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Electric tiller/rotovators
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mal55



Joined: 15 Jul 2009
Posts: 168
Location: Erewash or in the dog house
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 2:17 pm    Post subject: Electric tiller/rotovators Reply with quote
    

Has anyone had any experience of electric powered rotovators/tillers/cultivators? Due to back trouble I'm having real problems digging and was wondering about a cultivator. The veg patch isn't really big enough to warrant an expensive petrol powered job.
The soil isn't too bad having been worked and enriched for several years so it wouldn't need to cope with heavy clay or anything.
How much vibration do electric or petrol ones cause? Vibration is one of the things that makes my back worse so I'm after something fairly lightweight and low vbration. Suggestions anyone?

Hairyloon



Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have one of the electric cultivators from Lidl.
If you have "rotovator" in your head, you will be disappointed: it is not so good at breaking into the soil.

vegplot



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Good for chopping cooked spaghetti.

Hairyloon



Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

vegplot wrote:
Good for chopping cooked spaghetti.

No, not really.
It is pretty good for digging in manure and not bad at breaking up lumpy soil provided the lumps are not too big or hard.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 6:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Electric tiller/rotovators Reply with quote
    

mal55 wrote:
Suggestions anyone?


I shall avoid mentioning pigs...

Have you thought about no-dig options?

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45385
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

no dig with top dressings and lots of worm food does work for some things

or bribe somebody to dig with some fresh veg

vegplot



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Hairyloon wrote:
vegplot wrote:
Good for chopping cooked spaghetti.

No, not really.


Have you tried?

Hairyloon



Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

First thing I did after I took it out of the box.

mal55



Joined: 15 Jul 2009
Posts: 168
Location: Erewash or in the dog house
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 10:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I take it they're not worth the bother then.
Quite a bit of the garden is no-dig but unfortunately the neighbours would probably complain about pigs.
Is there much vibration with the petrol machines?

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Mal bach,
What you need is Charlie Dimmock [sp] on the rotavator,

You`ll never complain about vibrations again,lol.

Yes the petrol rotavators do vibrate.

vegplot



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd
PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 10:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Rotovators are quite hard work. Not as hard as hand digging but you need strength to keep them on track. Is there anyone near you could borrow one from to try? They come in different sizes and there maybe one that really suits you.

Falstaff



Joined: 27 May 2009
Posts: 1014

PostPosted: Thu Feb 19, 15 10:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

If you go petrol, don't go below 5hp.

Mine fights back a little when you come to the end of a row and want to turn it round and it really is quite a physical experience, but it will do a whole allotment in half a day !

Whether a "Physical experience" equates to "vibration" ? I don't think it does and having a back which is susceptible to sciatica and having had a major slipped disc some years ago, I wouldn't be without mine ! I couldn't possibly dig like I used to, but can handle the rotovator (which will go down to 10 inches or more). But as I said it IS "quite physical"

Hope that helps !

mal55



Joined: 15 Jul 2009
Posts: 168
Location: Erewash or in the dog house
PostPosted: Fri Feb 20, 15 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That's useful Falstaff. What make is your machine? Part of my problem is lower back but the worst is a neck problem that affects the nerves to my arms and hands. Vibration causes a lot of pain that takes quite a while to recover from. I counter it by doing everything in 5 minute stints then resting which allows me to keep the garden something like.
The main area I have available is about 40x15ft with the rest of the veg garden being 1 ton bags I use for potatoes and such down one side plus soft fruits which I intend to move to a separate area. The idea is barrier gardening as much as possible. Once the area is dug over it will be covered in the thin weed control fabric and seedlings grown in the greenhouse then planted through it. I experimented last year and it seems to work quite well with weeding being minimal. I also have a 15ft polytunnel and 12ft greenhouse so a lot of stuff gets grown in there.

Piggyphile



Joined: 02 Apr 2009
Posts: 891
Location: Galicia
PostPosted: Fri Feb 20, 15 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Could you hire one and try it? Perhaps a hire once a year would be more cost efficient.

vegplot



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd
PostPosted: Fri Feb 20, 15 2:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Piggyphile wrote:
Could you hire one and try it? Perhaps a hire once a year would be more cost efficient.


Or hire a person and machine and get the job done for you. The only pain would be to your wallet.

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