Repairing and Maintaining Yard tools

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Weedygarden

Weedygarden

Awesome Friend
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Dec 3, 2017
Messages
19,543
I am looking for some input about repairing and maintaining some of my yard tools.

I have a tool called a lopper. It has longer handles and I use it to cut up branches. I believe I bought it at a yard sale many years ago. Today, as I was cutting up some branches, one of the wooden handles came out of the metal part of the tool. It appears that the wood is rotten. I am thinking I need a new lopper, but I would like to replace the handles on the older lopper. Has anyone done this? Is it worth the time, expense and energy?
Any recommendations for replacement loppers?

I am also wondering about hand tools. Some are rusty. I am thinking I should use some steel wool to clean off the rust. But then what? Can I spray something like WD-40 on them to inhibit the rust? I have read about pouring used motor oil into a bucket of sand, and putting the tools into the sand. Has anyone done this?

Thank you!
 
Weedygarden said:
I am looking for some input about repairing and maintaining some of my yard tools.

Thank you!
Click to expand...

https://tennesseehickory.com/index.shtml

These folks have replacement wooden handles for 72 different kinds of tools... give them a call...

Hours: 7:30am - 3:30pm Central Time
Phone: 865-458-7180
Fax: 865-458-7180
Email:[email protected]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/groundwork-bypass-lopper

Or get a new one at tractor supply for $17.99. They do wear out over time... especially tools that cut wood.
 
Last edited:
Making handles is another prepper skill. The question about whether you should make a handle for your lopper or not is whether you will have a useful tool when your are done. It is a bit of work but if you can make handles you can keep your tools running much longer. There is a lot of satisfaction from a job well done. If the tool was marginal anyway, meh, why bother.

I've got the wood to put a handle on an old single jack head that Dad gave me. I have an emotional tie to the tool and it will be as functional as new. I'll give it to my brother when it is done as Dad welded his initials on it and Junior would appreciate this tool especially.
 
To prevent rust, consider getting some Fluid Film. https://www.fluid-film.com/

I use it on everything. I have tractor implements that I sprayed down a couple years ago and left them outside. It's been over 2 years and still not a speck of rust on them. Look at their web site. There's a ton of uses. I have a can of WD-40 on the shelf and I haven't touched it in probably 10 years since I found and started using Fluid Film.
 
When I took Horticulture in college in 1995 my professor made us wipe down and put linseed oil on all the tools we used that day. Some use mineral oil on wooden handles. We did a mixture of mineral oil and linseed oil on my SILs wooden walls. We learned " NEVER " mix it in plastic, it will ignite, we almost burned down her house.:ghostly:Or was it turpitine and linseed oil,now I wonder.:confused:
Our little Georgia community college won the National Horticulture Olympics that year. Also did 100s of 1000s of plants for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

https://thecraftsmanblog.com/how-to-use-boiled-linseed-oil-safely/

Boiled Linseed Oil Safety
The hard truth is that Boiled Linseed Oil can spontaneously combust if stored or used improperly.

“Why on earth would you use it then?”

Well, gasoline is a lot more flammable than BLO and I don’t hear anyone calling their cars a death trap (except Corvair owners).

Here’s what happens: BLO cures by a ch
 
Last edited:
I have found new handles cost more than new tools in a lot of cases.
I have bought several new shovels, hoes, and rakes with fiberglass handles. While I like the wood handles better the fiberglass work just fine. They might be a little bit heavier but they won't rot. I have a shed full of old tools that have been around a lot of years. Some are junk and some are OK. I have a hoe that I remember my Grandpa using when I was a kid. The handle is in poor condition so it mostly just hangs in the shed to remind me of him.
I use boiled linseed oil like Mercat suggested on wood handles. I oiled my entire high wheel hoe the day I got it.
Another suggestion is get yourself a Farmers file and use it to keep your tools sharp. At the end of my day I sharpen any the tools that need it , clean the metal and oil the handles that need it. Then they ALL go back into my garden shed.
I have always been very particular about all of my tools. It used to drive my coworkers nuts, but if they needed a tool they came to me because they knew I had one.
Boiled linseed oil can spontaneously combust. In shop class the teacher warned us to always put the rags in a bucket of water he kept for that very reason. So of course one guy had to see for himself. It did combust but it took awhile. He was on the receiving end of a very large custom made paddle for that stunt. No it wasn't me that time.
farmers-file.jpg
 
backlash said:
I have found new handles cost more than new tools in a lot of cases.
I have bought several new shovels, hoes, and rakes with fiberglass handles. While I like the wood handles better the fiberglass work just fine. They might be a little bit heavier but they won't rot. I have a shed full of old tools that have been around a lot of years. Some are junk and some are OK. I have a hoe that I remember my Grandpa using when I was a kid. The handle is in poor condition so it mostly just hangs in the shed to remind me of him.
I use boiled linseed oil like Mercat suggested on wood handles. I oiled my entire high wheel hoe the day I got it.
Another suggestion is get yourself a Farmers file and use it to keep your tools sharp. At the end of my day I sharpen any the tools that need it , clean the metal and oil the handles that need it. Then they ALL go back into my garden shed.
I have always been very particular about all of my tools. It used to drive my coworkers nuts, but if they needed a tool they came to me because they knew I had one.
farmers-file.jpg
Click to expand...

Our wheelbarrow handles cost $30 each. We thought it was a pair till we got to the cash register, but no it was $30 each almost as much the the whole wheelbarrow cost new.
 
Meerkat said:
Our wheelbarrow handles cost $30 each. We thought it was a pair till we got to the cash register, but no it was $30 each almost as much the the whole wheelbarrow cost new.
Click to expand...
From here on out wheelbarrow handles get replaced with 3/4" galvanised pipe.
 
I have replaced handles on shovels, wheel barrows, hammers, rakes, hoes and axes. I use hardwood lumber and a drawknife to form the new handle. The wood is coated with polyurethane to water-proof it.
I have also repaired shovel, rake and hoe blades. What I don't like is when the bucket of a wheel barrow cracks. That is just poor fabrication performed by the manufacturer. I have welded a couple of cracked buckets to save them. The trick is to weld the crack and then cross weld it to spread the stress. It's unsightly but it stays together.
 
SheepDog said:
I have replaced handles on shovels, wheel barrows, hammers, rakes, hoes and axes. I use hardwood lumber and a drawknife to form the new handle. The wood is coated with polyurethane to water-proof it.
I have also repaired shovel, rake and hoe blades. What I don't like is when the bucket of a wheel barrow cracks. That is just poor fabrication performed by the manufacturer. I have welded a couple of cracked buckets to save them. The trick is to weld the crack and then cross weld it to spread the stress. It's unsightly but it stays together.
Click to expand...

Another good remedy, :great:we put a piece of wood inside our to fix crack, not as good as yours but it has worked for about 10 years now. And in a hurry you do what saves time and energy.
 
Lots of good input, thank you. I have replaced a few yard tools with the fiberglass handled one.

Caribou said:
Making handles is another prepper skill. The question about whether you should make a handle for your lopper or not is whether you will have a useful tool when your are done. It is a bit of work but if you can make handles you can keep your tools running much longer. There is a lot of satisfaction from a job well done. If the tool was marginal anyway, meh, why bother.
Click to expand...
This is important. The metal on the loppers is not pristine. Time for a new one.

I had a new shovel, a spade, with a wooden handle. A man was looking for work to do and I asked him to dig out one of the many stumps on my property at the time (all are gone now). Before he finished the job, the handle of the spade was broken in half. I decided to replace the spade with a fiberglass handled one. I am not sure what he was doing, but something in his technique must have been off.

Many homes have burned down from the rags used for staining catching fire. There was a woman who was almost finished building a log home for herself and that happened to her. She rebuilt.
https://www.backwoodshome.com/from-...dorothy-ainsworth-makes-her-valiant-comeback/
 
I got a pair of metal wheelbarrow handle for less $30.00 at lowes in 2017.
I replace wooden handles in tool all the time.
I have picked up 3 wheelbarrows, in the trash, one needs handles, one needs bearing or a new tire, another needs a tire.
 
The house came with a wheelbarrow. A year later the tire went flat. I bought a conversion kit and turned it into a dual wheel wheelbarrow and it is much easier to handle. It would have been $20 or $30 to repair the old tire and I got the better setup for $50. When making repairs keep an eye out for ways to improve the original tool.

I keep my eye out for cheap tools that are worth repairing. Right now I'm keeping an eye out at garage sales for a #2 shovel to add to my collection. I have one wooden handled one and one with a fiberglas handle. If I stumble over a shovel handle that would be good also.
 
I have 3 old beat up wheelbarrows. One has 2 wheels the others a single wheel. All the tires went flat, the handles are weathered and need replaced. I'm going to put them in front of my house with a free sign and then go buy me a new Jackson all steel wheelbarrow with a flat free tire. It will last the rest of my life and then some.
 
Weedygarden said:
Lots of good input, thank you. I have replaced a few yard tools with the fiberglass handled one.

This is important. The metal on the loppers is not pristine. Time for a new one.

I had a new shovel, a spade, with a wooden handle. A man was looking for work to do and I asked him to dig out one of the many stumps on my property at the time (all are gone now). Before he finished the job, the handle of the spade was broken in half. I decided to replace the spade with a fiberglass handled one. I am not sure what he was doing, but something in his technique must have been off.

Many homes have burned down from the rags used for staining catching fire. There was a woman who was almost finished building a log home for herself and that happened to her. She rebuilt.
https://www.backwoodshome.com/from-...dorothy-ainsworth-makes-her-valiant-comeback/
Click to expand...


Oh my didn't realize it was that bad. I'll stick to mineral oil.
 
Weedygarden said:
This is important. The metal on the loppers is not pristine. Time for a new one.
Click to expand...

This was going to be my first question. Quality metal is worth repairing, worn out or poor quality isn't. That goes for most all tools.


If you have a Lowes in the area, check out their Corona Extendable Loppers. I have a pair I've had for probably 6-8 years and never had a problem with them. Closed up they are probably 14-18" long, extended more than 24". The handles are fiber glass and twist to open or lock. I use them quite a bit thru the year pruning my fruit trees, berry bushes, trees hangin over the yard or driveway thats in the way.

https://www.amazon.com/Corona-FL-3470-Compound-Extendable/dp/B000I1PIU8

BTW my measurements were off a little.
 
We bought Fiskars loppers on sale on line this past winter.So far they are ok. I need another good leaf rake though. I like the wide plastic kind better than the metal one I'm using now. I rake up leaves in trails for compost.
 
I have the flat free tire on a commercial wheelbarrow, but it needs bearing
 
backlash said:
I bought a groundskeeper's rake. It has round, metal tines and the angle is such I don't have to stoop over as mich to use it. Does a good job.
https://www.amazon.com/Groundskeeper-21-inches-55-inch-Fiberglass-Handle/dp/B004FEDLGM
Click to expand...

BackL thats is a nice rake but at that angle it may get tangled in all the brush on the trail. I use a tarp or plastic to rake em on drag them , I use to use a pitch fork and wheelbarrow. It sure took me long enough to figure it out.What a work saver.
 
If you have wood handled tools... The sun is the real culprit, it will bleach out handles. Even sun coming through a window part of the day will do it.

Right now I have a hoe hanging on my porch. It got lost hanging on the chicken fence for a couple years out in the weather.

Over the course of a week I gave it several coats of lemon oil. This week I'm giving it repeated coats of polyurethane. I try to do this with all my tools with wooden handles every few years...

hoe_v1.jpg
 
Peanut said:
If you have wood handled tools... The sun is the real culprit, it will bleach out handles. Even sun coming through a window part of the day will do it.

Right now I have a hoe hanging on my porch. It got lost hanging on the chicken fence for a couple years out in the weather.

Over the course of a week I gave it several coats of lemon oil. This week I'm giving it repeated coats of polyurethane. I try to do this with all my tools with wooden handles every few years...

View attachment 11122
Click to expand...

That looks good Peanut. I need to work on ours soon. I don't know it is getting to be too much but guess keep going till we can't anymore. Kids help with some of it when they visit and a young man who lives down the road helps sometimes.He helped us get a tree off the fence a about a year ago. I use to babysit him and his brother about 20 years ago.
 
Two is one and one is none.

Growing up with grandparents, everything was repaired that could be, by them. I think I have repaired things I should have replaced, but it is in my training.

One thought about handles breaking is in a SHTF situation, replacing tools or handles may be a challenge. Having a couple extra handles for repair purposes may be a good investment. Or having a couple of each tool. I like to look at tools at garage sales and have a couple extras of some. Tools do go missing.
 
Weedygarden said:
I am looking for some input about repairing and maintaining some of my yard tools.

I have a tool called a lopper. It has longer handles and I use it to cut up branches. I believe I bought it at a yard sale many years ago. Today, as I was cutting up some branches, one of the wooden handles came out of the metal part of the tool. It appears that the wood is rotten. I am thinking I need a new lopper, but I would like to replace the handles on the older lopper. Has anyone done this? Is it worth the time, expense and energy?
Any recommendations for replacement loppers?

I am also wondering about hand tools. Some are rusty. I am thinking I should use some steel wool to clean off the rust. But then what? Can I spray something like WD-40 on them to inhibit the rust? I have read about pouring used motor oil into a bucket of sand, and putting the tools into the sand. Has anyone done this?

Thank you!
Click to expand...
Definitely replace the handle rather than the tool. New tools aren't tempered properly and essentially amount to tinfoil:-/ If you really want longevity, might find a wood worker to mill a handle for you from a good hardwood. It will probably cost as much as you paid for the lopper, but will last a really long time. I have been so disgusted with new tools in recent years, I try to get old tools at estate or junk sales as the metal is of such a much better quality. (That sounds funny but can't think of a better way to say it.)
Also, I have my sand in a bucket but haven't added the oil yet. I'll be using olive or avocado oil rather than motor oil. My small spades, forks, and regular shovel are what I will use it for primarily, and I use those things in the garden so don't want my green beans soaking up motor oil. -That's just a me thing.-
 
LadyLocust said:
Definitely replace the handle rather than the tool. New tools aren't tempered properly and essentially amount to tinfoil:-/ If you really want longevity, might find a wood worker to mill a handle for you from a good hardwood. It will probably cost as much as you paid for the lopper, but will last a really long time. I have been so disgusted with new tools in recent years, I try to get old tools at estate or junk sales as the metal is of such a much better quality. (That sounds funny but can't think of a better way to say it.)
Also, I have my sand in a bucket but haven't added the oil yet. I'll be using olive or avocado oil rather than motor oil. My small spades, forks, and regular shovel are what I will use it for primarily, and I use those things in the garden so don't want my green beans soaking up motor oil. -That's just a me thing.-
Click to expand...
Today, many tools are poorly made but many others are not. You will pay more for quality tools. I concur that yard sales, and such, are excellent places to buy quality tools. However you get them acquiring quality tools today, while they are available, is very prudent.
 
I found these tools several years ago and purchased 2 models. I have used them a lot and can honestly say I have never used a more well made garden tool. The heads are made from old disc blades and hold an edge like you wouldn't believe. They also have the choice of handle lengths. I got the 60" version and it is plenty long enough to save my back from having to bend over when working them. Looking thru here tonight I found another model or two I may get. They aren't dirt cheap, but I honestly can't see myself ever wearing one out in my lifetime. Here is a link to their site.

https://www.prohoe.com/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top