First Essays

We started at 11:15 with an inspection of the various chunks of land available for trials.

Including a patch of ground belonging to Dennis Faulkner.

At 12:30 we made a start.

First the small patch at the northern end of the shed. This area has been a work-site for five years. This season I plan to turn it into the input area for materials – grass, hay, soil, sawdust.

Bernard has begun a strip and we are now examining the times to see how they have coped with the rocks.

Next we trialed in the raised bed. This is essentially soil free of rocks. But there are here two strip beds (from previous years) separated by paths and surrounded by lawn.

Bernard is churning out soil from what used to be a path. Soil was thrown sideways to make a trench which had a smooth top – a path!

I was dancing about taking photos of special events, and a day later I can’t remember what they were.

At one stage (I forget where) I removed the outer tines and used just two, but Bernard felt the machine was easier to handle with four, so we put them back.

Then we attacked a two square metre area in David’s yard. Note the shrubby growth at the right hand side here.

The machine had no problem uprooting these weedy shrubs, but it jumps and bucks as it rides its way over, or in some cases under, rocks.

By 13:30 I had had enough (still lingering effects of a cold) and we sat down to make notes.

Here we are measuring the original wheels and comparing them to the stroller wheels.

I think that replacing 6” wheels with, say, 12” wheels will not allow the tiller to dig so far down into the ground.

Around 15:30 I went out by myself and tried to complete a first pass of the shed bed.

Look at the rocks the machine pulled up. These we will have to rake to one side and cart away before doing another pass.

That said, the bed looks tidier, even in its just-tilled state.

I was all done by 15:45

Monday, April 29, 2024

We tried loosening up the wet and compacted compost, but that didn’t turn out so well. I will leave it to dry a little and then toss it into the raised bed before tilling starts in that bed.

Bernard’s rows look wonderful, though.

As does my little bed.

Monday, May 06, 2024

I tried to order larger wheels from Princess Auto Parts, but they said “bring your old wheel in and we’ll …” so that avenue is closed.

Meanwhile I took the outer tines off to strip the ropes wrapped around the shaft and tried using just two tines to dig.

The sway is even worse.

Now I know that I need a longer axle for the wheels.

The wheel base (small line) is just fourteen inches outside.

The times spread twenty-one inches outside.

That leaves 21-14=7/2=3.5 inches of leverage for the times to pull the machine over (to tip and sway)

A twenty-four inch wheelbase, wider than the times, should reduce the tendency for the machine to topple itself.

The axle is welded in place, so this might involves ripping out the welded axle and replacing it; or perhaps, inserting an additional axle that accommodates wider and greater diameter wheels. That might work.

The handle bar is twenty-one inches, so a twenty-four inch wheelbase would make the machine less mobile when entering the shed.

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