Have just been reading through mcdood's thread about oscillating hoe's and noticed some comments regarding the length of shafts, as I am doing a lot of shovel work just now, one of the problems I have is the shaft of the shovel being too short, I have to use a shovel which I bought in lidls it has a long shaft but no handle which means you don't get the same power when digging in to lift some soil I have a couple of garden spades and of those the most comfortable one for working with is a cheap one bought again from lidles, as it has a longer shaft, I think it was manufactured in the Continent and it is so much better for working with, when I purchased the other spade which came from an ironmongers, it was the longest shaft I could find at the time, but even on the rare occasion when you come across replacement shafts they are still on the short side, so why the difference between here and the Continent
Must be my mind...........
Long shafts are used in the West Country as well. Since coming to France 20 odd years ago I have learnt to use the long shafts. I’m not very tall and find them easier on the back but it is a question of balance and a different technique when digging.
(15-10-2021, 09:15 AM)Vinny Wrote: [ -> ]Must be my mind...........
Possibly the wrong one, I am referring to shovel shafts, not rakes
(15-10-2021, 09:35 AM)Roitelet Wrote: [ -> ]Long shafts are used in the West Country as well. Since coming to France 20 odd years ago I have learnt to use the long shafts. I’m not very tall and find them easier on the back but it is a question of balance and a different technique when digging.
Roitelet, when I worked in the steelworks all the shovels used at the furnaces were long shafted, which made for an easier life a short shafted shovel just wouldn't have been practical
(15-10-2021, 09:35 AM)Roitelet Wrote: [ -> ]Long shafts are used in the West Country as well. Since coming to France 20 odd years ago I have learnt to use the long shafts. I’m not very tall and find them easier on the back but it is a question of balance and a different technique when digging.
Same here - in fact it was only when I broke my beloved fork, given to me by my father in law, that I had to use a long shafted fork. It comes to about my chin and now I've got used to the different leverage I wouldn't swap back!
