Yet Another Cycling Forum
Random Musings => Miscellany => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: nicknack on 05 October, 2013, 12:47:19 pm
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With the amount of stuff I'm going to have to turn over here and my back not getting any younger I may have to go for a bit of mechanical assistance. I know nothing about rotovators. Can anyone offer any advice?
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they're great but can be hard work, I've got an old Howard Gem think it weighs about 5cwt 3 gears plus reverse, built around 1972 starts on the crank fairly easy, once going nothing stops it, parts are available but expensive,
in my opinion the best type are the ones that are driven by the wheels rather than the tynes, the ones that rely on the tynes to pull them through the soil are a bit light and you have to hold them back so they dig in = bloody hard work, the ones with drive wheels need a gear box so all that costs money, if you just want one to do an allotment your best option is to hire one or get someone in to do the job I charge around £50 to do a standard allotment and that would practically be ready to plant in. But I live in Wales so bit out of my area :)
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They're great bits of kit and cheapish to hire. Think cutting up a 60' tree with a chainsaw rather than a bowsaw and that's how much easier digging your plot is with a rotovator. Ferret is, as usual, right about the tyne driven ones - you need a bit of heft behind you to motor through the soil, but they're not that bad. They are all that most hire places have though IME. Fortunately a guy in the valley bought one so it's easier these days!
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Expect to be in a whole world of DOMS agony the day after.
IME, either design (wheel or tyne driven) are a major upper body workout.
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Expect to be in a whole world of DOMS agony the day after.
IME, either design (wheel or tyne driven) are a major upper body workout.
Like digging with a fork then?
Hmm...
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Like digging with a fork then?
Hmm...
No - much worse than that, but you will get a much larger area dug. Also, they're a PITA if you have very stony soil as you're forever unjamming the tynes.
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Also, they're a PITA if you have very stony soil as you're forever unjamming the tynes.
That may be an issue.
Hmm...again.
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Also, they're a PITA if you have very stony soil as you're forever unjamming the tynes.
Ah. I was reading with interest until this point. My garden (or, rather, nature) is winning and I've learned that mechanical assistance turns the tide of battle.
However, my garden is practically shingle. It's like digging on the beach (which is nearby - hence the "soil" type).
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here's one I prepared earlier ;D
(http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss319/MB1_63/th_Photo0003_zps0594f6b0.jpg) (http://s587.photobucket.com/user/MB1_63/media/Photo0003_zps0594f6b0.jpg.html) (http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss319/MB1_63/th_Photo0043_zpsdb00226e.jpg) (http://s587.photobucket.com/user/MB1_63/media/Photo0043_zpsdb00226e.jpg.html) (http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss319/MB1_63/th_Photo0044_zps5d90e004.jpg) (http://s587.photobucket.com/user/MB1_63/media/Photo0044_zps5d90e004.jpg.html) (http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss319/MB1_63/th_Photo0047_zps16247109.jpg) (http://s587.photobucket.com/user/MB1_63/media/Photo0047_zps16247109.jpg.html)
cant remember the area of this bit of ground but it was quite a size and took roughly 3 hours from start to finish.