Topic: QUALITY TOOLS?ADVICE PLEASE

[betula]

Running my little gardening business my tools are wearing out fast.

I have decided to invest some money into some quality tools.

Yesterday I sliced the wire on my electric hedgecutter so have decided to buy a petrol one.Any good quality,lighter weight ones anyone can recommend?

Shears,handle fell off today,what is the best brand please?

Petrol mower,the mountfield I have is useless,it has more strops than an adolescent teenager.Any suggestions please.

Just a thought,always use a circuit breaker,I always do.Very glad I did yesterday.I prided myself on not having many mishaps but yesterday was concentrating more on the hedge than on the tool.

[ACE]

Have a look at Robert Dyas for hand tools, check out the rechargable long reach hedge cutter. Petrol hedge cutters are always heavy. My mcullack is light but you still know you have been using it. Go and see a mower mechanic and pick up a recon'd Honda. 

[Larkshall]

Yesterday I sliced the wire on my electric hedgecutter so have decided to buy a petrol one.Any good quality,lighter weight ones anyone can recommend?

Just a thought,always use a circuit breaker,I always do.Very glad I did yesterday.I prided myself on not having many mishaps but yesterday was concentrating more on the hedge than on the tool.

Yes, always use a circuit breaker, but don't rely on it. I have on two occasions had a cut cable, both times the circuit breaker did not cut off the power. Why, because the cut did not cause a leakage to earth (the way the circuit breaker works) or a blown fuse (short circuit). Both times I was using the two core cables which double insulated tools use.

Tools with a long cable and a 13amp three pin plug can still have a two core cable. There is no way you can tell from looking at it. "Made on" plugs are the real danger, because they can be on a two core cable with the earth pin not connected and you cannot open them to check.

So, immediately go to the power point and remove the plug before doing anything else, or you could get a shock.

[Melbourne12]

I'd suggest Hayter for lawnmowers.  We've got one of the simplest http://www.hayter.co.uk/products/homeowner/mowers/four-wheel-rotary/hayterette/

It was inherited from my father, and must be at least 30 years old, but it is utterly reliable and quite lightweight.  It doesn't collect the clippings, but most of their other mowers do.

[ACE]

The original hayter with the briggs and stratton engine was bombproof, but the new ones are not  a patch on them. I used hayters for years, then I tried a honda proffesional with the 21" cut. So much lighter and easier to use. 8 years later and it still going strong.

[Melbourne12]

The original hayter with the briggs and stratton engine was bombproof, but the new ones are not  a patch on them. I used hayters for years, then I tried a honda proffesional with the 21" cut. So much lighter and easier to use. 8 years later and it still going strong.

That's interesting.  You wouldn't think it was so difficult to make a competitively priced lawnmower that was simple and robust.  Certainly I agree with Betula about Mountfields. We bought one that lasted only about three seasons of not very hard usage before it got beyond economic repair.  Yet Mountfield too was once a respected name.

[Larkshall]

The original hayter with the briggs and stratton engine was bombproof, but the new ones are not  a patch on them. I used hayters for years, then I tried a honda proffesional with the 21" cut. So much lighter and easier to use. 8 years later and it still going strong.

That's interesting.  You wouldn't think it was so difficult to make a competitively priced lawnmower that was simple and robust.  Certainly I agree with Betula about Mountfields. We bought one that lasted only about three seasons of not very hard usage before it got beyond economic repair.  Yet Mountfield too was once a respected name.

I just sold my 30 year old Mountfield Empress for £25, still in good condition and never any problems. I've now gone all electric:- Mower, Tiller, Chainsaw, Strimmer and Hedgecutter. It's easier to use than petrol engines which I don't have the strength to start now I am nearing 80, although I can still dig without any problems.

I think most of these firms now buy in from China, I see that a Chinese firm is now using the name Gyrotiller for a Rotavator. That's not what it was originally, see this:- http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~jrcoles/tracpict.html