Topic: Garden Forks - wood or metal shaft?

[kt.]

I need to buy another fork. My wooden one snapped at the shaft last year, so I bought one with a metal shaft. It supposedly had a 10 year guarantee. One of the prongs snapped before Christmas.

I am looking at a Wilkinson Sword. Reliable make apparently. B&Q have 3 variants ranging from £13-22. Other brands welcome.

[kenkew]

Wooden shaft is better.
 A small border fork might be ok in all metal as pressure used isn't so great, but with wood you'll find the working metal end has been tempered correctly.
 All metal ones have a tubular shaft which have limited give. Go beyond that and it will kink and fit only as a boot cleaner!
 Wooden ones are easier to 'understand' in that you know when you reach maximum pressure. Mind you, they will break if you go past that point but a new wooden shaft isn't difficult to replace.

Bulldog is another good make.

[Mr Smith]

I bought a job lot of garden tools off a friend of mine over twenty years, the fork and spades both have wooden handles and are still serving us well so for me it is wooden handles and I suppose something with a name like 'Wilkinson sword' you should be ok, :) ;)

[Barnowl]

I've broken Wilkinson Sword but not Spear & Jackson - quite new to gardening so might be luck of the drawer.



Both come with guarantees so you should be ok anyway.

[heyho]

I would certainly agree about wood BUT not in my case. I am 6ft 5" and an ex rugby prop forward and at times don't know my own strength. As such If I come across a 'challenging' bit of digging I have a tendency to over excert the properties of the spade or fork and ermmm snap the wood!

I have since bought a decent metal set and seem to be ok to date with them. My fault I know and not the forks.

On a similar theme I purchased a decent Wilkinson Sword rake last week. Metal but with a plastic bit in the middle of the handle. That's already bending. LOL Saying that my arms are aching a lot today!!!

[Old bird]

Hi there KT!

I have been looking for ages and have bought two and am still not happy with what I have got!!

I unfortunately lent my stainless steel fork to friends who promptly broke one of the tines!  The only problem I am now finding is that the new forks are really thick at the bottom of the tines (the bit that hits the ground first)  some of them are HUGE and THICK and one that I did try was completely useless at digging as I couldn't get the thing in the ground!

I cannot find a replacement for my stainless steel one - which was not very expensive - it had a man made handle (plastic'y) one of the replacement forks has a handle at a weird angle - which I can't get along with.

Apparently - I have been told and am not sure whether it is true or not - it is a health and safety thing?!!

Good luck with your search - if you come accross a medium sized stainless steel fork with thin prongs and a straight handle - let me know!!

Old Bird
 ::)

[Barnowl]

How about a spork?  :)

http://www.fredshed.co.uk/sporkgardentools.htm

Haven't taken the plunge yet myself - at that price I would like to try one out first and also be sure they're going to last a long time.

[kenkew]

Can't see the point in a Spork.
 It's joined at the tines which means it's going to behave as a spade does. Spades are for digging, forks are for breaking up the soil.
 Two different tools for two different jobs.

[Barnowl]

Good point Kenkew.

I think it's primarily meant to work like a spade but be lighter to use. Also if you're faced with turf or a matted surface, I think the saw tooth edge would cut in more easily than a spade where the whole edge is applied at once.

[Mr Smith]

Just to reply to my post about my Fork/Spades, my tackle being over twenty years old (excuse the pun) was more than likely manufactured in Sheffield and not China :)

[kt.]

I've broken Wilkinson Sword but not Spear & Jackson - quite new to gardening so might be luck of the drawer.

Spear & Jackson Fork & spade are on offer at a local shop called Yorkshire Trading. Current price £12 each as opposed to what they say would usually cost £25 each

[Jeannine]

I inherited an metal fork, very old, but it was not hollow, in fact it was so blooming heavy I couldn't carry if for more than a few yards. I gave it to someone on the lottie then later someone told me it was worth a fortune, no probs to me, the new owner was thrilled with it.

My point... not all of them are hollow.

XX Jeannine

[kenkew]

I've never come across a solid metal shaft on a fork, probably for the reasons you gave, Jeannine. Possibly a home-made one?
When you think about what a garden fork is designed for, it's pretty obvious a solid metal one would be impossible to use correctly.
 I have a couple of garden forks, one of them is at least 80 years old. Don't know the make and it's had at least two new handles fitted, but I wouldn't part with it for anything.

[posie]

I've got a wooden handled one and a metal handled one and I have to say I prefer the wood.  I think most of my tools are Spear and Jackson and we have a fab bargain shop down here that sells them for £5 - £10!!!

[Kea]

There was a review of spades in either the last 'Grow your own' or Kitchen Garden magazine. I can't remember which and I can't find it...someone else may remember it reviewed quite a few. I was going to look for the ones mentioned to see if I liked them.
I have a Spear and Jackson with a wooden handle for the home garden only down side is the lack of boot protectors. Otherwise it's lasted a long time and is comfortable to use and just the right weight. I find a wooden handle doesn't jar my wrists like a metal one. I have a wilkinson's one at my allotment because it was cheap but it has a metal handle and isn't very nice to use.

[kt.]

Just been and purchased the Spear & Jackson. Plastic handle grip, wooden shaft, 10 year guarantee ::) ::) ::), unbendable galvanised tines....... (time will tell)

[Vortex]

I have a wooden shafted Bulldog fork I've used for years and an all in one steel shafted spade. Just before Christmas I bought my self a new draper fork, their stainless steel extra long handle down from its RRP of £39 to £19 including P&P.
It really is a case of you get what you pay for.
I have this on my favourites so I might have brought the fork from these people http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Tool-Shop/Digging-Tools

[kenkew]

Just been and purchased the Spear & Jackson. Plastic handle grip, wooden shaft, 10 year guarantee ::) ::) ::), unbendable galvanised tines....... (time will tell)

Plastic handles don't do for me. Wet or sweaty hands on plastic gives me problems. Wood is absorbant and will still give a grip.
 A well made wooden handle will wear to the user with use. Plastic won't.
 Try rubbing it down with wire wool to remove the moulding marks and to remove the shine, might be ok.
Ken.

[kt.]

A well made wooden handle will wear to the user with use. Plastic won't.
 Try rubbing it down with wire wool to remove the moulding marks and to remove the shine, might be OK.

Don't tell me this now. Already spent the dosh. Does this mean I have to buy another.... to compare both myself. One could always have a backup I suppose ::)

[powerspade]

I always use a wooden handle spade and fork, if they snap as they sometime so I simply get a new handle from my local ironmongers and fit a new one myself