Walk into any big-box garden center and you’ll find an overwhelming wall of lawn tools, gadgets, and accessories. Half of them are seasonal gimmicks. The other half overlap in function. The truth is, a well-maintained lawn requires surprisingly few tools — but the ones you do need, you need to get right.
This is the definitive essentials list. These 10 tools cover the full cycle of lawn care: testing, feeding, watering, aerating, mowing (covered in our lawn mower buyer’s guide), and edging. We’ve included specific product picks for each category, with honest notes on what’s worth the money and what isn’t.
1. Broadcast Spreader
A broadcast spreader is the single most important tool after your mower. You’ll use it for fertilizer, grass seed, pre-emergent herbicide, lime, and even ice melt in winter. Hand-spreading any of these products leads to uneven coverage — hot spots where you applied too much and bare patches where you missed.
Our Pick: Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard DLX Broadcast Spreader
Scotts Turf Builder EdgeGuard DLX
The EdgeGuard DLX holds enough product for up to 15,000 sq ft and features Scotts’ EdgeGuard technology, which blocks product from spreading onto driveways, sidewalks, and garden beds. The dual-bladed agitator prevents clumping, and calibration settings for Scotts products are printed right on the bag.
Why this one: It’s the standard that other spreaders are measured against. Durable, accurate, and compatible with virtually every granular lawn product on the market. Around $40-50.
Budget alternative: The Scotts EdgeGuard Mini (~$25) covers up to 5,000 sq ft — perfect for small yards.
2. Soil Test Kit
You can’t fix what you can’t measure. Most lawn problems — thin growth, stubborn weeds, poor color — trace back to soil pH or nutrient deficiencies. A soil test tells you exactly what your lawn needs before you spend money on products that might not address the actual issue.
Our Pick: MySoil Soil Test Kit
MySoil is a mail-in lab test that analyzes 13 plant nutrients plus pH, organic matter, and texture. You collect a sample, ship it in the prepaid mailer, and get results online within about a week. The results include specific recommendations for your soil — not generic advice.
Why this one: Accuracy. Home pH meters and color-changing test strips give you rough estimates at best. A lab test gives you real numbers you can act on. Worth every penny of the ~$30 cost.
Pro tip: Test in early spring or fall. Test multiple zones if your yard has different soil types (common in many regions). Our regional Lush Lawns guides — from New England to Texas — include soil profiles and amendment recommendations specific to each area.
3. Core Aerator
Compacted soil is the silent killer of lawns. When soil particles are pressed together, water, air, and nutrients can’t reach grass roots. Core aeration pulls out small plugs of soil, relieving compaction and allowing your lawn to breathe.
Our Pick: Agri-Fab 48-Inch Tow Plug Aerator
Agri-Fab 45-0299 Tow Plug Aerator
If you have a riding mower or garden tractor, this tow-behind aerator is a one-time investment that pays for itself quickly. It has 32 self-sharpening plug knives and a weight tray that holds up to 175 lbs for deeper penetration. The universal hitch fits any tractor.
Why this one: Professional aeration services cost $100-250 per visit. This unit costs around $200 and lasts for years. If you aerate twice a year (spring and fall in cool-season areas, late spring in warm-season zones), it pays for itself in one season.
For smaller yards: Rent a walk-behind core aerator from your local equipment rental shop ($50-75/day) or buy a manual step-on aerator for small patches. Spike aerators (the kind you strap to your shoes) don’t actually relieve compaction — they push soil sideways rather than removing it. Skip them.
4. Lawn Edger
Nothing makes a lawn look more finished than clean, crisp edges along sidewalks, driveways, and garden beds. Edging is purely cosmetic — it doesn’t affect lawn health — but it transforms a good lawn into a great-looking lawn.
Our Pick: BLACK+DECKER 2-in-1 Edger & Trencher (LE750)
This 12-amp corded edger doubles as a trencher for creating new bed edges or running landscape lighting wire. The blade cuts down 1.5 inches and creates a clean, defined line. It’s lightweight, affordable (~$70), and powerful enough for established edges that haven’t been maintained in years.
Why this one: The 2-in-1 design is genuinely useful — most homeowners need to trench at some point, and this saves buying a separate tool. The corded design means unlimited runtime.
Cordless alternative: If you’re already invested in a battery platform (EGO, Greenworks, Ryobi), get a cordless edger from the same family to share batteries.
5. Sprinkler or Irrigation System
Consistent watering is non-negotiable for a healthy lawn. Drought stress is the most common cause of thin, brown turf — and it’s entirely preventable. Even in regions with regular rainfall, supplemental watering during dry spells makes a visible difference.
Our Pick (Budget): Melnor XT Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler
Melnor 65078-AMZ Oscillating Sprinkler
For most homeowners without an in-ground system, the Melnor XT Turbo is the best oscillating sprinkler available. It covers up to 4,000 sq ft with 3-way adjustment (width, range, and flow). The Turbo motor produces a consistent, even spray pattern. Around $25-30.
Our Pick (Smart Upgrade): Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller (8-Zone)
If you have an in-ground irrigation system, upgrading to a smart controller is one of the highest-ROI lawn investments you can make. The Rachio 3 uses local weather data to skip unnecessary watering, adjust schedules by season, and prevent overwatering. It installs in place of your existing controller in about 30 minutes.
Why both: Start with a quality hose-end sprinkler and a timer. When you’re ready to invest in an in-ground system, the Rachio controller should be part of the plan.
6. Garden Hose and Nozzle
This seems obvious, but the quality of your hose matters more than you think. Cheap hoses kink constantly, crack in cold weather, and restrict water flow. A good hose lasts a decade.
What to look for: A 5/8-inch diameter hose (standard for residential water pressure) made of rubber or a rubber/vinyl blend. Brass fittings, not plastic. 50-foot length is ideal for most yards — 100-foot hoses are heavy and reduce water pressure.
For the nozzle: Get a watering wand for spot treatments and a standard trigger nozzle for general use. Skip gimmicky multi-pattern heads — you’ll use “shower” and “jet” 95% of the time.
7. Lawn Rake (Dethatching Rake)
A standard leaf rake handles fall cleanup, but a dethatching rake serves a more important purpose: removing the layer of dead grass stems and roots (thatch) that accumulates between the soil surface and the living grass blades. A thin thatch layer (under ½ inch) is actually beneficial, but anything thicker blocks water and nutrients.
When to dethatch: Cool-season grasses (bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass) in early fall. Warm-season grasses (Bermuda, zoysia) in late spring after green-up. Some grasses, like tall fescue, rarely develop thick thatch. Bermuda and Kentucky bluegrass are the worst offenders.
What to buy: A dedicated dethatching rake (sometimes called a thatching rake or cavex rake) with crescent-shaped tines that dig into thatch without tearing up soil. For larger lawns, consider renting a power dethatcher.
8. Hand Pruners and Grass Shears
For the detail work that no mower or edger can reach: around fence posts, mailboxes, tree trunks, garden ornaments, and tight corners. A pair of sharp grass shears keeps these spots neat without resorting to a string trimmer.
The case for simplicity: A battery-powered string trimmer works too, but for small yards with limited trimming needs, manual grass shears are lighter, quieter, cheaper, and always ready to go. Fiskars and Corona make excellent options in the $15-25 range.
9. Wheelbarrow or Garden Cart
You’ll haul soil, compost, mulch, bags of fertilizer, aeration plugs, and debris. A wheelbarrow or garden cart isn’t glamorous, but trying to do lawn care without one means dozens of extra trips.
Wheelbarrow vs. cart: Traditional wheelbarrows are more maneuverable in tight spaces. Garden carts (four-wheeled, flat-bed style) carry heavier loads more stably. For most suburban yards, a 6-cubic-foot wheelbarrow is the sweet spot.
10. Protective Gear
This is the tool category everyone forgets until they need it:
- Ear protection: Electric mowers are quieter than gas, but aerators, dethatchers, and edgers generate real noise. Foam earplugs ($5) are fine.
- Safety glasses: Flying debris from mowing and edging is a genuine eye hazard.
- Gloves: Leather or synthetic work gloves for handling equipment, spreading amendments, and pulling weeds.
- Knee pads: If you do any spot-seeding, hand-weeding, or irrigation work.
Building Your Tool Kit: Budget Priorities
If you’re starting from scratch, here’s the order to buy:
- Soil test kit ($30) — Know what you’re working with
- Broadcast spreader ($25-50) — Apply what the test tells you to
- Sprinkler ($25) — Keep the lawn watered
- Garden hose ($30-50) — Connect the sprinkler
- Edger ($70) — Make it look sharp
- Aerator (rent first, then buy if you’ll use it regularly)
Total for the essentials: under $300. That’s less than one season of professional lawn care service — and these tools will serve you for years.
The Regional Factor
Different regions prioritize different tools. In the arid Southwest, your sprinkler and irrigation setup are more critical than an aerator. In the humid Southeast, a dethatching rake gets heavy use on Bermuda lawns. In New England, a lime spreader (your broadcast spreader) is essential for managing acidic soils.
For region-specific tool recommendations and seasonal schedules, our Lush Lawns book series covers every major U.S. region in detail: Southeast, Midwest, Texas, New England, Northwest, and Southwest.
Final Thought
The best lawn tools are the ones you actually use. Don’t buy a tow-behind aerator if you don’t own a tractor. Don’t invest in a smart irrigation controller if you don’t have in-ground sprinklers. Match your tools to your yard, your grass, and your reality — and you’ll build a lawn care kit that serves you for a decade.