[Welsh Merf]

It's a simple question really:

What is the difference between a garden fork/spade, as compared to a border fork/spade, and what are the different uses?

I'm presuming that a border fork/spade is narrower, but for what reason? Can't you use one to do both jobs?

[mumofstig]

Yes the border tools are smaller and therefore lighter, and women often prefer to use those
The border fork/spade are made smaller for using in flower borders where there is less room to manoeuvre, that's all there is to it.
I do all my lottie digging and forking over with the smaller sized tools, but if you can use the bigger ones progress will be quicker as you're moving bigger chunks of soil.

[BabbyAnn]

I too use a border spade and fork    Border spades are actually very handy for digging heavy soil - because the leading edge is narrower, it seems to slice into the soil much easier, something which is worth noting when digging an uncultivated compacted plot.

However, as mumofstig points out, the downside is that it takes longer than using a conventional spade LOL.

[Growster...]

Mrs Growster always uses my dear old mum's border fork, which is a smaller version of mine, and pretty damn handy!

I use it to lift leeks etc, where I don't want to damage the neighbouring chaps...

(Mrs G doesn't see this part of the operation, otherwise, there would be hell to pay if I broke it...)!

[Welsh Merf]

Thank you all - all answers inwardly digested! Decisions now to be made - old tools shot to bits, so new required. The Festive Season will soon be upon us, so a few handy and strong hints here and there should do the trick!

[Christine]

I'm sitting here chuckling in a corner as this lady was taught with man sized fork and spade for digging over in vegetable areas with trug and trowel for fine tuning flower areas. See the ladies of the family were allowed to look after the flowers. Trouble is that the farming family had a generation of big, healthy girls come along so we didn't get the option of just doing Lady Muck with trug and trowel. Sad life. 

[Rampant_Weasel]

i use the digging spade for diggin in the autumn.i use the border spade for border work and edging up grass paths etc as being smaller its a bit more precise.also good for digging round and chopping out tree roots when removing a stump.

[Salmo]

Thank you all - all answers inwardly digested! Decisions now to be made - old tools shot to bits, so new required. The Festive Season will soon be upon us, so a few handy and strong hints here and there should do the trick!

As with many things, get the best you can afford. Handle a few in the garden centres and you will soon notice how heavy the cheap ones are. Not only are they heavy but they will bend under strain whereas the better ones have some spring.

[Gwiz]

I nearly always use the border fork these days. I find that although progress is slow, it's far less strain on my back. For digging, I use the long handled "Cornish" spade (hardly any bending at all needed)