Garden Fork?

Hi folks,

Anyone recommend any garden fork in particular? I want to use it to dig up spuds, turning compost, and other general jobs. I don't have one at the moment, but want a decent one, and it has to be a balance between quality and price

Thanks

 

My only advice would be to buy the best you can afford, but bearing that in mind, dont buy a stainless steel one.

I've bent two up to now and cracked the plastic handle on one.

Go for a good make with a wooden shaft, preferably ash.

But I'm sure others might disagree:WINK1:.

 

I rather like these new composite handles made of some strong plastic look at what u can afford plus another 20%

 

I want something quite durable, as the garden is quite hard in parts. Will be using the fork to aerate the lawn too, and the chances are, there will be brick and other stuff under the lawn, so it needs to withstand hitting that.

 

Just restored an old fork found in the hedge, put a new handle on treated it with teak oil.



I know i've posted this before, i'm just kinda fond of it now.

Car boot sales might be the way to get a proper fork.

 

Is that a potato fork?

 

I think its best to go and try tools - pick them up and see if the handle fits you and if its the right weight

i agree with ziggy - car boot! you will get a good fork for minimum outlay

Loopy

nice fork ziggy!

 

My Son paid £5 for a fork at a well known DIY store.
The tines are 1/2" square, champhored to a blunt point.
Anything beyond a fine tilth and it doesn't want to play.

Tried to aerate the lawn and achieved about 1/2" depth - and I'm no lightweight.

My fork cost £20 with tines about 5/8" wide and 1/8" thick. A hell of a lot more efficient.

 

Are branded better? I would love to give the local forge my custom, they're well known (Bulldog), but very expensive from new.

 

sounds like you would like to get a local forge branded one - ask what guarantee they have that should reassure you cos they usually have quite a good guarantee on them- handle the fork and see if its comfy - right size and weight

then pay and take it home - when they ask if you want a bag say No thanks - man shopping!

enjoy it!

Loopy

I use little border forks cos i am a light weight - its each to their own with forks and it sounds like you need a strong one for your sort of digging

 

A tarmac fork, chucked in the hedge by surfacing contractors?

 

Off topic, but a wheelbrace ziggy,:D where did you find that?

 

I do normally do just that, I invested in a lot of good tools for maintenance of my motorbike (Teng, Halfords Pro, Snap on, etc), but I'm a bit of a newbie with gardening stuff. My other half decided to surprise me, and bought me a fork :s which arrived today. A Draper one. Not had a proper look at it yet, but we'll have to see how we get on with it. I'll be on the lookout at car boots for a fork though, amongst other gardening tools. My spade is bent in the middle from hitting bricks and stuff in the lawn, so I think I'll be on the lookout for one of those too, as sharpening the spade to give it a square edge is hard, even with a grinder :(