In spite of owning a fleet of Case GT's and a tiller, there is still a need for hoeing garden. In my formative years, not long ago, mom would take me and my 4 siblings out to hoe weeds in cotton and milo every summer. The routine was up and in the field at sunrise, hoeing until heat set in around noon. A nap would be in line until late afternoon or when ever the evening temps began to drop, then it was back in the field until dark. A hoe and its maintenance are second nature.
A few days ago I purchased a new hoe with the intent of having a clean and chemical free garden. This is what was available,
A hoe with unfinished edges an ALL sides.
Not even a beveled edge to start with. 15 minutes on the grinder and
3 sides beveled. Now a hog weed with a 1" stalk wont' stand a chance when hit with the hoe point. (Memories of yester years.)
After a short moment of joys with a new tool, it became clear that the head angle was anything but optimum so
a quick trip to vice and that issue was corrected.
Garden cleanup finished and hoe is put away, case closed, until the wisp of a wife came in and said, "The end came off of the hoe and the handle is split." Well, bless her heart, she put it back together. Now I am mad, feeling violated, and fleeced by the manufacturer and the retailer.
On inspection the hoe handle wasn't split, it was cut and a
sleeve was slid over the handle as a way to hold the blade on the handle during shipment and until said tool is used by my 68 year old 105lb wife. She is a brute.
My anger took hold, the blade was put back onto the handle with the sleeve hammered down as far as it would go, then
using the proper method of attachment, a hole was drilled through the handle and blade shank. Wanting a tight fit in the shank the hole was tapped for a bolt.
The tap was also a "looks like a tap but aint" and needed the shoulder ground down to chase the drilled shank hole.
No respectable cotton chopper would be without a file. At the end of each 1/2 mile round of chopping the hoe was touched up and a drink taken from the 5 gallon jug. (Throw away water bottles didn't exist at that time and we hadn't been brain washed into thinking that water from a plastic bottle was the only safe water to drink.)
Now the beveled hoe edges can be hand filed and sharpened. No surprise here, the steel is so soft that the file planed it off in strings. A pile of filing lay on the vise.
An hour of modifications and now the hoe needs to be heat treated to hold and edge, I give up.
No wonder my 40 year old case backhoe isn't restored yet, there is always new junk to fix at the starting gate.
Spike
It is new and looks like a hoe... but it isn't
- Spike188
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It is new and looks like a hoe... but it isn't
Spike Colt - 9 & 10, Case - 108, 118, 444, 446, 448, 646, 646bh, Ingersoll 4016, 4118AH
- Timj
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Re: It is new and looks like a hoe... but it isn't
Don't think it's over, tomorrow the weld holding the blade on will break. If you would complain the manufacturer would say she was abusing it.
Should have just built it yourself
Should have just built it yourself
let's go, it's finally time to blow.
- Eugen
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Re: It is new and looks like a hoe... but it isn't
I hear your frustration Spike! My hoe from homedepot is just as soft. Terrible. I am actually considering adding a cutting edge from a harder steel, like a lawn mower blade. That's be easier than putting carbon into the soft steel you got now. Although that's something I've been entertaining as well, perhaps some bbq coal amber and a source of air into it to get the hoe steel red, and then quench in oil? I really don't know anything about tempering steel
Case 224, 444, 644, 680E
Kubota B26
Kubota B26
- Eugen
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Re: It is new and looks like a hoe... but it isn't
For weeding purposes there is that type that you just move back and forth and a lot of people praise highly. I'm thinking of building one of those myself! I think it's called a stirrup hoe, looks like this
Case 224, 444, 644, 680E
Kubota B26
Kubota B26
- MattA
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Re: It is new and looks like a hoe... but it isn't
Check the local yardsales for a older hoe. Craigslist also has people cleaning out there sheds...
The fab work looks good.
The fab work looks good.
Ingersoll 4016
- Toolslinger
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Re: It is new and looks like a hoe... but it isn't
It just boggles the mind. The race to the bottom has gone so far, I don't even know where to look for a tool most times. Once you manage to replace all the "steel" parts on that hoe, the handle will snap.
I've simply given up on the wood handled shovels available. At least with a shovel you can get a real heavy fiberglass unit that will hold up. Shovel head is still a little thinner than I'd like, but the handle is solid. Guess they must still sell enough of them to underground utility companies to justify a quality piece.
I've simply given up on the wood handled shovels available. At least with a shovel you can get a real heavy fiberglass unit that will hold up. Shovel head is still a little thinner than I'd like, but the handle is solid. Guess they must still sell enough of them to underground utility companies to justify a quality piece.