hard-to-reach places. | Optional | £7 |
| Hand hoe | A tool with a flat blade, useful for cutting weeds just below the soil surface. | Essential | £12 |
| Weeding fork | A small fork for pulling out weeds with deeper roots. | Optional | £10 |
| Root extractor | A pincers-like tool that allows you to grip and pull weeds with their roots. | Essential | £14 |
| Garden claw (or hand rake) | A multi-pronged tool for aerating the soil and uprooting weeds. | Optional | £8 |
| Hand auger | Used for drilling holes and removing weeds with long roots. | Optional | £16 |
| Secateurs | For cutting woody or thick weeds at the base. | Optional | £20 |
| Garden trowel | A small spade for digging up weeds with shallow roots. | Essential | £6 |
Machines for uprooting weeds | |||
| Root puller | A specialized machine for extracting roots from the soil | Optional | £1200 |
| Thermal weeder | Used to burn weeds down to their roots | Optional | £60 |
| Brush cutter | Useful for cutting tall grass and small roots | Optional | £180 |
| Rotavator (Tiller) | Allows for soil turning and root extraction | Essential | £200 |
| Motorised cultivator | Used for surface soil work and uprooting small plants | Optional | £200 |
| Mini excavator | A small digger used for digging and removing roots | Optional | £4000 |
| Scarifier | Used to aerate the soil and remove weeds and their roots | Optional | £120 |
Hand tools for uprooting a tree | |||
| Axe | For cutting thicker roots and branches. | Essential | £25 |
| Spade | For digging around roots and removing soil. | Essential | £20 |
| Pickaxe | For loosening soil and cutting deep roots. | Essential | £15 |
| Crowbar | For levering and lifting difficult roots or stumps. | Optional | £30 |
| Ropes or Straps | For pulling and stabilising the tree during removal. | Optional | £12 |
| Hoe | For scraping soil and clearing roots. | Optional | £8 |
| Winch | For lifting and moving heavy stumps and roots. | Optional | £120 |
| Chainsaw | For cutting branches and chopping the tree into manageable sections. | Essential | £160 |
| Excavator | For digging around the roots and lifting the tree. Excavators are particularly useful for large trees. | Optional | £16000 |
| Stump Grinder | For grinding the remnants of the stump after tree removal. It reduces the stump to wood chips. | Optional | £3200 |
| Winch | Used to pull the felled tree out of the ground, especially useful for large trees or when access is limited. | Essential | £400 |
| Forestry Grab | Attached to a digger or tractor, it grabs and transports tree trunks. | Optional | £800 |
Tools for uprooting a shrub | |||
| Terrateck shrub puller | Facilitates the complete removal of shrubs; the best tool for the job. | Essential | £160 |
| Pruner | For cutting thicker branches and main stems. | Essential | £32 |
| Pruning saw | For cutting larger branches and roots. | Essential | £28 |
| Spade | For digging around the shrub and removing soil. | Essential | £20 |
| Garden fork | For lifting roots and loosening the soil. | Optional | £24 |
| Crowbar | For levering and assisting in uprooting resistant shrubs. | Optional | £32 |
| Pickaxe | For breaking up and loosening soil around roots. | Optional | £28 |
Now, let me explain everything you need to know about each tool:
All the essential manual tools to uproot weeds
If you enjoy working gently, in harmony with nature, or if you're on a budget, these manual tools will be ideal for you.
Hoe
- Usage: A tool with a narrow, long blade, ideal for uprooting weeds deeply.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Easy to use, but requires some strength for deep roots.
Weeding Knife
- Usage: A knife with a thin, pointed blade for removing weeds between paving stones or in hard-to-reach places.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Precise, but less effective for large areas.
Hoe
- Usage: A tool with a flat blade, useful for cutting weeds just below the soil surface.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Effective for large areas, but requires some skill.
Weeding Fork
- Usage: A small fork for uprooting weeds with deeper roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Allows for deep rooting, but takes more time.
Root Extractor
- Usage: A fork-like tool with two prongs that allows you to grasp and pull weeds with their roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very effective for stubborn roots, but can be tiring to use.
Garden Claw (or Hand Scraper)
- Usage: A tool with multiple teeth for aerating the soil and uprooting weeds.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Facilitates soil aeration, but less precise for small weeds.
Hand Auger
- Usage: Used to drill holes and remove weeds with long roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very effective for deep-rooted weeds, but requires effort.
Pruners
- Usage: For cutting woody or thick weeds at the base.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Useful for larger weeds, but not suitable for small roots.
Garden Trowel
- Usage: A small shovel for digging up weeds with shallow roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very maneuverable, but not effective for large areas of weeds.
Machines to remove weeds effortlessly
If you prefer to minimize your effort and your budget allows, here is a list of machines that will handle most of the weed removal for you.
Thermal weeder
- Usage: Used to burn weeds down to their roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Quick and effective for small areas, but can be dangerous if not used properly.
Brush cutter
- Usage: Useful for cutting tall grass and small roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Effective for areas overrun with tall grass, but not effective for thick roots.
Rotavator
- Usage: Used to till the soil and extract plant roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very effective for large areas, but can be expensive to buy or rent.
Rotary cultivator
- Usage: Used to work the soil surface and uproot small plants.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Lightweight and maneuverable, but less powerful than a rotavator.
Mini Excavator
- Usage: A small excavator that can be used to dig and remove roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very versatile but requires some expertise to operate correctly... also, it's very expensive!!!
Scarifier
- Usage: Used to aerate the soil and remove weeds and their roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Ideal for lawns but limited to surface roots.
All the manual tools to uproot a tree
Have a big tree problem that’s bothering you? With plenty of elbow grease and the following tools, you can finally uproot it:
Axe
- Usage: For cutting through roots and thicker branches.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Effective for large roots, but requires significant physical effort.
Shovel
- Usage: For digging around roots and removing soil.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Essential for excavation but can be challenging to use in hard soil.
Mattock
- Usage: For loosening the soil and cutting through deep roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very effective for penetrating hard soils but requires good technique to avoid injury.
Crowbar
- Usage: For levering and lifting roots or stumps that are difficult to extract.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Ideal for heavy lifting tasks, but can be heavy and tiring to use.
Ropes or straps
- Usage: For pulling and stabilizing the tree during felling.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Useful for safety, but may require some expertise to use properly.
Garden hoe
- Usage: For scraping soil and clearing roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Precise for detailed work but less effective for large roots.
Hoist
- Usage: For lifting and moving heavy stumps and roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very effective for heavy objects but requires a solid anchor point and can be complex to set up.
All the machines to easily remove a tree
Here, we do recommend using machines because uprooting a tree by hand is really tough and time-consuming. Here’s a list of machines that will help you get rid of those stubborn tree stumps:
Chainsaw
- Usage: For cutting branches and sawing the tree into manageable sections.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Effective for small to medium-sized trees. Can be dangerous without proper training.
Excavator
- Usage: For digging around the roots and lifting the tree. Excavators are particularly useful for large trees.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very powerful and effective. Can damage the surrounding ground.
Stump grinder
- Usage: For grinding the remnants of the stump after the tree has been felled. It turns the stump into wood chips.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Allows for complete removal of stumps. Noisy and requires a specific machine.
Winch
- Usage: Used to pull the felled tree out of the ground, particularly useful for large trees or when access is limited.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very useful for large trees. Can be difficult to manoeuvre without the right equipment.
Forestry grapple
- Usage: Attached to a digger or tractor, it allows for grabbing and transporting tree trunks.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Facilitates easy handling of tree trunks. Requires specific equipment and proper training.
All the tools to uproot small shrubs
Roses, hedges, bamboo... all the shrubs that bother you can be easily uprooted with the help of the following tools:
Terrateck shrub remover
- Usage: The top tool for facilitating the complete uprooting of shrubs.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Effective but can be expensive.
Lopper
- Usage: For cutting thicker branches and roots.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Allows easy cutting of roots, but may require considerable force.
Digging fork
- Usage: To help lift roots and loosen the soil.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Very useful for loosening the soil but can be difficult to handle in compacted soil.
- Roses: Thorns and deep roots may require the use of all the tools.
- Hedges: Shrubs that make up hedges, such as boxwood, privet, or thuja, can be uprooted with these tools.
- Ornamental shrubs: Plants like forsythia, lilac, or hydrangea.
- Small trees: Young or small trees, such as Japanese maple or serviceberry.
- Invasive plants: Plants like bamboo or brambles with tenacious and extensive roots.
- Old perennials: Established perennials like peonies, daylilies, or hostas, which may have deep and dense roots.
By the way, how much do all these tools cost?
We'll discuss that just below.
💶 If I buy all the tools, how much will it cost?
As indicated in the table at the beginning of the article, purchasing all these tools can represent a significant expense.
But how much exactly?
We've done the calculations for you.
Average cost of essential tools:
Average cost of optional tools:
Should you buy all the tools?
Not necessarily, especially the large and very expensive machines, which are better rented.
If you're starting out in gardening and only need to buy the essential tools and a few additional useful ones, you’ll be well-equipped:
The total cost of useful tools for uprooting is approximately:
Hire a gardener or uproot uourself?
This question is worth considering, especially when you know that clients who find their gardener on Yoojo (best profils here) pay an average of £14 per hour.
If you do the math, you would need to use your tools for more than 93 hours to make your investment worthwhile... not to mention the precious time you lose uprooting everything yourself!
Discover instead how we can simplify your life
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- You only pay if you book a service provider
- You can chat with providers before making a booking
- Option to book for as little as 1 hour of service
- Our community helps you choose with ratings and reviews on each provider's profile
- We only send your request to qualified and available providers
- You release the payment once the job is completed
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