broadforks?

[mogal]

Does anybody have experience with using a broadfork?  There's a brand X in an online auction that closes tomorrow night.  It looks like it would have some benefits for gentle exercise, not disturbing the soil any more than necessary and not having to maintain a tiller.

Any insight would be appreciated.  TIA 

[solargeek]

We bought one, it is Well made, but never really used it. Just too heavy to haul all over the 7500 sq ft garden and 10,000 sq ft orchard. Just really heavy. We have an electric SunJoe (like a Mantis only more manageable). Love that thing.

[mogal]

I had wondered about the weight too, though lighter than our Troy-bilt tiller--a real GardenWay product, not MTD. Looks like it will be a moot point because the online bidding is already approaching my self imposed limit with 12 hrs. of bidding left to go. Thank you.

[alice]

I have one, and I love it. It isn't GENTLE exercise. It's a workout.

If you have light sandy soil, it might be less strenuous.

[mogal]

Thanks, Alice. It's got to be easier than wrestling that Horse model Troy-bilt. Our soil is clay loam with lots of added VM over the years. I've been using a plain D handle digging fork that doesn't have a lot of room for my feet.

The current bid is still within my limit but I don't expect it to stay there--bidding is still open for 3 more hours.

[bowdonkey]

I have one. I can't remember the name of it but it's all steel and painted light blue. I have a rocky loam soil that it works really good in. But as someone said, it's a workout. I would till in a heartbeat over the fork. It does have a use loosening ground to a greater depth than a tiller. Don't expect to turn the ground over like a regular shovel. If your ground is dry and rock hard, forget it. I use mine only in the spring for deep digging when the ground is soft.  And to loosen soil for digging potatoes, if it needs it. It not a potato digger as the tines are too far apart.Though I would like to contact the company and see if they would  weld me up one with tines closer together just for potato harvest. If your soil is root bound with say "canary grass", forget it. Unless you're masochistic.  Overall it has a very limited use but important job around here. Real happy it's not often I have to employ it.!

[mogal]

Jun 10, 2020 11:38:04 GMT bowdonkey said:

  Unless you're masochistic. 

Bowdonkey, I've been accused of a lot of being a lot of things but never masochistic.  

Our tiller was manufactured in '88 and we bought it at auction in '93.  We've given it a lot of use but also good care and maintenance.  That being said, despite the commercials with one handed operation, if it's new ground or a bit hard, forget about it.  You do some major league wrestling to keep it straight and worse when you try to turn it.  I noticed that with the broadforks, it seemed the operator used body weight and mass rather than muscle.  I have more of the latter than the former.  

Thanks for everybody's input.   

[mogal]

Well, we had the winning bid but due to a mix up with what was shown as a "lot," the auction house owner took my broadfork home with her. DH finally picked it up from her last evening at the next auction's preview and I tried it out this morning. Yep, I'm going to get some exercise messing with that brute but it is still easier than trying to wrestle that tough old TroyBilt. tiller. She told him that if we ever decide to sell it, please contact her. What you want to bet she tested it out while it was in her possession?

[bowdonkey]

Hmm, Missouri women using broadforks. I thought our girls were toughest because they played hockey. Might have to reevaluate my standards.