Bicycle garden push plow

[Larro Darro]

My garden is twice as big this year as last, and the new part is looking like it's going to be grassy. When I was a kid, we had an old fashioned push garden plow. I ask Mamma if she knew where it was, and she didn't. I figured it would be quicker and easier to buy a new one if I could find one at the right price. A quick Google search turned up the usual over priced ones on E-Bay. But it also found this guy for me. I'm blaming it all on him.

Larro

 

[Larro Darro]

I went over to the old house in hopes of finding the old plow, but knowing if I did, the handles at the very least would have to be replaced. So I checked out some of the old bikes over there. The first one I tried was hauled out of the Hillsborough River in Tampa when I was a kid, back in the late 60's. I figured it was older and had less stuff to take off. While that was ture, the stuff it had was very rusted. I got it stripped down, but couldn't get the seat shaft out. Since that is where the plow shaft has to go, I went back in search of more materials.

Larro

 

[Larro Darro]

Mamma had came over to the house and watered my tomato and pepper plants while I was working on the river bike. When I gave up on getting the seat shaft out, she said she remembered a bike in the edge of the woods out from her old house. Once I had shoveled all the horse manure in the back of her truck into buckets {the reason she came to see me} I went back for another search. I kind of remembered the bike she was talking about, but when I went to where I thought it was, all I could find was grape vines. A closer look in the vines, and I found the bike. But when I got it out, it looked too good to turn into a plow. It is a 15 speed all terrain model, and I might just fix it up for riding. So the seach continued.

Larro

 

[Larro Darro]

So I went back to the old sheds and found this Sears & Roebucks bike. The little black snake was pretty attached to it, but I was able to scare him off. This one was newer, only 30 or 35 years old. I was able to strip it down pretty easy, and put the front tire on the back. The seat on it is so nice, I decided to use it on our stationary bike. I got it together and was able to plow a couple of rows. The plow shaft I'm using is from an old Wheel Horse garden plow. It is a hair too small to tighten up, so I'm going to have to cut a shim from a soda can or something. If Daddy was still alive, one of his Prince Albert cans would do the trick.

I ran out of time before I could get it completely finished. I'm at work now, and won't get a chance to work on it again until Monday. But when I get it going, I will post pictures of my freshly plowed garden.

Larro

 

[bakerg]

Pretty neat idea Larro, good job.:thumbsup:

 

[Gary Fowler]

All I can say is that you have way more stamina than me. I get tired running a motor driven plow (tiller). I remember as a child we had one of those push plows and even then it was a strain in our heavy soil but it looks like your sandy soil might work a bit better.

 

[Larro Darro]

All I can say is that you have way more stamina than me. I get tired running a motor driven plow (tiller). I remember as a child we had one of those push plows and even then it was a strain in our heavy soil but it looks like your sandy soil might work a bit better.

I do have a set of cultivators that came with the B1750 that I could use. But I ran the rows the short way so I could till up and replant anything that wasn't keeping up. I would be spending all my time turning around with the tractor. I would need to do something with my row spacing as well. They are at 24" now, and that is a little close. If I do another big garden next year, I will use the little tractor. But this contraption will be easier than a hoe

Larro

 

[Larro Darro]

I didn't have to get to work until noon today, so I got back to work on the plow. I tried to shim up the shaft with a soda can, but it was too thin.



Margie found me this can that some Christmas "Luxury Wafers" came in. It was a little thicker and did the trick. I also located a new bolt for the seat clamp. Once I got the can cut down and in place, I was able to hammer the shaft down into the hole and tighten it up.



I chose what I thought was my best small plow point, got it on and plowed a few rows of pole beans and sweet corn. The plow was just a little bit bent, so I will have to try the others. But it was time to eat lunch and go to work by then, so that will have to wait.



It is a little hard to steer with the handlebars being free to turn. I will do something to fix them in place. I also have an idea for the forks. But I have to buy a 1/4 inch bolt long enough to span them first. So unless I get into town in time to run by the hardware store before work tomorrow, that will have to wait until my Tuesday trip to town.

There is still a lot of old bikes in the old barns and sheds at the old house, so I might make a couple more plows. Now that I have one under my belt, it should be easier.

Larro

 

[Larro Darro]

I got in from work with a little daylight left, so I changed the plow point to one that wasn't as bent. {I found all these small sweeps in the scrap pile at the old house} I also turned the handlebars up higher, and tied them in place with string. They were still too low for the good of my back, so I let out the plow shaft a couple of inches. Once I got everything adjusted and tightened, I plowed everything in the garden that was big enough. All I didn't do was the second planting of melons, and the banana cantaloupes. They were a little too small and there wasn't a lot of them up yet anyway. Since I skipped every other row on the melons and cantaloupes, I need to find a larger sweep to cover the ground quicker. But I got over the garden pretty quick. In the new part of the garden, the grass is going to make it a little harder to push. In the old section I could walk at normal speed as long as I kept the plow shallow in the dirt.

Here is some of the plowed garden.

Larro

 

[Larro Darro]

I used a bigger sweep to plow between the wider spaced rows of melons. It did alright, but the angle was a little too steep for what I was needing to do. I took the brakes off the handlebar and turned it around. That put the forks to the front, and out of the way. After putting the small sweep back on, I was able to do some close in work. As long as you go slow, it will put dirt right to the plants without covering them up. In a few more days I will start side dressing, and will plow again. But I got at least a rough pass over everything today, even the small stuff. It is faster than I thought it would be. But it is still a pain in the back

Larro