Author Topic: Waste of money  (Read 7482 times)

Marlborough

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Waste of money
« on: May 24, 2015, 21:01:49 »
Which item or tool that you have bought for your allotment, has proved the biggest waste of money?
Paul

Melbourne12

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2015, 22:11:58 »
I think probably the first rotavator that I bought.  It was undoubtedly capable, but far too heavy (it took both of us to heave it in and out of the car), and simply too big.  Digging the plot over was as exhausting as doing it by hand, although quicker.  In the end we gave it to a charity that ran allotments for people with special needs.  Their strongarm helpers made light work of it!

We replaced it with a Honda tiller.  You live and learn.   :happy7:

Ellen K

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2015, 08:36:00 »
Root Trainers (flimsy, can't be bothered with them, plastic pots are fine)

Those green balls that are supposed to be used to make cages out of bamboo canes (useless)

Duke Ellington

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2015, 17:32:04 »
Root trainers for me too I bought a few trays of them. I have been very careful cleaning and storing them but they are breaking up. Far too expensive too replace.
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manicscousers

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2015, 17:43:41 »
Grandad's weeder, fine on hard ground,useless on ours, mind you, I didn't buy it  :happy7:

caroline7758

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2015, 17:56:43 »
Cheap crop protection- flimsy wire that bends out of shape and thin plastic that rips! Also cheap "weed control plastic"- doesn't last 5 minutes!

strawberry1

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2015, 15:07:30 »
grandads weeder. Used twice

boydzfish

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2015, 21:12:47 »
Free standing polythene greenhouse, it had to have so much weight (Bricks) on the bottom shelf to stop it falling over it reduced the amount of available shelves to two. I gave it to my daughter who doesn't need as many plants as I do but the zip has gone and the opening flap is held together with clothes pegs!!
Boydzfish

Bonsai Si

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2015, 23:07:56 »
Root Trainers (flimsy, can't be bothered with them, plastic pots are fine)
Agralan do a modular root trainer that is hard wearing, though they can be a pregnant dog to get them out.  Though that may be down to me not using a fine enough mix when sowing the seeds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNzMniMiImo


As for the weed puller tools, I had a look on Youtube for Grandpa's weed puller and also watched a few Fiskars variation video's, and they have obviously never seen the weeds on my allotment with 12 inch + roots cos them buggers wouldn't get pulled out in one easy stroke with anything other than a Zippo lighter setting fire to a Dynamite fuse...

So far, I have only spent money on my allotment by purchasing weedkiller.  At my old garden/set up, the biggest waste of cash was cheap tools, I initially bought most of the usual tools required from Wilko and to be honest, they did a job but didn't last long or do a job that well, so great for a 5 minute annual use, but anything other than that and it is proven; you get what you pay for.

Biggest thing I learned not to skimp on, spray bottles.  I learned my lesson quickly, if you want a bottle of water with a sprayer attachment, get a Hozelock one, it may cost 5 times more but it will work 10 times better and for 20 times longer than any cheap version.  & I say that as someone who had to mist Bonsai trees and Tree Seedlings up to 3 times a day without having the luxury of being able to instal a Polytunnel automated misting system so had to do it by hand.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2015, 23:10:32 by Bonsai Si »

Paulh

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #9 on: June 20, 2015, 22:38:34 »
Root trainers work for sweet peas and last several years for me. But those balls to take canes! Completely useless. I gave mine away to someone who thought they would work, with a warning!

Non-allotment, our everyday cutlery was bought as an offer in a national newspaper and is made by a household name. It looks elegant, but is so unbalanced that it falls off the crockery if you stack and carry them, unless you are very careful. Plus the soup and dessert spoons are impossible to use without slurping! How can that get into production?

Paulines7

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2015, 00:06:01 »
Our worst buy was a Mantis tiller.  We always had trouble starting it and it didn't work very well on our plot.  It was so difficult to handle.  We hardly used it at all so sold it on EBay after a couple of years.

squeezyjohn

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2015, 00:51:01 »
I can't agree with root trainers!  They've been a godsend for me and if you look after them the inserts last for about 5 uses and then you can buy replacement inserts to go in the frames.  The fact that you can get plants to good size without becoming root-bound in a really small space is all that allows me to get my allotment plants started from seed in my tiny greenhouse.

Worst waste of money was anything in the James Wong sutton seeds range - generally a tiny amount of seeds for a supposedly wonder-crop that either fails to grow in my climate or ends up with a tiny yield of something tiny and weird that tastes of bland overcooked runner beans.

squeezyjohn

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2015, 00:53:43 »
Also - Wilkos arch that I got to support tromba d'albegna squash last year ... Both collapsed under the weight of the plants before they'd even managed to set all the fruits.  Now that's flimsy!

BarriedaleNick

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #13 on: June 21, 2015, 07:32:15 »
I bought a cheap petrol strimmer - some no name China import job. Impossible to start without some mystical incantations and the stars being in line. 
Moved to Portugal - ain't going back!

sparrow

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #14 on: June 21, 2015, 11:52:01 »
Blowaways. Which have done exactly that.

lezelle

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #15 on: June 23, 2015, 08:51:28 »
Hi ya, several items I have bought over the years on a whim and found them useless  to me any way. It is annoying when root trainers split but they are ok for beans etc, some weeders I tried and put away at the back of the shed, compost mixer is another, backsaver spade I bought 5 years ago and never used yet, I keep meaning to but never get round to it. My first rotavator had belt driven tines and was a real pain in the back side, sold it on to some one who thought it was the bee's knee's, on the plus side, I, talking to a fellow at work, learn't he had a honda rotavator his father in law used once and didn't like so sold it to me for £100, it was almost like brand new, I snapped his hand off. It was 5 years old then and I have had it for 20 years and it's still going great. In fact i had it serviced a couple of months ago and the person doing it told me as it was old it would take a couple of extra days to obtain the parts as they don't hold them on the shelf. When i picked it up he said I see why you love this machine it purrs like a kitten and a very good machine. Well pleased with ti i am. Happy gardenong

strawberry1

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #16 on: June 23, 2015, 15:04:56 »
cheap obelisks, they bent when I put them in the ground, rubbish waste of money and will be on the tip as soon as I get a chance

I have root trainers and love them, I bought plenty of replacements when they were on offer, excellent for good strong roots

patio grow, they are ok but are now an eyesore. Too hard to keep the troughs watered on my sun trap patch. Not worth the effort so they are going this autumn

Table top strawberry planter. again too hard to water

grandads weeder, used once

cheap green plastic hoops, floppy and too low

sneeboer tools, still hanging in the shed

best buys: tall metal hoops and net, a good kneeler, a fantastic sharp hoe that has a head that moves back and forth

Jayb

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #17 on: June 25, 2015, 07:54:06 »
Oooh, I fancied getting one of those Grandad weeder things, don't think I'll bother now!

Wolf multi sow seeder, useless and may as well chuck seeds on the ground every now and still get better results!

I think I may have bought the same strimmer as BarriedaleNick, perhaps it was his offloaded cheap! Mine was blooming heavy too and so noisy when I could finally start it. Replacement Honda is a dream machine  :sunny:
Seed Circle site http://seedsaverscircle.org/
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pumkinlover

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #18 on: June 25, 2015, 08:05:08 »
Embarrassed to admit my worst buy- a leaf hover.
Absolutely useless to use and environmentally useless, oh the shame :BangHead: now need to get rid of it!

Best buy- Chillington Hoe and Asada also the hand version all brilliant  :blob7:

RobinOfTheHood

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Re: Waste of money
« Reply #19 on: June 25, 2015, 19:11:36 »
A Sheen 300 flame gun for me, been used about 5 times in as many years. Eats paraffin and takes an age to warm up. Then it kills everything in a 5 mile radius.  :BangHead:
I hoe, I hoe, then off to work I go.

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