[Muckywelliesandabadback]

Hello
Just joined this list on the recommendation of a kind soul on the local freecycling group.  After an absence of a few years, I took on an allotment last May.  I decide to opt for a bed system, worked like mad to dig out the first eight beds, planted them up with all manner of goodies, sustained two slipped discs then the plot flooded and everything died. So far this year, I've put in some fruit trees and damaged a ligament in my leg. Now maybe someone in the great somewhere is trying to tell me something but I don't want to give up without a fight.  I've heard that the autospade is good for backs but my soil here is quite heavy in parts does anyone have any experience of using these on a clay soil?  Advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks all

Kim

[dorimower]

Hello,
I don't know if you are aware of the return of the former Wolf spade as the Backsaver... http://www.backsavergardentools.co.uk/spade.htm

I have not used one regularly..only just a few minutes try with one a few years ago...It definitely seemed that it would be an art that would have to be practised to get it right....especially as in my case being used to digging with an ordinary spade for 40 years..

 We did have a young lad new to gardening working with us at the time and he got the hang of it quicker than we did...perhaps as he was new to ordinary spade too..

Our ground is not heavy clay but medium to heavy although it has been in cultivation for about 300 years

There is a ref' on the Backsaver website:.."Dig only in cultivated ground
The shaft and spring mechanism are not appropriate for tackling large stones, tree roots or uncultivated earth. If you encounter these then tackle the job with the correct tool; a heavy-duty spade, pick or adze."

Just passing on the the little bit of info' to hand...let's see what others report..

"Dori"

[richyrich7]

I've got one sitting in the shed hardly ever use it but they are good, bit of a knack to there use, using it on cultivated ground I managed to break one of the large sprung rods on mine digging uncultivated ground but I've since had it welded and it seems fine.
You still them on Ebay but they can fetch stupid prices.

And Welcome to the forums btw  

[jarigo]

I have one of these.I use it to roughly break up ground as it makes it easier to rotovate.    

[Muckywelliesandabadback]

Hi
Thank you for the advice.  I put in bids for a couple of the spades on ebay but was outbid at the last minute  :cry: .  At least if I get one and can't get used to it it seems fairly easy to resell.
Regards

Kim

[Gwiz]

can we intrest you in buying a rotovator? they dont have to be too big or heavy, and it gives you a great feeling of well being making a noise at the weekend!

[richyrich7]

can we intrest you in buying a rotovator? they dont have to be too big or heavy, and it gives you a great feeling of well being making a noise at the weekend!

 

[Starchy]

Hi
Thank you for the advice.  I put in bids for a couple of the spades on ebay but was outbid at the last minute  :cry: .  At least if I get one and can't get used to it it seems fairly easy to resell.
Regards

Kim

I borrowed one recently and knocked a bed off in 5 mins. You just need to get a rythym going. I'd love to get my hands on one so let me know if you get and subsequently want to get rid of one although it may be me bidding against you in the first place!

[SkipRat]

I,ve also got one, or should I say inherited one. Had a go with it, it seems ok but I still prefare my Azada to dig with.

[tweeky]

Backsaver spade.

Don't forget to follow the instructions carefully and do a few of these afore you start.                    

[Muckywelliesandabadback]

After several attempts, each one being outbid at the last minute, I finally "won" an autospade on ebay last night    

Should be with me by the end of the week and I can get going on the plot.  Now have to buy a new cordless strimmer as mine sems to have bitten the dust...I think it might have been in a suicide pact with the vacuum cleaner.

Thanks for the advice!

Kim