Topic: Rotovator for communal use

[bionear2]

Our association has been offered a second-hand rotovator for use by the members. Back in the day, that would not have been a problem, but now we probably need servicing records, safety checks, and user briefings, etc etc(and someone to do it all)
If anyone has any advice on what they actually do, would be glad to hear

[kt.]

We purchased a communal rotovator several years ago.  We charged £5-10 hire per day but problems included:

A committee member had to open up to issue and receive back the rotovator. 
It turned out some were hiring it to rotovate their gardens at home full of rubble, damaging the tines.
Nobody accepted responsibility when things became damaged.
Some tenants even hired it to use for their own landscaping business so it was being heavily abused there.

Eventually it broke beyond economical repair.  It was going to cost £600 to repair a £1000 rotovator and we did not have the funds.  We auctioned it off as seen and it went for only £150.  We no longer have communal tools, everybody is responsible for providing their own.

[Aden Roller]

We have a couple of rotovators owned by the association and available for free use to allotment holders. They pay for the petrol, it is inspected when it is returned (same day) and can only be used on the site. Committee Members with access to the equipment store have yellow markers on their plots and there is usually one of them around to check the machines in and out.

We also have petrol mowers and strimmers. The system obviously works as it has been on the go for a number of years.

Having said all of that I have never made use to the site equipment preferring to use my own.

[chriscross1966]

Onew obvious problem is that the "best" rotavator for breaking in allotments is a Howard Gem and it won't pass current safety rules (lack of an interlock between reverse gear and rotor engagement for starters) and added to that the original engines all take a certain knack to starting .... problem is I've never founda  modern machine that does the job half as well as even my Howard 400 (a half-power, half-width Gem) let alone the bigger Howards.....

[Aden Roller]

I have a very old Howard 200 bought 2nd hand by my father 43 years ago but still running pretty well.
It turns my 1.5 plots over every year and then snoozes for 11 months at home. All this on just one engine service since my father bought it.

Our Allotment Association owns Hondas. I've never tried them out preferring my Howard that pulls itself along digging deeper with each pass.

Does anyone use a rotovator on virgin ground? I'd prefer a spade and fork to start with.

[Robert_Brenchley]

We have a rotavator that we make available to members. Apart from that, other tools which we used to lend out are no longer available, as all the burden was falling on one committee member, and not all of them were up to the strain.