Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Spades

Collapse

X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Spades

    Any recommendations for decent spade for allotment use? Looking for one for me and a lightweight one for my wife.

  • #2
    Go along to your garden centre and try a few out for weight/balance/etc. The same spade won't suit everybody

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Aberdeenplotter View Post
      Go along to your garden centre and try a few out for weight/balance/etc. The same spade won't suit everybody
      Yes will do that. But looking for a decent make, did buy one from Wilko and the blade bent. Cheap so you get what you pay for.

      Comment


      • #4
        I would suggest a small bladed one, even if for you. Just easier to turn over a smaller bit at a time. It is not a test of strength nor a contest for how big a volume you can turn in one go.

        Cannot or will not recommend a make as my last "good" one broke after 15 months, the cheapie I bought is going strong after 6-8 years.

        Comment


        • #5
          One that suits you for size and weight and a handle, long or short, that can be replaced. I am not in the first flush and not very tall and prefer a spade with a long handle and medium blade.
          Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poet

          Comment


          • #6
            It also depends on what you want it for. I was surprised to discovered that I could dig over my plot much quicker with a decent fork than a spade. Suspect it depends on your soil too. Do beware lightweight ones though as they're often not up to the job and you've wasted your money.

            Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

            Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

            Comment


            • #7
              As my soil is well worked and quite friable, I use a border fork and spade. I personally won't purchase Sp32r & Jackson as I fined them poor quality. But as already suggested a trip to the local GC and try them for size

              Comment


              • #8
                10 years ago we bought ours. We paid extra for stainless steel as I am accustomed to my husband's bad memory and didn't want to find a forgotten rusty relic in the Spring. They are still like new but well used.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I treated myself to a Fiskars lightweight fork and spade a couple of years ago, until then I only had hand me downs..
                  This was so much lighter, a little longer and really easy to use, I have an underlying back injury that doesn't take much to antagonise!
                  I'd recommend them to anyone.
                  I picked them up in an orange branded DIY shed half price for £25 each.
                  <*}}}>< Jonathan ><{{{*>

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I'm still using my Grannies fork with a Y handle. Must be at least 100 yrs old!!!!!!
                    Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poet

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I should really go round the carboots and see whats about. I was using my FiLs spade til a year or so, got a b+ queue and that that didn't quite make the year I tend to prefer the feel of old tools
                      Last edited by Norfolkgrey; 26-01-2016, 05:50 AM.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Don't use a spade very often, can get on better with a fork and Fiskers three pronged cultivator, couldn't do without that.
                        I wouldn't buy lots of expensive stuff on our allotments, things have a tendency to go walkabout with other people.
                        Just a cheap spade from Asdaaaaa does the trick for my needs.

                        Comment

                        Latest Topics

                        Collapse

                        Recent Blog Posts

                        Collapse
                        Working...
                        X