Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Equipment Shed => Topic started by: makedoandmend on January 21, 2018, 12:49
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Folks,
Just looking for some feedback on this particular hoe.
I'm looking for a stainless steel border spade with wooden handle, but have yet to find one that I'm happy with - I find they are all a bit too 'straight'. I have my father's carbon steel spade which is brilliant but the handle is now loose - I'd like to find a new ash handle so I can rebuild it - any suggestions welcome.
Make do.
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Can’t answer on the hoe but have you considered a swoe,I converted a few years ago & wouldn’t go back. Hope you get the spade sorted, you’ll enjoy it all the more as it was your dads
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I can't claim to have inherited my dad's spade, but I still have the ash-handled carbon steel one that I was given when we got married 50 years ago. Last year I treated myself to a new one, stainless steel with plastic shaft from Dobbies Garden Centre, Cost about £15 and a revelation. So much easier to use for digging my beds as it has a more pronounced angle to it and is about 4 inches longer than my old one
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Folks,
I've now bought this hoe.
Although I've not had a lot of opportunity to use it, here's my review to date.
Pro's
It has a long handle which improves reach and allows a more upright posture. It is a nice diameter to hold.
The "open" stainless steel design means it doesn't get clogged especially in my clay soil - easy to clean.
The grain on all the handles in the shop was correctly aligned and they were all straight.
Lifetime guarantee
Con's
It's a bit pricey, BUT it is the only one of this design I could find!
Welds are ok, they have been dressed and polished (essential when you weld stainless) but could be better finished - rivets too.
Cutting edge is chamfered but not very sharp - easy to sort out though.
Some of the blades weren't very 'square' - I looked at all of them to choose the best.
There is a hole for the leather thong strap, but the hole hasn't been chamfered so I suspect, if left, the thong would soon wear through - easy to sort though. The Joseph Bentley tools are all nicely chamfered.
I'm not keen on varnished handles - I'll sort this with some cabinet paper and linseed oil.
The Con's are minor and shouldn't detract from what is a nice piece of kit.
A very good friend is going to make a new, slightly longer, ash handle for my spade in his lathe, so I will look forward to using that again.
Make do.
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Folks,
I've had a bit more chance to use this hoe now.
The only comment that I would add is that the angle of the blade could be a bit steeper. The longer handle improves the posture but tends to flatten out the blade.
Make do.