Has anyone had any experince using an azada?
It looks like it might be just the thing to help me clear my new allotment, without doing my back in. Any comments?
Azada query......
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
Thanks Richard, I read the mattocks discussion, I think this is slightly different, see:
http://www.get-digging.co.uk/tools.htm
The company I'm looking at sell mattocks as well, any advice on which might be better for my purpose? The plot I'm clearing has mostly docks, couch and thistles on it, but I thought the azada might be better to use for eathing up etc. as well once I've cleared the plot.
http://www.get-digging.co.uk/tools.htm
The company I'm looking at sell mattocks as well, any advice on which might be better for my purpose? The plot I'm clearing has mostly docks, couch and thistles on it, but I thought the azada might be better to use for eathing up etc. as well once I've cleared the plot.
Hello Deb
I bought a small hand azada from this company a few years ago. It seems to be a small one man outfit importing these tools from Spain. The service was excellent and I was impressed with the quality of what I'd ordered.
I also have some of the larger mattock type tools, Chillingtons though not Azadas. The reason for this is simply that I found them being sold off cheaply in our local market. They're very versatile and I get a lot of use out of them, far more than my traditional spade (rarely use) and fork. The pointed one (trenching hoe?) is superb for tackling neglected ground and also excellent for earthing up. The three pronged fork hoe (Canterbury hoe) is great as a follow up tool for raking and pulling out larger weeds as you're working the soil down to a reasonable tilth. The straight edged hoe seems best when used on soil in good condition.
These tools work with a chopping action - you lift them and let them fall and chop with their own momentum. However if you lift then whack them into the soil hard they can become very tiring - let the weight of the tool do the work! They are far less strain on the back compared to a spade or fork as there is no lifting the soil up and turning action with them. That said if you read some of the earlier postings you'll see that some can't get used to this way of working and go back to their spade and fork.
Best to see if you can borrow one and try it out first to see if it suits you as they are not cheap to buy. Personally I wouldn't ever consider going back to a traditional spade and fork.
John
PS They are also very simple and virtually unbreakable tools unlike modern spades and forks with dodgy handles and poor rivet fixing of head to handle.
I bought a small hand azada from this company a few years ago. It seems to be a small one man outfit importing these tools from Spain. The service was excellent and I was impressed with the quality of what I'd ordered.
I also have some of the larger mattock type tools, Chillingtons though not Azadas. The reason for this is simply that I found them being sold off cheaply in our local market. They're very versatile and I get a lot of use out of them, far more than my traditional spade (rarely use) and fork. The pointed one (trenching hoe?) is superb for tackling neglected ground and also excellent for earthing up. The three pronged fork hoe (Canterbury hoe) is great as a follow up tool for raking and pulling out larger weeds as you're working the soil down to a reasonable tilth. The straight edged hoe seems best when used on soil in good condition.
These tools work with a chopping action - you lift them and let them fall and chop with their own momentum. However if you lift then whack them into the soil hard they can become very tiring - let the weight of the tool do the work! They are far less strain on the back compared to a spade or fork as there is no lifting the soil up and turning action with them. That said if you read some of the earlier postings you'll see that some can't get used to this way of working and go back to their spade and fork.
Best to see if you can borrow one and try it out first to see if it suits you as they are not cheap to buy. Personally I wouldn't ever consider going back to a traditional spade and fork.
John
PS They are also very simple and virtually unbreakable tools unlike modern spades and forks with dodgy handles and poor rivet fixing of head to handle.
Last edited by John on Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
I ended up purchasing a medium azada, and a Canterbury Fork. It's taken me a while to get used to the azada's action (and it is relatively heavy after a while, I kept putting too much into it at first rather than let it do the work!), but it is brilliant at chopping into hard ground. However, the fork is fantastic for ripping out couch grass, and as the plot is infested with the stuff, it has been the more useful implement so far.