{"id":43064,"date":"2024-11-04T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-04T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=43064"},"modified":"2024-11-01T10:47:54","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T17:47:54","slug":"hauling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/hauling\/","title":{"rendered":"Hauling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Once a week we\u2019ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because\u00a0the possibilities they inspire are new.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wheelbarrow handles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Simply Dump It<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These pivoting plastic wheelbarrow handles let you go from a walking position to lifting and dumping without repositioning your hands. They\u2019re also amazing for me, because I am tall: When walking with a wheelbarrow the nose can sometimes catch the ground causing several problems. The handles lower the wheelbarrow\u2019s handles several inches, allowing me to walk upright instead of hunched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although I\u2019ve only started using them, they\u2019ve already had quite a workout. I am replacing the gravel pushed off of my 350\u2032 driveway by the snow plow. I load the wheelbarrow quite heavily. These handles have eliminated my hunching AND they let me dump the gravel easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Installation took me about ten minutes, being very careful, as they require you to drill permanent holes. They come with clear directions, a long screw, and nylon lock nut for each handle (also included are tubular shims to adjust the fit, if necessary). The steps are: 1) Slip it over the handle; too tight? Sand the handle. Too loose? Add shims. 2) Position as desired. 3) Drill hole in marked location through entire handle. 4) Put screw through the hole, apply nylon lock nut on the other side. Done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve found them to be stable. UV degradation is my primary concern, since I leave my wheelbarrow outdoor all year. Still, they are cheap enough that a second pair in 4-5 years would be acceptable to me, considering the convenience and back saving. \u2014Andrew Bajorinas<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Foldable cart<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tipke Fold-it Utility Cart<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This nifty, lightweight (33 lbs.) garden cart will fit into any spare cranny in the garden shed or garage. It folds into a long, slender package about six inches wide at the wheel hubs, and three or four feet long. While I wouldn\u2019t go dropping jagged boulders into it, it\u2019s proven a tough, sturdy and useful hauling tool for gardening or otherwise over the couple years I\u2019ve had it. I\u2019ve mounded it high with bark, manure, compost and brush (the load limit is 330 lbs.), and it\u2019s performed like a champ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of its smooth aluminum surface, it hoses clean for transporting non-dirty items. The gate on the front of the cart is basically a reinforced flat sheet of metal with a folded U-shaped channel that interlocks with a similar folded U-shaped channel on the cart. I feel obliged to mention that one time I was hauling a composted sawdust\/manure mixture and some of it got caught in the channels of the lift gate. Since then I haven\u2019t been able to get the gate all the way down, but it\u2019s really a minor issue. The gap is only about an inch and stuff doesn\u2019t seem to leak out the front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, this cart is just a marvelous, very maneuverable device for the storage challenged person. There is a slightly cheaper folding cart by Bully that can haul up to 400lbs. However, with the Tipke Fold-it, you can also buy a trailer or bike hitch, and front gates in a couple of heights. I haven\u2019t used either of the hitches, so I don\u2019t know how well they work, but if you\u2019re a gardening biker looking to kill two birds with one stone, this could fit the bill nicely. \u2014 Amy Thomson<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Handled garden tarp<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Burden Cloth<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I never seem to live anywhere a cart is usable, and I hate wheelbarrows. Working in my garden, I\u2019ve hauled everything from straw bales to gravel with the help of Burden Cloths. I\u2019ve been using them for about 20 years, and have the patio (3\u00d73\u2019) and farm (5\u00d75\u2019) sizes right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As opposed to a tarp or burlap, the Burden Cloth has one-inch-wide stout cotton webbing double-sewn around the entire edge of the cloth, adding strength and durability. Burlap just isn\u2019t as sturdy as the material used in Burden Cloth. At the corners, the webbing comes out and forms a loop before continuing onto the next side. The loops are probably 6 to 8 inches in radius; you can custom order them larger. I get the recycled cloth option (canvas is available for a little more), and they always come in interesting colors or patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could certainly make your own: get sturdy cloth, stout webbing, and sew away. You probably wouldn\u2019t have to have a commercial sewing machine to do it, but I\u2019m not sure. I could knit socks too, but I don\u2019t do that either. \u2014 Gani Ruthellen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Versatile walk-behind tractor<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

BCS Two-Wheeled Tractor<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like traditional tractors, two-wheeled tractors (aka \u2018walk-behinds\u2019) use an independent power take off (PTO) for attaching and powering various farming and landscaping implements. Rather than purchasing specialized power equipment (i.e. mowers, branch chippers, snowblowers, soil tillers etc.) that each have their own engines that perform only one or two functions, the walk-behind owner has to maintain only one engine and attach whatever tool is required for the job at-hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beauty of a walk-behind tractor\u2019s design is that it is quite nimble, and can work in spaces where traditional tractors can\u2019t. Ours is equally comfortable in the forest \u2013 shredding branches and hauling out firewood \u2013 as it is in open areas tilling soil, removing snow and bailing hay. It can also serve as a material transport machine by attaching a cargo trailer (with the added bonus of giving the operator somewhere to sit!). A cool and unique feature is that the handlebar steering mechanism can be rotated 180\u00b0 so the business-end of the PTO can be positioned in push mode (mowing, tilling etc.) or pull mode (dozing, transport, etc)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two-wheeled tractors have a long history of agricultural use in Europe. The two major manufacturers, BCS and Grillo, are both based in Italy and make commercial-grade lines of machines that are built to last. Unlike two-wheeled units one finds at the big box stores, these machines have all-gear transmissions, and wheel differentials on the higher-end models which allow for quick and easy turns. There are multiple attachments and implements available from the manufactures and third-party providers, and a reasonably-wide US dealer network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The upfront costs are higher, but the long-term benefits of owning equipment that will last for decades, plus the convenience of only maintaining one 12HP Honda gas engine for all our needs, made for an elegant and practical solution for our property (diesel versions also available). While these machines may not be the best tool if you are working 40 acres, they can serve as a practical alternative to a full or medium-sized tractor if you have the right mix of homestead, farming or gardening needs. \u2014 RS Parikh<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Best post hole digger<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fiskars Post Hole Digger<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To bury posts you want straight narrow holes in the ground. Traditional post hole diggers tend to flare the hole at the top as the hole deepens because the handles must swing out further. This clever improved design from Fiskars crosses the handles so they don\u2019t swing out as far in the hole, yet they still bite as the hole gets deeper. The narrower the hole, the less dirt to remove, the less work. I found I could get a tight cylindrical hole almost one foot deeper with this tool. Also, this design prevents that dreaded knuckle-banger when the handles crash into each other on the closing stroke, which alone makes it worth using. \u2014 KK<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 111<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13684,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[2387],"tags":[2388],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43064"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13684"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43064"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43070,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43064\/revisions\/43070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}