Author Topic: decided to buy a rotovator at last.... (Read 4284 times)

RenishawPhil · « **on:** July 18, 2011, 16:53:09 »

But am wondering which of these 3 to go for
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260814353210&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_3965wt_1139
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270755782544&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_7569wt_905 (this one is chinese)

The two above are of a similar type

or: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360177890340&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_2672wt_905

Can anyone help me on this please?. A few pointers would be useful. :)

hippydave · « **Reply #1 on:** July 18, 2011, 17:25:47 »

id buy a 2nd hand howard 350 you can get loads of attachments for them and they just do what it says on the tin.

RenishawPhil · « **Reply #2 on:** July 18, 2011, 17:33:51 »

Quote from: hippydave on July 18, 2011, 17:25:47

id buy a 2nd hand howard 350 you can get loads of attachments for them and they just do what it says on the tin.

Thanks

Are u able to tell if this is a Howard 350?

hippydave · « **Reply #3 on:** July 18, 2011, 18:27:14 »

is what a 350??

RenishawPhil · « **Reply #4 on:** July 18, 2011, 18:42:26 »

Oops to late anyway lol

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1311&_nkw=howard+rotovator&_sacat=See-All-Categories

cornykev · « **Reply #5 on:** July 18, 2011, 18:52:26 »

The 400 and the Gem look like bloody tractors. :o

Unwashed · « **Reply #6 on:** July 18, 2011, 19:04:40 »

This one is collection only from Surbiton - do you think it might come with a spare Barbara Good?

lincsyokel2 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 18, 2011, 19:07:35 »

Holy moly £350 ?

I paid £25 for a s/h Merry Tiller with a knackered engine, and then bought a brand new 6.5 hp replacement honda engine for it for £100. Ive used it for 3 years, so its cost me £40 a year so far, is it lasts me 10 years its cost me £12 a year and i can sell it for £150.

If you spend £350 and you use it for 10 years and sell it, what will it cost you?

Id go more for this one

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Merry-Tiller-Rotovator-Working-Order-Added-Tine-Set-/320726948198?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenPowerTools_CA&hash=item4aacd0d966

or this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Merry-Tiller-Rotavater-/250856622987?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenPowerTools_CA&hash=item3a68384b8b

and the engine i bought is this one, cant fault it, starts first pull

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6-5hp-petrol-engine-go-kart-rotavator-etc-/270406500688?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3ef57bc150

Thats the way I look at at, but then my whole approach to allomenteering is that it has to be done with minimal cost, otherwise its cheaper and less effort to go to ASDA to get veg.

Im actually toying with the idea of building a tool bar for my Quad bike and ploughing with that.

gilliano · « **Reply #8 on:** July 18, 2011, 20:09:52 »

I bought an old mantis on ebay and had it serviced and have finally got the hang of it and it is great. I now believe in petrol power and am looking for a petrol strimmer. The mantis is light enough to carry to the allotment and I have finally managed to get it started!

RenishawPhil · « **Reply #9 on:** July 18, 2011, 20:16:34 »

I know what your saying Lincs. Would love a rotovator with plough etc. Boys toys n all!!!

Mr Smith · « **Reply #10 on:** July 18, 2011, 20:24:33 »

Phil,
If you are in no hurry to buy a rotovator keep looking on e-bay, there is a chap(sorry don't have his details) who does complete rebuilds of Rotovators normally powered by a Honda engine and not to far from you at Alconbury just down the A1, they do go for a good price and are popular, :)

RenishawPhil · « **Reply #11 on:** July 18, 2011, 20:29:00 »

Quote from: Mr Smith on July 18, 2011, 20:24:33

Phil,
If you are in no hurry to buy a rotovator keep looking on e-bay, there is a chap(sorry don't have his details) who does complete rebuilds of Rotovators normally powered by a Honda engine and not to far from you at Alconbury just down the A1, they do go for a good price and are popular, :)

Thanks:)

lincsyokel2 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 18, 2011, 20:35:50 »

Quote from: gilliano on July 18, 2011, 20:09:52

I bought an old mantis on ebay and had it serviced and have finally got the hang of it and it is great. I now believe in petrol power and am looking for a petrol strimmer. The mantis is light enough to carry to the allotment and I have finally managed to get it started!

I have petrol: rotavator, lawnmower, pole trimmer, hedge trimmer, chainsaw

Then i have a generator that will power electric: strimmer, water butt pump, chop saw, electric drill, and at a push, shredder.

Covers most of the tools you might want to use on a lotty

RenishawPhil · « **Reply #13 on:** July 18, 2011, 20:58:51 »

Quote from: lincsyokel2 on July 18, 2011, 20:35:50

Quote from: gilliano on July 18, 2011, 20:09:52
I bought an old mantis on ebay and had it serviced and have finally got the hang of it and it is great. I now believe in petrol power and am looking for a petrol strimmer. The mantis is light enough to carry to the allotment and I have finally managed to get it started!

I have petrol: rotavator, lawnmower, pole trimmer, hedge trimmer, chainsaw

Then i have a generator that will power electric: strimmer, water butt pump, chop saw, electric drill, and at a push, shredder.

Covers most of the tools you might want to use on a lotty

have the hedgecutter/strimmer and pole trimmer , makes cutting hedges a godsend!

lincsyokel2 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 18, 2011, 22:35:50 »

Quote from: notts_phil on July 18, 2011, 20:58:51

have the hedgecutter/strimmer and pole trimmer , makes cutting hedges a godsend!

oh god yes, the speed you can go down the side of a hedge with a 2.4 metre pole trimmer is awesome

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 19, 2011, 17:17:52 »

I tried to use a 6.5Hp last year on my plot and it was rubbish, noo grunt, and ran too fast.... My Howard 400 has a 3.5HP engine and will chew through a carpark if you want it to.

if you have the space a rear-tine driven wheel rotavator is brilliant, however having seen a Mantis in action recently I must say that they are very good indeed and probalby the best thing for an allotment,. as long as the ground isn't too wet it'll go through almost anything....

If you get a Howard then the #1 accessory is a potato ridger.... last year I did half as many spuds as this year adn using one of those 6.5HP rotavators to till the soil and putting in the ridges by hand it took me a day to get them in, this year it took a bit over two hours to put in about a hundred spuds in nice big ridges....

chrisc

RenishawPhil · « **Reply #16 on:** July 19, 2011, 20:36:57 »

Well i went to view one today. A chinese make 6.5hp but he had this one as well:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rally-Chain-Drive-5HP-Briggs-Stratton-Rotavator-Tiller-/230647147135#ht_500wt_949

Which is this when new: http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/RALLY-FYX850-TILLER-GARDEN-CULTIVATOR.html

What do peeps think?

lincsyokel2 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 19, 2011, 22:11:45 »

Quote from: chriscross1966 on July 19, 2011, 17:17:52

I tried to use a 6.5Hp last year on my plot and it was rubbish, noo grunt, and ran too fast.... My Howard 400 has a 3.5HP engine and will chew through a carpark if you want it to.
chrisc

I started at 2.5 and worked up through 3.5, 5 and then 6.5 HP before i had enough torque to cut through the earth. You dont nee to run fast, so you turn the revs down.

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 25, 2011, 17:53:18 »

Quote from: lincsyokel2 on July 19, 2011, 22:11:45

Quote from: chriscross1966 on July 19, 2011, 17:17:52
I tried to use a 6.5Hp last year on my plot and it was rubbish, noo grunt, and ran too fast.... My Howard 400 has a 3.5HP engine and will chew through a carpark if you want it to.
chrisc

I started at 2.5 and worked up through 3.5, 5 and then 6.5 HP before i had enough torque to cut through the earth. You dont nee to run fast, so you turn the revs down.

THe one I borrowed didn't have a throttle, it was constant speed on the engine, no torque down low.... neither of my Howards (I have a baby 200 as well as the 400) have proper throttles, just a run and a start position plus a stop...., you just need an engine with some slog, and it does depend on the soil, the 400 can reach the clay layer, the 200 can't.....

chrisc

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Author Topic: decided to buy a rotovator at last.... (Read 4284 times)