How We Test & Rate Products – 276 and Counting!
Our Product Testing Methodology
At DIY Garden, our goal is to provide you with fair, honest and unbiased product recommendations.
Although we spend a lot of time researching products based on their technical specifications, we understand that the real value to you is in us trying and testing them first. By only recommending the very best products, we hope to help you save time, money and a lot of frustration!
Our team of experienced garden and DIY professionals spend thousands of hours testing products. These are products we’ve physically unboxed, assembled, and used over a sustained period of time.
Quick Navigation
How We Review Products
We product testing process is broken down into 4 stages:
- Research
- Purchasing
- Testing
- Review
1. Research
Every product recommendation on our site has undergone in-depth research. This involves gathering a list of all possible products within the category. We then document their technical specifications from the manufacturer’s website. It’s collated into a comparison table, to understand which have the best features on paper. We then gather data on price, warranty, customer popularity and any safety concerns or recalls. Finally, we research anecdotal evidence from customer reviews and forums. Once all of this information is gathered, our team determine which products should then be acquired for testing.
2. Purchasing
We take exactly the same purchasing steps as our readers do. We buy the majority of our products for testing from Amazon.co.uk, checking out as a normal customer would. We also purchase products from local garden centers, hardware stores and other retailers too.
Very occasionally, we have brands reach out to us asking to test their products. We only proceed with accepting a free product if the following criteria are met:
- The product has undergone our pre-testing phase and as a team, we agree it has the technical specifications and qualities to warrant being tested.
- The manufacturer allows us to keep the product permanently, so that we can apply our long-term testing methodology to it.
- The manufacturer understands that we NEVER show any bias towards complimentary products, and we will review it honestly, highlighting both the good and the bad.
3. Testing
All product tests are conducted remotely, by our team members. A lot of our product tests are carried out by Alina and Derek because they live on a farm and there’s plenty of space and facilities to conduct thorough analysis. Before unboxing begins, a series of tests are laid out depending on the type of product. For example, cordless lawn mowers will be tested on how long the battery lasts, garden shredders on the maximum diameter they can shred branches, and pole hedge trimmers on how high they can reach. There are multiple tests listed out for each product, and these our scored based on their performance. Details on our scoring can be found below.
4. Review
Once all testing is complete and the results have been analysed the testers will then go ahead and document their findings. The majority of products have single page reviews (like this one), and then a more condensed ’roundup review’ is published for all products tested (like this one). We also publish video reviews on our YouTube channel to offer our readers an alternative way of digesting our findings.
Our Commitment to Long Term Testing
We appreciate the gardening and DIY space is fast moving. Each year there are new products on the scene worth testing for our audience. As such, we hold and store our previously tested products for the long-term, or until they’re discontinued. This enables us to re-test products in the future when necessary.
Our Core Product Testing Categories
The majority of our product tests are carried out in 10 core product categories. These have been carefully selected because of their technical complexity, relatively high cost and importance to the majority of UK households. By testing these products first and understanding how good they really are, we can help our readers make more informed and better buying decisions.
Our Secondary Product Testing Categories
We also test products in a range of other categories such as Log Splitters, BBQs, Weed Killers, Compost Bins and Garden Tools. These products are often not as complex as those mentioned above, but are still very popular and therefore warrant first-hand experience to determine how they perform. Again, this helps our readers make more informed buying decisions.
Pre-Testing Reviews
Every product recommended on DIY Garden has undergone extensive research and technical analysis. However, some products we review are yet to go through our product testing process. This is because we believe they meet at least one, if not more of the following criteria:
- We have enough personal experience within our team to determine which products are best, using the manufacturer’s specifications
- We have used similar products extensively in the past and can therefore make educated decisions
- We feel there aren’t sufficient tests the product could go through to determine which are best
- The products aren’t very popular and real-world testing would only benefit a very small subset of our audience
- We plan on testing these products, but there are others in our pipeline of greater importance to our readers
*Any pages that contain recommendations where we haven’t yet real-world tested any of the products have been clearly marked as such. This way our audience are well-informed of this before following our advice and clicking any links to retailers.
How We Rate Products
Our extensive testing helps us understand what makes them good, and what their drawbacks are. We then score them out of 5 based on criteria that is relevant to the product category.
Some common factors we consider are:
- Ease of assembly
- Design
- Performance
- Ease of Use
- Safety
- Value for Money
We also take into account how the product performs, relative to it’s price point. This helps us more informed recommendations for people with different budgets.
Our Scoring Scale
- 5 Stars – Excellent
- 4 Stars – Good
- 3 Stars – Average
- 2 Stars – Poor
- 1 Star – Failed
Updating Scores
With new releases each year, we’re continually looking to test new products in our core categories. Once new products have been tested, this sometimes means we have to update the scores of the existing products on a page. This is so that the scores make sense in comparison to the other products on the page.
For example, let’s say a product scores 5 Stars in all of its categories and is the best on the market. But the following year, a new product comes along and is considerably better. It no longer makes sense to score the previous leader 5 Stars in every category. All previous scores need to be adjusted to take into account the higher standards within the market.
Overall, we find this to be the best approach so our readers get a clear understanding of which is the best product.
Our Author Ratings
You may have also seen that some of our authors have a number and star next to their name.
This shows how many real-world product tests they’ve conducted, and the level of experience when it comes to testing tools and equipment.
- Authors with a silver star indicate that they are one of our more experienced product testers. To achieve this feat, they’d have to have tested over 25 products.
- Authors with a gold star indicate that they are one of our most experienced product testers. To achieve this feat, they’d have to have tested over 50 products.
Got a Question?
Hopefully this helps provide a clear insight into how we test products, and if you have any questions regarding the process, please do get in contact via this page.
We hope you find this page very useful when searching for products and encourage you to bookmark it for future reference and updates.
Products Tested
Quick Navigation
- BBQ
- Chainsaws
- Cleaning
- Composting
- Cooling
- DIY Accessories
- Drills & Drivers
- For Children
- Furniture
- Garage
- Garden Design
- Garden Shredders
- Garden Tools
- Garden Vacuums
- Growing
- Heating
- Hedge Trimmers
- Irrigation
- Lawn Mowers
- Lawn Scarifiers
- Leaf Blowers
- Log Splitters
- Measuring Tools
- Outdoor Activities
- Pest Control
- Pressure Washers
- Saws
- Sheds
- Storage
- Strimmers
- Washing Lines
- Wildlife
BBQ
Chainsaws
Bosch UniversalChain 18V Cordless Chainsaw Review
Einhell GC-PC 2040 Petrol Chainsaw Review
Einhell GE-LC 18 Li Cordless Chainsaw Review
Husqvarna HUSQ120-14 Petrol Chainsaw Review
Hyundai Petrol Chainsaw Review
Makita DUC353Z Twin 18V Cordless Chainsaw Review
P1PE 62cc Petrol Chainsaw Review
ParkerBrand 62CC Petrol Chainsaw Review
Ryobi RCS1830-150 ONE+ Cordless Chainsaw Review
WESCO 36V Cordless Chainsaw Review
WORX WG322E.9 Cordless Chainsaw Review
Cleaning
Composting
Cooling
DIY Accessories
Drills & Drivers
Black+Decker BCD700S1K Lithium Ion 2 Gear Hammer Drill Review
Bosch PSB 1800 LI-2 Cordless Combi Drill Review
DeWalt DCD776 Compact Hammer Drill Driver Set Review
DeWalt DCD796N 18 Volt XR Brushless Hammer Drill Driver Review
Hychika DD-12BC Cordless Drill Driver Kit Review
Makita DHP484 18V Combi Drill BL LXT Review
Ryobi R18PD3 Cordless 18V Compact Percussion Drill Kit Review
Terratek FUT18V01-3 18V Lithium Cordless Drill Review
Furniture
Garden Design
Garden Shredders
Bosch AXT 25 TC Quiet Garden Shredder Review
Bosch AXT Rapid 2200 Garden Shredder Review
Dirty Pro Tools™ Garden Shredder Review
Einhell GC-KS 2540 Electric Shredder Review
Hyundai HYCH2800ES Garden Shredder Review
Ryobi RSH3045U 3000W Silent Impact Shredder Review
The Handy THISWB Electric Garden Shredder Review
Garden Tools
ProPlugger 5-in-1 Bulb Planting Tool
Spear & Jackson Elements Dibber
Spear & Jackson Traditional Long Handle Bulb Planter
WOLF-Garten FHN Bulb Planter Hand Tool
Kent & Stowe Traditional Long Handled Bulb Planter
Draper 3082 Bulb Planter
Syitcun Garden Auger Drill Bit
UneedMe Leather Gloves With Wrist Tie
Pine Tree Tools Gardening Gloves
Pink Viridescent Leather Gardening Gloves
Olsen Deepak Gauntlet Gardening Gloves
XNDRYAN Thorn Proof Gardening Gloves
Ryobi RPP750S Pole Pruner
Garden Vacuums
Hedge Trimmers
Bosch Electric Hedge Cutter EasyHedgeCut 45 Review
Bosch Universal Hedge Pole 18 Trimmer Review
Einhell GC-HH 9048 Electric Long Reach Hedge Trimmer Review
Einhell GE-HH 18/45 Li T-Solo Telescopic Hedge Trimmer Review
Greenworks G40PSHK2 Cordless 2-in-1 Pole Hedge Trimmer Review
Kärcher 18V Cordless Pole Hedge Trimmer Review
Ryobi RPT184520 ONE+ Cordless Pole Hedge Trimmer Review
Terratek 550W Long Reach Hedge Trimmer Review
VonHaus Cordless Telescopic Hedge Trimmer Review
Worx WG252E.9 18V Cordless Pole Hedge Trimmer Review
Yard Force 20V Cordless Pole Hedge Trimmer Review
Lawn Mowers
Greenworks G40LM41 Cordless Lawnmower
Greenworks G24X2LM41K4X Cordless Lawnmower
MAMMOTION LUBA AWD 3000 Robotic Lawnmower
Bosch Advanced Rotak 650 Electric Lawn Mower Review
Bosch Cordless Lawnmower CityMower Review
Bosch Rotak 34R Electric Lawn Mower Review
Cobra M41C Petrol Lawn Mower Review
Einhell Expert GE-EM 1233 Electric Lawn Mower Review
Flymo EasiLife 150 GO Robotic Lawn Mower Review
Flymo EasiMow 300R Electric Lawn Mower Review
Flymo EasiStore 340R Li Cordless Rotary Lawn Mower Review
Flymo Speedi-Mo 360C Electric Lawn Mower Review
Hyundai HYM510SP 4-Stroke Petrol Lawn Mower Review
Kärcher LMO 18-33 18 Volt Cordless Lawn Mower Review
LawnMaster 24V 34cm Cordless Lawnmower Review
LawnMaster L12 Robotic Lawnmower Review
Mountfield HP41 Petrol Mower Review
Murray EC370 Electric Lawn Mower Review
Murray EQ200 Petrol Lawn Mower Review
Murray Lithium-Ion IQ18WM44 Cordless Lawn Mower Review
Ryobi 18V ONE+ Cordless Lawn Mower Review
Webb Classic WEER33 Electric Lawn Mower Review
Webb Classic WER410SP Self Propelled Petrol Mower Review
WORX Landroid S WR130E Robot Lawn Mower Review
Lawn Scarifiers
Leaf Blowers
Log Splitters
Outdoor Activities
Pest Control
Green Habitats Weedburner
ToolTronix Electric Weed Burner
URBN GARDEN 3-in-1 Electric Weed Burner
Parkland Electric Weed Burner
- Rootblast Super Concentrated Weed Killer
Fiskars Xact Weed Puller
Gardena Combisystem Patio Weeder
Garden Tools Multifunctional Manual Weeder
Spear & Jackson Daisy Grubber
Newman and Cole Long Handle Weed Brush
Deadfast Concentrated Weed Killer Sachets Review
Gallup Home & Garden Weed Control Review
Job Done Tough Weedkiller Review
Neudorff WeedFree Plus Concentrated Weed Killer Review
Resolva 24H Ready To Use Power Pump Weed Killer Review
Roundup Fast Action Weedkiller Pump ‘N Go Ready To Use Spray Review
Vitax SBK Brushwood Killer Tough Weed Killer Review
Weedol Lawn Weed Killer Concentrate Liquid Review
Weedol Ultra Tough WeedKiller Liquid Concentrate Review
Pressure Washers
Bosch EasyAquatak 120 High-Pressure Washer Review
Kärcher K2 Power Control High-Pressure Washer Review
Kärcher K5 Pressure Washer Review
Kärcher K7 Pressure Washer Review
Kärcher OC3 Mobile Outdoor Cleaner Review
Norse SK25i Portable Pressure Washer Review
Paxcess Electric High Pressure Washer Review
VonHaus 1600W Pressure Washer Review
VYTRONIX PW1500 Electric Pressure Washer Review
Wesco WS88oo Cordless Portable Pressure Washer Review
Wilks USA RX550i Pressure Washer Review
WORX WG620E 20V Hydroshot Cordless Pressure Washer Review
Yard Force Aquajet Cordless Portable Pressure Washer Review
Saws
Bosch Cordless Pruner UniversalChainPole 18
Black + Decker PS7525-GB Corded Pole Saw
Ryobi RPP750S Pole Pruner with Extension Pole
Hyundai 52cc Petrol Long Reach Pole Pruner
eSkde LPCS1 Telescopic Long Reach Pole Chainsaw
Bosch PKS 55 Hand-Held Circular Saw Review
Bosch Professional GCM8SJL Sliding Mitre Saw Review
DeWalt DCS391N-XJ XR Cordless Circular Saw Review
DeWalt DWS774-GB Sliding Mitre Saw Review
Einhell TC-MS 2112 Compound Mitre Saw Review
Evolution R185 CCS Circular Saw Review
Evolution R210CMS Compound Mitre Saw Review
Makita DHS680Z 18V Brushless Circular Saw Review
Makita HS7601J Hand-Held Circular Saw Review
Metabo KGS216M Sliding Mitre Saw Review
Ryobi R18CS7-0 18V ONE+™ Cordless Circular Saw Review
Strimmers
BLACK + DECKER STC1820 18V Cordless String Strimmer Review
Bosch Advanced Grass Cut 36 Cordless Strimmer Review
Einhell GC-CT Cordless Grass Strimmer Review
Ryobi OLT1832 ONE+ Cordless Grass Trimmer Review
Ryobi RLT1825M20S One+18V Cordless Grass Strimmer Review
Terratek Cordless Grass Strimmer Review
WORX GT 3.0 Cordless Grass Strimmer Review