Rotovator

Hi

Does anyone have the information on a reasonably priced Rotovator I only have a small allottment and need to lift it in and out of the car but I guess they need to be quite heavy to work well???

Thanks

Dave

 

I think there are possibly two different tasks?

First would be to initially open "new ground" - well, ground that hadn't been tilled for years. That needs something beefy, and I would recommend that you hire a self-propelled machine (rather than one that just drives the tines).

Thereafter could you manage with a Mantis? You could definitely lift that in and out of your boot, and its a cracking little machine. That's what I sue - but I have "lazy raised beds" - no retaining wood, just beds that are heaped up, and we never walk on them, so the soil is not badly compacted when we rotavate it.

 

Why don't you go to the nearest farmer's auction? You can pick up all sorts at such places for a really good price.

This is the sort of thing: http://www.ylc.co.uk/auctions.php?zid=3

I've not been to the York one but I've been to several others, and they are both good fun, and a chance to snap up a bargain. Last time I went I wanted some tree protectors. I ended up with the car jammed full of them, along with two big sacks of spuds, and I'd spent a grand total of £49. Everything agricultural was there, from old fashioned hand tools, to small rotorvators, to the huge Massey Ferguson that was out the front because it was too big to fit in the auction hall.

I'm sure there'll be one somewhere near you.

 

I've got a mantis too and I like it, but the latest models with 4-stroke engines look better!

 

"the latest models with 4-stroke engines look better!"

I hate to be smug, but I'm offering one guess which model I have? :D

I have no experience of the other models, and the vast majority of Mantis threads I read, regarless of model, are in praise of them, but mine is a real little trooper

 

Depends on what sort of soil you have. I have a 2.5hp Honda and that was fine for an allotment. I used it on a good loam soil. It was light enough to lift and it is difficult to beat Honda engines.
i am now renting some land, equivalent to 2 1/2 allotments, it was overgrown and hard clay soil. The Honda did not really have the weight to break down to a decent depth. After trying Ebay and seeing that 2nd hand were going for 2/3 price of new I invested in a new 5.5 hp Honda. It does not have drive wheels but it is a beast. Will drive 6 rotars and wil ltear through anything. So a big cultivatoreven without wheels is good for breaking new ground. As I have a bit of land and two gardens to look after I invested in a petrol brush cutter, a Ryobi. It has the Expand it system so you can take off the brush cutter head and put something else on. I bought the mini cultivator head and you can use it with 2 or 4 rotors. It is brilliant. On clay I was concerned about getting blisters - I had a lot of brassicas to hoe through. I used the mini cultivator head on my Ryobi instead and it is brilliant. I cultivated round 100 brassicas in less than 30 minutes. How long would hoeing take?

 

Hi Geoff
Is this the one you have
http://www.mowdirect.co.uk/acatalog/RYOBI_CULTIVATORS_TILLERS.html

I have a smaller Ryobi battery strimmer that is very light and the battery life is great but not good for heavy work so the above may cover that as well.

The ground at the allottment is stoney with chalk would the Ryobi cope with the stones ok? I have removed the larger ones.

Kristen
The Mantis looks very good although a bit more expensive, I want one for normal use and not for starting new ground at the moment.

Thanks for the replies all of you

Dave
Part way through turning over the allottment with back ache

 

Good One John I will give the council a call

Thanks
Dave

 

Hi All

I am going to buy my rotovator for Christmas will it be too late to turn over the soil then??

Thanks

Dave

 

Can anyone recommend a good outlet for hiring a rotavator at a reasonable price? thx dan

 

CGBK - You can rent them at any of the major tool rental/hire places. I know that the place by us rents them - but they are £45 per day (that includes delivery/pick up though). We came across one at the local boot fair for £30 - delivered and tested/demonstrated - so were really happy with that. On the allotment though - one member put up a notice stating that he would be bringing his rotovator/rototiller down to the allotments on a certain date - and that people should contact him if they wished to use it the same day. I thought that was a good idea, and we'll do the same thing next year. Maybe your allotment members might do the same thing Dave?

 

If I need some special tools or equipment for the garden I actually always hire it online because this is very convenient. Besides this I think it is rather cheap. You can check out the tool hire page and will definitely find what you need. I have already seen that they also have a Rotovator. I think hiring the tools is the best possibility because buying them would be rather expensive.

 

As a matter of interest, can you "over" rotovate? I tend to smack the weeds down about 3 times over the winter, but maybe this adversly affects the soil loom??

Mike McMillan