Recommended tools

Thank you all for the advice!
I will go on the hunt for toolds this weekend and take into account whats been said.

I'm a little confused about stainless steel though - some of you have, others say its no good. I'm on clay here and have small garden - aprox 30' x 14'. One post said stainless steel is no good on clay but another post said they use it - whats best??

 

I agree with comments about the old tools being best. If you can find some really old stuff at the car boot sales or anywhere, go for it. New stuff is poor.

Get a good spade. When I took on my piece of land, I went through 3 brand new spades in the first year. They were all cheapo ones. I have one that is ok minus its handle, one that is bent at 90 degrees, and one where the metal as literally split. I got myself a Wilkinson Sword one with a 10 year guarantee and it is still going strong despite the abuse of being used by my 15 stone mate to turn over solid clay too much at a time.

Also get a pickaxe. You probably won't need one, but it is good fun using them and they are excellent for venting frustration. A nettle stings you, you just pound the whole nettle patch into oblivion

 

The pick is invauble for breaking hard clay, digging out rocks and lifting/ digging out shrubs, prying up paving etc etc.

 

:lollol:I love it clueless!! And so will my boyfriend - he loves being destructive in a useful way!!

 

Cann't beat having a good crowbar I have an 6ft one it's great for levering out tree stumps old roots fence posts etc saves damaging spades and forks.

 

My Pickaxe has a pick one end, and a [horizontal] blade the other. Mind you, I suppose the horizontal blade on your Mattock would lift a paving slab, or lever up a stubborn root?

 

I love my irish shovel really long handle and pointed and really takes hard work out of digging for me.

 

My dad has an ancient pick axe that has a vertical blade at one end and horizontal at the other. It is a fantastic tool. He came by it having forgot to leave it at work one day when he finished his shift at British Steel about 30 years ago. When I bought mine, I searched everywhere for one like it. I looked round the car boot sale, looked on eBay, searched all the online tool shops, went to a few old garden centres, but to no avail. I ended up with a rather rubbish one from B&Q that has a very thin horizantal blade (about 1 inch cutting edge) on one side, a point on the other side, and the head keeps slipping down the handle because it has a silly plastic stopper on the end of the handle instead of the handle been knocked in then those special wedge type nails being used to hold it on. In a way that's a good thing though, as it has built in punishment for poor rythm, in that the head slides down the handle and whacks your hand.

 

" When I bought mine, I searched everywhere for one like it"

Might be worth a look at EasyDigging's site:

http://www.easydigging.com/Garden_Tool/pick_mattock.html

 

Thanks. I'll have ponder. They are in America though so presumably there will be significant shipping costs. I'll have a better look later.

 

Clueless, Is your fathers one like this?

http://www.stantonhope.co.uk/Tools_26_Equipment_031700_Mattock_-_22_inch_Head_.asp

I keep intending to get one in this pattern as the vertical blade on the grubbing mattock I own is insuficeintly long to get at many roots when undercutting a rootball.

 

That looks about right. Nice find. I will order one on payday:gnthb:

Then I just need to find an old fashioned wooden handle, but I think you can get them anywhere. In fact there might be one on that site you linked to.

EDIT: The handle is also on that same site.

 

Ive just bought one myself!!