The best types of Gardening Machetes to use in your garden

Last Updated on March 25, 2024 by Editors

The rhythm of your life and daily routine make you forget some important things. For example, your garden care. If you forget to maintain your garden regularly then some day you will find out that you have a private jungle.
Thankfully, you can use garden hand tools like gardening machetes to transform this jungle to a lovely garden again.

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Best Garden Machetes

Garden machetes are a versatile tool that can help you keep your garden in top condition. From trimming bushes to pruning trees, it is an essential tool for any gardener.

When selecting the best garden machetes, consider the blade, handle, weight, material, sharpness, and budget. By considering these essential factors, you can select the perfect tool to help you tackle any task in your garden and keep your garden in top condition.

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Best Garden Machete – Barebones Japanese NATA Tool w/ sheath

Looking for the best gardening machete? Look no further than the Barebones Japanese NATA Tool. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a beginner, it is the perfect addition to your gardening kit. This versatile hand tool is perfect for any gardening enthusiast who is serious about getting the job done right. With its ergonomic design and unparalleled functionality, it is sure to help you keep your garden in top condition year-round.

We have to note that the Barebones Japanese NATA Tool is, without a doubt, the most efficient tool in our gardening arsenal to date. With its reliable design, this gardening machete is just what any gardener needs to tackle the toughest jobs with ease. From trimming thick branches to cutting dense vegetation, this tool can do it all.

Excellent metal blade

One of the most significant advantages of the Barebones NATA Tool is its versatile blade. The 12″ blade is made of high-grade 3CR13 stainless steel, which provides optimum durability and stability. In addition to durability, the blade is also exceptionally sharp, making slicing through even the thickest branches an effortless task.

Walnut wooden handle

Another impressive feature of the Barebones NATA Tool is its ergonomic handle. The wooden handle is designed to provide a comfortable grip that reduces the risk of fatigue and injury. The handle is also non-slip, ensuring that you have a secure grip, even when your hands are wet or damp from gardening.

Ideal weight

With its lightweight design, the Barebones NATA Tool is perfect for extended use without causing any fatigue. It’s not too light and has a perfect balance. This gardening machete is also easy to maneuver in tight spaces, making it ideal for yard work and gardening in small areas.

Conclusion: The best gardening machete to buy

Overall, the Barebones NATA Tool is an excellent investment for any gardener looking for reliable and efficient yard maintenance tools. It’s not the most inexpensive, however, it is undoubtedly worth every penny and will last for years with the right maintenance and storage. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for a durable, reliable, and efficient gardening machete that can stand up to any task.

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Best Garden Machete for Clearing Brush – Gerber Gear 30-001790 Gator Machete

Are you tired of struggling to clear brush in your garden? If so, then you need the Gerber Gear 30-001790 Gator Machete. This powerful tool is the perfect addition to any gardener’s arsenal, allowing you to tackle the toughest brush and vegetation with ease. With its unparalleled functionality, low price, and ergonomic design, the Gerber Gator Machete is sure to help you maintain a beautiful and well-kept garden.

Long dual-purpose blade

The Gerber Gear 30-001790 Gator Machete is, without a doubt, the best garden machete for clearing brush. The long blade is made of high-quality stainless steel that is high on carbon, providing optimum strength and durability, making it great for cutting through thick, heavy brushes. The blade is also extremely sharp, which enables the user to make precise cuts with ease.

What’s more, it boasts both a fine-edge blade on one side and an 18-inch saw blade on the other, making it the ultimate two-in-one tool for any gardener. The fine-edge blade is perfect for cutting through thick brush and vegetation, while the saw blade makes quick work of larger branches. This unique design allows you to tackle any type of terrain and vegetation with ease, making it the perfect choice for both professional gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts.

Rubber handle

Another great feature of the Gerber Gator Machete is its ergonomic handle design. The handle is made of a highly durable rubber material that provides a comfortable grip and reduces the risk of hand fatigue and injury. The handle’s textured non-slip surface ensures a secure grip, allowing you to work efficiently in any environment.

Advantages in the garden or yard

We already noted its incredible blade. What’s more, the tool is easy to maneuver, making it the perfect tool for clearing brush in tight spaces in your garden. It is also ideal for pruning small and large branches and clearing trails on your property. It is built to last and can handle the toughest brush-clearing jobs with ease. This gardening machete is also incredibly affordable, so it won’t break the bank.

Verdict: The best garden machete for clearing brush

The Gerber Gear 30-001790 Gator Machete is hands down the best gardening machete for clearing brush. Its exceptional performance, quality construction, price, and unmatched versatility make it an essential tool for any gardener.

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What is a gardening machete

Machete is a weapon tool that looks like a broad heavy knife or something between a knife and an axe. This gardening hand tool is used as a cutting tool. It is a helpful tool for anyone who spends time working in the garden. It has a long, sharp blade that is used to cut through vegetation.

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Gardening machetes uses

If you’re someone who periodically struggles with clearing brush or chopping compost, you may benefit from a gardening machete. Generally, a machete for gardening can help you to:

• Clear brush and undergrowth
• Cut small branches
• Chop down thick plants
• Chop your compost to bits
• Split wood
• Clear vines and brush
• Remove suckers (undergrowth from the base of a tree)

In addition, you can use some types of this garden tool for snedding and hedging.

Garden machetes safety

Whatever they tell you or read online you shouldn’t have a machete in your garden tool shed unless:

1. you really need it, and
2. you are a seasoned gardener or someone who knows how to use this tool properly.
3. Read our guide about how to use a machete to get weeds out of your garden.

As a general rule, you cut in front of yourself with big swings and keep your free hand away from the cutting space. Typically, a machete is a very dangerous toy to play with. Machetes demand a great deal of practice to use safely and effectively. Nonetheless, some types of machetes are useful for gardening jobs, especially the billhook tool.

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Types of gardening machetes

The most useful types of machetes that you can use for your garden are generally considered to be: billhooks, kukri machetes, brush axes and bush machetes. The metal material of their blades is high carbon steel most of the times. However, there are some gardening machetes that have blades made of stainless steel.

1. Billhooks

The Billhook tool is a brush axe machete or if you want the brush axe is a billhook. Nevertheless, billhook tools have been commonly used in Southeastern Europe (Greece) since the Bronze Age. The billhook is a one-handed heavy hooked tool with a small or long handle and a big curved blade. The main purpose of this garden tool is to cut the small branches off trees. In addition, billhooks are often used to strip the side shoots from a branch (snedding) and to cut suckers and woody plants. In our experience, the billhook tool is a great tool for removing the branches from felled trees.

2. Kukri Machetes

The kukri machete or khukuri is an offspring of the Greek sword kopis. A similar weapon to kopis is still used as an agricultural tool for cutting and harvesting in some parts of Greece. As for the kukri machetes on the market, some of them are able to chop down thin trees, while others are better for bush whacking. This happens because of their gauge (id est the thickness of their steel blades).

3. Brush Axes

Brush axe machetes or ditch bank blades, sometimes called sling blades, brush hooks, ditch blade axes or kaiser blades, look like long-handled billhooks. They can be used to clear dense growth of small shrubs, brushes and small vines. If you plan to buy one you should have in mind that you will have to sharpen it before you use it for the first time. This happens because most of the ditch bank blades are not sharp enough out of the box.

4. Bush machetes

Bush machetes are the classic machetes. They are knives with very long blades that can be used as gardening cutting tools for clearing brush and other uses. Typically, most of them come with a sheath.

Buying considerations for garden machetes

There are some things that you have to check before you buy a machete for your garden. Typically, these things have to do with the machete’s blade.

Blade length and gauge

The gardening machetes come in various blade lengths and gauges. Longer blades have better reach but are heavier. Thinner blades are not suitable for woody plants. On the other hand, they are great for clearing brush and grass.

Blade material

The carbon steel blades have better cutting edge retention but you need to oil them very often because they tend to form rust very quickly. On the flip side, stainless steel blades are rust-resistant and you have to sharpen them more often. High carbon stainless steel is the way to go!

Sharpness

If you buy a machete you will find out that it will not be sharp enough. Don’t freak out. You can sharpen them. Many brands ship their cutting tools not so sharp on purpose. Having this in mind, you should have a bastard file ready to use to sharpen your machete.

Where to buy a machete for gardening

Generally, it is not easy to find machetes for gardening at your local hardware or outdoor activities stores. On the flip side, you will find a plethora of machetes at online retailers. As a matter of fact, our online retailer of choice is amazon.com. There you can find many billhooks, kukris and other machetes that you can use for gardening jobs.

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Gardening machetes maintenance

Keeping garden hand tools, like gardening machetes, sharp and clean makes your job easier. Also, it makes them last longer and they will be serviceable for many years to come.

How to clean a garden machete

Use water to remove dirt and plant debris. Also, always use a very thick cloth to remove sap, water and other moisture from your machete. You can use rubbing alcohol to remove resin.

Other maintenance tips

• If you notice any rust forming at your tool’s blade, then you can use white vinegar to rub it and remove it. If this doesn’t work, use sandpaper. In either case, remove the rust and after that, use an anti-rust lubricant to oil your machete tool.
• Always, check out your tool to verify that the handle is attached properly to its blade.
• Also, there is a great chance that your gardening machete has a wooden handle. If that is the case, then you should use an oil to finish it at least once a year.
• Additionally, your machete must be very sharp to be able to cut. If you intend to use your tool to cut grass, then its cutting blade must be razor-sharp. To sharpen it use a file or a honing stone and oil it afterwards.

Storing a gardening machete

Store your machete in a safe and dry location like a garden tool shed or your garage storage cabinet. You should oil its blade before you store your gardening machete at the end of the season.