Power Tools

[Ger-annie-um]

Just to satisfy myself that I amnot barking mad can you lovely people confirm that your respective allotment committees do not supply power tools such as strimmers, lawnmowers and hedgetrimmers as a matter of course. Our tenants think that it is too much for them to maintain perimeters of paths, hedges etc without these being supplied by a very hard cash strapped new organisation. (we always clipped back our path with a good old pair of hand shears!)

[rustylady]

Apparently we have a rotovator in the locked metal shed, but I've never wanted to use it. Trimming of paths etc is done with our own tools.

[greenishfing]

You didn't say exactly which planet your tenants were from? Apparently they live in fantasy-land. Are you sure they aren't growing "strange" plants in their greenhouses.

[chris]

I'm sure there'd be others on waiting lists that would be willing to keep their paths in check etc.

We have to on our site, no tools are provided.

[alldigging]

Survey:
Who wants to use one
Who wants to pay £5 a go for hiring one (plus fuel)


Then divide cost of buyin tools, insurance and storge costs and and everyone the bill. When they all pay up you buy them.
Of course it should probably be agreed at a committee meeting/full meeting of associatin.

[WendyC]

We have 2 lawnmowers for general use. One push one and a petrol mower (bring your own fuel) Fortunately Mr Maude is our MP so we know where to get our jerry cans filled...

[Hans Mum]

we have rotavators, mowers & strimmers for use by plotholders, just a small charge made to cover petrol but if mowing communal paths etc its free to use them.

[hamamelis]

We don't have any communal tools - I did ask when I got the plot if there was any rentable ones available, and they looked at me like I'd just come in on a pogo stick while playing the macarena on bagpipes. The council does keep the main paths cut, we're responsible for the little paths between plots.

My housemate's allotment *does* have shared free to use tools, including a strimmer; I think they're really just the property of the site manager, who's just very generous with his stuff.

[Alison]

We don't have a committee but even if I did I'm struggling to understand why they'd need to provide communal tools, electrical ones would be pointless anyway as we have no power. The council come and cut the hedges round the outside of the plots once or twice a year and cut the grass on the communal track to the plots (not very often though and a few of us do a bit ourselves from time to time) but that's all we need really. Having said that, do you have to pay for a committee? If so perhaps the plot holders are wondering what benefit they get. Like I say, we don't have one so not really sure on this and as I've posted on other threads, not really sure of the role of one except to coordinate things on big sites (which we're not )

[Ger-annie-um]

Thanks all, that has been a help. More questions though. If we did provide say, a strimmer for paths, would we need to do a risk assessment, provide training or heaven forfend be responsible for maintenance of said object. We are an Association that looks after two sites (35 plots in all). As a Committee we are not paid, mostly we don't even have a plot. We do a bit of fund raising for the essentials such as boar/deer/sheep proof fencing and, as we have no water or sheds on the sites, we try and build water harvesting structures as well as keeping the hedgerows maintained (lease conditions). Bit of a nightmare sometimes, tenants seem to want it all but don't want to help out. Maybe it's because we are only in our first year and everyone needs to 'gel'.

[alldigging]

Almost an aside really: but what's the plan for roping in plot holders to be more responsible for the site/decisions about things like strimmers.

You should probably offer safety gear, get them to sign something to say they've had training/read the instructions etc.
It's probably way too much effort if you're not plotholders yourselves though.

[Ryan Ron]

Working safely with power tools and Electronic equipments.
When using power tools, safety is the most important thing to consider. Using power tools correctly and safely will ensure the safety of you and anyone else around you.

[kathycam]

My allotment has a communal mower and strimmer. They are kept in a lock up and you can use for free, but need your own fuel. I'd not buy a lawnmower as there has been about 4 break ins, in the last year. I've not used the communal oe either, I'm sandwiched between 2 people that kindly mow the paths and I trim any other bits with shears. The allotment also provides communal wheelbarrows.

Could you get a secondhand/freecycled mower? They are not cheap, so also good to buy in a group. Rather than everyone shelling out and running the risk of them being stolen.

[Two_Sheds]

We have a communal mower (50p a go) but it's nearly always broken or empty. I use shears for my edges, but prefer to grow cultivated perennials rather than weeds anyway: these keep the weeds down, don't need much if any maintenance, look nice and provide food & shelter for beneficial insects.

Some members of the site disagree with my decision, and every year my plants are weedkillered or strimmed to death.

[Parsleythelion]

We are fotunate to have 2 powerful petrol strimmers available to hire for the princely sum of £3 and a petrol lawn mower. They are properly maintained and well looked after by the site manager.

This year the council made the committee buy a new mower because their elf and safety rules state that a power mower could not be more that 3 years old!! The 3 year old mower had been cared for by the site manager and was in perfect working order.....the committee were not allowed to keep it, sell it or give it away so had to throw it away!