[wiggy1974]

hi am thinking of buying a einhell 6hp rotavator for £300 .could anyone tell me if there are any good and can you get spare parts easily.cheers

[Gwiz]

Hello wiggy.
I don't know about getting parts easily, I've only ever bought parts from them once. That was some time ago but they did send the parts quickly and they were reasonably priced.
What size of rotavator are you thinking of buying? you may be better off buying a more established brand like Alko or Honda?

Einhell spare parts department:   http://www.einhell-uk.co.uk/store/product-list.php?pg1-cid47.html

[arugula]

The 6 hp model looks like quite a chunky machine. Do you need one as big as that?

[Gwiz]

I didn't see the HP in the question! must have been too early for my eyes when I replied! :blink:

That picture, Argyllie, throws up a warning signal or two if it's the 6hp one. It seems to be on the same frame-work as a lower powered Alko 3hp. I would expect it to shake it's self to death and crack the frame within a relatively short period of time. I can see a brace on the handles, but the handles on the Alko are (IMHO) it's one weak spot. On a 6hp machine it's a recipe of disaster.

Edit.
I've just been looking on ebay at an Einhell, and sure enough one of the main handle securing bolts is missing, no doubt been shaken out by vibration. It was, apparently just about a year old.

(There maybe trouble ahead..........)

[wiggy1974]

cheers for that so do you think  a rotavator of 3.5hp is ok for an allotment that hasnt seen ashovel for at least 4 years cheers

[Gwiz]

I can't see any reason why not. It's all down to how the person operates it, how compacted the soil is, and what type of soil you have. A heavy clay soil is going to be far rougher to your machine than a light sandy soil like we have where I live.
If you go charging into it and try to turn it all over in one go and in one pass then it isn't going to work. You will end up damaging your machine an no doubt invalidating any warranty. If you go slow and steady and only go down a little bit at a time, then it should be OK.
Alternatively, you might try hiring something a little more powerful for the first year and then getting a smaller rotavator for the subsequent years.
If you decide to get a smaller machine remember that the most important thing is that you're not digging it by hand, so it doesn't matter how long it takes to get the ground in the condition you want to plant in.

[arugula]

According to a website which sells these machies, the one I pictured is the 6 hp. That's why I queried it, as It does look like a very powerful machine.

[Gwiz]

The3 engine is far too big for that tiny frame.
"It'll end in tears!"

[wiggy1974]

cheers for the infor i think i will hire one this year and look for a good second hand one for about £300 cheers

[wiggy1974]

Gwiz i see you have got a al-ko mh350-4 would you recommend that after i have hired one cheers

[Gwiz]

I like mine a lot. It's got a standard Briggs engine (tried and tested-been making it for years) and it's only about 26 kilo's in weight so even a bod with a gammy spine can get it in the car by himself (on a good day!)
Alko are a good company (German) and their spares back up is fantastic. All in all, I reckon that if the machine is used properly, it'll be around for as long as some of the "Antiques" that people are still using, judging by what I read in this section of the forum!

All the best, Wiggy.

[Billnorfolk]

Why dont you hire a machine for a weekend to do all the hard work,once it has been turned over will be easier for a small machine to keep it clean and tidy.My advice would be remove as much spear grass and weeds before rotovating as you will chop them up and make it worse ,especially the grass.