How to make a hoe with your own hands?

Test or how to use

Weeding faster and easier

All the load falls on the wheel and the hoe. Weeds are removed with forward translational movements. If it was not possible to cut the roots of the weeds from the first movement, then repeat it and move a little forward and continue to cut the weeds.

Pruning is easier than loosening and removing weeds by the roots. The pruning method allows for a short time to pass the aisles and prune new weeds. It is recommended to walk once or twice a week - this is a walk without much effort.

How to make a wheel hoe

Device for efficient weeding

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Device for efficient weeding

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Method of growing potatoes without weeding

Particularly radical adherents of green farming argue that potatoes are not worth weeding at all without damage to the future harvest. Moreover, this method was invented in the 19th century and is actively used by some agronomists. Weed control is also present in this method, but it has a different form.

For growing potatoes without weeding, the soil is prepared in the fall. To do this, it should be cleared of weeds in advance, dug up or plowed, but without loosening, so that the soil breathes better. After that, humus is added to the soil mixed with ash, urea, nitrogen and potassium fertilizers, which are fatal to Colorado beetles and other pests. From above, the area is covered with a thick layer of straw.

During the fall-winter, the straw will rot, preventing pests and weeds from entering the soil, forming a layer of natural mulch. Sprouted potatoes are planted without removing this mulch, fertilizing the holes with prepared humus in advance.

After sprouting, a layer of mulch prevents the appearance of weeds, maintains a favorable temperature regime of the soil and retains moisture.

Important! Instead of straw, you can use green manures (alfalfa, rapeseed, peas and other legumes), which are sown in advance in August. By September-October, they form a rather high grass cover, which is mowed for the winter.

Thus, mulch is obtained from hay grown in the same area.

Thus, weeding potatoes is an integral part of potato cultivation techniques, although there are cultivation methods that do not involve weeding. There are also many devices for weeding potatoes - from traditional manual to mechanized. Undoubtedly, the use of modern mechanized tools greatly facilitates and speeds up the process of weeding potatoes.

Description of construction

Choppers are an indispensable tool for creating irrigation grooves before watering with your own hands, not autowatering. An indispensable tool for hilling plants, since with the help of a long handle, you can loosen in the most remote areas. A summer resident's kit always consists of several types of garden tools, for example, a hoe and its hybrid (hoe, loosener), both factory-made and self-assembled.

Garden hoes are made in different variations, which allows you to easily do a wide variety of work on a successful site. Depending on the required work, choose a hoe with different blade widths, with pointed or rounded corners, trapezoid or triangle shapes.

The material from which the hoe is often made is carbon steel.Such material is easy to sharpen with your own hands, but it is most susceptible to corrosion. In order for such a tool to serve you as long as possible, after each work in the garden, thoroughly clean the remnants of soil and grass from the blade, and then lubricate with oil. Stainless steel hoes are more popular with summer residents, since stainless steel is more durable and requires simple maintenance. The only negative is the price.

The difference between the hoe-loosener hybrid from the classic type is the presence of non-bent ends, with which you can easily weed out the weeds of creeping plants.

Weeding Trimmer Attachments

For work, it is recommended to use a cultivator-attachment made in the factory. It is both easier and cheaper than making the device yourself. When selecting, it is recommended first of all to take your trimmer and measure:

• rod diameter;
• number of splines on the shaft.

This information will help you choose the right tip. Usually, in the description of nozzles, the outer diameter of the rod is indicated - 26 or 28 mm and the number of splines on the shaft - 7, 9, or the shape of the section of the limit switch is a square. To accurately select the desired size, it is also worth measuring the diameter of the shaft itself - they also differ in size, there are shafts with a diameter of 7, 8 and 9 mm.

If you use a branded tool of well-known world brands, and not Chinese consumer goods, then it is better to order a branded nozzle. This will extend the life of both the head and brushcutter. In Moscow, for example, it is worth visiting company stores, where professionals will pick up the nozzle, here you can also consult on the procedure for servicing the units.

For work in small areas, a conventional disc cutter will suffice, but in large areas it is better to use reciprocating and drum cutters.

It is recommended to sharpen the cutters before each use.

When choosing a working tool, you need to be guided by the sizes recommended by manufacturers. Too large blades cannot be held by the hand, and too small ones will not cope with the task at hand. If several sets of cutters can be selected for a cultivator, then it is worth considering the possibility of buying cutters of different diameters - this will allow you to choose a tool for each specific type of task.

Should you make your own cultivator attachment?

The technology of caring for vegetation will also change: first, you should walk through the beds with a knife attachment, cutting off the grass, and only then use the cultivator attachment.

Having made the decision to make the cultivator attachment for the trimmer on your own, you should first evaluate the following:

1. The design of the outlet section of the boom: if it is a flexible shaft, then you will have to forget about the cultivator: it will not withstand constantly changing torques in amplitude. The cardan transmission is more functional, and the most successful design is a multi-slotted rod, moreover, straight, not curved.
2. Drive power: if it is less than 1000W, the motor will overheat and the cultivation performance will drop dramatically.
3. Fuel tank capacity: energy consumption will increase significantly, since the cultivator attachment will have to be made from scrap materials. Therefore, the tank must hold at least 1 liter of fuel.
4. Handle design. Ergonomics experts believe that the most comfortable is the T-handle, which provides the most accurate and secure guidance. It is difficult to hold a gasoline trimmer with a cultivator attachment, which is common in some models, with a J-shaped handle.

If the existing trimmer meets the listed requirements, and its owner has sufficient experience in performing such work, then it is quite possible to make a disc nozzle with your own hands. As for the gear-type nozzles, their independent production is very laborious and will not provide the desired quality.

Terms and basic rules

Clearing the site from weeds is carried out several times per season

It is especially important to do this until the time when the vegetable culture is strong enough so that it itself can defend its rights to full growth.

Weeding should be carried out for the first time about 15-20 after planting. Weeds grow much more actively than potatoes, so it is necessary to remove competitors and allow the vegetable sprouts to strengthen.

If the tubers were planted sprouted, then the seedlings will appear quickly and during the first weeding the potatoes will be easily distinguished from other vegetation. In the case when the planting was done with not sprouted tubers, the emergence of vegetable sprouts will be late and weeding must be done very carefully.

The next weeding should be done before flowering. It can be combined with hilling. It will be in early July. It is necessary to thoroughly clean the area from weeds. Since it will be difficult to use different mechanisms for weeding potatoes in the future, and it is very difficult to remove the grass by hand.

How to adapt a potato trimmer?

Not all gardeners choose this device, believing that it is better to pull out the weeds with their hands, but there are those who claim that it is very convenient. The device for weeding potatoes with a trimmer allows the use of several different attachments, which can be included in the kit or they can be purchased separately. A good option is to make a do-it-yourself nozzle from available materials.

Potato Lawn Mower Attachment

In most cases, a trimmer head with line is used to remove weeds between rows. Experienced gardeners recommend opting for a line with a round cross-section, due to which the weeds will not grow so quickly. Describing nozzles for weeding potatoes on a gasoline trimmer or on a device powered by electricity, it is worth mentioning another option - a three-blade knife, but it should be borne in mind that if the unit stumbles upon stones, it will break. There are also specialized attachments with four cutters.

Homemade nozzle for weeding potatoes on the trimmer

There are several options for making attachments, for example, you can make a "three-layer" blade. Homemade potato weeding tools involve the use of a 5 mm piece of sheet metal. Three circles of different diameters should be drawn on it: 320, 220 and 110 mm. Use a cutter to cut out the circles and make holes in the center of each to accommodate the work shaft. Using welding and fittings, connect the discs at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. It remains only to weld nails to the discs and you can use it. Other interesting options for attachments are also possible.

Weed root chopper

Anti-weed cultivator

"No matter how much you weed, they still climb" - the eternal complaint of any gardener. Maybe it's time to try another method of weed control - cutting down its roots. It takes less effort, and the back is less loaded. For this, many devices have been invented, one of which is offered to your attention.

For this you will need:

• Bicycle fork and small diameter wheel - for example, from "Salut"
• Hacksaw for wood - needed to make a cutting element of the structure
• A bit of sheet metal - 30 x 15cm approx
• Metal round and shaped pipe
• And other metal - strips, rods and corners

The base of the fixture

There are no clear sizes - everything is done according to individual requirements.

From the tool you will need:

• welding inverter
• Bulgarian
• and other locksmith tools

Step # 1 - preparing the bike fork

Preparing the fork - the basis for attaching the "hoe"

Two metal plates need to be welded to it. Cut off the steering tube from the fork. The dimensions are removed from the plug, transferred to the metal. After the plates are cut, they are welded to the bike fork as shown in Figure 3.

Step # 2 - making the steering wheel

Weeding unit steering wheel

Two pipes must be welded to the fork, which will control the weeding unit. The main thing to observe is the horizontal position of the fork from the bike.

In the photo above, you can see one of the many ways to attach the handlebar.

Small pieces of pipe can be welded to the bike fork, into which you can insert a handlebar made of wooden cuttings. This design will be lighter and therefore more efficient.

Step number 3 - making a hoe

Making a cutter

1

The cutting element will be made from a hacksaw blade for wood. It is ideally suited for this purpose - strong, flexible, memoryless, and holds sharpened well.

2

Cut out a plate about 5 cm wide and about 30 cm long from a hacksaw blade.

3

We weld to it two metal strips along the edges - this will be the attachment to the plug of our device.

4

Do not forget to sharpen one side of the hacksaw plate. Although this can be done even when the device is completely ready.

Step number 4 - fix the hoe on the wheel

Fitting the cutting part of the weeding device

We weld a U-shaped blank from a hacksaw on a tree from the bottom of the fork as shown in the photo above. We sharpen it, if it has not been done before.

If you fasten the hoe with a bolted connection, then you can make a whole series of hoes of various shapes for different purposes.

How to permanently get rid of weeds in a summer cottage: folk remedies, chemistry and other ways | (Photo & Video)

Potato weeding machines

It cannot be argued that there is a perfect weeding mechanism for potatoes that would satisfy the needs of any farmer.

Therefore, in order to choose the right mechanism for weeding potatoes, it is important to know about the existing mechanisms and about the cases in which this or that mechanism or nozzle is used for it. In the video below you can learn how to weed potatoes using a walk-behind tractor

Motoblock with rotary cutters

A walk-behind tractor is a multifunctional mechanism that, depending on the type of attachment, allows you to perform operations such as cultivation, weeding, milling, transportation of small carts, and digging up root crops.

The main components are the frame, engine, transmission, work shaft and guide arms. In addition, there are various attachments that perform a specific function. Motoblocks run on an internal combustion engine, while they are two- and four-stroke.

Important! Motoblocks with four-stroke engines are more powerful and more economical in terms of fuel consumption.

For mechanized weeding (cultivation), a special attachment is used - a cutter. It is a series of sharp, star-shaped plates that fit over the working shaft. As they work, they rotate, grinding and pulling weeds out of the ground. The same attachment is suitable for mixing organic fertilizers with soil.

Motoblock with lancet paws

Another nozzle for a walk-behind tractor, suitable for weeding potatoes, is the lancet paws. The attachment is a frame to which small V-shaped plows are attached. When weeding, the plow blades should be deepened 2-3 cm into the soil with the nozzle.

The method of weeding is to cut the weeds. Allows you to perform high-quality weeding in a small amount of time. The advantage of the tines compared to the milling cutter is that the tines are gentle on the soil, do not turn out its wet layers and do not form dense dust clouds during operation.

Weeding potatoes with a trimmer

It has already been mentioned above about the efficiency and rules of weeding potatoes with a trimmer. At the same time, the trimmer and attachment devices are so simple that you can make attachments yourself. At the same time, the brushcutter will not lose its effectiveness, but on the contrary, it will act more carefully on the beds.

Trimmer weeding rules

The rules for growing potatoes provide for several operations - continuous cultivation until the potatoes have sprouted, weeding the aisles, hilling bushes.

For simple cultivation, drum cutters are used; for weeding, you can work with disc, and reciprocating, and drum. But for hilling, it is better to make a type-setting structure - make the inner cutters of a larger diameter, and the outer cutters of a smaller one. This design provides the convenience of the tool when performing hilling under a bush.

The weeding rules are pretty simple:

• a sunny day is chosen for work, so that the weeds dry out as quickly as possible in the sun;
• from protective equipment it is worth wearing glasses and a respirator, from shoes - boots;
• when working, as when mowing grass, it is recommended to use a shoulder strap;
• weeding is carried out with a deepening of 1-1.5 cm, this is enough to loosen the top layer and increase gas exchange in the soil;
• it is recommended to weed all the aisles until the plants rise to a height of 10-15 cm;
• weeding is done in a zigzag, the nozzle is first led to the left, and then at an angle to the right. The next movement to the left with the capture of the next lane.
• hilling is done to a depth of 10-12 cm, while the first movement is forward movement in the center of the row-spacing, and after that, by turning the nozzle left-right, an embankment is formed near the bushes.
• it is recommended to select the operating mode with short interruptions so that the trimmer has time to cool;
• at the end of the work, the nozzle must be cleaned, the screws of the technological holes must be unscrewed and molybdenum grease must be added to the gearbox.

Timing of weeding potatoes

Potato shoots, as a rule, appear in 2-2.5 weeks, at the same time, the appearance of weeds on the site can be observed as early as 5-6 days after planting the potatoes. Therefore, weeding should be carried out from now on. For the first weeding in an area with a smooth landing, it is better to use a hoe or flat cutters, since the rows are still poorly visible and there is a risk that the trimmer or harrow will cut off potato sprouts that have not yet made their way to the surface. If the potatoes were planted by a mechanized method with cutting the ridges of the beds, trimmers and walk-behind tractors can be used for weeding. After the first weeding, its further frequency is set independently, based on the growth rate of the weeds. On average, the frequency is once every two weeks. When the potato bushes get stronger and become such that it will be impossible to walk between them, weeding is not required.

What is the device?

In the set of replaceable brushcutters' attachments, manufacturers have recently increasingly begun to mention such a device as a cultivator or weeder. In contrast to the classic attachments in the form of discs for mowing grass or a mowing head for synthetic line, the cultivator is designed to work directly with the soil. The trimmer attachment is designed to loosen the soil in cultivated areas and partially in areas where there is a sod cover.

The potato trimmer attachment consists of

• from a case with a worm gear;
• and the working body - disk, saber or drum nozzles-milling cutters.

The weeding trimmer attachment fits onto the boom instead of the lower gear. Re-equipment of the trimmer into a weeder is carried out within 1-2 minutes and does not require additional tools and equipment. The whole process is carried out using the hex keys included in the brushcutter tool kit.

The use of a brushcutter greatly facilitates weeding

The body of the device is collapsible. The body has special devices for adding grease. Body material - aluminum alloy, cutters are made of steel. The shaft on which the cutters are installed is steel, forged, the gear wheel is bronze.

The principle of operation of the trimmer is simple - from the two-stroke engine through the clutch, the rotary movement is transmitted to the shaft in the boom.Further, through the shaft, the movement enters the connecting shaft with a worm gear, from which, through a bronze gear, the working shaft with cutters begins to rotate.

Adjustment of the cutters speed is carried out by adjusting the engine speed through the throttle handle - the more the carburetor flap is opened, the higher the cutter speed.

Trimmer cultivator attachment

How to weed potatoes with a trimmer

There are various methods of weeding potatoes, from traditional hand weeding to mechanical weeding. Each of them has its pros and cons, and experienced specialists say that the best effect is obtained if these methods are used in combination. The main tools with which you can weed potatoes include a trimmer (brushcutter), a hoe.

A trimmer is a brushcutter that is powered by electricity or burning fuel (gasoline, diesel fuel). Line, plastic or metal knives, cutters are used as cutting tools. The advantage of the trimmer is the speed of weeding the potatoes, which cannot be achieved with manual weeding. At the same time, with the help of one brushcutter alone, you cannot huddle potatoes.

Important! It has been noticed that if a rounded line is used in a brushcutter, and not a faceted one (in the shape of a star), the results of weeding will persist for a longer time, since the weeds grow more slowly after such treatment.

The trimmer is used primarily by fans of organic farming. They believe that it is impossible to huddle or loosen the soil too often, and even more so - to pick up cut plants from the garden, since nutrients that they managed to get from the soil are taken along with them. In contrast, organic farming advocates believe that weeds cut with a trimmer should be left in the garden. At the same time, they perform the following functions:

• act as mulch, do not allow the next weeds to grow for a long time and retain moisture;
• attract worms and microorganisms that convert weeds into nutrients, thereby fertilizing the soil.

Weeding with a trimmer should be done when the weeds are still small and can be easily cut with a knife

At the same time, it is important to follow these weeding rules:

• work should be done in a respirator and goggles, since when the trimmer is working, dust forms, and small stones fly around;
• you cannot work when other people are in front of the trimmer;
• the trimmer knife can be deepened into the ground by no more than 1-1.5 cm;
• you can work with a trimmer when the first shoots of potatoes appear, otherwise there is a risk of cutting them off;
• if the trimmer is low-powered, take a break every 10-15 minutes to let the engine cool down;
• at the end of the season, the knives and working surfaces of the trimmer must be treated with fungicides, as there is a risk that pathogens of potato diseases remain on them.

Pros and cons of the method

Weeding a vegetable garden with a trimmer, and even more so the area on which potatoes grows, has its own characteristics and specifics

First of all, you need to pay attention to the fact that you need to choose the right tool for the job. It is preferable to choose powerful four-stroke engines as the working engine.

Such brushcutters have lower gasoline consumption and higher productivity in comparison with two-stroke ones. For two-stroke engines of brushcutters, recommendations are reduced to choosing a higher engine power, the more powerful the engine, the more efficient the work.

Weeding potatoes, unlike making hay or mowing a lawn, is a more laborious process, so here you need to be prepared for the fact that not only your back, but also your arms and legs will hurt after work. The fact is that during operation you will have to keep the attachment suspended, preventing the lugs from completely burying themselves in the ground. In addition, you will have to move the unit along the surface to the right and left, which also requires significant expenditure of forces.

But from an economic point of view, such weeding of potatoes will be much more effective than manual weeding - in a season with the help of a cultivator, you can process a much larger area than with your hands. In this case, re-processing will be required after a longer period of time.

Alas, there is also a minus. This is a lot of gas mileage. Under normal operating conditions, gasoline consumption is usually 0.44-0.92 liters of combustible mixture per 1 hour of operation of the unit, depending on the design and type of engine. With the installed device, this figure increases by about 35-40%. So you have to choose either saving time and quality of work or saving money.

Cultivator attachment in action

We make a hoe from a piece of tin

If you do not have a bad shovel or saw, you can use a regular piece of metal as a blade. Sturdy steel, roughly 2mm thick, is best to give the work area a solid weight. It should be remembered that the iron must sharpen perfectly, since with prolonged use, sooner or later this will have to be done. Let's move on directly to the manufacturing process.

It is best to take a rectangle, 7 by 25 centimeters - this is the ideal size, with such a blade it will be very convenient to process row spacings. We make a cut straight, not at an angle. We grind the edges so as not to get hurt during the following operations.

Since our main task is to do it efficiently and inexpensively, we will not waste money, we bend a corner 25x25 mm, weld it to metal.

To do this, you can use ordinary knitting wire or metal clamps (you can buy them for 3-4 rubles on the market). 2-3 such clamps will be quite enough - the handle will not go anywhere.

Now the hoe can be considered ready, you can grind the handle and varnish it, sharpen the blade with a grinder to the desired state.

These were the cheapest and easiest options for making a tool. For those who have extra funds, you can advise to buy a ready-made blade, holder and assemble it yourself, but such a tool, as a rule, costs a lot.

Any professional gardener and just an amateur will tell you that no gardening season can be started without a hoe. This versatile tool helps us plow our garden, get rid of weeds and manage our crops.

The best models and prices for them

When choosing trimmer attachments, first check the manufacturers and design specifications.

Pay attention to value for money. Monitor the reviews of the model you like

Let's talk about the best models of nozzles on the market.

KAAZ Kat-MC250P

Refers to cultivator attachments. Equipped with a soil deepener. Suitable for small areas.

Specifications:

• manufacturer - Japan;
• brands: trimmer ECHO PAS-Tiller Cultivator, brushcutter PAS-265ES;
• price: 9990 rubles;
• knife material: hardened steel;
• dimensions of the working body: width - 24 cm, depth - 36 cm.

KR400MP MAKITA 195710-3

Designed for small areas. The working part consists of cutters.

Specifications:

• manufacturer - Japan;
• brands: EX2650LH, DUX60Z;
• price: 17 160 rubles;
• knife material: metal;
• dimensions of the working body: width - 16 cm, diameter of cutters - 23.3 cm.

Milling type working body

Designed for weeding, which thoroughly digs up the soil, facilitating the penetration of moisture and nutrients and saturating it with oxygen.

Specifications:

• manufacturer - Taiwan;
• brands: for petrol cutters TAC;
• price: 7900 rubles;
• knife material: steel;
• food: gasoline engine;
• weight: 5 kg;
• dimensions of the working body: width - 18 cm, diameter of cutters - 20 cm.

Homemade hoe from an old saw

Nevertheless, there are times when an old hoe breaks down, and a new one has not yet been bought, and the gardener has to make a tool from scrap materials.For a homemade hoe, a hacksaw blade is best suited, since this metal will withstand any load, and will also not wear out for a long time. However, such a tool made from scrap materials will only last you one season. In the next one, you will need to take care of a new hoe.

To make a hoe with your own hands, you should adhere to the following steps:

• first you need to saw off the canvas of the size you need; the best size is 25 cm;
• we take an unnecessary old saw for wood and finally break it down; all the same, it will no longer be useful to us for its original purpose;
• with the help of a grinder, we will make a cut at an angle of 45 degrees, towards the teeth of the file;
• further, it is necessary to drill 3 holes for fastening, while the holes should be at the same distance;
• using a drilling machine, you need to make the same number of holes in the metal corner with shelves;
• the next step we need to fix the holder - for this we take a thick-walled metal pipe with a diameter of 25-30 mm and a length of 25-30 cm;
• we hammer one side of the pipe with a hammer by 5 cm;
• in order for the corner to stand firmly, it is necessary to drill a couple of holes;
• as a result of all the work done, we get a finished canvas with teeth, and now it remains only to fix the handle in order to use the homemade tool for its intended purpose; you can choose any tree for the cutting, the main thing is that with this material it is comfortable for you to work in the garden;
• using emery or a sharp knife, cut one edge of the cutting and insert it into the pipe;
• so that the handle of the hoe is firmly fixed, we drive a nail into metal and wood;
• then we will work with the old saw - it is necessary to get rid of the teeth that are not needed in the hoe; for this we take a grinder and level the surface of the hoe, while the teeth can be left, some gardeners claim that with them the hoe loosens wet soil better.

A chopper for cabbage or for weeding can be made, for example, from a trimmer, from a braid or cardboard. Such a weeder will be no worse than the purchased option.