Back saving yard tool I love.

[tomf]

I tried 3 of the hardware store weed eaters and they just did not do the job I needed them to do, not enough power. I got a Pro Sthil 130 and it does the job but it has a loop handle and after a time my old back hurts, so I just got a Shil 131 with handlebars and a harness; no more crying back I can use it for hours. If you have a lot area you need to weed eat do not waste your time with the non pro weed eaters they lack the power to get the job done and if you want to save your back get a bike handle one with a harness. Not to sound like an add but all the power tools and saws I do use now are Sthil they have the power to get it done, the other need to be donated.

[Lindsaylew82]

There aren't too many "man jobs" I shy away from... Rawr... but weedeating is for the permanent roommate. I got on a QVC kick one time and bought a battery operated electric weed eater that was lightweight and female friendly... wasted $109. I hate it, everything about it, but your newest yard fancy might make it a lot more tolerable!

[tomf]

I have a been using the blade to cut some brush and the grass blade to get some tall weeds and grass, my back is happy

[applestar]

Not at the caliber of your tools, but I bought a gadget called t-post driver/pounder. I used to make a pilot hole with a 4 ft rebar, pounded in with a hand sledge hammer, then laboriously pulled it out, then set the t-post, stood on an old picnic bench and pounded away with the hand sledge hammer.

But I developed a bum elbow and realized there was no way I was going to be swinging that sledge around if I expected my elbow/arm to remain at least somewhat functional -- so I gave in -- bought the t-post driver. Used it this morning --- oh WOW

You can't tell from the photo but the handles are not straight pointing 180° out to the sides -- more like ...160°?... anyway pointed inward at a good angle for you to grasp with both hands. Maybe this is a standard design, but definitely a worthy feature. There are different brands and slightly different weights. This one is just a little bit lighter (and better for me when lifting it to fit over the top of the post).

I still have to stand on the picnic bench to pound in a 6.5 ft t-post, but so much easier -- can feel most of my meager force being utilized and effectively pounding down the post, so much easier to keep straight/plumb, plus my gadget has a doo-hicky on top called t-post straightener, of which I was skeptical, but does grip the t-post and lets you turn it like a wrench.

[rainbowgardener]

We put fencing around our chicken area and will be putting it up to enclose the five rectangular garden beds.

We use these for fence posts.



The spike is three feet long. Just make a little hole to get it started, put a small block of wood in the holder and then pound it down with the sledge, at a comfortable height, no more standing on picnic tables. Once it is pounded down, take the small block out and put fence post in and bolt it in. No more messing with concrete!

[gumbo2176]

Some good options here already mentioned, but my best tool for yard work/gardening is my little 5 hp. tiller. I'd not want to turn over the soil in my garden area by hand several times a year as things fade out and need replacing or preparing for the new growing season.

My second is my Sthil chainsaw that was getting used pretty regular when my father-in-law was alive and lived in the country. Seems he had fallen tree branches and many times, whole trees that needed removing. Thank goodness for the ability to have burn piles in that area, or that would have added substantially to the work of removing the damaged trees.

[tomf]

I have used the post hammer thing and it works better than using a sledge hammer for fence posts, imo. The metal posts would be a good option, I would consider using them. I put in a 350' fence around our vegis garden but I used a hole auger on the tractor, it belongs to one of our neighbors, we sometimes use each others tractor attachments so we do not have to buy every one made.
Gumbo Sthil is all I buy any more, their tools work better than other brands some of the Husqvarana saws are also decent. I have 3 non-Sthil chainsaws I do not even use any more, a non- Sthil blower, and 2 non-stil weed eaters collecting dust. I do not have time for tools that do not have the power to get the jobs done. I do have a collection of Sthil saws, weed eaters and weed eater attachments, and power tools that get lots of use. Last year I got a Sthil 461R it can take a 32" bar, that saw is the one the local logers like the most as it is a chip tossing monster.



One thing I always do is take more than one chainsaw when I cut, if you cut enough times sooner or later you will find a way to get a saw stuck, mostly bucking them.
As the saying goes work smarter not harder.
My wife says I have a tool addiction but it is fine as they pay for themselves many times over.

[tomf]

There aren't too many "man jobs" I shy away from... Rawr... but weedeating is for the permanent roommate. I got on a QVC kick one time and bought a battery operated electric weed eater that was lightweight and female friendly... wasted $109. I hate it, everything about it, but your newest yard fancy might make it a lot more tolerable!

Sthil makes a bettery one that may work better, I use the pro ones but Stihl makes good tools so I would think they work better than other brands.The one I got may be a bit much for most yards, but you can buy a harness like the one on mine to use with any weed eater and that would help your back.

[applestar]

This is not quite related, but to make it work, let's just say that the garden fork is one digging tool that I use very often.

My car was "in the shop" for repairs and service including complete a/c unit replacement and leaky weatherstripping for the rear hatch. BIL's buddy's shop, so I left my garden fork with two bent tines in the back and asked if they would have means to straighten it. When I got the car back today, it came back all straightened and shiny -- cleaner than I've seen it in years.

[applestar]

We put fencing around our chicken area and will be putting it up to enclose the five rectangular garden beds.

We use these for fence posts.

I'll have to remember this one for wooden fenceposts.

[tomf]

This is not quite related, but to make it work, let's just say that the garden fork is one digging tool that I use very often.

Yes they are handy tools no one should be without one that gardens. I dug up an area that I cannot get a tiller in, I used the backhoe to dig it up, and now I will till in some peatmoss with a garden fork, then I will use a cultervator on a weed eater unit. For weeding hand tools I like the triangle long handled spade best.

And that is a good point about wood posts as the post hammer we are talking about is for the metal posts. I sometimes use this for wood posts, if there are not too many of them that is.



For big posts and big jobs I borrow one of these from my neighbor.

[tomf]

You can sort of see the harness for the weedeater in these photos. You can order one that comes with a clip for you weedeate and it should work with any brand. I modified mine to have a strap come across my chest so it does not want to slip off my shoulders.





One thing many people do not know about weedeaters is you do not need to buy a combie for many of the tools if you have a stright shaft driven by a steel rod; you just swap out the different tools as the come off with a simple tool.
These are the combie tools but I got a bunch of them as just the head, no shaft. I had done the same for one of my non Stihl weedeaters and got a chainsaw for it, too bad it did not have the power I needed, it is gathering dust.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/multi ... tachments/

[applestar]

I was looking for the 2013 thread or post in which someone recommended a (fence-post) digging bar — I bought one and it has been a fantastic tool for making pilot holes in my clay subsoil for the heavy-duty T-posts and other things that need larger initial guide hole than a rebar pounded in with a hand sledge. I haven’t found it yet, so I may have to post a picture and a brief description myself.

But in the process of looking, I came across waterbug’s broadfork experience. And he gave a good, detailed account that is probably worth posting a link

Subject: How to break up rock-hard soil?


...while I’m at it, I’m going to cross-link this thread

Subject: Ergonomics in the garden

I already have a link back from it to one of the posts here in the “Back-saving yard tool” thread. Post your comments in either thread that fits.

[jal_ut]

Don't get a post driver with handles. Those handles just beat and bruise and break bones. A post driver should just be a pipe with weight installed. Take hold of the driver. It does not need handles.