Fed up with forks!

[Jeanied]

Weekendwellies I'm pretty sure mine came from these people
Get Digging - Tools for the Allotment and Garden
And you're right. I can 'rough dig' a weedy patch in half the time it would take me with a spade - but there again I hate using a spade so the Azada is more of a heavy earth shifting tool. I bought it when I got rid of my petrol cultivator.
I ordered mine online and it came through pretty fast.
I think they should pay me for recommending them - that's the second time recently!

[womble]

Womble I managed to bend a tyne on my fork but I just jammed it in a peice of pipe and bent it back again something like

I did that with a Top of the range Wilkinson SS fork 10 mins before I broke the handle.... and that was 10 mins before I broke the S&J.

I wasn't having a good day and there was a bit of swearing flying over the fence I've no doubt.

I only got the S&J because the wilkinson one's tines bent, I have no faith left in a fork who's tines bend, so it went into the back of the shed, till the new one broke, then I got it out, bent the tines back ...... and broke it.

[weekendwellies]

Weekendwellies I'm pretty sure mine came from these people
Get Digging - Tools for the Allotment and Garden
And you're right. I can 'rough dig' a weedy patch in half the time it would take me with a spade - but there again I hate using a spade so the Azada is more of a heavy earth shifting tool. I bought it when I got rid of my petrol cultivator.
I ordered mine online and it came through pretty fast.
I think they should pay me for recommending them - that's the second time recently!

Thanks for the link Jeanied. Now - Which one to choose? There are so many! I am undecided between the Medium and Light Medium - and the right angle forks look great too. Oh decisions,decisions.

[Alison]

Weekendwellies I'm pretty sure mine came from these people
Get Digging - Tools for the Allotment and Garden
And you're right. I can 'rough dig' a weedy patch in half the time it would take me with a spade - but there again I hate using a spade so the Azada is more of a heavy earth shifting tool. I bought it when I got rid of my petrol cultivator.

This is going to sound really stupid but how on earth do you use them. The ones on the site look like overgrown hoes to me and the only way I can see is that you must swing them and use your arms a lot more than with a traditional spade / fork in which case they'd be no good for me as I have a very strong core but weedy arms. Assume if you use instead of a spade that you can get some real depth with them and am sure there's some real plusses to them but am finding it hard to visualise

[weekendwellies]

Try this link Alison. I was going to cut and paste bits of it but it is probably better to read in total.

Get Digging with Alternative Tools for the Allotment and Garden

[Jeanied]

I use my Azada like a pickaxe, Alison - so it is like an upper arm workout instead of the legs! It cuts through comfrey roots like butter. The better the swing the more it drives home.

[SarzWix]

Alan Titchmarsh Solid Forged Digging Fork: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Might be worth a try? Or any other fork that says it's forged from a single piece of steel. that way there should be no 'weak points'.

We've been through a few stainless steel ones, with the tines breaking. My carbon steel border fork has been going strong for about 5 years now though, no bending or breaking

[Alison]

I use my Azada like a pickaxe, Alison - so it is like an upper arm workout instead of the legs! It cuts through comfrey roots like butter. The better the swing the more it drives home.

Ah, was confused by people saying they used them instead of spades / forks. My upper body strength is terrible so don't think I'll look any more, prefer to work from the core

[womble]

Alan Titchmarsh Solid Forged Digging Fork: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Might be worth a try? Or any other fork that says it's forged from a single piece of steel. that way there should be no 'weak points'.

We've been through a few stainless steel ones, with the tines breaking. My carbon steel border fork has been going strong for about 5 years now though, no bending or breaking

I think the Titchmarsh ones are made by Bulldog. I suspect the name add's on money for nothing.

Bulldog have one with a metal shaft that is made specifically for heavy duty work. I think you can get it delivered for about £35 if you look around a bit.

Bit academic atm as S&J have said they are sending me out a new one. Be interesting to see which one I get and how it does.
I'll post when I get it, but atm it certainly looks like S&J customer service is top notch.

[Paulottie]

Spear and Jackson ones are guaranteed aren't they. Certainly Wilkinson Sword are. 10 years for standard tines LIFETIME for stainless.

Like Trigger's broom I'm on my third one!...about 4 years for me!!

[HeyWayne]

Ah, was confused by people saying they used them instead of spades / forks. My upper body strength is terrible so don't think I'll look any more, prefer to work from the core

You can use an azada in a kind of upper body 'rotation' (using core muscles). If you use it across your body as opposed to directly in front of you. Use it to break the soil up as you would with a fork, and then 'scoop' it with the azada blade. One tool does it all.

If you lived more local to me I'd let you have a go with mine.

Takes a bit of getting used to, getting your head round a different method of digging - but miwyuns of people across the globe use them apparently (since having one I've always noticed that footage of foreign agricultural workers often show an azada type tool being used).

[vegnut]

Stainless steel is a lot softer than ordinary steel forks, they are only used because the claggy soil doesn't stick to them supposedly.
I get my forks from a second hand tool shop near me, and i always buy the older ones. They could make better steel in them days gone by.

[sauzee]

I had a spear & jackson fork broke the wooden shaft so i took the d shape handle off it drilled out the old wood.Then i got a piece off steel tube slightly longer than the original shaft.I hammered it in to the bottom welded it and drilled a hole for the d.It is the best fork i have ever had stronger,longer and heavier for breaking up soil

[bubblewrap]

I broke the handle on mine (it was my fathers) it was over 50 years old I to forgot to "oil" the handle.
So I bought a new one it was as cheap as buying and fitting a new handle.
PS I still have a pair of shears that my father bought in 1953.

[womble]

New fork from S&J arrived today, can't fault them on customer service.
This one comes with a 10 year guarantee and I see Argos are selling it for £14.99, which seem directly opposite to each other.
How can you give something 10 year guarantee and then make and sell it for £14.99, not to mention it's made out of stainless which price is going up all the time.

Well as long as it doesn't break. But I am keeping the receipt that came with it this time