Rotavators, love 'em or hate 'em

[Muddy_Boots]

We've all got at least one .....

Was down the plot on Sunday uncovered the last black plastic and was digging it over, sun was shining, birds were twittering, bees from the hive were buzzing in my triffid sized Broad Beans. Was taking a break every 10 mins for a rest and to soak up the peace, sun and tranquillity. Then they arrived .....

...... the Rotavator couple.

Within 5 mins the peace was shattered with the high pitched sound of a small petrol engine that was like an oversized manic bee.

Any suggestions how to stop it? was laying in bed last night with thoughts of:

.....someone distracting him and me slipping some sugar in the petrol tank or ....

..... adding concrete into the soil of his plot to set it solid, hence no more rotathingying or ...

..... paying some hooligan to nick it from his shed at home ....

That's me rant over ...... I feel better already <phew>

[skeggijon]

How about petrol strimmers, hedge trimmers, lawnmowers?

[gardening_gal]

Console yourself with the fact there has to be an end to it soon, they can't just keep rotavating all summer, they will have to stop and grow things sometime.

May I suggest some wine? For you, not to sabotage the rotavator.

[SarrissUK]

Oh there was one of those up at my allotments too - he was driving me mad with his constant rotavating of the same plots again and again, because every time he took two weeks to come back to the plot, and the weeds had gone crazy. Instead of pulling them up, he rotavated again! The soil was so broken up I doubt there was any life in there any more, and when it rained, it formed a hard crust on top.

If any doubt, I hate them!

[Greenleaves]

Can i just say i would rather hear petrol driven tools than choke on the smoke from bonfires......especially those trying to burn green weeds etc

[SusieG]

Ooh, it's all controversial - and sometimes a necessary evil ...
Used seldom and wisely, I have no problem with rotorvators - sometimes they are the best tool for a heavy problem ...
Bonfires, another bugbear - just too many selfish people about setting light to the most inappropriate debris .. use your brains ..!

I, unfortunately, am a weekend noise maker too, on occasion. I have many, many trees to prune/reduce and the only way to get rid of without dozens of trips to the tip (where I get banned..) is to use a garden shredder and put it in to compost ....
So, guilty as charged, m'lud ....

[Snoop Puss]

Oh dear. I'm a rotavator lover, though only my own of course!

[muddled]

my lottie neighbour and I couldn't have a chat during our 'tea' break on Sunday for the noise of petrol driven machines!

Half a dozen people (who've not visited their plots since last October) rocked up on a sunny Sunday morning, feverishly mowing and strimming and rotovating.
Does my 'ead in

I love the smell of bonfires though.
I never have one as there's no room on my plot but I love the smell....especially in autumn time

[alldigging]

One of those interchangable ones (strimmer, rotavator, etc) was used on our site by a proper idiot. It's hard to start so he leaves it on whilst he's having a rest. Which is very tedious to listen to.

Then when it had the strimming head on he was sorting the trimmer plastic stuff out whilst it was still on.

[SusieG]

One of those interchangable ones (strimmer, rotavator, etc) was used on our site by a proper idiot. It's hard to start so he leaves it on whilst he's having a rest. Which is very tedious to listen to.

Then when it had the strimming head on he was sorting the trimmer plastic stuff out whilst it was still on.

Inconsiderate and very dangerous alldigging - bet he wouldn't do that again if it sliced through his hand ....!!!!

[skeggijon]

There is always some kind of motorised work going on at our site. one member has a tractor, which he uses to plough both his own plot and anyone elses who request it. Then the committee arranges regular mowing and strimming of the communal areas, plus many members have their own rotavators and strimmers - including me.
My rotavator comes out once a year to do a bit of tilling and strimmer comes out as required, but never at the weekend. These are jobs that I tend to do midweek when the sites fairly empty.

[Nicos]

There is a law here saying you can't make a noise like that on a Saturday after midday, nor all of Sunday.
Some hamlets abide by it, but others have a mutual agreement to ignore it.

[Alison]

There's a bit of that sort of thing on our site but thankfully not too often. The fact it's a small site helps I guess.

[cptncrackoff]

I don't rotorvate..
But I do strim!
Working six days a week, I often find myself having to strim in the evenings, or Sundays..
I try to be done before 7pm and don't start before 9am..
At the end of the day, it's the council that insist the grass paths are kept short.. it has to be done!
Tolerance is the key to harmonious allotmenting!

[greenishfing]

I love my rotavator but don't use it very often. It is a four stroke so doesn't scream like a strimmer. Both have the side effect of drowning out screaming/whinging kids.

I also like the smell of garden fires.