02 February 2022

Tools for the "Troisieme Age" Gardeners

 

Disclaimer:  Most items have been sourced in France because of the tedious problems associated with post-Brexit purchases from British companies (indeed, many companies have stopped shipping to Europe post Brexit).   NOTE:  of the items featured below, the only ones I own are the trolley, kneeler & plastic leaf rake:  the others featured are similar to the tools on the table which were purchased in local retail outlets in France (the ladies fork is 100 years+ and belonged to my aunt). 

      Pearls of wisdom from Fred The Shed (http://www.fredshed.co.uk/forksandspades.htm)
    *  Don’t buy shiny (stainless steel) – not as strong as forged metal      
   *  Bulldog and/or Spears & Jackson now make their forged metal tools in India

TIPS
Take mobile phone with you when you garden
Don’t go up a ladder unless you have someone with you
To move a table on a terrace:  if the base is square, roll it along using three 10cm diam. plastic pipe lengths like the Romans did. 
To move a heavy pot, place pot on a wooden plank and push/pull along the plank. 
If removing a sack of compost from the car boot, slide it down a plank onto a wheelbarrow or trolley

Digging spade or fork handles – go for T-handle rather than D-handle (if the bar rolls it can pinch the  hand)
Use a smaller watering can (or only half-fill your normal watering can)
Try a “pick-up stick” if bending down is a problem

LEAF  RAKE  
https://www.leroymerlin.fr/produits/terrasse-jardin/outils-de-jardinage/outils-pour-nettoyer-et-traiter-les-dechets/balai-exterieur/balai-a-gazon/balai-a-feuilles-l-43-cm-combisystem-gardena-279902.html
Cost:  €19.80

Promotion -gardena - Rateau Emmanché 43 Cm - Combisystem - 1

SECETEURS  -  ORDINARY  or  RACHET  or  BATTERY-OPERATED ?
GARDENERS  WORLD  MAGAZINE  VIDEO:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE0Wj9pOj8g
It is better to make an angled cut rather than a straight-across cut.

Rachet requires repeat-action (say three or four times) which may not be comfortable for arthritic hands.
Except for the Bosch battery seceteur (which looks a slightly chunkier of the classic seceteur), powered seceteurs have the battery clipped to the end which might be clumsy when delving into a many branched shrub.

If buying online, try to actually handle the seceteurs before buying (not always possible if they are packaged).   Remember, you get what you pay for – my latest cheapy purchase did not cut cleanly.

SECATEURS (non rachet)
https://www.jardiniste.fr/products/secateur-japonais-grpro-niwaki-acier-carbone
Cost:   €92.00  (free delivery)  small, right-handed, carbon steel

Niwaki brand - is this the Japanese make that Mavis McQuade heard recommended on a BBC radio gardening programme?   Better to buy in France - if purchased in UK the additional costs of customs duty (£16.48) and shipping  cost/DHL handling charges (£25.98) push the initial purchase price of £69.00 up to £123.46.

Niwaki : Niwaki GR Pro Secateurs - Right HandedNiwaki : Niwaki GR Pro Secateurs - Right Handed


SECETEURS  (RACHET)
https://www.amazon.fr/S%C3%A9cateur-Cr%C3%A9maill%C3%A8re-Automatique-GPPS-1011-Cisaille/dp/B07S51WRBF/ref=sr_1_7?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=secateurs+gonicc&qid=1643483127&sr=8-7

Cost :     €17.95
Non-battery, rachet, but lighter in weight (recommended by UK Arthritis)



SECETEURS  (BATTERY-OPERATED)
https://www.amazon.fr/S%C3%A9cateur-sans-fil-Bosch-EasyPrune/dp/B083QLYK7V/ref=sr_1_5?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=2EKL4LC84SIJI&keywords=bosch%2Bs%C3%A9cateur%2Bsans%2Bfil&qid=1643584649&sprefix=bosch%2Bsecateur%2Bsans%2Bfils%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-5&th=1

Cost :   €73.12
Bosch, rechargable battery, slightly chunkier version of traditional mechanical seceteur


LOPPPERS  (PARROT  CLIPPERS)
VIDEO:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAvnNYgo29g
Link:        https://www.thespruce.com/top-choices-for-loppers-1403276

Look for:  rubber handles, carbon steel blade, non-stick blade
Rachet loppers are needed to cut dead wood, it is very difficult to cut through with bypass loppers.
Like rachet seceteurs, rachet loppers need to be opened between cutting to operate the rachet
Battery operated loppers are just a larger, heavier version of seceteurs
Check a) how long the loppers work on a full charge and b) how long the battery takes to recharge).   OR buy two batteries if you frequently have a lot of pruning to do.

https://www.amazon.fr/TABOR-TOOLS-GG11-Coupe-Branches-Antiadh%C3%A9sif/dp/B01E5MV0LG?th=1
Cost:    £37.99, mechanical not rachet


KNEELER  (REPOSE  GENOUX) 
https://www.leroymerlin.fr/produits/terrasse-jardin/outils-de-jardinage/outils-pour-cultiver-son-potager/beche/repose-genoux-jardin-54-cm-83804925.html
Cost:  €29.90 (only sold on the internet, not in shop) (folds flat for hanging up)

TROLLEY  (CHARIOT)
https://www.leroymerlin.fr/produits/chauffage-plomberie/accessoires-poele-et-cheminee/abri-bois-et-range-buches-exterieur/abri-a-bois/chariot-a-buches-charge-maximale-80kg-pneus-en-caoutchouc-82959517.html
Cost:   €39.90
Load:  80 Kg
If carrying items other than logs, (i.e. narrower), need to fit planks across both levels.

LEAF  BLOWER  (SOUFFLEUR) (battery operated)
https://uk.ryobitools.eu/garden-tools/blowers-and-vacuums/blowers/rbl1820s/rbl1820s40s-1/
Cost:    €89 (includes 1 x battery + charger)
Battery run time is approx. 15 minutes, re-charge time is fast at 1hr 40 mins.
Weight with battery:   2.3 Kg
No speed variation, can be operated & turned on/off with one hand

SPADES  (PELLE  A  BECHER)
Buy a ladies’ spade which is smaller and lighter;   today it seems to be described as a “border” spade.   A man’s spade is heavier and lifts too much soil when charged so too tiring.

https://www.chausson.fr/lp/692052-1?flxrid=c732e460-705a-450b-856a-70824cdd31b7&utm_source=gshopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=fluxcenter
Cost:  €21.49   (a reviewer said might break if used for heavy digging)


https://www.amazon.fr/SHW-FIRE-59044-B%C3%AAche-Femme-Abgerundet/dp/B08562Q8MR/ref=sr_1_36?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=A91QD2XWPYKM&keywords=sneeboer%2Bbeche&qid=1643103483&sprefix=sneeboer%2Bbeche%2Caps%2C1092&sr=8-36&th=1
Cost:        €58.90 + €15 delivery from Germany  (€49 on SHW-FIRE website but won’t ship to France)
Weight:    1.9 Kg


FORKS  FOR  DIGGING  (FOURCHE  A  BECHER)
Ladies forks seem to be a thing of the past, the nearest appear to be border forks but the tines are still longer than ladies forks of yesteryear.
https://www.leroymerlin.fr/produits/terrasse-jardin/outils-de-jardinage/outils-pour-cultiver-son-potager/beche/fourche/fourche-a-becher-acier-revex-manche-bois-80-cm-73668532.html?megaBoost
Cost:  €35.50   (narrow but tines are rather long)


https://fr.jardins-animes.com/fourche-beche-dents-sneeboer-p-25.html
Cost:  €127.95

https://www.craigmoreonline.ie/catalogsearch/result/?q=gardener+digging+fork
Cost:  €14.17   (can’t beat this price and I like the old-fashioned handle!)

LONG-HANDLED  MINI-FORK  (PETITE  FOURCHE  AVEC  MANCHE  LONGUE)
These are great for light digging in the border to loosen compacted soil without bending down or kneeling as one would with a hand fork.
https://www.promessedefleurs.com/outils-pour-le-travail-du-sol/beches-louchets-et-fourches-a-
becher/fourche-a-becher-bequille-traditionnelle-de-pypere.html

Cost:  €35.50      Make:  de Pypere (Belgian)

 

Or try the Wolf brand of clip-on tools, they have this mini-fork.   Good quality & available in most garden centres.   Gardena also do a range of clip-on tools like the leaf rake (first photo).

CORDLESS  STRIMMER  (DEBROUSSAILLEUSE  SANS  FILS)
Look for:   *   highest voltage/wattage/revs per minute
                 *   two batteries with charger EU plug
 
               *   EU plug and voltage (240V)                        
                
*   telescopic handle
 
                *   choice of blades (serrated metal saw,  2x flat metal blades, 5 x plastic blades)
  
              *   wheels (for larger flat areas) 

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005002837686112.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2fra&_randl_currency=EUR&_randl_shipto=FR&src=google&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=248-630-5778&isdl=y&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&aff_platform=google&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&&albagn=888888&isSmbAutoCall=false&needSmbHouyi=false&albcp=10191220526&albag=107473525328&trgt=1284054470089&crea=fr1005002837686112&netw=u&device=c&albpg=1284054470089&albpd=fr1005002837686112&gclid=Cj0KCQiA9OiPBhCOARIsAI0y71CdZgKFSlP56vVI2bvNEAxgAS98iJe2fvld0kaeMK6w73QGNskccm0aApFKEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Cost:   €42.00   (made in Russia, shipped from China!), free delivery but slow boat from China.



SUGGESTED  BY  MEMBERS  AT  THE  MEETING

LEAF   GRABBERS  (RAMASSE  FEUILLES)
There seems to be three types –

*  cheapy but flatter so don’t hold many leaves and the strap for hands is uncomfortable
*  larger, curvy so more leaves picked up but still need to bend down to gather leaves into bag or sack
*  the Rolls Royce with long handles so no bending (see Darlac below) but leaves appear to need to be   loaded into a  Big Bag or wheelbarrow and probably not easy to load into a 100-litre plastic sack

Darlac leaf grabber

Videos:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWm--xPS0Kg 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcg6SExLkBo
Unfortunately currently unavailable on www.amazon.fr.   Cost in UK is approx. £22.
From the video, the Darlac handled grabbers load best into large sacks like one-metre-cube BigBag sacks which are cumbersome for transferring leaves into a leaf mould bin or a car (100-litre bags are easier).


BIG  BAG
https://www.leroymerlin.fr/produits/outillage/outillage-specialise/outillage-du-macon/sac-a-gravats-reutilisable-ocai-150-l-69587623.html
Cost:   €7.90

 

PICKUP-STICK
This one has a magnetic tip and adjustable hinge and will also be useful in the kitchen to access stuff from the top cupbo9ard shelves (I use my hip replacement hospital-issue stick for reaching my baking pans & racks rather than getting the steps out of the garage).

https://www.amazon.fr/Ramassage-Pr%C3%A9hension-Magn%C3%A9tique-Caoutchouc-Jardin-RG01/dp/B09FY3PSYX/ref=sr_1_25?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=2G8DTWHLJ9H5O&keywords=Darlac+ramasse+feuille&qid=1643740146&sprefix=darlac+ramasse+feuille%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-25
Cost:   €16.99




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