One can’t imagine gardening without basic tools like spades, rakes, and trowels. However, if your garden spans considerable square footage, then you might need more tools. For instance, sod pluggers are one such tool that helps in covering more area or when your gardening entails many different plantation activities.
Sod pluggers are also called planting tools. As their name suggests, they ‘plug’ out a sod or soil from the ground for planting/replanting or weed removal. Like other standard gardening tool, sod pluggers also work with a simple mechanism but offer a range of tasks. Its shape is pretty similar to a manual air pump i.e. a narrow cylinder with bike-like handles on the top. A sod plugger usually has tapered bottom ends for getting through the ground surface. Moreover, the footrests given on each side of the business end exert pressure.
Operating a sod plugger is pretty simple. Put it on the patch that needs to be plugged out of the ground. Hold it firmly from the handles and exert pressure through those side footrests to slot in the plugger into the ground. Pull it out and you’ll have a precise hole for planting a bulb or sapling.
Sod pluggers are easy to use and can make your vegetation activity a whole lot easier. They are not heavy on pockets either. We would strongly recommend this tool to all those people who take their gardening passion seriously.
Here, we are going to discuss five of the best sod pluggers available in the market right now. You will find all the important information needed for making the right buying choice right here.
Best Sod Pluggers
1. ProPlugger 5-in-1 Lawn Tool – The Perfect All-Around Sod Plugger
Sale
ProPlugger 5-in-1 Lawn and Garden Tool, Bulb Planter, Weeder...
- WATCH OUR VIDEO - Click the video to see the ProPlugger in...
- PLANT LIKE A PRO – Step, twist, pull and you’re ready to...
Highlights
- An easy-to-use planting tool
- Offers accurate soil plugging for five different tasks
- Contains hardwearing frame
ProPlugger 5-in-1 is undoubtedly the best sod plugger on the block right now. As the title suggests, it is useful for five different gardening activities. The five roles that this sod plugger plays are:
You can use it as a lawn plugger, a border planter, a bedding planter, to dig holes for bulbs or use its digging capability to take out weeds and unwanted sprouts
Apart from providing various digging options, ProPlugger also stands out from other sod pluggers because it comes with depth rings. These rings are fitted at the bottom end to set the depth you want. You can dig holes that are 2, 4, and 6 inch-deep with the help of these rings.
The hollow cylinder frame allows you to dig multiple holes all at once. Once it gets filled with soil, shake it or tap it gently with a mattock to empty it. The sod plugger is made of carbon steel and coated with weather-proof paint. In short, it’s a study gardening piece that one can use for a long time and put it anywhere without worrying about wear and tear.
The main downside of ProPlugger is its narrow tubing, which digs a 2.125 inches wide hole. This might not be wide enough for planting large saplings and bulbs. Moreover, the foam padding on the handles is a bit loose and looks prone to general deterioration.
Pros
- A versatile gardening tool
- The carbon steel frame ensures better durability
- Depth adjustment to pull plugs for all sorts of plantation
Cons
- The diameter of the cylinder is small and not ideal for larger plants
- Foam padding of handles could have a better quality
- Some people might find it difficult to rightly adjust depth rings
2. Yard Butler Sod Plugger – The Best Sod Plugger for Lawns
Sale
Yard Butler Sod Plugger turf cutter and grass plug tool for...
- LIFETIME GUARANTEE: Stop buying plastic or cheap metal...
- MANUAL SOD CUTTER is great for transplanting grass plugs of...
Highlights
- Easy-to-use, lightweight sod plugger
- Pulls a precise and bigger square plug
- Comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee
This yard plugger is more simplistic in its working. Yard butler has designed it for standard lawn sod plugging. However, you can also use it to dig holes of bulbs and samplings. Since it’s more of a specialized grass plugger, it works on all different turf species. Whether it’s Centipede, Zoysia, St. Augustine, or Bermuda, you can use it for every sort of grass plug transplantation.
The Yard Butler Sod Plugger has a different construction than a ProPlugger. It’s a rod with its business end being a square case of 3”x3” dimensions. With saw-tooth edges and footpegs on top, this square frame ensures precise and easy digging for grass plugs. The perfectly cut square holes can also be used to plant some saplings.
One another good thing about this Yard Butler product is that it’s not that heavy. With just 4 lb of weight, it’s ideal for seniors who love to work in gardens but can’t do so because of heavy gardening tools. Even with such a lightweight, Yard Butler has maintained the durability of its steel sod plugger with powder coating.
Now let’s look at some of the shortcomings of this product. To begin with, you can dig holes of only one depth. Moreover, it doesn’t have a long hollow cylinder-like ProPlugger. So, you can only pull one plug at a time. Lastly, the square business end is attached to the tube with just a single weld which might not work well for extensive use.
Overall, this simple-to-use sod plugger is more suitable for odd lawn turf replacements.
Pros
- Lightweight steel body
- Easiest to use, no adjustment needed
- Pulls out a large and distinctive square plug
Cons
- You have to work with a single depth
- You can’t pull out multiple plugs in a single go
- The business end could be welded better
3. Corona LG-3720 Sod Plugger – A Sod Plugger with Turf Release Plunger
Sale
Corona Tools LG 3720 SodPLUGGER, Red
- HEAT-TREATED STEEL for lasting strength and durability
- REPAIRS LAWNS without the expense of buying and installing...
Highlights
- Dynamic, sleek, and colorful exterior
- Built-in quick-release plunger
- Slip-resistant footpegs
Corona LG-3720 is also designed on the lines of Yard Butler’s sod plugger. However, it’s an improvement on that design. For instance, it comes with a built-in quick-release plunger that removes the plug with a single touch. You won’t need to turn it upside down again and again and nor do you need to hammer it with a mallet.
Moreover, the footpegs contain slip-resistant treads so you can put out a plug in a single attempt without slipping off. Like Yard Butler, it also gives the square plug of 3-inch dimensions that are ideal for many grass turfs and some of the other plants.
LG-3720 is the sleekest sod plugger on our list. It looks like Corona has particularly worked on the shape and appearance of its product. With curvilinear handles designed for comfortable handling, the sod plugger is draped in two colors: red and light gray. While Corona has primarily designed it for the single purpose of putting turf plugs in grassless patches of lawns, one can adapt its use for other planting tasks as well.
Even though the early use of Corona LG-3720 doesn’t show any significant signs of deterioration, our experts believe that it’s prone to wear and tear in the long run. This reservation has brewed from the fact that the external steel frame of this sod plugger is really thin. This constriction makes it a lightweight tool but perhaps at the cost of durability. The lack of any guarantee from the manufacturer also makes these concerns more probable.
Nonetheless, this Corona model is effective and easy to manage. Moreover, pulling out and putting in sod plugs is not an everyday gardening activity. So, it is likely that the toughness and durability of LG-3720 won’t need to go through durability testing.
Pros
- Lightweight and attractive exterior design
- Easy plugging due to the built-in plunger
- Comfortable handles with a trademarked gel grip
Cons
- Works with the one-plug-at-a-time operation
- The steel exterior is not thick enough
- Not designed for all sorts of plugging
Short Guide for Buying Sod Pluggers
Sod pluggers are not high-end gardening tools. However, it’s not a fine reason to buy them without due deliberation. You can see in the above reviews that no two sod pluggers are similar in all of their features. So, whenever you are looking to buy a sod plugger, always assess them for their features to get the best-customized option.
Sturdy Hardwearing Body
Sod pluggers are force-exerting tools designed to be used in rough outdoors. So, their main body frame or shaft should always be sturdy. Look for options that are made of high-quality metallic alloys that don’t snap even after repeated use. While assessing the thickness and quality of the external frame, also see if it is weather-coated. The weather coating delays the natural corrosion of the tool to a significant extent.
A Size that Matches Your Height
Always look for a sod plugger with a shaft size that complements your height. The idea is to get a sod plugger that you don’t have to bend excessively to exert the force. Working with a sod plugger where you have to go down can be quite taxing for your back. The last two options discussed here particularly take care of this factor.
Plug Dimensions
Plug, the business end of a plugger, is also one of the features you should factor in while buying a sod plugger. As you can see, some pluggers have square and some have circular business ends. Similarly, the depth of plugs also varies. 3×3” plugs are ideal for lawns but for other plantations, you will need deeper plugs. So, take into account what plug dimensions will be required for your particular gardening activity while buying a sod plugger.
Plug Release
Except for Corona Sod Plugger, you need to pull out the soil plugs through excessive shaking or by taping the business end with a hammer. This is a shortcoming found in most sod pluggers. If you have to exclusively work on grass turfs and patching, pick a sod plugger that also offers one-touch plug release just like Corona LG-3720.
Whenever you want to buy a sod plugger, look out for these four features to pick a product that delivers the gardening work you need.
Final Words
The above product reviews have made it quite clear that ProPlugger is the best among the best sod plugger in the market right now. STBM Sod Plugger is another good choice in lesser price while all other options are also good for standard turf plugging.
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to choose a sod plugger and regard it as the best if it checks these two boxes.
- Offers the utility that fulfills your gardening needs
- Comes at a price that you are willing to pay
