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im in the market for garden tools at the mo im borrowing the old mans stuff. i need a fork and a rake. any ideas on how much to spend.

Go to a car boot sale and pay pence rather than pounds for them!
I find most new tools are 'numb' and the old tools were made to be used on a regular basis! Usually old draw hoes and spades are a particular bargain!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I second that. You can pick up a bargain at the car booties, though you may find that you come home with a few more tools than what you were after in the first place

agree with the boot sale for finding a bargain, the bonus is that if your shed gets done over as much as ours the theiving b*****ds only find stuff worth a couple of quid and usually leave well alone. all my tools have cost me the grand total of £7.25p.

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Kernow rag nevra http://www.cornishnotenglish.com/

The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits
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Just be ordinary and nothing special. Eat your food, move your bowels, pass water and when your'e tired go and lie down. The ignorant will laugh at me, but the wise will understand
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I managed to get a fair bit of stuff for free from the freecycle website.

I did have all 2nd hand tools, all a bit pranged and splintery. I treated myself to a new Spear & Jackson border fork (lady size) and it changed my life. Well nearly

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Was it expensive? Must admit I'm thinking of treating myself to a really comfy fork after bruising my hand a couple of weeks ago ( must have been a bit over enthusiastic!!).

Lainey Lou, it was about £15 from A*da (end of season sale i think). A really good stainless steel fork, with a 10 year guarantee

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

that sounds like a really good bargain!

Hi Lainey, I think you've probably missed the A***a and T***o end of season sales, but they are really good if you can catch them. I got myself a stainless steel spade and fork set year before last and they've been absolutely superb. S*ds law, my secateurs broke last week and all the special offers are gone so I had to buy at full price. Still, my last ones must have given me 10 years good service and I hope I get similar from the new ones - if you work out the cost over the number of years service it doesn't seem so bad. I would agree, however, with the comment that it really isn't worth leaving good expensive tools in allotment sheds unless the security is 100%. I still carry my stainless ones back and forth (I'm lucky I only live 5 minutes walk from the lottie).

I know stainless steel tools look very pretty and are easy to clean but they always seem to make them out of thicker metal than traditional tools. This adds weight and to my mind makes them rather unweildy and a bit 'numb' methinks!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Our sheds are where the car boot people get the 'bargain' tools from in the first place, I believe.

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

Yes, I think you're right. I have written "stolen" in big letters on all my kit !

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

will try the car boot sales first. but then again christmas is coming so i will start a wish list.

depends on what tools you want.

Yep Forks and Spades rakes buy the old ones. proper Iron and Ash handles will out last you.
But hoes I would go to a good garden center not Homebase or B&Q and play with a few.
I have the wolf stuff and its great. They do about 10 differant handles, wood, metal, plastic long and short. and they do about 10 differant heads. so you can get the size and type that fits your body and way of working.

Wolf also do offers in the Spring. so you get one handle and 3 attachments for a reduced price.

I was always taught buy the best tools you can afford and they will last you a life-time.

finally keep them clean and sharp and they will do half the job for you.

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My phone has more Processing power than the Computers NASA used to fake the Moon Landings

Sounds a bit like Triggers brush!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

As a new lottie owner I've just bought a spade and fork £5.99 each from Wilkinsons and secatuers £1.49. So far so good but will keep my eye on bootfairs etc as will probably get something better if I'm patient

I too use Wolf gear as being quite tall I find most hoes etc too short in the handle dep't but as mentioned you can choose the length to suit you then buy the interchangeable heads either when you need them or when they are on a special offer.
My wolf secateurs are probably my hardest working tool (I have three - one in the store / shop, one in the tunnel and one in the back pocket) and they are just brilliant.
On the subject of forks, I have never understood the need for a stainless steel one - I can understand the advantages of a stainless steel spade as the soil doesn't stick so much but never really understood the need for this in a fork.
But hey, each to their own

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Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

Blog updated Wednesday November 13th