Don’t toss a garden tool, such as an ax, hoe, or spade, just because you’ve broken its wooden handle. Replacement handles are readily available at hardware stores and home centers. To remove the old handle, take out any wedge, pin, or bolt that holds the metal tool head to the handle. Then pull the handle out, working it from side to side. If it doesn’t slip free easily, drill several 1/4- or 3/8-inch (6 or 10 mm) holes into the top of the old handle to loosen it. Fit the new handle into the tool. If the handle does not fit completely into the tool, use a file or rasp to shave wood from the new handle until it fits. Re-secure the handle by driving the wedge back into the slit at the top or by drilling a hole and replacing the pin or bolt.
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If your tool handle is broken, don’t throw out the tool. Just replace the handle.
