BROADFORK ROUNDUP.
MC broadfork
G&C broadfork
WCT broadfork
VIDEO HERE.
We have not only owned three different broadforks over the years, but we have also owned three different types of broadfork. It is for that reason, and through our experiences with them, that I wanted to do a little round-up for those who may be in the market for a new broadfork and may need some help deciding between different weights and styles. So for simplification-sake, I have done a little breakdown on things to consider when buying a broadfork, and a few available examples of each.
Determine Your Goals -The broadfork can be used in a variety of different ways. It can be used for, but hardly limited to, plowing, digging carrots and potatoes, breaking up hardpan, or soil aeration,(also referred to as deep tillage). Deciding which of these you are most interested in will help you determine the broadfork right for you.
FOR PLOWING: When we first started farming we were determined to plow the land by hand because we didn't own a tractor and because we didn't really want one (oh, youth...). And if you are planning to plow sod, or hardpan, I recommend thinking a lot about durability. We ruined our Johnny's broadfork quick by naively trying to plow with it. Needless to say, it wasn't made for that kind of work. So we found the most robust broadfork we could––the Meadow Creature, as it would turn out––and got back to work. This proved to be the right tool for the job. It's weight (22 lbs for the 14"; 25 lbs for the 16") helps to sink it into the sod and then lends extra leverage when flipping it. If your goal is to plow sod, break up compacted ground, plant trees or remove rocks, we recommend a broadfork with steel handles and deep tines.
FOR AERATION AND DEEP TILLING: The aerating broadfork is a much different animal from the plowing broadfork. For starters, the aerating broadfork is going to see a lot more work so it should be lighter in weight as to not wear out the user. If you are planning to aerate your soil before planting, a heavy broadfork will easily exhaust you. Where the plowing broadfork should be wide as to cover as much ground as possible in each pull, the aerating Broadfork should be accurately sized to your needs––20" - 30", say, for a 30" bed system. Both Growers & Co.and Johnny's make ideal broadforks for this use. There may be others (please leave any recommendations in comments!).
BOTH PLOWING AND AERATING: Perhaps you're looking for something more all-around––something to do all of the above. For this we like something with hollow, steel handles and medium length tines like the Way Cool Tools broadfork. At 14lbs, it is light enough for long tasks like deep tillage, and it's heavy-duty design makes it durable enough for plowing. Johnny's also makes a couple mid-weight broadforks we have not used. I like the mid-weight option for someone who does both heavy duty and light weight work, but it may be overkill if the only purpose is generally deep tillage. I hope that helps! Feel free to add opinions in the comments.- Jesse.
*HERE is the link to our original broadfork review.
WAY COOL TOOLS BROADFORK.
Tools are truly lifesavers (and back savers) in this business and I perhaps love no tool more than the broadfork. This is a large, full-body implement that can be used for anything from plowing fresh sod to harvesting root crops. It's a very physical tool that, if you don't have a tractor, is an intensive gardening must.Last month I bought a Diamond Point Spade from Way Cool Tools, a company I've admired for some time for their commitment to American made, long-lasting products, as well as their supply of more esoteric farming tools. The next day I received a call from the owner of the company, Charles, who wondered if I would like to try out one of their broadforks and give him some feedback.You see, a couple years ago I reviewed some other broadforks and remarked that, though I loved my Meadow Creature Broadfork, I would still love to possess a lighter, more all-around version. The Meadow Creature is my moldboard plow, I needed a re-breaker, too. Charles saw this post, and was hearing similar things from many broadfork enthusiasts, so he designed one and hoped I would try it out.To get an idea of its full potential, I used the Five Tines Model Broadfork from Way Cool Tools for just about everything I could think of. At first I plowed with it, the task for which I originally fell in love with the broadfork, and the 10" long tines did an excellent job of flipping the sod without going too deep. Next, I used it to "rip" some ground from which I had just pulled crops and needed to prepare for re-planting. I enjoyed the lightness of the tool, which weighs 14 lbs––several pounds lighter than many other all-steel broadforks––and does not exhaust you in long projects, or projects in which you hope to accomplish quickly. I even found I could till slightly with the Way Cool Tools Broadfork by piercing the flipped clods and twisting the tool in the soil. For carrot harvesting, again it was the weight that came in most handy, and the tines slid nicely underneath the carrots allowing me to pop them up and pull them out with ease. For comparison in this task, I used our neighbor's broadfork which has thinner tines and wooden handles, and one of the handles immediately snapped, which would have left us without a tool in which to finish the project. I have nothing against the wood handles, per se, but I was glad to have the steel in that moment.Lastly, I want to point out that the Way Cool Tools Broadfork is the type of tool you will be passing on to your grandchildren and an unreal value at $185. Made with heat-treated steel, it's not only strong, but durable, and will last a lifetime or three. And like I told Charles over the phone, Hannah and I would never boast on our site about any tool, or a company, we weren't one-hundred percent behind. But in this age of planned obsolescence, Way Cool Tools is exactly the type of refreshing, quality-over-quantity company we should all get behind. If not in the market for a new broadfork, look through their tool catalog and expect the quality I described with this tool to translate to every one of their products.Five Tines Broadfork Specs:23" wide Cross Bar10" tines (2.5" tapering to a point)19.5" Handle Spacing14 lbs$185
LAMBMOWERS.
Mid-summer every year, our neighbor's at Bugtussle take the rams out of their flock of ewes to avoid having sheep born from December through February––a harsh time to be a baby on the farm. And every year this is an issue. Finding a place to keep them, then having to move the rams separately from the other animals, can be a headache. Luckily for everyone, however, this year Hannah and I not only had plenty of room to keep the rams, but plenty of need for them, too.We don't own any sort of mower––unless you're generous enough to call our scythe a mower, and our hand scythe a weed-whacker––and we'd like to keep it that way, but it's a lot of work keeping up with the grass with our antique tools alone. Since we don't yet own any ruminants, when Eric said he'd be taking the rams out in July, we happily volunteered to take them in: lawnmowers!This is a beautiful concept to me. I read an article last year in the New York Times about a guy who went to neighborhoods and mowed lawns with his sheep and I've been captivated by that idea ever since. Ruminants like sheep eat grass by nature, fertilize while doing so, then subsequently turn that grass into meat (or wool, respectfully). They might do a clean job, but obviously lawnmowers cannot offer the same payback––cannot turn your lawn into dinner or clothing.Anyway, we've greatly enjoyed having these rams around to clean up in places we never get to. In fact, they're further inspiring us to start thinking about getting ruminants of our own next year because honestly, they cost about as much as a small mower, and they not only take care of the lawn and turn it into meat, milk or clothing, but do a quite the number on our poison ivy problem as well. Just ask Hannah how much she appreciates the rams.- Jesse.
COWABUNGA.
Sometimes, you have to get creative around these parts. Case in point: harrow surfing!
The harrow wasn't proving to be a good tool for cleaning up the soil, with Eric having to make several passes both ways down each row to have any effect. So, Jesse reverted back to his old skateboarding ways and hopped aboard, and the extra weight was all it took! Now the butternut squash patch (one of Bugtussle's most important crops) is planted and mulched. Sometimes you don't need a bigger or better tool or machine, you just need to think outside of the box, work with what you have, and maybe even have a little fun in the process.- Hannah.