Look at this, Tara. Only $12.95

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http://www.shadeusa.com/chair_...

Scuffle hoes are great!

When i moved into my current place, a lot of junk had not been moved out by the prior owner or by he real estate agent (who promised he would).

However, one item that had not been removed was a very old scuffle hoe. It's all carbon steel, so after I wire-brushed it and filed it and sanded it and ground it, it took a good edge.

Stainless might be shiny, but carbon steel will hold an edge longer!

It would swivel more freely if I got all the rust out of the old nuts and bolts, but I would have to use naval jelly for that. Some day I'll cut them off or drill them out and replace them. I would shop for a new blade, but hey! As long as the rust ain't where the edge is, it ain't broke.

My beloved pick head was also abandoned in a previous place I lived. It seems that every time i move, i acquire excellent, old garden tools.

A friend got rid of her tools, once, when I had no yard, no garden, and no excuse to hoard them. One thing she got rid of at a tag sale was a great pruner with forged carbon steel jaws and sturdy but dirty and scuffed wooden handles. She would have priced it at 25 cents, but I convinced her to mark it $3 (she wouldn't go as high as $5).

Most of the tag sale sale visitors were women looking for furniture and chatchkas, but finally one male gardener wandered in and made a bee-line for the basket of rusty tools.

He zeroed in on that forged pruner like a guided missile and clutched it like Gollum with his precious Ring.

He practically RAN up to the cash box, eyes glowing, and waved it at me. "Do you know how GREAT this is??!!!??? For only THREE dollars???"

"Yes", I said solemnly. It made both our days.

Great story, Rick!

I don't have a scuffle hoe. I may have to check it out though with all this praise.

Frank, I wouldn't mind a smaller tractor tool like that. My son has a tractor to do the big work but of course I'm not allowed to use it so I have to wait and ask someone else to do stuff for me. With that thing, I could chug a lug around whenever I wanted!

If that tractor of Frank's will fit through a standard walk-gate, it just went on my list of coolest tools ever! But I'll just have to settle for my "Tractor Scoot" (That same tractor seat from Gardeners Supply that others have mentioned). That is such a comfortable way to weed! I have a clamp on umbrella, but still need to figure out a way to attach it. I tried sticking it in a piece of tubing in a pot of dirt and setting that in the basket, but it kept tipping over. I WILL figure out a way for next year!

I tend to just follow the shade when I am gardening in the summer -- and that is on the west side of the hill where the heat is not nearly as intense as your side. Conversely, in the spring I follow the sun to get some warmth. I do think an umbrella attachment would be great though - let us know when you figure one out.

>> I don't have a scuffle hoe.

I've seen "co-linear hoes" advertised, and they might be as good as a scuffle hoe. But maybe not. Scuffle hoes cut on both the push and the pull stroke. They go faster than other hoes (for me), and they cut every weed, unlike cultivators. often a rake or cultivator will just loosen soil AROUND the weeds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

I don't find scuffle hoes very good for cutting weeds in corners of beds or along the edges, or growing up around rocks. (I don't want to ruin the edge.)

Often the only thing that helps there is a bent back and a soil knife. But I keep looking wistfully at weed torches.

Bummer! I just went hunting for replacement blades for stirrup hoes/ scuffle hoes! $16 - $17! A whole new hoe can be had for $26! I guess I've been spoiled by finding tools for free. I'll just keep sharpening and removing rust from my free hoe.

Don't have a photo right now (mine are in storage), but if you can locate a piece of metal strapping, put it into the vice and bend it just right, duct tape it to a bit of wood for a handle you can make some lovely little hand hoes. Here, a picture is worth....

The flat one cuts weeds in the pathways and between plants, with the pointy one I can work very close to the individual plants.

And dang it all, I should have saved that for an 'Idea'. Shucks! Drat. Quick, I need another family friendly word here!

Dadgumit!

Greene, I don't think it is cheating to post in a forum (only seen by those who are watching or visiting that forum) and then later develop that post into a formal idea (seen by the whole community). With additional information and photos, maybe a tutorial. But, perhaps I am mistaken ? I've seen other posts where members have encouraged the poster to submit as an idea. Seems the more folks you share the idea with, the better.

Thank you @Bonehead, I will work on this as a future idea.
Still don't know why they call you Bonehead; you always say just the right things!

with both of you.

Bonehead, i assume everyone calls you bonehead because that is the screen name of your choice:)

Once again, Deb said it better first!

>> Quick, I need another family friendly word here!

"Edit, copy, paste"
"Idea, Submit"

Because it takes me so long to find or take decent photos, and I'm impatient, most of my articles started as forum posts or blog posts.

Your post already made me wonder whether I could turn a Goodwill carving knife plus a golf club into a co-linear hoe. Hmmm!

Rick, I do have a collinear hoe my son bought. With this clay it really only works when the soil is moist and best for young weeds. It's really habit for me to use my cobra head. I have to force myself to remember to use some of the other tools.

I probably really like the cobra head because I can take out any frustrations with it by whacking it into the ground really hard, but on the same note, it works like a scuffle hoe in that I can just scrape back and forth to cut down the weeds, just it gets into tighter corners. I use it to dig under plants when I want to transplant something too. It's just the first tool I grab for everything pretty much!

I have a short handled fork that lost a tine.I never go anywhere without it. It props me up when walking and is a stabilizer when I plant.
I also use an old hand truck with a Rubbermaid plastic storage container.Its more flexible than a garden cart when I need to use the narrow garden paths. I hang a cloth totebag from the handles for small tools.

Good idea, Jo Ann.

abhege said:Umm, I was thinking hand tool! which is, no competition, my cobra head!

I agree 100%! I use mine for just about everything and would be lost without it!!