Augh, manure forks!

[Caol Ila]

I seem to be a serial manure fork killer. My second one snapped today. I bought a cheap Decathlon one tonight as a stop-gap, because they are open in the evening and I need to muck out his stable with something tomorrow, but it's not super convincing, either.

Any recommendations? Horse is on straw and keeps everything fairly tidy. He doesn't create a stew of poo, hay, straw, etc. The more indestructable, the better.

 

[windand rain]

Can't help my muck fork is well over 40 years old so not bought one for eons

 

[Caol Ila]

They clearly don't make them like that anymore.

 

[windand rain]

looks a bit like this one
https://bulldoghandtools.co.uk/bull...MIsomgt8vN9QIVhu3tCh0SagzREAQYASABEgJlRfD_BwE
but has a t handle not a spade handle

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Can't help my muck fork is well over 40 years old so not bought one for eons

I have a long handled one that's a late 70s purchase and a shorter handled one that is probably around 84 vintage, as the longer one wasn't so versatile for thr 2 small pony boxes.
Happy to report, both still going ?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I too have a vintage two prong hay fork and a vintage three prong-when you get a bit of practice in, mucking out straw with a two prong is a doddle. My two are sadly on shavings, I hate shavings forks and shavings beds but needs must.

 

[my bfg]

Fynalite multi-muckas are brilliant on straw

 

[nutjob]

Fynalite are brilliant. The handles last about a decade if you leave them outside and the forks themselves about 2 decades. Probably more if you look after them.

 

[Maryann]

I have a 4 tine one from Robinsons that has seen some work over the last 20 years but there are no guarantees that they still make them like that.

 

[Shooting Star]

Another vote for fynalite, my horse is out at grass currently but there’s no way I’ll part with my long handled fynalite pitchfork - they are completely indestructible.

 

[Palindrome]

I have a Fynalite.

 

[Lady Jane]

My forks are probably 30 years old and going strong! What on earth do you do with them!!!! Now brooms are anothre matter........

 

[Red-1]

I'm another who wonder what on earth you do to break them?

I just bought a new one, but that is because Mr Red left two on the muck trailer (over the last 10 years) and they disappeared. They may have been pinched but, more likely, they got tipped with the muck .

I liked my grey one, it was about 30 years old, the plastic handle was mended with fibreglass and it was cool. The other was a yellow one. I liked that as it had been used so much, the prongs were about half the length they were when new! I miss both of those forks.

My 'new' green one was about 10 years old, still going strong, but... I have a new green muck trailer, so the green fork is in there for perfect forking up. My 'new new' one is blue, to match the buckets. I hope that lasts 20 years too!

 

[Northern Hare]

I bought one from a Tubtrugs / Red Gorilla tradestand years ago which was really excellent. This is the nearest they have on their website:.

https://redgorilla.red/pro-fork-d-handle/p402

 

[Esmae]

I have 2 which are both over 30 years old and still going strong. Not sure how you manage to break them op.

 

[foxy1]

Which type of fork are you using?

 

[Coblover63]

Get a five prong one, they're fab!

 

[chaps89]

I have one of the red gorilla 4 prong ones, it’s a couple of years old and doing ok although I admit to not having straw beds often

 

[Caol Ila]

Went for the Fynalite. I have a three prong thing that I use for bashing straw into submission when I add a new bale, but I'm way too klutzy and uncoordinated to move sh1te with it. I need more surface area.

This is the fork that has ceased to be. It is an ex-manure fork.

 

[Esmae]

Is that not designed for shavings and the like? For straw you need the prongs wider apart.

 

[Boulty]

How the heck did you manage to break a straw fork?! Every yard I've been on they all seem to be about 30 years old (& my own 4 prong one is about 10 yrs old & seldom used now as I'm using hemp atm... In fact you could have it if you wanted it although I'd feel a bit bad about sending it to its doom!)


Ah nvm just seen it was a plastic one you've killed in which case I can't help as I've always used a metal one & then used a snow shovel for all the little bits.

 

[Sossigpoker]

I broke a plastic shavings fork because I used it to lift heavy banks....lesson learned. Use the shavings fork just for lifting the poos and use the pitch fork for lifting the wet and turning the banks , should last for years then.

 

[TPO]

looks a bit like this one
https://bulldoghandtools.co.uk/bull...MIsomgt8vN9QIVhu3tCh0SagzREAQYASABEgJlRfD_BwE
but has a t handle not a spade handle

I've got this, with this handle, and it's 21 years old. Admittedly I've not been on straw for a fair few years now but it was doing 3 horses and is still used now for tidying up loose hay and forking up the muck heap

 

[holeymoley]

Fynalite metal shavings fork and a red gorilla straw fork. I can’t stand those plastic ones, they really don’t last.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Went for the Fynalite. I have a three prong thing that I use for bashing straw into submission when I add a new bale, but I'm way too klutzy and uncoordinated to move sh1te with it. I need more surface area.

This is the fork that has ceased to be. It is an ex-manure fork.

View attachment 86392

I was wondering how you could break a manure fork, and wondered if you had broken one of what to me looks like it is for combing berries off a bush... i.e. a basket for lifting poo out of shavings or pellets.

I think you need to get a proper four- or five-tine fork with a replaceable, straight wooden (preferably ash) handle.

https://www.spear-and-jackson.com/p...ls/manure-hay-forks/spear-jackson-manure-fork

 

[PapaverFollis]

CI - I also cannot manage poos with a four prong proper straw fork, they just fall off or through the tines for me, even if I tryto lift on a cushion of straw! I use the big muck skep with the rake that I use for field poo picking to picks out the poop then use my four prong metal fork to handle the straw.
https://redgorilla.red/big-tidee-with-short-metal-rake/p82

I like the look of the finalyte multimucker though... I might see about getting one of them.

 

[Auslander]

I was wondering, til I saw it was a shavings fork, and you clearly use straw! How about one of these?
https://www.toolden.co.uk/gardening...GNaCtZOt8Kw-peGwjQCqBAF_jkwrUmV0aAoAREALw_wcB

 

[Esmae]

CI - I also cannot manage poos with a four prong proper straw fork, they just fall off or through the tines for me, even if I tryto lift on a cushion of straw! I use the big muck skep with the rake that I use for field poo picking to picks out the poop then use my four prong metal fork to handle the straw.
https://redgorilla.red/big-tidee-with-short-metal-rake/p82

I like the look of the finalyte multimucker though... I might see about getting one of them.

Practice my dear. Clear dry clean straw to one side with 4 prong fork. Turn over straw with poo on it onto the floor. clean straw to one side again. Scrape poo and wet straw to middle and load barrow with fork and then when left with bits sweep floor and shovel the rest into barrow. Lay bed back down as desired. There you go. Only took me 60 years to suss it out!

 

[hollyandivy123]

all metal

or short handle 6 prong
https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/hand-to...MI7e34pMjP9QIVDEeRBR0KkgrVEAQYASABEgKGVvD_BwE

 

[sport horse]

If you are trying to muck out straw with a plastic wood shaving fork you will break it regularly. My girls do the same so I have given them one each and told them that if they break them they must replace them - strangely they have lasted much longer now!!!

I use a four or 5 prong metal fork - one is over 50 years old but I have to admit the prongs are a little shorter these days. It is not difficult to skip out - just put the fork under the dropping and straw and lift up and tip into adjacent skip. Replace straw into bed. QED