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Its back! - The Terrex Spade Returns! The obsolete Wolf Terrex Autospade has a replacement from a new company and has been improved with stronger components and the availability of a fork head AND Stainless steel spade head! After many years absence the incredible autospade has been revived and is available now for UK delivery The new version is known as the backsaver (for obvious reasons) and is available with a carbon steel or a stainless steel spade head. It also has stronger springs than the original Wolf Terex Autospade
This excellent tool is used for digging over open soil and enables larger areas to be dug without the user having to bend or strain. It was developed around 40 years ago and was very popular with allotment holders and vegetable growers. Although it is a spade it is not suitable for digging planting holes or shovelling. A special technique is used which requires a shallow trench to be dug first across the width of your plot. Then you start behind the trench and flip the soil into the trench using the lever and spring to do the hard work. As you work backwards you will also be digging the next trench. TOP TIP FOR BACKSAVER AND TERREX AUTOSPADE USERS!
To prolong the lifespan of the small spring it is necessary to unhook it when you store the spade to prevent it weakening. This job can be difficult on your fingers and they can get trapped. Fredshed reader Phil Clements came up with this great idea of using 2 cable ties to pull the spring on and off. He leaves it in place and ready to go. If you have any clever ideas you want to share with others please mail them in.
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BUY A BACKSAVER SPADE - BEST PRICES Please use links below for paypal or cards via paypal. Please mail me if you prefer to send a cheque or pay by bacs
Carbon Steel backsaver (autospade ) with free fork - was £96 inc mainland UK delivery Please remember to include a contact number and any special instructions regarding delivery mail me separately if necessary as this info is required before dispatch
Stainless Spade Backsaver with free carbon steel fork & UK mainland delivery £106 Please remember to include a contact number and any special instructions regarding delivery mail me separately if necessary as this info is required before dispatch Please remember to include a contact number and any special instructions regarding delivery
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I sell 2 versions of this spade Stainless steel (as shown) or carbon steel
My friend John Smith - the redeveloper of the new autospade (STAINLESS STEEL VERSION SHOWN) John and I have now sold hundreds of these new spades over the last 2 years and I am pleased to say they are performing as well as the old model and apart from one split plastic grip and a badly drilled bolt hole there have been no quality issues with this product. Autospade Tip Remember to release the small spring when you store your spade as this will make it last longer! |
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Backaver Garden Tool and Wolf Terrex Autospade Spares
The main problem with an old autospade is likely to be broken springs which are more likely to occur if you dig into the soil without making a trench first. The good news is that the parts for the new version also fit the original version Terrex Autospade spares - mail sales@backsavergardentools.co.uk for details and say you came from Fredshed
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MAIL ME FOR ALL AUTOSPADE SPARES
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Click link below to see my new page on
Top Tips This Month
Buy Seeds and Plants Online
Garden centres have huge overheads and consequently are relatively expensive places to buy plants compared to the internet.
You do have the advantage of being able to see the plants first but this is often outweighed by the fact you will likely come home with some other expensive tat you didn't really want - like candles, pickled walnuts and a plastic eagle owl.
Use the links below to check the price of plants and seeds from my partner sites. These people are the best on the net and have to be well organised to retain their reputation.
It will all be delivered to your door, well packaged and ready for planting!"
Click here to find, plants, trees and shrubs to buy online
click to buy any vegetable seed online
Mattocks, Picks and Azadas
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Best Tools For Digging Stony Ground and Removing Roots Most people will use a fork or spade to try to remove large roots or rocks from soil and the most likely result of this is a broken tool. Over the last 10 years I have received hundreds of e-mails from readers who have broken their tools by using them inappropriately. Forks and spades were actually designed for digging SOIL and even the strongest of these tools can be broken if you lever it against an immovable object. There are much better tools than forks and spades for removing roots, stumps and rocks. Also they are relatively cheap and will save you a fortune in broken tools and time and effort too. The Mattock is an incredibly strong tool that uses gravity to break into the soil. It origins go back thousands of years when primitive man used animal bones to dig and variations have been found through all ages and parts of the world. Apart from digging holes, and moving soil this tool is fantastic at clearing weeds and removing smaller root systems. Available in a range of sizes and qualities from many manufacturers. . If you are removing large roots or breaking stony soil buy a proper pickaxe, or the specialist root digger shown below. So many people try to lever out roots and stones with their fork or spade which will most likely cause it to bend or break. The big red metal bar shown right is the best tool for levering out roots and stones. However, if you have not cut the roots properly even this wont work so make sure you have all the roots cuts before you lever. Having the right tool for the right job makes work more enjoyable and saves time too.
A wooden pick axe handle should last years but if you want the ultimate strength and a material not effected by heat and moisture then buy the roughneck fibreglass handled Mattock axe using the link in the box above.
The Faithfull digging bar or pry bar will save your fork and spade from destruction. The Silverline digging bar has a flat end for your hand and tamping down Use a root digger and pry bar for deep work when removing stumps and large roots ( the Silverline root digger could be a bit sharper so you might want to put a grinder or stone over it)
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A Mattock like this is the best tool to move roots and rocks a pry bar and root digger may help too. Pick axe, Pry Bar and Root Digger
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Another Option for a lightweight mattock The Pull Spork is seriously mean to weeds but kind to your back. It was invented by my friend from Oxford, Robert Todd and is manufactured in Holland by DeWit tools who also make my Stealth weeder. Also known as the long handled Mattock Spork
Buy Spork Garden Tools from Fred's recommended supplier The small Mattock below is very light and has great reviews from many readers. The head is not fixed in the handle but this is normal for tools of this type.
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Stainless steel Mattock & Fork
This new hand forged tool from Holland has to be the Rolls Royce of Mattocks. Using the skills developed by their grandfather, the Sneeboer family have crafted this impressive tool from high quality stainless steel and ash. As you can imagine it is not cheap but will be the pride of your shed and in my opinion is also a work of art! click here for more details of the Sneeboer mattock&fork (This tool costs over £50) |
total length 59 inches (very long)
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Powerful - Low Cost Electric Cultivator This simple and well made Rotovator was designed by my friend John to make working your allotment or large vegetable patch easier. Petrol powered rotovators can be hard to manage and difficult to start and up to now their electric cousins were the lacking power to tackle larger areas. 10 years ago I tested the AL-KO electric tiller which was ok for light work in small areas of good soil. If your soil contained stones or any small roots it would struggle and its small blades could only till a depth of 4 inches. The Sherpa has a 1300w motor and is simple to use and maintain. it comes with a 33ft cable and can dig down to 10 inches with its 4 large blades. It is ideal for people who have an already established cultivated area but find it difficult to dig it over. Electric tillers are not suitable for clearing overgrown land to make a growing area. for that you will require a much more powerful petrol driven rotovator. Sherpa Electric Tiller/Rotovator Special introductory offer £98 inc UK delivery (mainland UK only) delivery by Fed-Ex payment by cheque or bacs only - mail me for details
Small Electric Soil Cultivator
If you have a small area to till then this cheap 280w machine has been developed from the now obsolete AL-KO cultivator. (it has only 23% of the power of the Sherpa Tiller shown above)
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If you found my advice helpful you can support my work by returning to this page and using my links when purchasing your secateurs. Also any products bought from Amazon using the links below will produce a small commission that helps cover my hosting costs. thanks, Fred
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More Old fashioned Digging Tools
Irish Spades, Cornish Spades and West Country Shovels
