bad back!

fish · « **on:** February 05, 2007, 19:37 »

i suffer from a dodgy back,last year i baught a fork and a spade from lidles,the good thing was that they were longer in the handle than the average ones,sadly the spade got nicked,and the fork broke when i was being over forcefull with a horse radish root!now ive got 2 allotmentsand lots of digging ahead of me,can anyone sugest amake and model that is a bit longer!

muntjac · « **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2007, 20:22 »

get a steel shafted one and have the handle removed and then a bit piping stuck over reweld the handle on and the joints.sorted . my son is 6ft 7 n loves fereting so we had one made for him that way cost £10 n £^ for the asda spade

fish · « **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2007, 20:33 »

cheers munty! ille see if i can find someone to let me loose with the mig!

Eristic · « **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2007, 20:33 »

First I have to say that if anyone suffers from back injury they should seriously consider alternatives to digging. Most digging related problems though are simply caused by poor equipment and improper use. A good spade is unlikely to be sold in places like Lidl. A spade is a tool that has to withstand severe forces in normal operation and low quality steel will bend or break.

The handle of a standard spade is about the right length for all people regardless of height as tall folk have longer bones but still in scaled proportion to normal peeps and even shorties like myself. You have to bend to dig, but it is not the bending that causes the pain. Back pain while digging is mostly caused by attempting to graunch a big block of soil straight out of the ground instead of using the spade to lift it. Most of the lifting should be done by the spade as the handle is tipped back.

richyrich7 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2007, 21:01 »

You could get an American style spade, I have one of these and it's fab, nice long handle it stands about 5' tall. Got mine from B&Q and never looked back, as it were. or you try to get you hand on a terex sprung loaded spade their pretty good as well.
Can I add to what Eristic said by adding only lift what you can manage easily rather than digging a great clod at one, go halve the amount you are lifting with the spade. You will dig quicker, easier and probably dig more in the long run.

muntjac · « **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2007, 21:05 »

i have one them spades richy a nice deep shovelly one with those turned over bits for ur heel to sit on ..got mine from focus a few years back for ferreting its got a lovly feel to the hickory shaft .it seems to lift sand n soil so easy loll , once saw a chain gang in tennesee using them as well . friend in coreection services told me they had to do so much a day and that only if the cons werked to fast they made em go back n pat the soil down with the back of the spades lol

richyrich7 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2007, 21:15 »

Thats the one, perhaps we ought to try it out on our "naughty boys " in stead of a smack on the wrist.

shaun · « **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2007, 21:15 »

i use a shovel yer big bunch of girls

no offence but if you have a non manual job and you start digging like a maniac at the weekend you will get a bad back around the lumber region.i'm tall and i use a bulldog shovel that is now a spade because its had so much use

its like going to gym for the 1st time and trying to lift 100kilos you will hurt yourself.
I have tried these long shovels and just cant get used to them :?
a tip for a bad back is lie on the floor put your hands behind your knees and pull your knees up to your chin arching your back

muntjac · « **Reply #8 on:** February 05, 2007, 21:19 »

shaun said " use a shovel yer big bunch of girls
no offence but if you have a non manual job and you start digging like a maniac at the weekend you will get a bad back around the lumber region.IM TALL and i use a bulldog shovel
YOU LIKKLE E LIAR BOBBY

shaun · « **Reply #9 on:** February 05, 2007, 21:23 »

i said it was a shovel once

talking about bulldog tools each one is dated on the steel bit that the handle goes into and mine is 1991 a real antique

i am tall honest :cry:

fluffypebble · « **Reply #10 on:** February 06, 2007, 10:03 »

How tall?

shaun · « **Reply #11 on:** February 06, 2007, 18:12 »

beansticks · « **Reply #12 on:** February 06, 2007, 18:28 »

My spade is a Wilkinson Sword,stainless steel with an ash handle and shaft,it was a Christmas pressie.I love it.Bought from B&Q for £20.

shaun · « **Reply #13 on:** February 06, 2007, 20:14 »

i keep looking at those and those joseph bentley tools but £20-£30 for a fork is a bit much(i have a habbit of leaving stuff behind on the plot) i got a decent one from wilkos stainless fork with a plastic handle for £8 and its quite long aswel,
one tool that i do like is this top soil rake its aliminium and is about a metre wide great when you have rotavated an area to level off with.

fluffypebble · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2007, 20:34 »

If you're 6'4'' and Munty calls you short - how big is Munty?

I have been spending in Wilco's - £9.99 for a stainless steel fork with ash handles, same price for the spade. Only £6.99 each for the hoe and the rake. Thought I would try these before spending £20 plus on posh ones.

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bad back!

fish

fish

beansticks