[James]

Hi all.

I am just about to acquire a new house with a huge garden and lots of space to devote to lovely vegetables.  Quite heavy clay soil.  I will need a rotavator.

Now, that brings up all sorts of questions.  I've never used one... which makes looking for one quite difficult.  

What make?  How many horses?  How deep a cut?  How wide a cut?  What else do I need to know?

I cannot help but think that there must be a 'guide to buying a rotavator' somewhere on the net, but I've not found one.

Many thanks, James

[drythropple]

Howard Gem is the Rolls Royce of rotavators and can be picked up at a reasonable price if you look hard enough, they seem to make crazy money on e'Bay, try Adtrader online, good luck.

[John]

There's an article or two I put up on rotovators. My Merry Tiller is superb - especially considering it was made 30 years ago!
If you are thinking of a new one, I'd suggest a day trip to France. I kid you not, they are a lot cheaper over there.
I think you need, with a clay soil,  somethink around 4 or 5 hp - good robust tines are important and reverse gear can be useful (my MT doesn't have one)
Congratulations on the new place - sounds great.

[kooringa]

A reverse gear is a must, I would say, especially if you have clay soil.  Pulling, dragging a heavy rotorvator is not an easy thing to do.

Mine is a 5hp and works well for me, I also have a Mantis tiller for lighter work - the 4 stroke - so that I don't have to worry about mixing the petrol with oil ratio thing.

Have fun choosing what suits you best, and good luck with your new veggie garden.

[James]

There's an article or two I put up on rotovators.

That's brilliant, I've found that, thank you, very useful.  I was completely Merry-tillered up, until I saw reference to a Howard Gem.  I have seen these on eBay over the past few weeks.  The only thing that worries me is that Howards seem no longer to be produced?  Are spares very expensive?  Is there a Howard article on the 'net somewhere - there seem to be several machines around.

What sort of things are there to look for in a second hand one?  Do the tines wear out, for instance?

Many thanks.

(Yes, it will be a change from my London garden, half of which is down to vegetables....!)

[noshed]

Get a mattock -are you a man or a mouse? (Seriously, think about it, I'm amazed how much you can do with little effort - cheap and easy to store.)

[John]

Howard Gems / Merry Tillers  - Ferrari / Aston Martin - you pays yer money!
Spares don't seem too bad for the 'mainstream' machines even when they're no longer made.
Noshed is, of course, suffering from Rotovator Envy - first noted by Sigmund Freude in his famous study of mattock users in 1891.

[GrannieAnnie]

OH still says Howard Gems are the best!  You are right, Gems are not made as such any more, they ended up being made by a company in Ely, Cambs, but I can't think of their name for the minute.  They seem to be getting popular again, a couple of years ago, you could get a bargain Gem on Ebay, but now they really get good money.  OH is renovating one at the moment, but can't afford a new motor for it, so it sits round by his shed in several pieces!!!!!!!  And yes, the tines do eventually wear out.  The set he bought for this one cost him about £40 I think from a local tractor shop.

[James]

you could get a bargain Gem on Ebay, but now they really get good money.  

So how much to pay?  Gems on eBay seem to be going for £200 at the moment.  Diesel or petrol?  I've heard the diesels have a shorter working life as they're inclined to be shaken up.

[noshed]

Rotovator envy can be bad - but not as bad as water rage or unfulfilled greenhouse longings. We had a site meeting yesterday - 16 of us. Because it was raining we had to meet in someone's shed/greenhouse verandah - and we all fitted in, with chairs. Now that's a shed. Eat your heart out B&Q.

[John]

Rotovator envy can be bad - but not as bad as water rage or unfulfilled greenhouse longings. We had a site meeting yesterday - 16 of us. Because it was raining we had to meet in someone's shed/greenhouse verandah - and we all fitted in, with chairs. Now that's a shed. Eat your heart out B&Q.

You just had to get greenhouses into the topic, didn't you?

Mattock waving, tree-hugging hippy! <end Cartman mode>

[noshed]

Sorry, but I've got 15 sheets of corrugated plastic just waiting for me to do something as well you know.

[milkman]

John I have an idea which may help - why don't u make up an appropriate diary entry(ies), then take a pic of someone else's completed greenhouse (find one which is a bit cobbled together rather than a brand new shiny specimen otherwise we won't be fooled) - then you would be sure to be rid of our ribbing (on this topic at least)

[noshed]

Noone would suspect a thing.

[John]

What a good idea. Then you could all start in on my cauliflowers instead.

Seriously, I think it may help people when I have a disaster or don't get around to something. That way they see that it doesn't all go to plan. Unlike some of these gardening programs where a perfect weedless garden appears with no effort.