So, the wedge. Yea, you start it in the slit, install the handle until the point in which the wedge would touch the tube or nest as you called it. Few mallet wacks on the end of the handle and its seated and expanded at the same time forming a super tight fit.
This gives me a great idea and weld my own! Also steel is the way to go, it just slices waaaaay easier in heavier soils. I use to use a wooden handles post hole digger and it was alright but then when I switched to all steel handles the holes were way easier
Just a bit of a correction...The angle at the tips is not “steeper” or sharper it is LESS steep/sharp and therefore isn’t about increasing ease of soil penetration. I believe the reduced angle is for increased strength of the tips so they are less apt to bend or break. The remainder of the tine has a fairly minimal taper for ease of soil penetration. Thanks for the nice review!
This is what I was going to say. They use the same techniques for hunting broadheads. In archery, it is called a Tanto tip and increases strength and endurance of the tip.
the wedges are supposed to work the same way as when hanging an axe head. You leave them full length and pound the handles into the holes with the wedge sticking out the end. As the handles seat all the way down the wedge is pushed further into the slot and the wood is expanded inside the hole and wedged into place so it can't pull out. It works essentially the same way as peening a rivet to mushroom the end so it won't pull back through a piece of sheet metal.
Mine just arrived today. Purchased because of this video. Small word of caution- their production time is a few weeks out when I ordered. Haven’t used yet but will update when I do. Thx Steven!!!
Thanks for pointing out the detail about the 24 inch tines. I may go with that as I do my experiment garden this year. I guess no till or low till is going to be my biggest challenge just because I was raised working the ground. I will have to basically unlearn my old way and learn the new way because that is one of my biggest goals to go no till.
Since you are accustomed to working the ground think of broadforking as the new way that you do that. We are still disturbing the ground and infusing oxygen, only to a much lesser extent that will minimally damage soil life and keep soil carbon in tact all while not compacting subsoil :) Once you've been no till for a couple of years you'll never look back. No weeds, easy planting and removing/harvesting crops, better fertility and plant health.
I used this.. and it worked great.. with my bad back. One can loosen the soil as much as you like.. Or basically till it from different angles. I had some areas of sod and sand that was compacted.. and loosened it only.. to get the grass to grow.. it filled in perfectly.. Tilling the soil with a tiller kills a lot of life forms.. This is less labor intensive than any other tool I have used. For small areas.. I just use a pitchfork.
I also own a treadlight broadfork and first time using it one of the wooden handles broke under very little load. I cut off the broken part of the handle and reinstalled only to have it break again as well as the other handle also broke due to the short handle socket on the broadfork. I brought this to the owners attention and he refused to replace the handle and did not offer steel handles at the time and was not until after I had advised him as to what would improve his broadforks. I see he still has not improve the socket length but now offering the steel handles. Go figure! I had to modify the handle sockets by extending the sockets much longer in order to avoid breaking the wooden handles again. To this day treadlight has not offered to make it right with me over the weak handle that came with the broadfork and the fact of the poor socket design for wooden handles.
@@sportsonwheelss Yeah I understand wood grain and its strength and weakness. I been working with wood a very long time as a custom home builder, woodworker, gardener and timber cutter. I have studied the grain patterns a very long time and am very selective about the grain when It comes to my tool handles. Especially axes, splitting mauls, sledge hammers, etc.
@CloneRanger You can believe what you want about my post. Just because you have worked with Ash wood making furniture doesn't change the fact of what I encountered with this company and the handle. I have been working with Ash handles in tools since I was 7 years old and understand the stress put on that piece of wood when it acts as a level. Obviously I am not the only one who had an issue with their wood handles breaking for them to start offering steel handles.
I’m looking for that fabulous mulch that you were talking about I googled Ed’s compost but cannot find it in Ramona. If you could give me a heads up would greatly appreciate it. It’s so awesome that you were local I have learned a lot from you thanks so much. Our weather is so different than everybody else’s Videos
Lowes and Home depot have bagged compost and composted cow manure . If you have a lawn and trees you can make your own compost by piling up grass clippings , taking up leaves and kitchen scraps ( no meat products though) but you can put your used coffee grounds , egg shells , potatoes peelings ect in your compost pile and then wet it down it will start the beark down process and get warm in the center then in a couple of weeks go out and turn the pile with a shovel abd then let it set another few weeks then turn it again it will start to look like soil after awhile then it is turning into compost. If you have chickens you can clean out their coop and put the used chicken bedding hay ect into the compost pile too , chicken poo is like gold to a gardener 🙂 but you don't have to have chicken poo just the other stuff to create your own compost. Not sure how long it takes will have to ask an experienced garden or like this young man 🙂 I just save all card board that stuff is shipped to my house but probably you could ask a grocery store if you could have their card board boxes 🙂❤️ hope that helped ❤️ may our CREATOR ALMIGHTY YAHWEH ❤️ and MESSIAH KING YAHSHUA ❤️ JESUS'S REAL HEBREW NAME THAT MEANS YAHWEH SAVES ❤️ please bless and keep you ❤️
Concur you’re tilling but if you must use save work and place handles in fork then with fork above tap ends on solid surface. Far less work and seats handles better.
Hi! I've always been confused about how broad forks fall into no-till. I understand they aerate... but isn't that quite a disturbance to the soil? Is the disturbance small enough for the fungi and bacteria to quickly recover? What are some reliable resources documenting this?
Tilling is rotational energy that chops everything up and compacts subsoil because of the rotational energy. Very different than what a braodfork does. The broadfork simply lifts the soil, of course some of the soil is broken apart in that process but some disturbance is a good especially when the soil structure is compacted. The soil needs to be aerobic and compacted soil typically tends towards anaerobic conditions. The bacteria and fungi can easily recover from the minimal disturbance. Overtime the broadfork becomes less necessary as soil quality improves and becomes a once a year job per bed or not at all if you choose. Everything depends on the soil structure you start with. Then you would be doing "No-dig" growing. My next video will be about the details of this process. Yes there have been many studies on no till over the last couple decades, large and small scale.
@@TheVigilantStewards In my opinion, in most situations (market gardening or gardening) that is the best way to go about it. Tilling one time to break ground and build your beds, especially in clayee heavy soil is a must. BUT you can of course do it completely no dig/notill from the beginning, it would just take a lot longer to get to the point where you could plant. Or you would have to spend the expense of bringing in soil. I've built beds all these different ways because different situations call for different solutions. Check my videos, th-cam.com/video/o410IVRGNF0/w-d-xo.html, th-cam.com/video/9oi4ASMPb4U/w-d-xo.html
I've seen that video... so you tilled , cover cropped on top of compost and in one season it was good to go to get started? Till the first year, broad fork for a few more until the tilth is perfect?@@NaturesAlwaysRight
Was really disappointed with the wood handles. Both shims broke and the screw was near impossible to get in without stripping. Once in, with quite a bit of diy rigging, the handles were squeaky as all get out (they are even squeaky in your video). Eventually one of them broke. For this price, I feel like they could've come up with a better solution for attaching the handles.
A tiller is a machine that uses rotating blades. Very different than the lifting motion of the broadfork. I think you are confusing No till with No dig.
@@NaturesAlwaysRight The meaning of till: en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/till#h70164375556580 This is human-powered tilling. "Low- till" would be more accurate. Picture of woman doing same thing as you on Treadlite Broadfork's website: "Tilling with my Treadlite Broadfork"
It seems like they paid you $180 for this video. It looks like a quality piece of steel. I'd think the steel handles are the way to go although the price difference doesn't seem to justify them. As much as I'd like to say it's easy to make, it probably isn't without quite a bit of labor. It seems like a good tool, but the price seems high to me.
I was not paid to make this video. Everything I ever say in my videos is my TRUE opinion and recommendation, regardless of any sponsorship. If you want a "Free" way to get the same effect use a pitchfork which you probably already own. Treadlite is one of the top 3 quality broadfork brands. Of those top 3 brands, they are the cheapest price. I'm only interested in using and recommending top quality equipment that will last for years or even decades. The steel handles are awesome!
@@NaturesAlwaysRight I wasn't expecting a reply. It was a good review, and I'd suggest they do pay you $180 for it if they happen to read this. Or hopefully they gave you the fork for free. I like your videos, and how super mellow you are. Surprised to see you'd waste your time combating a comment on youtube. A suggestion to cheap folks like myself. Maybe buy the wooden handled style and use it until the wood fails (if it ever does), and then maybe use black iron sprinkler pipe for handles, or go down to a metal supply shop and find some tubing that fits (maybe even weld it together, or at least drill a hole and run a bolt through). I like playing with metal, and again, it would take me a long time to make something like that from scratch. I'm guessing if it were mass produced the price would come down significantly.
@@middle-agedmacdonald2965 Oh that's what you meant hehe. Well thanks I'm glad it came off professional! Yes I contacted them and they did exchange the broadfork for the video I made, fair deal. I think your suggestion would work great!
Middle-aged MacDonald Broadforks are expensive. This one is quite a lot but others are about 50% more shipped so the Treadlites are the best price for a quality fork. I’m eagerly awaiting shipment of my 24” Treadlite.
Be sure to watch my next video all about the reasons why we broadfork and grow using no-till or low till techniques. This becomes a once a year job per bed once beds are established after a couple of years. It's a long term vs short term strategy on soil fertility/health.
🌟Get the best, Treadlite Broadfork *Made in the USA*
5% OFF use 'NATURE5' bit.ly/3OwGN85
Thank you so much. I jus thought this and 5% off still works. I'm so excited for this purchase.
This was my Christmas present from my wife last year, works great
Haha nice what an awesome wife!
@@NaturesAlwaysRight yes, she is pretty awesome
So, the wedge. Yea, you start it in the slit, install the handle until the point in which the wedge would touch the tube or nest as you called it. Few mallet wacks on the end of the handle and its seated and expanded at the same time forming a super tight fit.
MageTrixx was about to post the same comment. 👍🤠
This gives me a great idea and weld my own!
Also steel is the way to go, it just slices waaaaay easier in heavier soils. I use to use a wooden handles post hole digger and it was alright but then when I switched to all steel handles the holes were way easier
I got the 'plow'from this company, very pleased
Just used the promo code in 2023! still works! Wish me luck in converting my super red clay soil!
Just a bit of a correction...The angle at the tips is not “steeper” or sharper it is LESS steep/sharp and therefore isn’t about increasing ease of soil penetration. I believe the reduced angle is for increased strength of the tips so they are less apt to bend or break. The remainder of the tine has a fairly minimal taper for ease of soil penetration.
Thanks for the nice review!
This is what I was going to say. They use the same techniques for hunting broadheads. In archery, it is called a Tanto tip and increases strength and endurance of the tip.
the wedges are supposed to work the same way as when hanging an axe head. You leave them full length and pound the handles into the holes with the wedge sticking out the end. As the handles seat all the way down the wedge is pushed further into the slot and the wood is expanded inside the hole and wedged into place so it can't pull out. It works essentially the same way as peening a rivet to mushroom the end so it won't pull back through a piece of sheet metal.
^^^ This is the correct way to install wood handles. I cringed watching the wedge get cut prior to install.
This is way late but my initial rivets re-installing a failed handle pulled out. I didn't 'peen.' What is it???
@@janetbaker1945 best way I can describe it is hitting the end of a rivet with a hammer to deform it into a mushroom shape so it can't pull back out.
@@sawyercunningham8271 tu "To peen" is to hit something as one would with a ballpeen hammer, to misshape it.
Mine just arrived today. Purchased because of this video. Small word of caution- their production time is a few weeks out when I ordered. Haven’t used yet but will update when I do. Thx Steven!!!
Diedre how did you like your broardfork?
Yes, its fantastic!!
@@deidredonnelly1339 any cons about it? Have you tired it oN HARD CLAY?? tHINKING ABOUT GETTING ONE
🌸Great demonstration. I will definitely be buying one.🌸
Thanks for the review! Great video!
I'm really amazed by what you've done w your yard, achieving your farming lifestyle. Very inspiring! :)
Thanks for pointing out the detail about the 24 inch tines. I may go with that as I do my experiment garden this year. I guess no till or low till is going to be my biggest challenge just because I was raised working the ground. I will have to basically unlearn my old way and learn the new way because that is one of my biggest goals to go no till.
Since you are accustomed to working the ground think of broadforking as the new way that you do that. We are still disturbing the ground and infusing oxygen, only to a much lesser extent that will minimally damage soil life and keep soil carbon in tact all while not compacting subsoil :) Once you've been no till for a couple of years you'll never look back. No weeds, easy planting and removing/harvesting crops, better fertility and plant health.
@@NaturesAlwaysRight That's what I'm shooting for, thanks
I used this.. and it worked great.. with my bad back. One can loosen the soil as much as you like.. Or basically till it from different angles. I had some areas of sod and sand that was compacted.. and loosened it only.. to get the grass to grow.. it filled in perfectly.. Tilling the soil with a tiller kills a lot of life forms.. This is less labor intensive than any other tool I have used. For small areas.. I just use a pitchfork.
Steven thanks for the review. it was the first time I have seen that model. Good review. 😎😎😎
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the review
great video, thanks!
very good review
would be good to grease the ends of the metal handles, make them easier to remove, also some linseed oil of the wood before inserting would work well
I also own a treadlight broadfork and first time using it one of the wooden handles broke under very little load. I cut off the broken part of the handle and reinstalled only to have it break again as well as the other handle also broke due to the short handle socket on the broadfork. I brought this to the owners attention and he refused to replace the handle and did not offer steel handles at the time and was not until after I had advised him as to what would improve his broadforks. I see he still has not improve the socket length but now offering the steel handles. Go figure!
I had to modify the handle sockets by extending the sockets much longer in order to avoid breaking the wooden handles again.
To this day treadlight has not offered to make it right with me over the weak handle that came with the broadfork and the fact of the poor socket design for wooden handles.
If you study the wood grain and install it with the grainline verticle to the ground, it would solve your wooden handle broken off under little load.
@@sportsonwheelss
Yeah I understand wood grain and its strength and weakness. I been working with wood a very long time as a custom home builder, woodworker, gardener and timber cutter.
I have studied the grain patterns a very long time and am very selective about the grain when It comes to my tool handles. Especially axes, splitting mauls, sledge hammers, etc.
@@sportsonwheelss Thanks for the bringing attention to this very important detail. So true.
@CloneRanger
You can believe what you want about my post.
Just because you have worked with Ash wood making furniture doesn't change the fact of what I encountered with this company and the handle.
I have been working with Ash handles in tools since I was 7 years old and understand the stress put on that piece of wood when it acts as a level.
Obviously I am not the only one who had an issue with their wood handles breaking for them to start offering steel handles.
I’m looking for that fabulous mulch that you were talking about I googled Ed’s compost but cannot find it in Ramona. If you could give me a heads up would greatly appreciate it.
It’s so awesome that you were local I have learned a lot from you thanks so much. Our weather is so different than everybody else’s Videos
Eb's number is 760 801 5664. Best soil in San Diego! Glad the videos have been helpful!
I live in La Mesa , where do you get you cardboard and compost? Thank you for all your videos. Fabulous!
Lowes and Home depot have bagged compost and composted cow manure . If you have a lawn and trees you can make your own compost by piling up grass clippings , taking up leaves and kitchen scraps ( no meat products though) but you can put your used coffee grounds , egg shells , potatoes peelings ect in your compost pile and then wet it down it will start the beark down process and get warm in the center then in a couple of weeks go out and turn the pile with a shovel abd then let it set another few weeks then turn it again it will start to look like soil after awhile then it is turning into compost. If you have chickens you can clean out their coop and put the used chicken bedding hay ect into the compost pile too , chicken poo is like gold to a gardener 🙂 but you don't have to have chicken poo just the other stuff to create your own compost. Not sure how long it takes will have to ask an experienced garden or like this young man 🙂 I just save all card board that stuff is shipped to my house but probably you could ask a grocery store if you could have their card board boxes 🙂❤️ hope that helped ❤️ may our CREATOR ALMIGHTY YAHWEH ❤️ and MESSIAH KING YAHSHUA ❤️ JESUS'S REAL HEBREW NAME THAT MEANS YAHWEH SAVES ❤️ please bless and keep you ❤️
The wood handle feels better on the hand and is more forgiving to temperature changes and vibration.
Where is the U.K. shop?
Concur you’re tilling but if you must use save work and place handles in fork then with fork above tap ends on solid surface. Far less work and seats handles better.
Please attach back support like Russian made broadfork to pull out the soil
Hi! I've always been confused about how broad forks fall into no-till. I understand they aerate... but isn't that quite a disturbance to the soil? Is the disturbance small enough for the fungi and bacteria to quickly recover? What are some reliable resources documenting this?
Tilling is rotational energy that chops everything up and compacts subsoil because of the rotational energy. Very different than what a braodfork does. The broadfork simply lifts the soil, of course some of the soil is broken apart in that process but some disturbance is a good especially when the soil structure is compacted. The soil needs to be aerobic and compacted soil typically tends towards anaerobic conditions. The bacteria and fungi can easily recover from the minimal disturbance. Overtime the broadfork becomes less necessary as soil quality improves and becomes a once a year job per bed or not at all if you choose. Everything depends on the soil structure you start with. Then you would be doing "No-dig" growing. My next video will be about the details of this process. Yes there have been many studies on no till over the last couple decades, large and small scale.
So you're saying in reality to get to no till you have to gradually work to a healthy soil before fully committing?@@NaturesAlwaysRight
@@TheVigilantStewards In my opinion, in most situations (market gardening or gardening) that is the best way to go about it. Tilling one time to break ground and build your beds, especially in clayee heavy soil is a must. BUT you can of course do it completely no dig/notill from the beginning, it would just take a lot longer to get to the point where you could plant. Or you would have to spend the expense of bringing in soil. I've built beds all these different ways because different situations call for different solutions. Check my videos, th-cam.com/video/o410IVRGNF0/w-d-xo.html, th-cam.com/video/9oi4ASMPb4U/w-d-xo.html
I've seen that video... so you tilled , cover cropped on top of compost and in one season it was good to go to get started? Till the first year, broad fork for a few more until the tilth is perfect?@@NaturesAlwaysRight
Was really disappointed with the wood handles. Both shims broke and the screw was near impossible to get in without stripping. Once in, with quite a bit of diy rigging, the handles were squeaky as all get out (they are even squeaky in your video). Eventually one of them broke. For this price, I feel like they could've come up with a better solution for attaching the handles.
first! greeting from bavaria ;-)
Damn, nothing for me ^^
TFS
Why not a pitchfork?
Are you sure about this is no-till?
Yes. There is no dig and no till. A broadfork is not tilling, tilling uses rotational energy and blades, minimal vs maximum disturbance.
@@NaturesAlwaysRight Thanks for the response.
I'll come over and stand on the broadfork and you pull the handles..
Lol.I weigh 300 lbs. 😨
You seem to have an interesting definition of "No Till"
A tiller is a machine that uses rotating blades. Very different than the lifting motion of the broadfork. I think you are confusing No till with No dig.
@@NaturesAlwaysRight The meaning of till: en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/till#h70164375556580
This is human-powered tilling. "Low- till" would be more accurate. Picture of woman doing same thing as you on Treadlite Broadfork's website: "Tilling with my Treadlite Broadfork"
@@roryjsyou are such a twit, where is YOUR content on this subject?
It seems like they paid you $180 for this video. It looks like a quality piece of steel. I'd think the steel handles are the way to go although the price difference doesn't seem to justify them. As much as I'd like to say it's easy to make, it probably isn't without quite a bit of labor. It seems like a good tool, but the price seems high to me.
I was not paid to make this video. Everything I ever say in my videos is my TRUE opinion and recommendation, regardless of any sponsorship. If you want a "Free" way to get the same effect use a pitchfork which you probably already own. Treadlite is one of the top 3 quality broadfork brands. Of those top 3 brands, they are the cheapest price. I'm only interested in using and recommending top quality equipment that will last for years or even decades. The steel handles are awesome!
@@NaturesAlwaysRight I wasn't expecting a reply. It was a good review, and I'd suggest they do pay you $180 for it if they happen to read this. Or hopefully they gave you the fork for free. I like your videos, and how super mellow you are. Surprised to see you'd waste your time combating a comment on youtube. A suggestion to cheap folks like myself. Maybe buy the wooden handled style and use it until the wood fails (if it ever does), and then maybe use black iron sprinkler pipe for handles, or go down to a metal supply shop and find some tubing that fits (maybe even weld it together, or at least drill a hole and run a bolt through). I like playing with metal, and again, it would take me a long time to make something like that from scratch. I'm guessing if it were mass produced the price would come down significantly.
@@middle-agedmacdonald2965 Oh that's what you meant hehe. Well thanks I'm glad it came off professional! Yes I contacted them and they did exchange the broadfork for the video I made, fair deal. I think your suggestion would work great!
The obvious reason the price is high. You don’t have to make as many! 😂👍
Middle-aged MacDonald Broadforks are expensive. This one is quite a lot but others are about 50% more shipped so the Treadlites are the best price for a quality fork. I’m eagerly awaiting shipment of my 24” Treadlite.
That's look like a lot of work to me
Be sure to watch my next video all about the reasons why we broadfork and grow using no-till or low till techniques. This becomes a once a year job per bed once beds are established after a couple of years. It's a long term vs short term strategy on soil fertility/health.