Non-motoring > my new (used) toy Green Issues
Thread Author: Bellboy Replies: 21
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 Mon 3 May 10 11:35 
 my new (used) toy - Bellboy
got this for the allotment its a merry tiller,anyone else use one?
s6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/smartiesx3/?action=view¤t=PICT0006.flv
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 Mon 3 May 10 11:43 
 my new (used) toy - VxFan
>> anyone else use one?

My dad used to have one. Made light work of digging the soil. Did yours come with interchangeable attachments?
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 Mon 3 May 10 11:48 
 my new (used) toy - Bellboy
no all you see is all i got
ive looked on ebay but recon i can manage with what i have
i realise after being told that it really should have two tynes on each side but too late now
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 Mon 3 May 10 19:52 
 my new (used) toy - VxFan
>> no all you see is all i got
>> i realise after being told that it really should have two tynes on each side but too late now

Yep, my fathers one had two tynes each side, he also had a couple of chunky tyres for it as well that fitted in place of the tynes. Not sure why though as it had the detachable two on the rear for transporting it around.

It looks older than the one my father had. His switched off by fully closing the throttle and not shorting out the spark plug. The air filter was also directly above the fuel tank, and had the belt guard removed as it was easier to refit the belt whenever it came off, which it would quite often do. And then there was the home made exhaust that I made for him at work after the original one had rotted away. You might find it easier to start if you don't fully open the throttle when cold too.
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 Mon 3 May 10 11:48 
 my new (used) toy - Armel Coussine
Don't forget to put on the titanium-and-Kevlar thighboots when you go for a neighbour-disturbing blast up and down the furrows bellboy... you need all your toes when you're climbing for parts in the breaker's yard...

:o}
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 Mon 3 May 10 11:50 
 my new (used) toy - Bellboy
my new home lud
look at the quality see the width ;-)
i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/smartiesx3/DSC02747.jpg
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 Mon 3 May 10 11:52 
 my new (used) toy - Bellboy
the kevlar boots
i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/smartiesx3/17-04-10_134114.jpg
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 Mon 3 May 10 14:55 
 my new (used) toy - R.P.
Bit of a shed that BB - Scrappage ?

PS This one was meant to appear below the photograph of your shed.
Last edited by: Pugugly on Mon 3 May 10 at 16:03
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 Mon 3 May 10 11:57 
 my new (used) toy - Clk Sec
That's a mighty useful tool that'll save a lot of backache.

You might have given us a glimpse of your face, BB. I seem to remember seeing the back of your head on a previous post.

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 Mon 3 May 10 12:08 
 my new (used) toy - CGNorwich
Good for tilling weed free soil but don't use it on uncleared ground, especially if there is an infestation of couch grass. It will chop the grass into thousands of bits and each and every on of those bits will root and form a new plant!
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Mon 3 May 10 at 12:08
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 Mon 3 May 10 12:22 
 my new (used) toy - -
Ah thats a nice one BB, much better condition than mine, though i do have a full set of tines!?

It does a good job of fairly good soil but if the ground is hard i use a fork to break it a bit without actually digging it to give the blades something to bite on, other wise with a double set of tines it's not heavy enough to cut hard packed ground.

Wouldn't be without it now but it can be hard on the hands and arms controlling it and i use heavy gloves....also when i first used it i was trying to control it too much which can be quite exhausting, i found if you sort of keep a loose grip on the clutch (well fanbelt) lever you can let the machine do it's thing and correct it's progress as and when, much easier.

You should be able to get a second set of tines from flea bay.

If i had that magnificent piece of ground i see in the pic i'd be after a Howard Gem instead, you'll have no probs selling the old Tiller when you want to.

That fence looks well treated, is that where the old engine oil goes?
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 Mon 3 May 10 15:55 
 my new (used) toy - Fenlander
I was taught to drive on these things as soon as I could walk... always one at home.

If yours has the sprung push thing to keep the clutch engaged my old chap designed that after tiring of the early models with nothing to save hand ache holding the clutch lever up on big areas.
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 Mon 3 May 10 18:54 
 my new (used) toy - Alastairw
mantis-uk.co.uk/home.asp#

My ex fil got one of these. Highly recommended, and quite versatile. Not that dear either.
Last edited by: Alastairw on Mon 3 May 10 at 18:55
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 Mon 3 May 10 19:18 
 my new (used) toy - Bellboy
thanks for all the words
i know about the couch grass but not a lot i can do other than try and keep on it

the land hasnt been dug for many years and its council land and that fence is new council metalwork i have been forking it pulling out as much rubbish as i can then breaking it down with the rotovator, as you say GB i too was fighting the machine until i realised if i set the plough thing on the back right it didnt try and run away from me

yes it has the spring on the handle and very helpful it is too

nice machine,i might have paid too much for it but its better than having a cardiac i think
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 Tue 4 May 10 13:50 
 my new (used) toy - FotheringtonTomas
>> i know about the couch grass but not a lot i can do other than try and keep on it

Either do that for about a year, turn it over fortnightly, or buy some Roundup Biactive, e.g.: bit.ly/d3VhDv or bit.ly/9dxrGM, don't bother with less concentrated as the cost goes up (you still need to dilute the concentrated stuff as on the instructions). It's a safe and environmentally decent way of dealing with weeds (the environmentally *bad* stuff is the GE stuff sold alongside it as "Roundup Ready", etc.). Apply when the plants are growing strongly, i.e. late sprinb, and it'll deal with all your difficulties including couch grass, ground elder... then you can rotovate.


>> i too was fighting the machine until i realised if i set the plough thing on the
>> back right it didnt try and run away from me

My Howard "350" has a skid which you can turn around and set point first, that stops it! If you hit a row of spinach beet or something, it's like trying to rotovate a railway sleeper.
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 Tue 4 May 10 15:54 
 my new (used) toy - Dog
This is from matey in Plymouth ~ www.flickr.com/photos/43576259@N04/4577984239

And this is what he sez about em ~

Yus we had a Landmaster, much sought after now wiv the allotment craze in full swing. We left ours wiv Morley when we moved out o Foredowns.
They are of limited use, OK for creating a fine tilth prior to sowing en planting - but people seem to fink that they are 'ploughs', I see em up the allotment trying to turn over grass land!! Even if you've carefully hand weeded out all the grass en perrinnial weeds you've still got to be careful wiv em as they will chop up en distribute any liitle bit iof root left in the soil resulting in a fine crop of dandelions en docks a couple of months later .
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 Tue 4 May 10 18:53 
 my new (used) toy - Bellboy
wifes allotment really im just the heavy labour
shes aware of the problems as shes bought loads of books from the book club that makes a bee line for her at work
i prefer the online allotmenty site personally
im waiting to see how long her enthusiasm lasts once she realises the constant weeding and watering required but im trying my best to help her without being too negative as when i finish at work i personally have had enough for one day and dont want to go weeding for a few hours for a few carrots no matter how nice they taste
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 Thu 6 May 10 08:37 
 my new (used) toy - Dog
Update from friend in Plymouth ~

I spose y'all do it by hand now at your allotment - mucho exercise!
"Yeah I woz chatting to a young couple of newcomers to the allotment who said that they were logging all the hours they spent digging, hoeing, weeding watering, sowing, planting etc. to analyze whether it was ultimately cost efeective to 'grow yer own' Don't bother I sez to em, of course it won't be!! It sposed to be pleasurable recreational, satisfying etc etc. Wot were they studying at university?? Logistics of course!"
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 Thu 6 May 10 20:55 
 my new (used) toy - Bellboy
weve already spent far more than we could realistically save on greengrocer bills
but yes its the outdoors
interacting with other plot holders
holding your first baby carrot up you nursed from seed
and of course keeping fit by digging and hoeing etc
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 Thu 6 May 10 20:58 
 my new (used) toy - Zero
for one moment i thought that said
"dogging and hoeing"
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 Fri 7 May 10 09:03 
 my new (used) toy - Dog
>>but yes its the outdoors, interacting with other plot holders<<

And it sure beats watching the idiots lantern - any day!
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 Sun 17 Apr 11 18:22 
 my new (used) toy - Bellboy
just to update been up the allotment lately turning over the soil for this years produce
surprising how quickly that coochie coochie stuff spreads,its a nightmare
havent needed the mery tiller yet though but did fire it up last week on first pull of the rope and fresh s/h petrol as the stuff in the tiller had all evaporated
british engineering at its best.......
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