Hi Laura, I haven't actually started it yet. I had a problem with leather jackets, but now they have been treated and seem to have gone, I'm going to make a start at the weekend.
I bought a ??69 electric tiller from Tesco and it is very good at digging and churning up the soil to a fine tilth so if you are hurting one it should be easier and maybe better as its petrol heavier.
Not the best week to do it but you should be fine. Carl
Actually mine was Florabest from Lidl, but it looks identical. It is not adequate for anything more than a few square meters, and it take an hour to do that. It easily jams if you have large stones in your soil. And it takes ages to chew through the soil. I discarded mine. I think the motor had blown anyway, it could not cope. So when I did my lawn, I hired a big petrol one. You really do want to use a decent one, hire it. I know it costs as much as buying a cheap one, but how often will you use it? Alternatively, buy a used, scruffy but working, one.
Ah! Just noticed you bought one from Tesco. Hope it works!
HSS hire shops if you have one near you hire a small cultivator which I have just used to till a an area of heavy clay soil about 56 square metres that I had previously dug over by hand. It took me about half a day. The unit itself is light easily carried with one hand and tills to a depth of 25cm so should be suitable for turning over your patch if it is sandy or loamy. The hire was £34 for a day which was enough time to complete the job. The handles fold down so will easily fit into the back of a car, I was so impressed by it that I am seriously considering buying one for myself .
The one rc refers to looks very similar to the Mantis, and the HSS web page states it's not suitable for large areas of previously uncultivated land. I have my doubts that it would be up to the job of breaking up what is likely to be fairly compacted ground, unless the soil is very light.
If you can get a conventional rotovator into the garden, it will save a lot of hard work.
I'm a new but keen gardener and have decided i would like my currently paved garden to be greener, so i have started taking up the block paving to hopefully make several beds for fruit, veg and flowers.
After taking up the block paving there's a layer of sand which is very compacted and hard. I tried a rake it and it didnt really budge, then i tried a large fork and got nowhere. Does anyone know if an electric tiller might work? Or any advice on how i can get through to the underlying soil?
I hired a large rotavator and a friend for the day just to dig out and turn over some waste land ok my front garden as I've been unwell for two to three years now and was sick of looking at a jungle I loved three years ago. I had brambles also self seeded ash trees.
any way on to the subject It was honestly the best £170 pound I have ever spent. £100.00 for the week and 70 pound for my mate ok it took three days to dig the tree roots out and one day for 40 sq meters.
and now ten tone of pea gravel later it is looking so much better.
if your going to put grass down it will help if you rotavators manure into the ground any way as it will help with drainage and feed your lawn.
Posts
I bought a ??69 electric tiller from Tesco and it is very good at digging and churning up the soil to a fine tilth so if you are hurting one it should be easier and maybe better as its petrol heavier.
Not the best week to do it but you should be fine. Carl
Thanks Carl. Good luck to us both I guess!
I bought one of these:
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/qualcast---electric-rotivator---700w-131617?cm_mmc=PPC-_-Summit-Google-_-NonBrand-_-PLA&_$ja=cgid:13690180096|tsid:49590|cid:320438656|lid:72654133216|nw:g|crid:52785811696|rnd:904641641653220377|dvc:c|adp:1o3|bku:1
Actually mine was Florabest from Lidl, but it looks identical. It is not adequate for anything more than a few square meters, and it take an hour to do that. It easily jams if you have large stones in your soil. And it takes ages to chew through the soil. I discarded mine. I think the motor had blown anyway, it could not cope. So when I did my lawn, I hired a big petrol one. You really do want to use a decent one, hire it. I know it costs as much as buying a cheap one, but how often will you use it? Alternatively, buy a used, scruffy but working, one.
Ah! Just noticed you bought one from Tesco. Hope it works!
HSS hire shops if you have one near you hire a small cultivator which I have just used to till a an area of heavy clay soil about 56 square metres that I had previously dug over by hand. It took me about half a day. The unit itself is light easily carried with one hand and tills to a depth of 25cm so should be suitable for turning over your patch if it is sandy or loamy. The hire was £34 for a day which was enough time to complete the job. The handles fold down so will easily fit into the back of a car, I was so impressed by it that I am seriously considering buying one for myself .
The one rc refers to looks very similar to the Mantis, and the HSS web page states it's not suitable for large areas of previously uncultivated land. I have my doubts that it would be up to the job of breaking up what is likely to be fairly compacted ground, unless the soil is very light.
If you can get a conventional rotovator into the garden, it will save a lot of hard work.
Hello,
I'm a new but keen gardener and have decided i would like my currently paved garden to be greener, so i have started taking up the block paving to hopefully make several beds for fruit, veg and flowers.
After taking up the block paving there's a layer of sand which is very compacted and hard. I tried a rake it and it didnt really budge, then i tried a large fork and got nowhere. Does anyone know if an electric tiller might work? Or any advice on how i can get through to the underlying soil?
Many thanks in advance!
I hired a large rotavator and a friend for the day just to dig out and turn over some waste land ok my front garden as I've been unwell for two to three years now and was sick of looking at a jungle I loved three years ago. I had brambles also self seeded ash trees.
any way on to the subject It was honestly the best £170 pound I have ever spent. £100.00 for the week and 70 pound for my mate ok it took three days to dig the tree roots out and one day for 40 sq meters.
and now ten tone of pea gravel later it is looking so much better.
if your going to put grass down it will help if you rotavators manure into the ground any way as it will help with drainage and feed your lawn.
just my 2 pence worth Clueless
I got a qualcast 800w electric tiller,
blades are not going around ??
Anyone can help .
is the a reset button?
paul ?