what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?

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MJS

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We took over our allotment at the end of January and have got by with a fork, two spades, a hoe, rake and trowel.
Since then we have been learning about the work involved and have bought  a wheelbarrow too. After reading the forum and seeing how things have panned out effort-wise on the allotment, and now having actual plants growing,  I am about to buy a canterbury hoe and and onion hoe. I'm hoping  these will see us through for this year without buying more , but I must admit, I'd never heard of these till I joined the forum. :D

What wouldn't you be without? :unsure:

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GrannieAnnie

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2011, 21:51 »
Well, my Brian's rotovator once he gets round to using it on my veg plot, as I can't dig for very long, and the weeds grow quicker than I can get rid of them!

But everything is useful.  I prefer my border fork as it isn't as heavy as the ordinary garden fork, and I got a spade back in 2006 for nothing, which is lovely and sharp and digs well in hard ground.  We've also got 4 other spades and shovels, collected over the years.  a rake, a lawn rake, 4 hoes and an azada thingy, which I also love for when the ground is hard, and 2 wheelbarrows.

One winter when the ground was really hard, we had a lot of rain and the chicklen runs were swimming, so I went down with my azada and dug a trench from one end of the big run to the other.  I did it in a couple of hours.  Normally it would have taken me 2 days the way I work!  :D


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grendel

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2011, 18:57 »
has to be the azada, its great for earthing spuds an digging its a dream, and easy on the back too. more knackring than a spade as I can go hammer and tongs and dig a yard wide strip the width of the plot in 10 minutes, but it does leave me out of breath.
Grendel
we do the impossible daily, miracles take a little longer.

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MJS

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2011, 19:11 »
Thank you both, that's another tool that's new to me :D I'm hoping we will get a lot more done, more quickly once we have the most appropriate tools. :D

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compostqueen

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2011, 19:14 »
An azada and my trusty Ibis hand cultivator hoe thing, a Korean tool which is great for weeding, making seed drills, whacking clumps of soil to break them, cultivating soil in my raised beds etc.  It's my most used tool  :)

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MJS

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2011, 19:26 »
Is an Azada similar to a Canterbury hoe? Only looking at things online and not being able to see "in the flesh" , so to speak, they look similar.  :unsure:

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grendel

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2011, 19:41 »
the azada is like a spade head on the end of a long shaft, at roughly right angles to the shaft, its weight and sharp edge carry it into the ground,and a little tug toward you breaks the soil away, no excessive bending or lifting.
Grendel

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MJS

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2011, 19:44 »
the azada is like a spade head on the end of a long shaft, at roughly right angles to the shaft, its weight and sharp edge carry it into the ground,and a little tug toward you breaks the soil away, no excessive bending or lifting.
Grendel

Thank you, certainly sounds like a good tool. :D

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Growster...

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2011, 20:00 »
The azada is like a Chillington hoe here

http://www.chillingtontoolsonline.co.uk/digging-hoes-and-handles-c1

The handle on mine is much shorter, possibly a bit too short, but it is a great clouter, and as said above, earthing up is a doddle with it!

And you must get a 'Growster Wheel Hoe'...;0)

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MJS

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2011, 20:11 »
The azada is like a Chillington hoe here

http://www.chillingtontoolsonline.co.uk/digging-hoes-and-handles-c1

The handle on mine is much shorter, possibly a bit too short, but it is a great clouter, and as said above, earthing up is a doddle with it!

And you must get a 'Growster Wheel Hoe'...;0)

I've just had a look at your thread, very impressive :D  I have notices two jalo wheel hoes on Ebay, so I am watching them to see what they go for. :)
« Last Edit: May 10, 2011, 21:02 by MJS »

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MoreWhisky

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #10 on: May 10, 2011, 20:51 »
My must have tool is my opinal Knife. Always carry it on me when i go to the plot.
I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.

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Swing Swang

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #11 on: May 10, 2011, 21:00 »
I'd call it an enxada, but that says more about me than the tool!
Irish spade (long handle, easier on the back)
4" Opinel knife
Sturdy 12" wooden tent pegs - too many uses - dibbing, marking out, securing cloches, measuring sticks.
String

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Vit

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2011, 22:07 »
List of my tools will be long, so i will call just most useful - chainsaw  :wub: , Honda F200, wheelbarrow, spade, canterbury fork, mesh on the frame to separate stones from sand. And i didn't count tools for building  :D

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Ice

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2011, 22:35 »
Nice to hear from you Vit.  Why don't you introduce yourself to us in the "welcome" thread. :)
Cheese makes everything better.

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MJS

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Re: what tools do you have and what's the most useful to you?
« Reply #14 on: May 12, 2011, 18:10 »
There are certainly some good tools here. I have bid on, and been successful in getting a Chillington hoe on Ebay for £10.00.  :D




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