Dutch hoes are the best type of hoe for weeding. The forward-facing blade and long handle make it easy to weed without bending over and putting pressure on your back.
My recommended choice is the Spear & Jackson Select Dutch Hoe. This high-quality Dutch hoe is durable, light, and comfortable to use. And has a sharpened blade on both sides, so you can cut weeds on push and pull strokes.
The best Dutch hoes at a glance:
- Spear & Jackson Select Stainless Dutch Hoe – Best Overall
- DeWit Dutch Long Handle Push Hoe – Premium Choice
- Spear & Jackson Elements Dutch Hoe – Best Budget Choice
All links lead to Amazon, where you can find more information & customer reviews.
The Best Dutch Hoe For Weeding
Spear & Jackson Select Stainless Steel Dutch Hoe
The Spear & Jackson Select Dutch Hoe features a stainless steel head and aluminum shaft. The stainless steel is rust-resistant. And because the steel is mirror-polished, the blade has minimal soil adhesion as you push and pull it beneath the topsoil. The aluminum shaft is strong but lightweight at 1.72-lbs, making the hoe easy to wield.
This Dutch hoe has a sharp edge on the front and back of the blade, allowing you to cut weeds on the forward and backward strokes.
The overall length of the hoe is 66-inches. A long soft grip at the end of the shaft makes using the garden tool comfortable for long periods and ensures your hands don’t slip down the shaft while applying pressure.
Because the grip covers a large section of the shaft, the tool is comfortable for most short people to use as you can grip further down the shaft and your hands are still protected. But at the same time, the length of this hoe makes it a good choice for tall people to use as they can weed while standing up without much back bending.
DeWit Dutch Long Handle Push Hoe
The DeWit Dutch Hoe features a 62-inch European ash wood handle and boron steel blade. When steel is alloyed with boron the result is an even tougher and more durable material that’s unlikely to break and is highly resistant to abrasion, corrosion, and rust.
The hoe has a sturdy construction, with the blade securely fastened to the end of the handle. So you can use the hoe with force without any risk of the head coming off.
Despite having a strong, hardwood handle, the hoe is light, weighing in at 2.05-lbs, making it easy to use regardless of your strength.
But at 62-inches, the Dutch hoe might be longer than the ideal length for short people.
Berry&Bird Dutch Hoe
The blade on the Berry&Bird Dutch hoe is made of high-quality stainless steel, so it won’t bend even when you apply all your strength while weeding. The hoe blade is also resistant to rust. The steel head is polished to reduce friction as you push and pull the blade beneath the soil.
The handle is made from ash hardwood and has an ergonomic design that fits the palm curvature, making it more comfortable to hold during long working sessions.
The hoe is 51.2-inches long, making it a good choice for short people, but maybe not the best hoe on our list for those who are very tall and would prefer a longer handle.
The hoe blade easily fits between rows of plants in garden beds, allowing you to weed without damaging desirable shrubs and flowers. As well as weeding, you can also use the hoe for removing moss from paving and patio stones, edging your lawn, and shaping the soil.
The Dutch hoe weighs 2.59 pounds. So it’s not as light as some of the other hoes on our list, but still manageable for most people.
Fiskars Xact Dutch Hoe
Fiskars Dutch hoe has a stainless steel head and blade at the end of a hardened aluminum shaft. At the top of the shaft is a comfortable soft grip, making the tool pleasant to use when applying serious effort during long weeding sessions.
The back of the hoe blade has teeth to help with weed removal. And you can use the blade to dig down around 4-inches to help you uproot stubborn weeds. But most of the time, you’ll use it to skim under the soil surface where it’s sharp enough to cut most small weeds.
One drawback of this Dutch hoe is that the blade is quite thick. So if your pathway and patio stones have narrow cracks, it might be difficult to get the blade between them to clear out weeds, grass, and moss.
The Dutch hoe garden tool is 66.93 inches long, with a hanging loop at the top of the handle to make the hoe easy to store.
Spear & Jackson Elements Dutch Hoe
This Dutch hoe by Spear & Jackson has a hardened carbon steel head that’s stronger than stainless steel. The head is coated with epoxy to protect against humidity, scratches, and alkalines in the soil, preventing opportunities for rust to develop.
The ashwood shaft is coated with a clear lacquer to protect it against the weather and increase the durability of this Dutch hoe. At the top of the shaft is a soft handle to give you a comfortable grip while working hard.
The size of the tool is 63.39-inches, and at 2.2-lbs, it’s easy to use. Some customers find the blade to be dull, but you can sharpen it yourself to improve the tool’s weed cutting ability and allow you to slice through weeds with thick stems. But this might affect the life of the tool. Carbon steel is often easier to sharpen than stainless steel, but oxidizes easily when exposed to moisture leading to corrosion.
Choosing A Dutch Hoe For Weeding
Here are some important things to consider when choosing the best Dutch hoe:
Handle Length
For comfortable weeding with a Dutch hoe, it’s important to choose a tool with a long enough handle. A short handle will require you to bend over as you weed, placing strain on your back and making long work sessions difficult.
Choose a Dutch hoe with a handle that comes up to your armpit at least. Even if you’re short, long tools can still be comfortable to use if they have a lengthy and comfortable grip on the shaft.
Handle Grip
Long weeding sessions with a Dutch hoe can make your hands tired and sore. And uncomfortable handles can cause your hands to develop blisters. Some shafts have soft handle grip material, making it comfortable to hold the Dutch hoe for long periods. The grip can also prevent your hands from slipping down the handle as you work. Other high-quality Dutch hoes have an ergonomic design to make holding easier.
Handle material
Dutch hoe handles are usually made from wood, aluminum, or fiberglass.
Wood
Hardwood handles are comfortable and smooth when in good condition. But you have to be careful not to leave them out in bad weather as the handle can swell and splinter when exposed to moisture. To keep it in good condition, it’s a good idea to regularly oil the handle.
Aluminum
Aluminum is often lightweight, making the Dutch hoe easier to wield without getting tired. Aluminum handles are also water and corrosion-resistant, so the tool is durable and doesn’t require maintenance to keep in good condition.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is a good material for hoe handles as it’s lightweight, smooth to hold, and moisture resistant.
Hoe Blade
Some Dutch hoe blades are only sharp on the front edge, so you can only cut weeds when pushing. While effective, you have to work harder as they don’t cut on the pull stroke.
Dutch hoes with a sharp blade on both sides allow you to cut weeds when pushing and pulling, increasing your efficiency when using the tool.
FAQ
What is the difference between a hoe and a Dutch hoe?
Regular garden hoes have a blade that sticks out perpendicular to the shaft. Also called a scuffle hoe, a Dutch hoe has a forward-facing blade, making it easier to weed with a push-pull motion without straining your back. But garden hoes such as draw hoes and digging hoes are often more useful for moving and shaping the soil.
What is a Dutch hoe used for?
A Dutch hoe is used for cutting weeds just beneath the soil surface, severing the stem from the roots. Although some weeds will regrow from the roots left in the soil, repeated use of the Dutch hoe eventually exhausts the roots, and the plant dies. You can also use a Dutch hoe to loosen the topsoil to add compost and amendments, and to make furrows for planting seeds.
Does a Dutch hoe need to be sharp?
It’s easier to use a Dutch hoe for weeding if the blade is sharp. A blunt blade will sometimes pull weeds out of the ground but won’t always cut the stems from the roots. But a Dutch hoe doesn’t need to be as sharp as a knife because you’re applying weight and power to your strokes. You can sharpen the blade of your Dutch hoe using a flat-file, sharpening stone, or coarse grit sandpaper.
How do you use a Dutch hoe for weeds?
To use a Dutch hoe for weeds, you push and pull the hoe blade just under the soil surface, cutting through the weed stems. Stand up straight while using the Dutch hoe to reduce strain on your back. Dutch hoes are easy to use on soft and loose soil, but they’re not meant for use on hard and compacted soil where you’ll find it difficult to push the blade beneath the surface.
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