Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Buying land and starting a homestead is a dream for a lot of us, but it's not something you want to jump into blind. Before you sign the papers on a piece of property, make sure you actually know what you're doing. That means understanding the work ahead of you, having a realistic idea of what daily life out there is like, and just as important, making sure you have the right tools and equipment to handle it.
The right tool is the difference between a weekend of backbreaking labor and an hour of easy progress. These aren't luxuries or nice-to-haves. Out on a homestead, the right gear can genuinely be a lifesaver, and every dollar you spend on it is money well spent.
We found this particular list on the YouTube channel SweetMapleRidge, where Chris homesteads up on the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. He learned fast that you can't homestead without the right tools. You can view his video and list of tools below.
1. A Way to Get Around and Haul Stuff
Whether you've got a couple of acres or a whole lot more, you need an efficient way to move around your property and haul things from one side to the other. This doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive. A side-by-side is great if you can swing it, but a four-wheeler works just as well.
If you go the four-wheeler route, make sure you also pick up a trailer to pull behind it. You can grab one at Lowe's, Rural King, or somewhere similar. The trailer is what actually lets you move dirt, tools, plants, posts, and everything else you'll be lugging around.
And really, it doesn't even have to be a dedicated ATV. Even a lawn tractor with a trailer hooked to the back will get you where you need to go. A used four-wheeler off Facebook Marketplace will do the trick too. The point is having something that saves you from making that long walk hauling a load of gear by hand. Plant a tree down on your property line and you'll understand real quick why this matters.
One creative option: an old vehicle converted into a farm truck. Chris uses an old Nissan Murano for exactly this. It's not pretty, but if he needs to fill it with boards, posts, or whatever else, it gets the job done around the ridge.
2. A Reliable Chainsaw (and the Safety Gear to Go With It)
If you're living on a homestead or any decent piece of property, you need to be able to clear brush and cut down trees. And trust me, trees are going to fall. They'll come down across your paths and trails, and you've got to have a chainsaw to deal with them. There are plenty of good manufacturers out there. Chris runs Stihl and likes Husqvarna too, but the brand matters less than having a solid, dependable saw.
Now here's where we get serious for a minute. A chainsaw is one of those tools on a homestead that can genuinely kill you, and it's not to be underestimated. Buying the saw isn't enough. You've got to do your due diligence and get proper training so you can run it safely, because this thing will cut you in half if you're careful.
Do your own research on safety and technique before you ever fire one up. Used correctly, though, it's one heck of a tool that'll keep you in firewood and keep your trails clear.
If you want a recommendation, Chris runs a Stihl MS271, the Farm Boss model, with an 18-inch bar. It handles everything he needs, including cutting down trees for making maple syrup in early spring.
And a chainsaw is only half the purchase. You need the safety equipment that goes with it:
- Chaps. Don't buy the saw without buying chaps. They'll protect your legs, and Chris has a story about how a pair saved his kneecap. They come in different styles and brands, including versions built right into pants, which are especially nice in winter since they keep your legs warm.
- A helmet. He wouldn't cut down a tree or cut firewood without one, even a beat-up old one.
- Gloves.
- An axe with a blunt back and wedges. When you're felling trees, you absolutely need wedges, and you need an axe with a flat, blunt side to pound them into the cut.
3. A Multi-Tool Power Head with a Hedge Trimmer Attachment
The third pick is a Stihl KM56 RC, specifically paired with the hedge trimming attachment. When you buy it, it comes as a standard weed whacker. But here's the beauty of it: you just unscrew the string trimmer head, pull it out, and swap in any of the tons of other attachments they make for it.
Chris bought the hedge trimmer attachment and says he's used it way more than the weed whacker itself. It's amazing for tearing through invasive stuff like multiflora rose, which seems to grow everywhere and takes over fast. It'll also handle trimming limbs up to about the diameter of a penny with no problem, so it's perfect for keeping a trail open and clear.
4. A Small Tiller
Next up is a small tiller. Same deal as the chainsaw, plenty of companies make a good one, so don't get hung up on brand. But one word of warning: a small tiller like this isn't going to break through brand-new ground. That's not what it's for.
What it's great at is working soil you've already broken and cultivated a bit. Once the dirt's loosened up, this thing will mix everything together nicely. Want to work in some leaves or straw? It'll get you there. And because it's reasonably light, you can even lift it up and set it right into a raised bed to work the soil where you need it.
5. A Generator (but Don't Overbuy)
The last must-have is a generator, and this one comes with a lesson learned. When you buy a generator, don't overbuy. Chris learned this the hard way with a Firman T7573, a tri-fuel unit with 9,400 starting watts and 7,500 running watts on gasoline, a 439cc engine, and a claimed 74 dB at quarter power (which is misleading, since it's got no throttle and always runs at 100%). The thing is deafeningly loud and weighs 213 pounds. Technically it's “portable,” but it never leaves the porch.
The takeaway: that's way more generator than most homesteads actually need. Instead, go with something like an inverter-style generator that you can plug plenty of stuff into and that'll comfortably hold you over until the power comes back on. Match the generator to what you actually need to power, and you'll be a lot happier with it.
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