Modified garden tools

[ellir0305 9]

I have broken quite a few spade and fork handles in recent years by being frankly heavy handed, also at 6'2" I find most standard size tool handles leave me bent double while working and most long handled tools are just plain flimsy. Has anyone made or modified their tools to get round these problems or any other cool homemade tools. 

Thank you

 

Rob

 

[Arry 22,201]

Rob you can get extra long handle shovels or have you tried a Devon Shovel, they do take a bit of getting used to though.

Cheers Arry

[dytkos 17,815]

1 hour ago, Arry said:

Rob you can get extra long handle shovels or have you tried a Devon Shovel, they do take a bit of getting used to though.

Cheers Arry

It's a Cornish shovel Arry

Cheers, D.

[Arry 22,201]

19 minutes ago, dytkos said:

It's a Cornish shovel Arry

Cheers, D.

 

Look you stole our Pasty's the shovel is ours Lol.

Here is a Hoe the was worn right out and came from my Gran sisters when she past away. Apparently it was my great Grandfathers and maybe his fathers, go my mate to weld a new blade on the bottom, I love it. Mad really but I like the idea of keeping it going.

 

This is a favourite tool of mine bought the head at a market and put a bit of Ash on it. Great for cleaning of a bit of ground or stubborn weeds.

Cheers Arry

[jok 3,301]

Well son. I've just taken delivery of one of these back saver, flicker spades. I watched a 75 year old gentleman turning his plot with complete ease and decided I had to get one. Now they ain't the cheapest but as a work aid they are good. Can't put up pics at mom because have taken the thing apart to repair and repaint. It's looking good if I get it back together again. Have a look as there are a few on eBay. Also, I have an old 5 pronged fork which I bent the tines at about 3 inches to 90 degrees making it a grubber. Great for rucking up potatoes and generally scratting about among plants to dislodge weeds without the need for hoeing. I'll put put both up shortly. Jok.

[ellir0305 9]

I bought a devon/cornish shovel recently and it made turning turfs and planting a new field hedge much easier than the regular short square mouthed spade, once I put a proper edge on it anyway. Our new place has heavy clay soil with loads of stones and field bindweed so tools take a real beating and get plenty of use. I like wooden handles but they do tend to fail. Has anyone made metal handles or extended the strapping on wooden handles? They are some cracking old tools Arry, nothing like the quality of old steel.

[ArchieHood 3,692]

14 hours ago, Arry said:

Look you stole our Pasty's the shovel is ours Lol.

Here is a Hoe the was worn right out and came from my Gran sisters when she past away. Apparently it was my great Grandfathers and maybe his fathers, go my mate to weld a new blade on the bottom, I love it. Mad really but I like the idea of keeping it going.

 

This is a favourite tool of mine bought the head at a market and put a bit of Ash on it. Great for cleaning of a bit of ground or stubborn weeds.

Cheers Arry

Can you use green Ash, or do you have to dry it out.?

[Arry 22,201]

25 minutes ago, ArchieHood said:

Can you use green Ash, or do you have to dry it out.?

That bit I cut out  when I was laying a hedge for a farmer, I only kept it in the shed for about a month Archie so it was quite green and it's been fine. Ash is good for handles I find and thats about five years old now.

Cheers Arry

[jok 3,301]

Here's my latest gadget. 'the Back Saver'. Took it apart gave it some TLC nice coat of paint, oil on the head and all ready to go. Highly recommended. Jok

[ellir0305 9]

That is a handy looking tool Jok, have you used it in any heavy ground? And have you got the fork attachment for it?

I dug over another strip between the spuds today removing bindweed and concluded i definitely need a long handled fork or more flexible hamstrings but I think the fork is more attainable.

[ellir0305 9]

I inherited this tool with the new place tucked away in the garage not sure what it is, any ideas? Its a wolf tool and my thought is some kind of ridger but not sure. the leading edges are beveled, but that means it would need to be pushed.

[Arry 22,201]

6 hours ago, ellir0305 said:

I inherited this tool with the new place tucked away in the garage not sure what it is, any ideas? Its a wolf tool and my thought is some kind of ridger but not sure. the leading edges are beveled, but that means it would need to be pushed.

Never seen one before. If i had to guess its for making different drills for seed. Have you tried draging it lightly across loose ground in a straight line to see if it makes a furrow of different widths.

Cheers Arry

[ellir0305 9]

I have tried it and it does but the balance is rubbish and its nowhere near as good as using the other end of the handle. I found a contact for wolf tools so I sent them the pics to see if they can help.