Rotavator advice

[BeBe48]

Hello All

Not sure if this is in the right place - hope so!

Now that the digging season is here I am thinking I would like a rotavator. my plot has clay soil and think a good rotavation(??) would help. I know nothing about them so need advice please.

1. What is the best make?
2. What size?
3. How easy are they to use(look like they could run out of control to me!)

Not sure I can afford one as I knw they are pricey but armed with good advice I can keep an eye out on ebay for second hand one.

[Aberdeenplotter]

What is the maximum budget. No point in considering anything till we know that bit

[Pies]

And the area to be rotovated. Having said that the 4 stroke mantis is going to be tough to beat

[Aberdeenplotter]

I wouldn't dream of using my mantis at this time of year. Leaves too fine a tilth, in fact I would use any rotovator at this time of year for that reason. Better to dig over leaving it as rough as you like. The winter frosts will break down any clods giving you an easy job in the spring time.

[Fruit&2veg]

Hi
If you have not used a rotovator before, they do take a bit of getting used to, have seen loads of people hire one and spend an energetic morning being pulled across the allotment site buy a runaway machine !!
Personally I would recomend buying a good second hand Machine, again my personal recomendation would be one with the rotors at the rear of the machine, much easier to handle and control. As for what make, a Howard will take some beating, are plentifull on ebay and come in a range of sizes to suit your plot and soil. They can be bought very reasonably.
As Aberdeenplotter says, not the best time of year for rotovating the soil as it will pan down hard over the winter. If you have a sizeable plot, you can pick up plough attachments very cheaply to fit Howard rotovators on ebay, well worth the investment as the ploughed ground drains much quicker and will break down over winter FROSTS- just what is needed on heavy clay, and can then be rotovated to a fine tilth in spring. Just my opinion, but born out over many years scratching around on the land!!

[BeBe48]

Mmm - as with anything it gets complicated!

My plot is 4 x 16ft by 21ft. Many of the other plotters are rotavating now and I always feel jealous of the lovely crumbly plots they have - are they wrong? In the past I have dug it over now and added as much compost as I can and left for the winter but it is getting hard work!

I dont really have a budget although thats not to say I have loadsa money, just dont know how much a good second hand one would cost. Would about £100 - £150 be a good bet?

[Fruit&2veg]

Should be able to pick up an oldy but goldy off e bay for that sort of money without too much trouble

[Pies]

Intresting read http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_61010.html

I'd be tempted to dig up any weeds and then sow a green manure for cutting down in the spring and then rotovate.Or spread a mulch and then rotovate that in come the spring

[jerreh]

Honda F800 Rotavator Rehabilitation

Hi
Greetings from Sunny Kenya! Looking for some advice/help? want to rehabilitate a Honda f800 Rotavator that has not been used in over a decade, so would like (if possible) a to-do checklist as to things I can check/do before pulling on the starter cord?

[Aberdeenplotter]

Make sure there is oil in it but to be honest I would change the oil anyway. Drain any fuel and replace with fresh. Remove the spark plug and fit a new one. Cross fingers then try to start it. I think these models have electronic ignition so there should be no problem with corroded points. Good luck

[BertieFox]

Large powerful rotavators are used by newbies every year when they first take on a plot of land or an allotment. They chop up all the perennial weeds and make a nice clear plot which can be raked and looks good.

Then they start sowing and planting, and all those perennial weeds come up again and they have to spend every weekend weeding, and doing more weeding. Eventually, defeated, they give up the plot and pass it on to some other newcomer who comes along and does exactly the same thing again!

As you can tell, I am not a fan of the rotavator, which in any case creates a pan at the depth of the blades, while digging and forking will enable you to remove the worst perennial weeds and their roots, while breaking any existing pan. It also gives you a 'hands on' view of what the soil structure is like and where the subsoil begins in different parts of your plot.

Even better if you can get sufficient mulch materials, you can use the no dig method and avoid the back breaking work and destruction of the soil structure involved in rotavating.

Personally I am a huge fan of the Mantis Tiller and I have owned one for thirty years, buying a new 4 stroke model last year. I don't use this to do the ground breaking work of course but to get a beautiful fine tilth on a clean bed, ready for sowing smaller seed like carrots or onions.

It would be interesting to know just how many gardeners have a large powerful rotavator somewhere that they never use, or how many have bought them only to sell them on or give to friends or neighbours. An awful lot I would guess.

[teakdesk]

Hi
Greetings from Sunny Kenya! Looking for some advice/help? want to rehabilitate a Honda f800 Rotavator that has not been used in over a decade, so would like (if possible) a to-do checklist as to things I can check/do before pulling on the starter cord?

Make sure there is oil in it but to be honest I would change the oil anyway. Drain any fuel and replace with fresh. Remove the spark plug and fit a new one. Cross fingers then try to start it. I think these models have electronic ignition so there should be no problem with corroded points. Good luck

Do as AP says but it looks like the spark plug has been removed so the cylinder could be corroded. I'd add a little light oil into the spark plug hole and then carefully and slowly turn the engine over a few times before inverting the whole engine and let it drain before re-filling fluids and fitting a new spark plug.


An aerosol of "easy start" is the first thing I reach for when starting old engines.

[TerryS]

My allotment is heavy clay too, I hand dig at this time of year then cover with manure, then come the spring I rotorvate to finish working the manure and compost in and get the soil to resemble something like a tilth for sowing.
I can highly recommend getting a Howard 350, these are powerful enough for heavy clay soil and very easy on the arms to use. I bought mine 2 years ago on eBay and paid £140 including having it delivered to me. Keep a regular lookout on eBay if you're interested as the prices offered vary wildly from seller to seller.


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[Two_Sheds]

Now that the digging season is here ...

Not round here. It's no-dig season, all year long

[Garfy45]

Having worked in plant hire do every thing suggested previously mentioned but I would clean the filter bowl out on the carburettor and replace fuel filter