The Right Tools for the Job | Gardening and Landscaping
If you are working on a gardening or landscaping project, whether that’s creating the perfect lawn or landscaping an area to add decking or lay a patio, hiring the right tools can help save time and create a professional finish.
At Total Hire and Sales we have an extensive range of gardening and landscaping equipment in stock and ready for hire, to help you find the right tools for the your job.
We’ve put together a handy breakdown of some of the tools you might find the most useful at each stage of your project, depending on the size of the area you are working on.
Preparing and Clearing Ground
To remove old vegetation, cut back hedges or overgrown bushes, dig over or level the land and prepare the area for a new lawn, decking or patio area, the following power tools and equipment could be right for you:
- Rotary tillers / Cultivators: Are ideal gardening tool for cultivating borders, vegetable patches and allotments. They break up soil and help to mix in compost.
- Brush cutters / Strimmers: Help with cutting down tall grass or tackling dense undergrowth.
- Chainsaw or Alligator Saws: Are good for removing small trees or thick branches and cutting through wooden posts or old decking (if applicable).
- Stump grinder: If you have tree stumps to remove, stump grinders can help remove stumps that are 500mm above and 400mm below ground.
- Mini excavators / Diggers: Great for removing turf, digging out uneven ground or trenching for drainage or preparing for laying pipework.
- Skip / skip bag: Is handy to have booked at the same time for disposing of garden waste and debris.
Laying a Patio
Once you have prepared and cleared the ground you are working on, there are arrange of power tools and equipment that can help with digging over the area, levelling and compacting the base, then cutting and laying slabs or blocks.
- Plate compactor (wacker plate): Compacts base materials and creates a flat, compact area to work with.
- Cement mixer: Enables you to mix mortar or concrete easily and as required.
- Angle grinder (with diamond blade): Is ideal for cutting paving slabs or bricks. A manual block splitter can also be used as an alternative to a power cutter for patio blocks.
- Laser level or rotating laser: Ensures a perfectly level base and consistent fall for drainage.
- Wheelbarrow and shovels: Handy essentials for moving soils, debris and vegetation or transferring slabs and bricks.
- Screed rails and screeding board: Not essential, but can come in useful particularly when trying to level sand beds for block paving and working solo.
Improving a Lawn
If your lawn has seen better days and the grass has gone brown or died in patches, there’s a number of ways to give your turf some TLC to bring it back to life and improve its appearance. From aeration to top dressing to improve soil quality, level the surface and promote healthy grass growth, there’s a range of tools available to hire from Total Hire and Sales to help you get the job done.
- Lawn scarifier: Removes moss and thatch buildup in grass, letting the area breath and preparing it for other treatments.
- Seed spreader: For even application of grass seed or fertiliser.
If you are looking to completely replace your lawn, a Rotovator will make light work of breaking up the whole area, turning over soil to prepare for new turf or seed. A Turf cutter/lifter is ideal for removing old turf easily and a Roller helps to level new turf or seedbeds after laying.
Alternative Equipment (for Larger Gardens or Projects)
If you’re working on a large space and want to save time, cover a bigger area more efficiently, you could also consider the following:
- Mini dumper or power barrow: Helps move soil, gravel or slabs efficiently.
- Tracked loader: Is great for moving materials and levelling.
- Water Bowser (towable): Is useful to Irrigate a newly laid lawn or suppress dust from cutting and grinding.
How long do you need to hire power tools and equipment for?
It all depends on the size of your project and the condition of the garden or landscaped area you are starting with. However, the table below gives an approximate guide:
| Task | Tool/Equipment | Use | Suggested Hire Duration |
| Preparing and Clearing Ground | Brush Cutter / Strimmer | Cut down weeds, thick grass | 1 day |
| Chainsaw | Remove small trees/branches | 1 day | |
| Stump Grinder | Grind out tree stumps | 1 day per stump area | |
| Mini Digger (1.5T–3T) | Dig out turf, level ground, trenching | 1–3 days | |
| Rotary Tiller / Rotavator | Break up soil, mix compost | 1 day | |
| Wheelbarrow or Mini Dumper | Transport soil and debris | 1–3 days | |
| Skip or Waste Bag | Dispose of garden waste and debris | Full project duration | |
| Laying a Patio | Plate Compactor | Compact base material and sand | 1–2 days |
| Cement Mixer | Mix mortar or concrete | 1–2 days | |
| Angle Grinder (with diamond blade) | Cut slabs or blocks | 1–2 days | |
| Laser Level | Ensure correct fall and level | 1–3 days | |
| Screeding Rails + Board | Level the laying bed | 1 day | |
| Manual Block Splitter | Cut bricks or blocks | 1 day | |
| Improving a Lawn | Scarifier | Remove moss/thatch | 1 day |
| Lawn Aerator (spike/core) | Improve drainage and root health | 1 day | |
| Turf Cutter | Strip old turf | 1 day | |
| Rotovator | Loosen soil before reseeding/turfing | 1 day | |
| Seed/Fertiliser Spreader | Even distribution | 1 day | |
| Lawn Roller | Firm down new turf or seed | 1 day | |
| Optional Equipment | Tracked Loader | Fast digging and material movement | As needed |
| Power Barrow / Mini Dumper | Move heavy materials easily | As needed | |
| Water Bowser (towable) | Irrigate new lawn or dust suppression | As needed |
For advice and guidance on hiring the right tools for your next gardening and landscaping job, call our hire experts on 0800 254 5993 or email us at enquiries@totalhireandsales.co.uk.
