Yard and Stable Tools That Last

GARDEN · GLOBAL

Yard and Stable Tools That Last

Materials, choosing a fork or shovel for the job, handles and looking after them

Yard tools take more abuse than garden tools and the failures are predictable, which makes choosing them straightforward once you know where they break.

Where tools fail

At the joint between head and handle, and at the tines of a fork. A tool with a long socket or a strapped fixing rather than a short tang lasts considerably longer under leverage.

Plastic tools crack in cold weather, particularly in frost. Check for ultraviolet stabilisation, since sunlight makes plastic brittle over seasons.

Matching the tool to the job

A manure fork with many closely spaced tines suits bedding and droppings. A four-prong fork suits heavier material and digging. A shovel moves loose material, a spade cuts into ground.

Using a manure fork to lever something is how tines bend, and that is the single most common way these tools are ruined.

Handles

Length should suit your height — a handle too short means bending, which is where back injuries come from. D-grips give control in tight spaces, T-grips suit heavier lifting, and long straight handles give leverage.

Ash handles absorb shock and can be replaced. Fibreglass is lighter and does not rot.

Lifting properly

Keep loads close to the body, bend at the knees and turn with the feet rather than twisting the spine. Half-load a fork and make more trips rather than filling it and straining.

Care

Clean tools after use, since manure and wet soil corrode steel and hold moisture against wood. Dry them and store under cover, hanging rather than standing on the working end.

Oil the metal parts occasionally and rub linseed oil into any wooden handles once a year.

Buckets and containers

Flexible tubs are the most used item in any yard and they split at the handles first. Check the handle fixing and the wall thickness, and never lift an overloaded tub one-handed.

Keep entirely separate containers for feed, water and muck, and label them clearly.

Buying once

A good fork costs several times what a cheap one does and lasts many times as long, since steel does not wear out on a yard. Replaceable handles extend that further.

Working safely outdoors

Sturdy boots with toe protection, gloves for handling anything abrasive, and eye protection for strimming or chopping anything. Tetanus vaccination should be up to date for anyone working with soil and manure.

Wash hands thoroughly before eating or drinking, since soil and animal waste carry organisms that cause genuine illness.

Buying

Colour coding tools by area is standard practice in yards, largely for biosecurity reasons.

WHERE TO BUY

Ready to shop Red Gorilla? Use the link below to visit the official store.

→ Shop Red Gorilla — official site

Visit this site