AmtechA2310 1.3kg (3lb) Hoe Head

I have an allotment that is close to a river and which has mainly clay soil. Digging it with a spade is hard work, especially if the soil is wet and sticky so I bought one of these digging hoes 10 years ago. I find it really good, I dig a trench then use the digging hoe to chop off the far side of the trench and pull it to the near side, move forward one step and repeat. Much faster than a spade but with the disadvantage that after a while you end up standing on soil you just dug, also it does not dig quite as deep as a spade. If you look at youtube videos on how to use a digging hoe they say to only lift it to waist level and let the weight of the head do the soil cutting but I find that I need to lift it a bit higher than that for my heavy clay. It is not recommended to lift it over your head and smash it down like a pick axe but when the soil is really dry and hard I sometimes do that and it has not damaged it. Also it can be used like a normal hoe but due to the size I do not advise getting very close to your crop as it is hard to control accurately.

Not yet in use

I bought this with the wooden handle recommended. It's large, sharp and great for tearing up weeds, grass and leveling out.. The only niggle is that the head keeps coming loose. I saw the instructions on Youtube from the seller but sorry guys just tapping it on the ground a couple of times doesn't hold it securely for long. I'm going to try soaking it overnight to see if that improves it otherwise I will consider drilling and screwing or nailing it on.It's a shame, it doesn't make it unusable. It's still a good tool but with a bit more thought it could be perfect.EDIT. I soaked this for a few days in a bucket and it's been fine since then. I guess if the wood drys out I might have to do it again but this has worked better than I thought it would.

This is a great tool but I have found it impossible to get a handle large enough to mount it. Two brands later, using epoxy to pack it and it has become loose again from use.

When firmly attached to the matching Am-Tech handle this is a superb tool for rapidly clearing weeds. The broad heavy blade cuts cleanly through soil to quickly tidy up an allotment and prepare the ground for planting. It can also be used for digging ditches, earthing up potatoes, grubbing out plants and levelling. However, you can only do this when the handle is firmly attached. Just sliding the head onto the handle and wedging it into place does not work. The head can spin round in use and also slide backwards up the shaft. To fix this problem slide the head onto the handle and drive small hammer wedges down the sides of the attachment ring to lock it in place. Then use a diamond quality drill, (ordinary drill bits will not work on hardened steel), to make a hole clean through the ring and the handle. The hole should be a tight fit for a 6" flat head round nail. Drive one of these through the hole and cut it off so that 1/4" protrudes beyond the ring. Place the flat head of the nail on an anvil, vice or solid surface and beat the cut head of the nail with the round end of a hammer to form a dome. In this way you will have used the nail to rivet the hoe head to the handle. For extra strength use steel epoxy in any gaps between the wedges.Here is a link to the type of drill bit you need.http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DXOJ1DM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00Here is a link for the wedges.http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0002BUFZC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

This is a nicely made tool with a sharp edge and a pleasant degree of heft without being too heavy to wield. Much easier to use than a spade and widely used in Europe and elsewhere, but for some reason not widely utilised in this country, Unlike a spade the shaft is sold separately which IMO is a marketing mistake, as choosing the correct sized handle is not all that easy as all mattocks are made differently. Also If the handle breaks at some point it is even harder unless you happen to remember who manufactured the mattock in the first place. (Fortunately Amazon keeps a track of past orders). The mattock and handle need to be loosely fitted together and then soaked in a bucket of water for 24 hours to bind together. A great reasonably priced essential garden tool.

My wife asked me to buy this and the matching handle and I have to say that I am now impressed. I can dig a lot of ground in a short time, it's very simple and it works. To secure the head to the shaft I tapped them together with a lump hammer and then left the head submerged in water overnight. The shaft seems expensive but you do need it as it's oversize, fits the head and gives you confidence if you're levering a tough root or stone from underneath.

the first one i received had quite a few manufacturing defects (see attached pi cuter) -- a lot of nicks and dents, it seems like it was badly made or they had a bad mold. i didn't like it and i had to return it back, Amazon is great, they sent me a new one the next day. to also had a few defects but much better than the first one.but the overall build is not bad, it has a good weight and it is solid, made of relatively thick metal. but you have to be lucky to receive a good one as it seems to be hit-and-miss...be careful: you need to buy the stick first. you need a large nonstandard stick. the narrow side of the eye is 4.4cm and the wide side is 5cm. a standard hoe stick is too narrow for this hoe. so make sure to find a stick first then buy this hoe. i had to rap a number layers of bike tyre inner tube on the stick to get it to fit tight into the hole.