Hiring a rotovator

[pbjohnson]

First and introduction:  I'm paul Johnson and got my first ever allotment in Farnham, Surrey in December.  I spent most of that month clearing and, after reading advice here, skimmed the grass and weeds from the top of the whole allotment and built mounds at the far end with the 'turfs'.  then I turned it all ... after a couple of frosts I was keen to get rotovating (I'd removed all of the weed roots, glass etc after) so had one hired (speedy hire - £60 for the weekend) for Saturday, Sunday.  It was dropped of at the allotment and, after starting it up, I succeeded in turning about 1 square foot into mud before giving up!  
I'm the fool I know ... i should have been less impatient and waited for the ground to dry before rotovating but I was so kleen to try and get my onions and garlic in etc ...

So my question to the forum, after all this waffle (sorry!) is, where's the cheapest place that people have found to hire a rotovator - either in Surrey or nationwide with delivery?  I'm going to have another crack at the end of Feb but don't really want to fork out another £60!  At that rate I could have employed a gardener for the plot!  

Great site and thanks for all the advice I've been silently gleaning

[Mrs Ava]

Hiya Paul and welcome to the funny farm!  

Other than that....I am no help whatsoever on the rotovator hire.  My dad bought one many years ago and he spent more time either unclogging the mud from it, or untangling the couch grass roots from it.

Good luck with your plot, and someone here will wander by and tell you all you need to know about hiring things..... 'won't you.....'

[tim]

Don't know, but a couple of thoughts. Forgive me if I'm speaking to a seasoned digger!

Yes, I would have thought the ground a bit quaggy at present. But, at any time, it is easy to 'liquidise' soil if you churn it too fast without forward movement.

It always helps to 'scuff' over first, and then go progressively deeper. Two or three passes are often needed'

Don't be put off by horror stories - however true. I know that heavy clays can be a problem, but if the machine is powerful enough, and you go gently, I'm sure you'll get there! = Tim

[RSJK]

good luck with your allotment,  I am affraid I am one of those people who do not think much of rotovater l think you cannot beat the good old spade.  Ialways think that by rotovating you make the ground to hard under the surface. I know it is slower but you will get a lot more enjoyment out of the spade..

[tim]

Nit-picking - did you really find that it panned the ground??  And how did you tell? Or is that a 'Mrs Beaton'?

We are yellow clay a foot down, but I could not have coped for 45 years - and a 'bad back' - without one. And with only 1 1/2 days a week at home for 14 of those years. All grist to the mill? = Tim

[mikeldub]

Hi Paul,

My first posting.

I hired a rotovator last October from hss.com for my first lottie.  The 'long weekend' fri -  sun was a good deal then, best check with them. Also the delivery, I picked mine up.

It was VERY hard work.  The machine worked all the hours possible.  The soil was bone dry and rock hard. 'Driving' time was 5 minutes MAX a go and you had to hang on.  Not sure how this relates to your mud.  

Tim is right about scuffing the surface to break the grass up. After 3 passes and at 90 degrees to the last, the soil was looking very good. (and blowing away!).
My girlfriend spent all the time picking out the couch grass and I must say did a fantastic job.  How it will look in a few months...
Yes the grass does tangle up with the blade, but I would not say that it stopped my progress.

Good luck

Mike

[pbjohnson]

thanks for the replies.  appreciated