Topic: Tell me

[Lamplight]

I have always had an interest in things mechanical.  My Rotavator is a Howard Gem with a 667CC British Junior engine.  It takes a strong arm to start it but it does an excellent job of cultivating the heavy clay soil on my Lottie.  I bought it for a tenner and it is about 48 years old.
I have had a look throgh some strings on here but found nowt about mechanical aids on allotments.  I am aware that there are arguments for, and against the use of rotavators but truth be known my back is a bit too tired to dig it all by hand.  I have a myriad of machines with engines on them and I repair or service  most of those used on our site. Tell me about yours.

[Mrs Ava]

Well Lamplight, it comes back to boys and their toys!  The old man has a rotovator, a strimmer, a chainsaw, a choppy thingy, and numerous other 'toys' which he wields around the garden and the allotment, but I know nothing about them - they are HIS, so I shall poke him in the ribs and get him to reply.  Problem is, he got himself a new toy today, a new motorbike, so that is all he is talking about!  Men!!!   ;)

[gavin]

I don't suppose there's an old wheeled hoe in there somewhere?  I used them 30 years ago - and they were antiques then; brilliant to use, but impossible to find these days?

All best - Gavin

[john_miller]

If you don't mind paying a bit for shipping they are readily available over here Gavin. Brilliant aren't they? easy to take out a crop plant if you hit a stone at speed though!

[tim]

- actually, Gavin, to the best of my memory, they were still available here, new, 10 or so years ago?

And LL - let folk ramble about cultivators, but I have relied on them for over 40 years! Yours must be a 'tractor type (?) and therefore less of a struggle, except for turning? Ours have been 4-5hp things.

Don't forget you're still using Dan's icon - just a little confusing? = Tim

[Lamplight]

Yes Tim it is.  It has 3 forward gears and 1 reverse.  The blades are 20 inches wide and althoug it is getting on a bit it will keep up with most of the other machines on the plot. The engine has a long stroke and plenty of torque to get it through the haeviest of soils, even the wet clay stuff that we have in Bedfordshire.  I suppose that it would be termed as a walk behind tractor.  I should have changed my Icon now .

[Lamplight]

Hi Gavin

Do you know, I have been giving your problem of getting a wheeled hoe some thought, although I dont know if you can buy them new, surely it is not rocket science to make one!  There is a multitude of different wheels that could be pressed into service such as one of a wheel barrow or a childs bicycle.  The actual hoe blades could be made from an old pair of grass cutting shears bent to the correct shape, the steel is nice and hard to withstand the constant wear from cutting through the soil.  A pair of handles could be knocked up from some lengths of wood and shaped at the end to form the hand grip.  Admittedly you need to be pretty adept at woodwork and the like but if you can not buy what you want it is always worth while giving thought to making it even if you have to call in a few favours from freinds to do a bit of metal bending or welding ETC.  I made a rotavator once using lengths of angle iron from an abandoned road sign and a suffolk colt lawnmower engine, it was belt driven using pullys from a petrol pump and the blades were made from a rotary lawn mower blade.  It did not have a lot of power but it did turn the ground over and that gave me a modicum of satisfaction.  The only recolection I have of a wheeled hoe had two blades that could have the width adjusted to suit the rows and a wheel of about 12 inches diameter, very similar to a seed drill but a little wider on the rim, I always reffered to this as a Planet hoe.  Cheers

[campanula]

hi lamplight,

we have a gorgeous old Atco lawnmower, circa 1950 or so. However, the best thing about it as far as we were concerned was the little booklet that came with it (we do not have grass but when we started working as gardeners/landscapers, we got given this mower from a customer who had changed to gravel and paving). The book is a little gem of English written by a man who is obviously besotted with lawns and mowers. Many, many pages of purple prose listing fertiliser mixes and blade gauges.  Also, there is a picture of a whole row of Atco service trucks - we love our battered Nissan Cabstar but we would kill for an Atco truck. Must rush off and get all the engine details. We just love the look of it.
cheers. suzy

will lend you booklet if you want - it is fab!

[gavin]

Funny you say that, Lamplight - I met somebody who might just be able to do the necessary this week!  Here's hoping  :) :)

Thank you for the ideas ---- I'll bounce them off him when I next see him.

All best - Gavin

[gilgamesh]

I've got the use of part of a large garden at the rear of some shops in the village centre, which will be developed for housing eventually. Included in the plant etc. is a Landmaster rotavator, but we can't get it running properly - the engine, a 3HP Briggs & Stratton 4-stroke, only starts on full choke, dies if you touch the choke AT ALL, and peters out after about 20-30 seconds.  >:( I don't dare take it away to get it serviced - as I say, we have the use, but we don't own it. Any tips on what to look for?