Anyone Can Build A Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe

"The most efficient implement yet designed for extensive garden cultivation."

2010-03-24T03:50:00.003-07:00

—Updated: December 8, 2011—

Thanks Mother Earth News!

The Planet Whizbang wheel hoe has been mentioned in the June/July 2010 issue of Mother Earth News magazine

Yes indeed, such a wheel hoe is the ideal tool for keeping weeds under control in any serious home or market garden. Properly used, the wheel hoe with a stirrup blade will cultivate soil and hoe weeds ten times faster than a hand hoe. Better yet, hoeing with a wheel hoe is far easier than using a hand hoe. In short, a wheel hoe makes gardening more enjoyable and more productive.

There are two kinds of wheel hoes: low wheel and high wheel. The low-wheel hoe is much easier to use and vastly superior to the high wheel hoe. Eliot Coleman, recommends the low wheel hoe over high wheel versions (you can Read Why Here). The only problem with low wheel hoes is that these simple tools are expensive. I paid well over $300 for my first already-made, low-wheel hoe.

Such a high price tag for such a simple device has excluded many gardeners from owning this remarkably efficient tool. That is what motivated me to develop an inexpensive homemade wheel hoe design. I started building and testing homemade wheel hoe prototypes in my garden back in 2007. By the spring of 2009 I felt confident that I finally had a good design (you can read about it here). Figuring out a simple and effective design involved a lot of time and a lot of money, but my intention from the beginning was to share the how-to details of my wheel hoe design with the rest of the world for free here on the internet. And here we are...

I call my homemade wheel hoe the Planet Whizbang. "Whizbang" is a dictionary word that means “conspicuous for speed, excellence, or startling effect.” That description certainly applies to my wheel hoe. As for the prefix of “Planet,” that is a nod to the famous Planet Jr. wheel hoe that was manufactured by Samuel Leeds Allen. Planet Jr. wheel hoes were once a common fixture in most every home and commercial garden in America (back when most everyone in this country was a serious gardener). You can read more about the old Planet Jr. and how I came to develop my modern incarnation of the tool at this link: Introducing The Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe.

If you have some basic handyman tools and skills, you can easily build your own Planet Whizbang wheel hoe. This web site tells and shows you exactly how. Your homemade Planet Whizbang will be every bit as sturdy, functional, and useful as those expensive, already-made wheel hoes. It will be a tool that you can use for the rest of your gardening days and then hand down to your grandchildren.

You should be able to build your own Planet Whizbang for 1/3 of the cost of other wheel hoes on the market. If you are exceptionally handy and motivated to save money, you will be able to build the Planet Whizbang for even less money than that. There are two options available for those who want to build their own Planet Whizbang:

Option #1: The Harder Way

If you have the tools and skills needed to cut, drill, and bend steel you can purchase the basic steel parts from any metal fabrication shop and make your own Planet Whizbang from scratch. This tutorial will provide you with the inspiration and basic information you need to make your Planet Whizbang “the harder way.” The advantage to building a wheel hoe the harder way is that it is the least expensive way to get the job done.

Option #2: The Much Easier Way

If you would rather not deal with cutting, drilling, and bending steel, you can purchase an inexpensive Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe Metal Parts Kit. The kit contains precut, pre-drilled components. All the hardware needed to make the hoe body with an 8” oscillating stirrup hoe blade are in in the kit.

All you have to do when you purchase the hardware parts kit is file away any sharp edges on the metal pieces, spray paint the parts with an inexpensive can of aerosol paint (red is the recommended color), and bolt the parts together. Filing, painting, and assembling the parts should not take more than a couple hours of your time.

There is, of course, a little more to it than that. You also need a wheel and handles. The wheel can be purchased from Northern Tool for fifteen dollars (Click Here For Details).

As for the handles, this site will tell you how to make the tried-and-true old Planet Jr. handle style using inexpensive 3/4” pine. The old Planet Jr. handle style features a unique pistol grip, not the curved field-plow-style handle, which is designed to hold onto and follow, not grip and work. Or you can make handles out of hardwood. Or you can just purchase a set of Already-Made Whizbang Ash Hoe Handles.

The simple, step-by-step instructions on this site show you how to make your own deluxe Planet Whizbang using the metal parts kit I sell. Those of you who would like to build your hoe from scratch, and would like more information than you can glean from the many photos, can purchase an inexpensive parts specifications package (click HERE and scroll down to the bottom of the page for details).

Please click your way through the how-to steps by way of the links found over on the right column of this page. Or, you can begin with Step 1 by clicking this link: Step 1.

Yours for successful gardening,

Herrick Kimball

hckimball@bci.net

P.S. I hope you are encouraged and inspired by the information on this web site. If so, would you please help spread the word by telling others on the internet? I sure would appreciate your help telling the rest of the world about my Planet Whizbang wheel hoe. Thank you.

Blank 10

2010-03-24T03:50:00.001-07:00

Blank Post #10

Blank 9

2010-03-24T03:49:00.007-07:00

Blank Post #9

Blank 8

2010-03-24T03:49:00.005-07:00

Blank Post #8

Blank 7

2010-03-24T03:49:00.001-07:00

Blank Post #7

Blank 6

2010-03-24T03:48:00.005-07:00

Blank Post #6

Read This Before Your Buy aHOSS Wheel Hoe

2010-03-24T03:48:00.003-07:00

[Dateline: March 2010]

[Updated: March 2011]

The New HOSS Wheel Hoe

I’ve been getting e-mails from people who are seeing advertisements for the new HOSS wheel hoe, and they're wondering whether to get themselves a Planet Whizbang hoe or a HOSS. What follows is my take on the subject. [Yes, I’m going to be biased, but I think you’ll find this surprisingly objective and interesting.]
.

The working end of the HOSS wheel hoe looks to be an exact replica of the old Planet Jr. wheel hoe. According to my copy of the 1945 Planet Jr. tool catalog, the HOSS would be a reproduction of the Planet Jr. Model #17-1/2 (which sold for a whopping $6.75 back then).

The Planet Jr. was a fine tool. You can’t go wrong with an old—or new—version of the Planet Jr. wheel hoe. It will do the job of cultivating, and do it well.

But I do believe the HOSS hoe has a couple of significant shortcomings. First, the plow-style handles on the HOSS are not true to the Planet Jr. hoe handles and they are not in any way, shape, or form ergonomically suited for the push-pull action that is used to operate a wheel hoe.

Plow-style handles are ideal for grasping and “steering” a tool that is being pulled by an animal. Such handles were “standard issue” on horse or mule-drawn Planet Jr. equipment, as this next picture, taken from the 1898 Planet Jr. catalog shows:

Planet Jr. Horse Hoe From The 1898 Catalog

And all the way into 1945, that horse hoe was still being used by farmers, as this catalog picture shows:

Planet Jr. Horse Hoe In Use

(from 1945 catalog)

The Planet Jr. company understood very well that a different style of handle was needed on their human-powered equipment, so they developed a very distinctive pistol-grip handle shape. This understanding can be seen all the way back in the 1898 catalog, as this next picture shows.

Planet Jr. Wheel Hoe From 1898 Catalog

But by 1945, the company was offering its wheel hoe customers the plow-style handles as an option. The catalog states:

“Pistol grip handles are standard equipment on most Planet Jr. machines. They are shaped to fit the hand and are so designed that the thrust of the operator is directly in line with the handle, making them easier to push. However, if you prefer the Bent or Plow Type handles they can be furnished on special order at no extra cost.”

Here is the picture that accompanies that text, showing the two different handle options:

Planet Jr. Offered Two Handle Styles in 1945

My guess is that some of the old farmers of that era were sentimentally predisposed to the plow-style handle, and Planet Jr. aimed to please—even if the ergonomics were terrible (I don't suppose anyone even used the word "ergonomics" back then).

But, having said that, it’s worth noting that the Planet Jr. plow handles offered back in ‘45 looked to be much different than the current HOSS handles. This can be seen by comparing the previous Planet Jr. handle to this next picture of the HOSS handle.

Update: 5/13/10—

This picture has been removed at the

request of the person who owns the web site

where these handles are sold.

Plow-Style Handles offered by HOSS

Notice that the curve on the Planet Jr. handle is so sharp that it is practically a 90-degree bend, but that is not the case on the HOSS handle. The sharper bend would make all the difference when it comes to comfort and ease of use.

I predict that the good folks at HOSS will eventually offer the Planet Jr. pistol-grip handles on their hoes. Such handles just make a whole lot more sense.
.

Update March 2011:

I see from the HOSS web site that they are now offering the option of handles with the traditional Planet Jr. pistol grip.
Problem solved.

::::::::::

The second shortcoming with the HOSS hoe is not so much a shortcoming as it is an inconvenience (at least it is an inconvenience in my mind). I’m speaking about the sweep-style cultivator attachments, as shown in this next picture.

Close-Up of HOSS Sweep Cultivators

Those sweep cultivators can be adjusted to a multitude of configurations, which is great if you like adjusting things. Some people do. I don’t. I just want to grab my wheel hoe and go, with a cultivating attachment that is universally useful, just as it is, and that’s exactly what you get with an oscillating stirrup blade.

I want to make it clear that I own a Planet Jr. wheel hoe with sweeps and, like I said, they do the job. But I also own a Glaser wheel hoe with an oscillating stirrup blade. I used both tools a lot in my garden and I came to the conclusion that the stirrup blade is better than the sweeps. That’s why I adopted that kind of blade on the Planet Whizbang.

Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe With Oscillating Stirrup Blade

It’s worth noting that, like the HOSS hoe, the Swiss-made Glaser (pictured below) is a Planet Jr. copy, right down to the Planet Jr. pistol grip handles. But Glaser dies not offer any sweep attachments for their tool. Clearly, they concluded that the oscillating stirrup blade is superior to the sweeps.

The Glaser Company Does Not Offer Sweep Cultivators on Their Planet-Jr.-Inspired Wheel Hoe

The same could be said of the Valley Oak wheel hoe as you can see in this next picture.

The Oak Valley Wheel Hoe Also Has A Stirrup Blade

As with the handles, HOSS can make a change in their line to at least offer the stirrup blade as an option. Doing so would make the tool much more “user friendly.”
.

Update March 2011:

I was just over to the HOSS web site and see that they are now selling an oscillating stirrup blade attachment for their hoe. But I'm not sure what to think of it. Frankly, the mechanism looks cheesy. Hopefully they have tested it sufficiently. Time will tell. And the stirrup blade is described as high carbon "stamp steel." Hopefully "stamp steel" is comparable to the very durable tempered spring steel blades that are standard blade material on other stirrup hoe blades.

.:::::::

Now, after pointing those things out, I’m sure there are some people who will disagree with me on both points of criticism. That’s always the case with such things and it’s to be expected. To each his own. I’m not looking to argue.

But I can tell you that I have hoed a lot of garden rows with my old Planet Jr., my Glaser, and my Planet Whizbang. The observations and conclusions here are based on a significant amount of hands-on, in-the-field comparison.

If you’re in the market for a wheel hoe, I hope this essay has helped you make a better informed decision.

Now, with the idea of better informed decisions in mind, I’m going to do something that is practically unheard of in the world of marketing....

Listed below are links to every wheel hoe maker that I know of. All of these hoes will do a good job for you. Of course, I firmly believe my Planet Whizbang design is your best choice, as this web site hopes to make clear. But, in the end, it is your choice to make. The important thing is that you get yourself a wheel hoe and use it, because it is an amazingly useful tool. I thank you for your consideration.

Here are the different wheel hoes currently "in the field" to choose from.

Click Here To See The HOSS Wheel Hoe

Click Here To See The Oak Valley Wheel Hoe

Click Here To See The Glaser Wheel Hoe

Click Here To See The Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe

.
.

10" Stirrup BladesAre Now Available

2010-03-24T03:48:00.001-07:00

The standard Planet Whizbang wheel hoe I tell how to make on this web site has an 8" wide oscillating stirrup blade. And the basic wheel hoe I sell (either in kit or completed form), has the 8" blade as "standard issue."

However, many Planet Whizbang hoe users have told me they would like a 10" blade. So I've fabricated a batch of these blades and they are now available. Details are below.

I'd like to say that if you are reading this and you are new to the wheel hoe, I strongly suggest that you begin with the 8" blade. I consider it a general purpose size and, after using the 10" blade, I can tell you that the 8" blade offers less resistance—which means it is easier to push through the soil. That just makes sense.

In time, I may offer a 12" wide stirrup blade. But I don't expect to get any wider than that. I think a wider blade will be much more discouraging to work with and it will put too much stress on the attachment hardware.

As for other attachments, I fully intend to come out with a furrower and cultivator in time but they will not be available in 2011. The Planet Whizbang is primarily a weed-destroyer and nothing is better at keeping weeds under control than an oscillating stirrup blade . Here's info now about the 10" blade...

10" Oscillating Stirrup Blade

The 10" wide oscillating blade, pictured at the top of this page, has a blade arm made of 1/4" steel. That's 1/16" thicker than my 8" oscillating hoe blade. It makes for a stronger arm, which I think is needed with the wider blade. The spring steel blade is the same incredibly durable tempered spring steel I use to make the 8" stirrup blades. This next picture shows a new 10" hoe arm next to the heavily-used 8" attachment off my own Planet Whizbang wheel hoe.

The next picture gives you a different perspective on how the blades compare. By the way, the 10" hoe arms I'm selling here are powder-painted red.

Pricing of The 10" Stirrup Blade

10" Oscillating Hoe Arm and Blade

Shipped in the US

Availability: In stock & ready to ship
Price: $55.00 (postage paid and shipped by USPS Priority mail)

10" Oscillating Hoe Arm and Blade

Shipped To Canada

Availability: In stock & ready to ship
Price: $60.00 (postage paid and shipped by International Flat Rate envelope)

10" Oscillating Hoe Arm and Blade

To The Rest of The World

Availibility: In Stock & Ready To Ship

Other Countries: $65.00 (postage paid and shipped by International Flat Rate envelope)

You can also order by mail. Send payment to:

Planet Whizbang
PO Box 1117
Moravia, NY 13118
....

"...the most efficient implement yet designed for extensive garden cultivation."

2009-05-27T17:42:00.007-07:00

—Updated: 22 March 2010—

The quote above comes from Eliot Coleman, and is found in his excellent book, The New Organic Grower. Coleman is, of course, right in his assessment, and anyone who already owns a good wheel hoe with an oscillating stirrup blade will verify this.

Yes indeed, such a wheel hoe is the ideal tool for keeping weeds under control in any serious home or market garden. Properly used, the wheel hoe with a stirrup blade will cultivate soil and hoe weeds ten times faster than a hand hoe. Better yet, hoeing with a wheel hoe is far easier than using a hand hoe. In short, a wheel hoe makes gardening more enjoyable and more productive.

There are two kinds of wheel hoes: low wheel and high wheel. The low-wheel hoe is much easier to use and vastly superior to the high wheel hoe. Eliot Coleman, recommends the low wheel hoe over high wheel versions (you can Read Why Here). The only problem with low wheel hoes is that these simple tools are expensive. You can expect to spend $300 to $400 for a readymade low-wheel hoe (and don't forget to figure in the additional cost of shipping).

Such a high price tag for such a simple device has excluded many gardeners from owning this remarkably efficient tool. That is what motivated me to develop an inexpensive homemade wheel hoe design. My intention from the beginning was to share my homemade wheel hoe plans with the rest of the world for FREE here on the internet. It took me a couple years of development and testing but, finally, I came up with an intelligent homemade wheel hoe design. And here we are...

I call my homemade wheel hoe the Planet Whizbang. "Whizbang" is a dictionary word that means “conspicuous for speed, excellence, or startling effect.” That description certainly applies to my wheel hoe. As for the prefix of “Planet,” that is a nod to the famous Planet Jr. wheel hoe developed in the late 1800s by Samuel Leeds Allen. Planet Jr. wheel hoes were once a common fixture in most every home and commercial garden in America (back when most everyone in this country was a serious gardener). You can read more about the old Planet Jr. and how I came to develop my modern incarnation of the tool at this link: Introducing The Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe.

If you have some basic handyman tools and skills, you can easily build your own Planet Whizbang wheel hoe. This web site tells and shows you exactly how. Your homemade Planet Whizbang will be every bit as sturdy, functional, and useful as those expensive, already-made wheel hoes. It will be a tool that you can use for the rest of your gardening days and then hand down to your grandchildren.

You should be able to build your own Planet Whizbang for 1/3 of the cost of other wheel hoes on the market. If you are exceptionally handy and motivated to save money, you will be able to build the Planet Whizbang for even less money than that. There are two options available for those who want to build their own Planet Whizbang:

Option #1: The Harder Way
If you have the tools and skills needed to cut, drill, and bend steel you can purchase the basic steel parts from any metal fabrication shop and make your own Planet Whizbang from scratch. This tutorial will provide you with ALL the information you need to make your Planet Whizbang “the harder way.” The advantage to building a wheel hoe the harder way is that it is the least expensive way to get the job done.

Option #2: The Much Easier Way
If you would rather not deal with cutting, drilling, and bending steel, you can purchase an inexpensive Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe Metal Parts Kit. The kit contains precut, pre-drilled components. All the hardware needed to make the hoe body with an 8” oscillating stirrup hoe blade are in in the kit.

All you have to do when you purchase the hardware parts kit is file away any sharp edges on the metal pieces, spray paint the parts with an inexpensive can of aerosol paint (red is the recommended color), and bolt the parts together. Filing, painting, and assembling the parts should not take more than a couple hours of your time.

There is, of course, a little more to it than that. You also need a wheel and handles. The wheel can be purchased from Northern Tool for fifteen dollars (Click Here For Details).

As for the handles, this site will tell you how to make the tried-and-true old Planet Jr. handle style using inexpensive 3/4” pine. The old Planet Jr. handle style features a unique pistol grip, not the curved field-plow-style handle, which is designed to hold onto and follow, not grip and work. Or you can make handles out of hardwood. Or you can just purchase a set of Already-Made Whizbang Ash Hoe Handles.

The simple, step-by-step instructions on this site show you how to make your own deluxe Planet Whizbang using the metal parts kit. Along the way, those of you who would like to build your hoe from scratch will find links to the more specific details you’ll need. You can click your way through the how-to steps by way of the links found over on the right column of this page. Or, you can begin with Step 1 by clicking this link: Step 1.

Yours for successful gardening,

Herrick Kimball
hckimball@bci.net

P.S. I hope you are encouraged and inspired by the information on this web site. If so, would you please help spread the word by telling others on the internet? I sure would appreciate your help telling the rest of the world about the Planet Whizbang wheel hoe. Thank you.

Planet Whizbang Feedback

2009-05-27T17:42:00.003-07:00

...

Once you have built your own Planet Whizbang wheel hoe, and you have put it to good use in your garden, I invite you to submit feedback so others can be encouraged by, and learn from, your experience. Please direct your feedback to me at: hckimball@bci.net.

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#27

Hello Herrick:

I’ve been meaning to write you for a while. The wheel hoe arrived after about a month due to our postal strike and quite a thorough inspection at the border – everything was opened, but fortunately none of the parts were lost.

The wheel hoe it the greatest garden tool I’ve ever owned. It really takes no time at all to weed – and I have lots of ground to cover – this post from [my wife's blog] shows all 3 of my vegetable gardens.

I think my next project will be a chicken plucker.

Blessings,

Rob Mains
(Canada)

Planet Whizbang Feedback

#26

This innovative Planet Whizbang interpretation utilizes metal scraps and a section of bandsaw blade for the stirrup blade. Nice job Orlando!

Dear Mr. Kimball,

I am just so excited that I couldn't wait to send you the pictures of the fully assembled wheel hoe! In fact, the paint is barely dry, and the handles have not been started. I made six assemblies (minus the wheels) like the ones in the picture.

All the material comes from off-cuts from other jobs, or from recycled materials. The only newly purchased item was the paint, when I ran out of yellow! The blades are recycled bandsaw blades. The only modification is the extra cuts (made at thirty and sixty degrees each) to streamline the appearance of the hoe.

Thank you so much for making your plans available to me. I could never have afforded six wheel hoes. I plan on giving a couple away as gifts, and keeping a few for friends and family to use when we work in our community garden!

Best regards,
Orlando Dyck

Planet Whizbang Feedback

#25

Hello Mr. Kimball,

I am a faculty member in the Horticulture Department at SUNY Morrisville. A few of my students have decided that they want to build and sell wheel hoes as a class project. This idea started out pretty simple. First, we went online to see what was available. An antique Planet Junior Wheel Hoe was discovered and closely examined.

And of course, my students eventually found your wonderful website and free plans. Shortly after, we purchased one of your kits and assembled it to see what wheel hoes were all about. None of us had ever actually used one, but a local organic farmer raved about them during a guest lecture last semester.

Thank you for your generous posting of plans and design information. I thought that you might be interested in where this project is headed next. My students and I have decided to involve two other programs at Morrisville College. The Wood Technology Program has agreed to produce the wooden handles based on the original Planet Junior design and the Engineering Program will working on the metal parts.

D.S.
Department of Horticulture

UPDATE on Feedback #25:
While I was pleased to hear that the Morrisville students were going to make and sell Planet Whizbang wheel hoes, I did not realize they were going to rename my hoe and take credit for the design. See this article for more details: The Truth About Morrisville College's Wheel Hoe

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#24
(from the United Kingdom)

Hi Herrick,

I've been meaning for several weeks to get in touch to tell you that I've built my wheelhoe, and to send you a picture. It was a great project to work on with my Dad, who has considerably more carpentry skills than I. The handles are made from cherry from a tree that used to grow in our garden, many years ago, and we managed to get a wheel from the dump (municipal garbage and recycling station) after considerable bureaucratic hassle. The photo was taken on its inaugural hoeing session, and it has since made a great addition to my tool collection. So thank you very much for taking the initiative of designing a more affordable hoe, and your generosity in sharing the design and making kits available.

Just one comment.While your instructions were very comprehensive and clear, it would have been useful to have an abbreviated version to print out, since with photos each section ran to a good number of pages. By the end I resorted to taking the laptop out to read them straight off the screen, but didn't really like having it in the dusty workshop. I very much enjoy the humour and relaxed approach of your website, but for actually getting it built the instructions could be considerably briefer.

However, all in all the whole process has been a pleasure, and I now have a tool that I will treasure, and will bring happy memories of working on it with my father. I hope you are doing well at selling them in the US. You certainly deserve to.

With thanks and best wishes

Rebecca L.

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#23

Joshua Farm is an urban farming project in Harrisburg, PA. They purchased three Planet Whizbang wheel hoe parts kits from me and I was delighted to see these pictures of the hoes being made and put to work. You can check it out at This Link

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#22

Hi Herrick,

Just thought I would let you know we have used the wheel hoe numerous times in the past few weeks and it has worked wonderfully. I have a shoulder problem but it is easy enough for me to use as well. I especially like the how the blade is sharp on both sides so it works either pushing it forward or pulling it backwards.

Thanks for making a product worth every penny!

Kathryn P.
Utah

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#21

Hello!

I've been using my whizbang wheel hoe a lot. Really a lot. It is wonderful and works great. It helps me keep my garden well cultivated. I've been using it ever since I got it, to till up my garden last winter, and now for maintaining it. Please keep me informed if you have any new accessories.

Thanks,

Kenneth P.
Delaware

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#20

Hello Herrick,
The wheel hoes I've built are performing well, you have a great design. my bandsaw blades [as stirrup blades] are holing up well so far, but we're not really into major weeding season yet.

I thought you might be interested in the furrowing attachment that I made. It is meant for working cultivated soil and I've used mine quite a bit so far this year for planting rows of beans and corn as well as whole plots (30'x40') of wheat and oats. It works just like the old horse attachments, first opening the furrow for planting and then splitting the hills to fill in the furrows.

This is a prototype and on future models I would probably lengthen the arm and try to extend it back from the wheel an inch or two, I find sometimes when you are digging deep the handles get a bit low, none the less it works well and is not intolerable. The design does require welding to attach the plow blade to the arm and to make the mount for the arm, so it will be of limited use for diy builders unless they have access to a welder.

I've attached some pictures of the finished prototype and the design drawings. The blade template just doesn't quite fit a page of paper with printing margins at full scale, I just finished it off freehand after I printed it. Feel free to post them to your web page if youlike.

Thanks again,

Brent H.
Nova Scotia, Canada

Brent,
I like your homemade furrower! Thanks for the feedback and inspiration. I can't get your drawing any bigger than shown above. But most people who read this should be able to click on the picture to get a larger (and more helpful) view.

Your furrower is very similar to the Glaser furrower attachment, which can be outfitted on the Planet Whizbang body with some minor modification. However, when I hooked the Glaser furrower to my Whizbang hoe, I found that soil tended to pack up between the furrower and the tire. So, as you say, the furrower attachment should be back a bit more. I'm inclined to think 6" more would not be too much.

For those who don't want to make their own furrower, I expect to have a Planet Whizbang furrower attachment available in the spring of 2011.

Herrick Kimball

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#19

I received the 10 inch blade. What a beautiful looking tool. It made me wish I had painted my Planet Whizbang red instead of green. When I opened the package I thought that it would be awhile before I got a chance to try it out. My garden across the street is about 100' x 100'. I tilled it up several weeks ago but the weather since then has been wet and stormy and we have had late frosts so it hadn't been planted yet. Today was planting day. This morning I went over to look at it there was a green carpet of emerging weeds over the whole thing. I went back to the garage, changed out the 8 inch blade for the 10 inch one and started cultivating. In loose recently tilled soil there is not a huge difference in resistance between the 8 inch and the 10 inch blade but you sure do cover the ground faster. Changing off with two of my teen aged children we were able to completely cover the garden in about two and a half hours. That is over an hour faster than our best time last year with the 8 inch blade. In hard soil or working weeds that have become more established one would want to use the 8 inch blade. For cultivating emerging weeds in loose friable soil the 10 inch blade is a dream. Thanks for such a great tool.

Clarence W.

Utah

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#18

Lance C. in St. Helens, Oregon, was once a Harley motorcycle dealer and made the custom "drag bar" hoe handles shown in the pictures above. Lance will be entering one of these distinctive Planet Whizbang hoes in the Columbia County Fair this year (2010). So if you live around there, make it a point to track down and see these Harley-inspired hoes. I predict this homemade Planet Whizbang hoe will win a First Place ribbon!

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#17
.

Hi Herrick,
I may have over planted my management abilities but you don't know your limits until you find them. I was going to get the 10" [hoe arm & blade] but now I think I will wait and order a whole kit later in the summer and have a dedicated 10". The great thing is I can get 2 [Planet Whizbang] hoes for 150 bucks less than one out of a catalog. If only everyone using one of those noisy Mantis tillers could try a wheel hoe...

I hope all is well with you and your family,

Pat G.
New York

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#16

Herrick,
I got the 10 inch stirrup this afternoon. As usual, packaging and fit and finish were excellent.

I mounted the stirrup and was surprised at its appearance. I painted my Whizbang wheelhoe blue to be different and now I have a red stirrup, blue body, and white(ish) handles. ...It looks pretty neat!

I got a chance to use it. ...I like the way it works MUCH better than the smaller, lighter stirrup. The blade doesn't oscillate as much as the smaller blade, but this improves the cutting angle and makes for a much easier forward cut. A reverse cut requires that you drop the handles before pulling back, but this becomes automatic rather quickly. ...The new blade is fast! I weeded about 4000 sq. ft. in about 40 minutes. All around, it is a much better set up than the original blade.

Thanks,

Eddie A.
Louisiana

And in a subsequent e-mail...

I failed to mention that I will still want one of the twelve inch blades when you get around to fabricating them. The ten inch blade works fine for a two pass cleanup on 30 inch center rows that have been hilled, but unworked rows of young plants require a third pass to clean the small strip left in the center. ...Not a lot to bother with, but quite a bit of work savings when working a large garden. ...The larger blades move the Planet Whizbang to a use level that takes tillers completely out of
anyone's garden maintenance discussion.

In regards to your discussion about competing wheel hoes, I have done significant testing on the different setups and have an opinion I would like to share. The oscillating wheel hoe is unbeatable on emerging grass and weeds (2 to 6 inches tall) in a well worked garden setting. ...But the Planet Jr./Hoss setup with the scratcher/cultivators are more effective when working ground that has freshly sprouted, tiny grass and weeds. At this point the extra disturbance near the surface is more effective at eliminating the tiniest of sprouts. ..It is also easier the achieve a good working in ground that has a lot of uncomposted material in it (old hay, grass, and small sticks). ....And of course, the Planet Jr. cultivator set up is superior in unworked, hard ground that needs a good working; although it is MUCH, MUCH harder to physically handle the task. .....That said, the Planet Whizbang is the tool of choice in most every other situation I can envision. It truly lives up the 'Whizbang' name!

Thanks again for all the hard work and good intentions,

Eddie A.
Louisiana

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#15

Hello Herrick,
I purchased a parts kit this past winter and it is working wonderfully. My wife and I are planting more than an acre garden and are glad we have the help of the wheel hoe.

I have a question: I had a Mennonite neighbor make the handles and he had me try out the hoe in their garden once we had it fully assembled. Both he and his wife were quite impressed with the design and fuction. He is wondering how much the hoe blade cost on their own. He knows folks in their community who could fabricate the body of the hoe, but would need to purchase some blades. I see that you have them priced at $23.00 for one and $76.00 for 4. I am curious as to what the price may be for 8 or 10 or even 20 blades. I appreciate any feedback.

And thanks as well, for a great product. It feels different from the Glaser Hoe I used the past couple of years at the previous garden I worked at. but I am already used to the feel of the Whizbang and its a sturdy little guy.

Andrew C.

Ontario, Canada
.

Please Note: In response to the above e-mail, I now offer special reduced pricing when you order 10 or 20 of the 8" spring-steel hoe blades at a time. These blades are remarkably durable. In the near future I will also offer reduced pricing on the bent hoe arms with blades when purchased in similar quantities.

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#14

Mr. Kimball,
After receiving my wheel hoe kit last summer, the assembling was easy. My father was fighting a return of his cancer, and he gave it a valiant fight, he being part of the greatest generation during WWII on Saipan. My time was limited in taking him to the oncologist, seeing after the farm and my job was taxing. I used dad's jig saw this April to cut the handles and just finished painting them green.

I used the hoe for the first time early this week and was amazed how easy it worked. Having grown up on a dairy/cotton and corn farm we used a high wheel hoe which was taxing.

This wheel hoe making weeding so simple and easy. Wish dad could see it work, but he being a loyal Farmall man would not like the green. Even though he did buy a John Deere two years ago.

Will send you pictures once the painting is finished.

Dean B.
Mississippi

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#13

Herrick,

I purchased a wheel hoe kit back in Dec and I thought you might want to see a picture of the completed model.

Mark S.

North Carolina

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#12

The following feedback was e-mailed to me by Planet Whizbang Pioneer, Theresa D. in New Mexico:

"Hi, I just wanted to update you on my wheel-hoe purchase. My husband got it for me for Christmas. The parts sat on the porch waiting to be assembled for three months. Finally I gave up and decided to do it myself (my garden was getting pretty weedy and in my husband's defense he was very busy). I just finished up a few hours ago and it is fantastic. I have to tell you that if "I" can put this together - then your tag line is completely true - anyone can.

I live in the New Mexico desert with very hard clay-like dirt. It is called caliche and it isn't good for gardens. In the three months that I didn't have the wheel hoe assembled the weeds got pretty high and the ground got pretty hard. I was wondering if I would have to write and tell you not to recommend it to people with soil conditions as bad as here. But, the wheel hoe cut right through it. It was quick and not very hard to get that first pass through. After the first pass it was easy. The soil is totally broken up and all my weeds are gone. I had stopped planting after only a few rows. Now I am ready to go out there and fill in the other 80% of my garden with no worries about keeping up! Thank you so much for putting out the plans, and even more for producing the parts kit - without that we would not have built one. "

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#11

Greetings Mr. Kimball--
   Masterful kit - the balance of the completed product is superb. I can hardly wait for spring. Thank you so much. I hope the attached picture does your work justice.
   I sawed, sanded and painted the ash handles with nice sprays of ivy, but the body is traditional Whizbang Red. I'm thinking the next modification should be a Planet Whizbang beet decal... :-)
   Mr. Robin Miller
   Green Valley, IL

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#10

Hello Herrick,
Thank you for all your writings and inspirational posts. I have had a lot of fun building your whizbang projects. I have built the plucker, scalder, garden cart, and most recently, the wheel hoe. I also used your online pictures of chicken tractors as a guide for one that I built this spring. I have enclosed some pictures.... Best wishes.
Brad Nupen
Husband, father, Planet Whizbang Pioneer #8

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#9

"I got my Whizbang wheel hoe, mixed some rub, finished the handles and put it together. The rub is very nice! I've started cutting through the winter vegetation and breaking up the ground for this years garden. My Whizbang wheel hoe works great! I believe Whizbang Wheel Hoe #104 was made just for me. My birthday is October 4, 1952, (10-4)— 104. Happy gardening."
Kenneth P.
Delaware

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#8

Mr. Kimball,
Here is a photo of my grand daughter Kelsey posing with my newly completed planet Whizbang wheel hoe. It's chomping at the bit waiting for spring...It's painted regatta blue, leftover touchup from my old Ford truck. Thank you for designing this useful tool, it was a piece of cake to put together. I've already built one of your Whizbang chicken pluckers, and it has served us well for about three years now. Keep up the good ideas.

Phil Chretien, P.W.P.
Harrington, Me.

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#7

Angela M., way over in Oregon, wrote the following:

" I just wanted to let you know that the wheel hoes we ordered from you work very well and were not difficult to assemble. One was for my son, who is ten, so it was a bit too tall, but we shortened the handles and then it fit him nicely."

Angela's 12-year-old daughter sent me a letter that reads, in part:

"We have a few gardens that we use our Whizbang wheel hoes in. They work great! We can get a lot more done in a short amount of time than with regular hoes. Thanks a lot!"

And 10-year-old Jeremiah sent the following letter, complete with drawings of each wheel hoe part:

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#6

Planet Whizbang Pioneer #48, Leonard Campbell, out in Nebraska, submitted the following report and photo:

"I grew up on a small farm. We always used a wheel hoe to weed the garden. When the handle broke I took a hedge tree branch and fashioned it into a handle.

This year I broke the handle. In the process of looking for a handle I saw your site and was interested in the hoe so I bought one. I also bought handles for the older hoe as I consider it an antique and will keep it around. I have found your hoe works so well that taking care of the small garden (20x20') is a breeze.

I will probably not use my old hoe again. Here [is a] picture:"

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#5

Planet Whizbang Pioneer #001, Pat G., of New York sent me the following e-mail message:

"I finally found time to put my wheel hoe kit together. Except it did not take as much time as I thought. I followed your detailed instructions and was done assembling in an hour and off to the garden. Now my garden was overgrown with weeds, so I figured I would just test it out and come back later when it was cooler and finish the monster job. It was a joy to use and I quickly became entranced in the movement of the blade and the singing of the birds. By the time my "test run" was over, 10 rows 200 feet long were clear of weeds and I still wanted to hoe more! Thanks for a great tool worthy of the Whizbang name."

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#4

Planet Whizbang Pioneer #017, Tim Zehr, of Ontario, Canada, made the spiffy Whizbang wheel hoe pictured above. Here are some of his comments:

"I got my wheel hoe operational! It is absolutely one of the best investments I made for our garden. It works very slick. You made the claim that it is 10 times faster than a hoe, and after using it, I don’t think that was an exaggeration at all. The design is very simple, and the maneuverability around plants and in narrow rows is amazing. This year I have some plant rows closer together than the normal 36” spacing I used in the past, and the wheel hoe is just the thing for those narrow rows. I really like it, and two of my boys and my wife used it as well and they all thought it was amazing too.

I hit a couple of minor snags when assembling it, which were my fault. First of all, I ordered the wrong wheel. I received the 12” semi pneumatic tire instead of the one you suggested. I thought it would work, but the hub is a little wider and I would have needed to modify the design to make it work. I ordered the correct one, and it fit perfectly. I did decide to keep the original ones, as I think they would work almost as well with some modification. The shipping to Canada is pricey, so I did order a few extra to maximize shipping cost. I work in a shop which has a powder coat line, so I took the parts in and got them coated red. The handles I made out of some scrap oak hardwood I had. I gave the handles two coats of stain and two coats of polyurethane. I did make a mistake in the measurements on the handle, and I needed to drill new holes, as you can see in the picture. I am pleased overall with the way it turned out and there is no doubt that it will last for years."

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#3

Planet Whizbang Pioneer #005, "organicsheri," up in Manitoba, Canada sent the above picture with the following comment:

"Here is my completed wheel hoe! You will notice that the wheel is rather stylish, coming off of a child's bike! The wheel was by far the hardest thing for me to source. The one you referenced at Northern was great, but the shipping to get it here was more than the wheel...US$23! So US$38 before the exchange and possible duty. Originally we took a 10" wheel off of an old wheelbarrow so that I could start using the hoe, but that wasn't the best...wrong angle. Then my housemate called a local bike shop who had a mangled bike with a 12" pink wheel. lol. So that's why the handle grips are already a bit dirty when I took this photo.

My housemate, who put together the hoe, said that the instructions were excellent. I concur for the handle instructions b/c I made them myself.

I've noticed that the wheel hoe does not like mulch nor perennials such as quack grass, but no tool will work on everything! Overall, I'm super stoked to finally have a wheel hoe!"

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#2

Planet Whizbang Pioneer #004, Clarence Whetten, out in Utah, and pictured above, wrote:

"The metal parts came on Monday. On Tuesday after work I filed and sanded the parts and applied the first coat of primer. The next morning before work I applied another. Wednesday and Thursday I applied either primer or finish coat before going to work, as soon as I got home from work and again before going to bed so I applied a good amount of paint. I painted it green because that was to color of paint that I had the most of. My favorite tractor is still Massey Ferguson so I should have painted it gray and red but I had green paint. I put the last coat on Friday evening. Sunday evening I could not wait any longer so I put it together except the handles. The only mistake that I made was not putting the washers on the bolts that attach the bracket that holds the hoe to the frame. With those missing I tightened one bolt then the other then checking the first it was loose so I tightened it more then checking the second it was loose etc. What I was doing was bending the bracket so I stopped. The lock washers were down so I wasn't worried about the nuts coming loose. When I completed the hoe and still had 2 washers left I went back through the instructions. Those two washers were clearly there I just missed them. Must have been too excited to get the hoe attached. Had the washer been installed the bracket would have been harder to bend. It didn't clamp down tight so it will be OK."

...............

"After [the handles] came I sanded them lightly and made up some finish. I melted some bees wax in a tuna can and added equal amounts of turpentine and boiled linseed oil. I stirred and as the mixture cooled it made a very interesting semi-liquid wax paste. I used a rag to to rub it on for application. I put a coat on the handles and cross brace. I still had a lot left so I started lightly sanding and treating all my wood handle garden tools. This is the best finish for garden tools I have ever used. Thanks for the tip. I still had some left so I put a second coat on the Planet Whizbang handles as they were dry to the touch. The first coat had sealed the wood and the second coat had no where to go so they were still sticky after work today. I rubbed them down with a rag and finished the assembly. It looks wonderful and the finish has a comfortable waxy feel to it."

..............

"I am very impressed with the quality of this project from the speed of delivery, the way everything was packaged for shipment and the way everything fit together. The instructions on the blog are very complete and easy to follow if one can contain their enthusiasm."

...............

"Thanks for such great quality and worth while products and advice. I have really enjoyed reading and learning from your blog. I made my own garlic powder last fall and it is wonderful. I plan to have the apple grinder and press finished by fall for this seasons harvest. Next year if the lots across the street are still available I hope to pasture some meat chickens on the part that I am not gardening. In this city all the lots are at least 1/2 acre and have animal rights which makes for high demand, expensive land but also wonderful people to live around. My wife and I have 11 children and work very hard to try to make sure they have a connection to the land and know where their food comes from. We try to produce and store as much of our food as we can. Every year we do a little better. I have a very good paying job that I really like and we could live a different lifestyle but choose not to. We call our lifestyle Provident Living."

Planet Whizbang Feedback
#1

Planet Whizbang Pioneer #004 (J.E. in Bayberry, Kentucky) bought a second wheel hoe parts kit shortly after purchasing the first. And he wrote: "The Planet Whizbang surpassed all expectations. Now I've got to build another one to give to a friend."

Wheel Hoe vs Rototiller

2009-05-27T17:42:00.001-07:00

Most people who own a rototiller come up with the idea that using the machine to cultivate between rows in the garden is a good idea. I beg to differ.

Many years ago I bought a Troy Bilt "Horse" tiller and a couple years ago I treated myself to a particularly nice Italian-made BCS tiller. I like having a tiller to break new garden ground and for working up the garden soil each spring. But that's the only thing I use my tiller for. I never use the machine for cultivating the garden soil throughout the growing season. That's because my Planet Whizbang wheel hoe is a far better tool for cultivating. With that thought in mind, here are 10 Reasons why a Wheel Hoe is better than a motorized rototiller for garden cultivation:

#1...A Wheel Hoe is Easier to Control
Having used my Troy Bilt toller to cultivate in years past, I know how difficult it can be to control. The machine is churning away and moving ahead and, if you are not real careful, it will veer to one side or the other and churn into your plantings. On the other hand, the wheel hoe is simple to control and less stressful to operate.

#2...Children Can Use The Wheel Hoe
Who wants a 12-year-old cultivating the garden with a motorized tilling machine? It's hard enough for an adult. But a wheel hoe is so easy and simple that children can operate it safely and effectively.

#3...There is No Maintenance With a Wheel Hoe
Motorized tillers need their oil changed, the air filter cleaned, and spark plugs replaced on a regular basis. The tines will wear down and need to be replaced. Eventually, something else on the thing will break down and require your time and money to get it fixed. None of these things happen with a wheel hoe. You will need to "renew" the stirrup blade with a file every so often. And, some year in the future, you may have to bolt on a new blade. But such maintenance is very simple and inexpensive.

#4...Wheel Hoes Do Not Need Gasoline
The wheel hoe is not completely dependent on OPEC oil or any other increasingly expensive fuel source. That's a beautiful thing.

#5...Wheel Hoes Are Quiet
The older I get, the less I want to listen to a clangorous motor, especially when I'm working in my garden. When I use my wheel hoe, I can still hear the birds around me, and even the water running in the creek behind my house. I can also see the birds because they have not been scared off by all the noise.

#6...Wheel Hoes Do Not Belch Out Noxious Fumes
Who wants to breathe the exhaust fumes from a gas-guzzling motor when working in the garden? Not me. A wheel hoe does not pollute the air and endanger your health with poisonous exhaust toxins.

#7...Wheel Hoes Always Start
Any tool with a gasoline engine is eventually going to let you down (see #3). There is no pulling a starter cord repeatedly while fiddling with the choke, when "starting" a wheel hoe. Just walk and push.

#8...Wheel Hoes Are More Convenient to Use
It takes a fair amount of effort to get the rototiller out of storage, gas it up, get it started, drive it to the garden, and put it away when you are done. But a wheel hoe is so lightweight, portable, and easy to use that you can just grab it and go. No hassles.

#9...Wheel Hoes Do Not Churn New Weed Seeds to The Surface
There are millions of weed seeds distributed throughout the soil in your garden. Rototiller cultivation continually brings new seeds to the surface where they will sprout and grow. But a wheel hoe with a stirrup blade slides through the soil just under the surface, destroying weeds and not continually bringing new seeds into the germination zone. As you get further into the growing season, less weeds are sprouting.

#10...A Wheel Hoe Will Last For Generations
Closely related to the benefit of no maintenance is the matter of longevity. It is not likely that you would ever be able to hand down a functioning rototiller to your heirs after many years of use. But it is entirely likely that you'll be able to pass on your beloved old Planet Whizbang wheel hoe for the next generation. You gotta love a tool like that!

Here's a Whizbang Mail-In Order Form

2009-05-27T17:41:00.001-07:00

If you would like to order Planet Whizbang wheel hoe parts by mail with a check or money order, just print a copy of this page, checkmark or circle the items you are ordering, make notes in the margins if needed, and send it along to:

Planet Whizbang
P.O. Box 1117
Moravia, N.Y. 13118

Sales Tax
If you are a New York state resident, please include 8% sales tax. If your purchase is agriculture tax exempt, include the exemption paperwork with your order.

Shipping Information
If you live in the continental United States, there is NO ADDED COST FOR SHIPPING. All prices below include shipping. I send the Specifications Packet by first class. Other parts are typically shipped in a Priority Mail box.

Your Mailing Address Please...
NAME:_________________________________
ADDRESS:______________________________
TOWN:_________________________________
STATE:_________________
ZIP:____________________
PHONE:_________________
E-MAIL_________________

CLICK HERE to see pictures and descriptions of each of the following parts.

PLANET WHIZBANG PARTS KITS
[ ] Planet Whizbang Hardware Parts Kit
Price: $99.00
[ ] Planet Whizbang Hardware Parts Kit
(With Wood Dowel Handle Spreader)
Price: $104.00
INDIVIDUAL PARTS
[ ] Planet Whizbang Ash Handle Set
(includes ash dowel handle spreader)
Price: $75.00
[ ] 8" Spring Steel Hoe Blade
(with attachment hardware)
Price: $23.00
[ ] 8" Hoe Arm With Spring Steel Blade
Price: $49.00
[ ] Wood Dowel Handle Spreader
Price: $9.00
[ ] Planet Whizbang Specifications Package
Price: $14.95

ATTACHMENTS

[ ] 10" Hoe Arm with Springsteel Blade
Price: $55.00

Questions?
Please e-mail me if you have any questions about products, pricing, or ordering any of the items on this order form: hckimball@bci.net

Here's Another Option:Already-Made Planet Whizbangs

2009-05-24T05:30:00.003-07:00

.
The primary focus of this web site is to teach you how to make your own Planet Whizbang wheel hoe. The simple, step-by-step online plans I provide here are absolutely free. Lots of people out there are using these plans to fabricate their own Planet Whizbang hoe (or a close variation) without any further help from me.

But some people would like a little help with the project. That's why I provide inexpensive, bolt-together metal parts kits, as well as individual parts (click here for details).

For those of you who would like a LOT of help with making a Planet Whizbang wheel hoe... I am offering painted and assembled units!

These assembled PW hoes are powder coat painted, and include the tire. All that remains for you to do is attach the handles. You can make your own handles, as shown in
Step 4 of this web site's hoe-making tutorial. Or you can purchase the already-made handles I make
(Available Here).

When you get one of these already-assembled hoes from me, it will come with short lengths of pine boards bolted on where the handles go, as shown in this next picture:

So all you’ll need to do is unbolt those wood pieces and attach your handles. No mess. No fuss. Then you can get right to work cultivating your garden.

I charge $199 for an already-made wheel hoe like you see in the above pictures. That’s $80 more than the bolt-together metal parts kit I sell. For that additional $80 I’ve filed away the sharp metal edges on the various metal parts, had the parts powder coated (a very nice paint job), and assembled the entire unit (including the tire, which is not part of the metal parts kit I sell). Better yet, that $199 price includes UPS shipping anywhere in the lower 48 states!

[Contact me by e-mail for postage costs if you live in Alaska, Hawaii, or outside the United States. My e-mail is: hckimball@bci.net]

To order one of these assembled (except for the handles) wheel hoes, simply click on the PayPal button below:

==================================

You can get handles now too...

Planet Whizbang Ash Handle Set

Step 4 of the instructions tells you exactly how to make your own inexpensive wheel hoe handles. Or you can just buy a set of handles from me right here and now. The handles I sell are not inexpensive, but you will be hard pressed to find better quality.

Please note that the handles I sell are sized to accommodate people of average height. Click Here For More Information About Handle Sizing

These handles are made of 7/8” thick seasoned ash. Two handles and an ash spreader dowel are included in the set. I have gone to the trouble of precisely drilling the handles for the bolts and spreader dowel, so you don’t have to do any of that. You will, however, need to give these handles a coating of wood sealer (i.e., boiled linseed oil). Prior to applying the preservative, you may want to sand the handles a bit. They are already sanded good enough for an outdoor tool handle but some people will want to give the handles a little more smoothing.

AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $75.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)
Note: Handle sets are shipped by UPS

======================

ANOTHER SPECIAL DEAL..."Factory Second" Hoe Handles

If you are not persnickety about your wheel hoe handles, I currently have a few sets with minor flaws that I am selling for $60, which is a $15 savings over the regular price.

These "factory second" ash handles (with an ash spreader dowel) are exactly as specified above. The only difference is that they may have a minor cosmetic flaw, which is to say, they have a splinter or chip or bit of bark on the surface. None of the flaws is structural. These handles are as solid and sturdy and durable as the "factory firsts" I sell. These will be available as long as they last. Click the button below to order. The price of $60 includes UPS shipping anywhere in the lower 48 US states.

Sorry, I'm currently out of "factory second" hoe handles.

=========================

If you would prefer to not use Pay Pal, and send a check or money order instead, you may do so by mailing your payment to:

Whizbang Books
PO Box 1117
Moravia, NY 13118

Questions?..... hckimball@bci.net

Step 1: The Parts You Need

2009-05-24T05:30:00.001-07:00

.
This tutorial provides you with step-by-step instructions for making your Planet Whizbang wheel hoe. You can supply your own parts for this project, or you can simply buy the very convenient Hardware Parts Kit that I sell.

These instructions will proceed as though you are working with the metal parts kit. If you choose not to buy the kit, you will find links to other information you need within the tutorial. The parts kit contains all the metal parts needed to assemble your wheel hoe, but it does not include the wheel, the wood handles, or the wood handle spreader dowel.

Information about making (or buying) the handles and spreader dowel can be found in Step 4 of these plans. As for the wheel, I recommend you get item #145126 from Northern Tool. Click Here to get the tire you need from Northern Tool.

The Planet Whizbang metal parts kit is shipped in a flat-rate Priority Mail box. This next picture shows all the metal parts that are contained in the parts kit.

Now I’ll explain to you what each of the wheel hoe parts are. This next picture shows the Hoe Body. The wheel, handles, and oscillating hoe assembly all connect to this hoe body piece. This part is precisely drilled by a machine shop as needed for assembly, as are all the metal parts in this kit.

======================
NOTE
If you opt not to buy the parts kit and want to make your wheel hoe from scratch, these pictures will serve to give you a good general idea of the parts you need and how they go together. If you want precise specifications drawings for each of the parts, you can purchase an inexpensive specifications package from me. Click HERE and scroll down to the bottom of the page for more details.
======================

This next picture is of the two Tire Arms. One end of these arms bolts to the hoe body and the other end holds the tire (a.k.a., wheel).

Next up is the 8” oscillating Blade Arm. This arm holds the stirrup blade and attaches to the bottom of the hoe body in such a way that it oscillates, which is to say, it pivots back and forth a little bit. This oscillating action makes for more efficient hoeing and is common to all top-quality wheel hoes on the market.

The bend on the blade arm is “just so.” When developing the Planet Whizbang I attempted to make this bend using a bench vise and a hammer. The results were pitiful—far from “just so.” Then I built a wood bending jig and employed a 20-ton hydraulic jack to make the bend (You Can See Pictures Of The Procedure Here). My makeshift bending fixture worked just fine but it was not very efficient. The arms in the metal parts kits are now bent in the Planet Whizbang factory (otherwise known as my home workshop) using a Howron Bender. (From-scratch hoe builders can get the specifics of the bend from the aforementioned Specifications Package)

I also bend the 8” Oscillating Hoe Blades in the Howron...

You can see some bent blades on the workbench in the left side of the picture. That yellow tool is my Howron. And you can see I have a good supply of blade arms bent (those are for the first production run of 250 hoes).

One blade is included in the parts kit. The blade is tempered spring steel, which means it is very hard and durable. Both edges of the blade are chamfer-ground. “Chamfer-ground” means beveled but not sharp. A sharp blade might hurt someone and I don’t want that. The chamfer is perfectly adequate. And the blade is sharpened on both sides because, with the oscillating action, and the push-pull hoeing motion, both edges are slicing into the earth. Here’s a close-up picture of the sharpened blade:

I don’t know exactly how many miles of hoeing you’ll get from these blades, but one of them should last you for years. They can be re-sharpened as needed with a file. If you ever need another blade, or you want to have a spare on hand, or you are making your hoe from scratch and need a blade for it, you can Purchase Individual Hoe Blades.

The final hoe part is the Oscillating Clamp. Here’s a picture:

The oscillating clamp is a little part that does an important job. It holds the hoe blade assembly to the underside of the hoe body, and it allows the arm to pivot back and forth (oscillate).

Then there are all the bolts and nuts and washers that you’ll need to assemble the hoe. All this hardware comes packaged in a plastic bag which is stored in the hoe body for shipping. Here is a list of the exact parts you’ll find in the hardware bag. If you are building your hoe from scratch, this is the hardware you’ll need to get.

4 @ 1/2” Flat Washer
2 @ 3/8” Flat Washer
1 @ 1/2” Lock Washer
8 @ 3/8” Lock Washer
4 @ 1/4” Lock Washer
3 @ 1/2” Hex Nut
8 @ 3/8” Hex Nut
4 @ 1/4” Hex Nut
2 @ 2-1/2” x 3/8” Hex-Head Bolt
2 @ 2” x 3/8” Hex-Head Bolt
4 @ 1-1/4” x 3/8” Hex-Head Bolt
1 @ 1/2” x 4” Hex-head Bolt (full thread)
20 @ 1-1/2” x 3/8” Fender Washer

By the way, this next picture shows my custom made hardware packaging table. There is an outline of each washer, nut and bolt on the table. Once the outlines are filled, the board tips up so all the pieces slide into a plastic bag.

Here is a sneak-peek preview picture that shows what you end up with when all the metal parts in the kit are loosely assembled.

And, finally, each parts kit also includes Planet Whizbang Handle Patterns.

These heavy-paper patterns provide you with a template for the tried-and-true Planet Jr. pistol-grip handle. Simply cut around the pattern with scissors, place it on your handle wood and trace the pistol-grip outline.

Okay, now that you have been introduced to the hoe parts, we can get to work.... Click Here To Go to Step 2.

Step 2: File Away The Sharp Edges

2009-05-24T05:29:00.008-07:00

.
Back in Step 1 of this tutorial I introduced you to the metal wheel hoe parts that come in the Planet Whizbang Metal Parts Kit. The metal components have been cut or sheared to size by my friend Carl Webber at his metal fabrication shop. Then I had the necessary holes precisely drilled by Felbax Machine Shop, which is a rural, husband and wife, home-based business here in my town. It takes a community to build a Planet Whizbang wheel hoe.

The parts in the kit are raw metal, which means they are not painted. As a result, they are somewhat grimy and may have some oily residue on them. You may even encounter little splotches of surface oxidation. None of this is any problem because you will prepare the surfaces and paint the parts in the next step of this tutorial. But, before you can do that, you need to smooth away all the sharp edges.

None of the parts have been de-burred after cutting or shearing them to size. Some of the edges are sharp enough to cut you. Handle With Care.

If you have a die grinder, or Dremel tool with a grinder bit, you can use these tools to remove the sharp edges. Or you can simply use a sharp metal file. Myself, I like the metal file.

Specifically, I suggest you use a 10” or 12” General Purpose file. The bigger files have a more aggressive cut than the smaller ones. Get yourself a nice new file (because new files are sharper than old files) and put a handle on it (half a corn cob will do the job). This same file can be used to re-sharpen your hoe blade after it gets some wear on it. Here’s a picture of the file:

Use the file to smooth and slightly round over all sharp corners on the metal pieces of the hoe.

Here is a before-filing and after-filing picture:

Click Here To Go To The Next Step (Step 3) Of This Tutorial

Step 3: Prime & Paint The Parts

2009-05-24T05:29:00.007-07:00

.
Back in Step 2 you used a file to remove all sharp edges on the hoe body, tire arms, blade holder, and oscillating clamp. Now it is time to paint these components. It is not absolutely necessary that you paint these parts. You could skip this step and simply bolt the unpainted pieces together, but I hope you won’t do that. Painting is easy to do and it sure does make for a spiffy-looking wheel hoe. Besides that, painted metal is not going to rust so easily.

To prepare the metal for painting, I suggest you get one sheet of 220-grit wet/dry sandpaper, a can of aerosol primer, and a can of aerosol enamel paint.

If you already have some fine-grit sandpaper for sanding wood, you can use that. It won’t last as long or work as well as the wet/dry paper, but it will do the job.

The aerosol primer and paint in the picture above were purchased at my local hardware store. I paid $1.59 for the can of primer and $2.29 for the red enamel paint. I could have bought Rustoleum brand primer and paint for $5.29 and $5.49. And for $6.29 I could have bought Farmall Red or John Deere Green. But I bought the cheaper store brand cans of paint because, according to the store manager, it’s all made by the same company and he believes it is all the same product. That’s the inside scoop on spray paint.

As for color, I’m partial to red.

Sand the metal parts by hand to remove oil residue and minor oxidation. If you use the wet/dry paper, keep it wet with water in order to flush away particles and allow the paper to do its best job. This hand sanding is quick and easy to do.

Once the parts are sufficiently sanded, wipe them clean and dry with a cloth. Then I suggest you hang them up to spray-paint them.

As you can see in the picture above, the parts are suspended by a length of string with a makeshift copper-wire hook on the end. Very simple. Very efficient. You can hang these parts outdoors and spray paint them on a still day. That’s probably the best approach because the paint fumes are so noxious. But I opted to hang them in my shop for convenient picture taking. The parts are actually hanging off clamps on top of a piece of plywood (I’ll give you a perspective picture shortly).

Shake your aerosol can of paint very well before using it. My usual routine for shaking aerosol paint is to turn the can upside down and shake it 100 times. That’ll do it.

The trick with spray painting is not to paint the pieces with one heavy coat. Instead, spray several light coats, allowing each coat to dry before putting on the next. The picture below shows the first coat of primer.

Notice that the first coat does not completely cover the metal. No problem. It will get covered on subsequent coats. That’s the way it’s done.

Once primed, you can now spray on the finish paint. Follow the same procedure.

Again, make sure you allow the layers of paint to dry completely. Patience is required here. Go have lunch or work on another project for awhile if needed. You know what they say about watching paint dry....

Here is a perspective picture showing how I hung these parts up for painting & picture taking:

You will use about half a can of primer and the same of the enamel to get the parts painted. Once painted, the finish will be dry but soft. You can assemble the hoe with soft paint, but if you let the finish cure overnight, it will be more durable.

Whatever the case, keep the can of spray enamel handy because you will probably nick the new finish some during assembly, and it will need to be touched up.

Click Here To Go To Step 4

Step 4: Make The Handles

2009-05-24T05:29:00.005-07:00

.
The Planet Whizbang wheel hoe handles are made of wood, just like handles on the old Planet Jr. were. In fact, I have an old Planet Jr. wheel hoe and I duplicated the same pistol-grip handle pattern that was a distinctive feature of that tool. Such a shape allows you to grip the handles and comfortably push-pull the tool as you walk down the garden row.

I have seen a newer-model wheel hoe being sold with horse drawn plow-style handles, like shown in this next picture (top handle):

Those plow-style handles are beautifully made but they are best suited for holding while following and steering, not pushing and pulling. The ergonomics are all wrong for a wheel hoe. Form should follow function. Therefore, I do not recommend such handles for the Planet Whizbang. The Planet Whizbang handle shown in the above picture (below the field plow handle) is far better for a wheel hoe.

Some other wheel hoes on the market have handles fabricated from bent metal tubing, and they are outfitted with plastic bicycle-style handle grips. No thanks.

The old Planet Jr. Handles were made of ash, which is a traditional tool-handle wood. Ash is dense, straight-grained, strong, and durable. You can’t go wrong with ash. But I’m going to show you how to make hoe handles using common pine lumber.

Pine is not nearly as dense, strong, and durable as ash, but it is inexpensive, easy to work with, light in weight, and sufficiently strong to do the job.

You have a few different options when it comes to getting hoe handles for your Planet Whizbang. You can just make them yourself, following my simple directions (which start a few paragraphs down from here). You can have a woodworking friend make them for you. Or you can purchase handles from me (Click Here For Details). The hoe handles I sell are made for me by a woodworker in my community. They are ash wood and very nice. But they are also relatively expensive. The choice is yours.

The instructions that follow are for making basic pine handles. A 5ft length of 1x6 clear pine board will do the job (typical 1x6 boards are 5-1/2" wide). “Clear” means no knots. Actually, a few very small knots are acceptable, but the clearer the better. You also want a length of board that is not cupped or warped.

If you are selecting from a pile of boards at a lumberyard, look them over real good to get the best board you can find. Sight down the length to see how straight and true the board is. You can usually find a decent board in the #2 pine stack. That will cost you less than a “premium” board. But if you have to pay a bit more for a really good board, do so.

Lay the board on your work bench and draw the outline for both handles according to the grip pattern and handle specifications found inside the Planet Whizbang Metal Parts Kit. If you are building the hoe form scratch, you can get the same grip patterns in the inexpensive specifications package I tell you about at the Specifications Page.

Cut the grip pattern out with scissors and trace around it as shown in this next picture:

The total length of the handle is 52-1/2”, as this next picture shows. This length is suitable for average-size people. If you are taller or shorter than average, you might want to modify the length of your hoe handles. Click Here for more information on this subject.

With the handle outlines in place, use a jigsaw with a sharp blade (a 10 or 12 teeth-per-inch blade will work nicely) to carefully cut each handle out of the board, as this next picture shows.

You can leave the bottom end of the hoe handles square or round them over a bit. Use a sander to smooth out any unevenness in the saw cut.

After sanding, use a router with a roundover bit to shape all the edges.

Drill two 3/8” holes on the hoe-end of the handles. Bolts through these holes will secure the handle to the body of the hoe. Mark the holes as shown in the following picture. The first hole is 1-1/4” from the end. The other hole is 5-1/2” from the end (4-1/4” apart). The holes are in the center of the handle width.

Note: Here is a good place to point out that the width of the handles is different for pine and hardwood (i.e., ash). The pine handle (shown in these pictures) is 2” wide. The hardwood handle is 1-3/4” wide. The pistol-grip pattern is also slightly different between the two. That’s why there are two different pattern sheets in the hardware parts kit. Here is a pine handle and an ash handle, showing the difference in size and shape (pine is on the right, ash on the left). Please note that there is more finger-grip room on the hardwood handle. Most people find the hardwood pattern more comfortable. There is no reason you can't use the hardwood pattern on a pine board—just as long as you realize the pine is not as strong as hardwood.

Measure 42-1/2” from the bottom end of the handles and mark to drill the hole for the handle spreader dowel. An inexpensive 3/4” spade bit will do a fine job drilling the hole.

Sand and finish the handles. For the pictures in this tutorial I put a stain on the pine handles and then a couple of coats of exterior polyurethane. Such a finish looks good for pictures but it is not necessarily best for an outdoor tool. A couple coats of boiled linseed oil is a more traditional outdoor tool finish.

The fellow who makes the hoe handles I sell told me that a mixture of 1/3 linseed oil, 1/3 turpentine, and 1/3 paraffin wax, melted together, makes a great outdoor finish, but I haven’t tried it yet. Steve Solomon, author of the excellent book, "Gardening When it Counts" coats his wood-handled gardening tools with a yearly application of coconut oil.

Making The Handle Spreader Dowels.
A spreader dowel between the handles serves to space them apart at a convenient distance. This length of dowel must be tenoned on the ends. The dowel is 1” diameter and 14-1/2” long. The tenons are 11/16” diameter and 1-1/4” long. An inexpensive Ramin wood dowel will do the job. If you are making hardwood handles, you can get a hardwood dowel to match.

You can purchase an already-made Planet Whizbang Handle Spreader Dowel (Click Here For Details). Or, if you have a tablesaw, you can make your own spreader dowel as I’m about to show you.

Important: It is my assumption is that you know how to safely use a table saw. If you do not know how to safely use a table saw, do not make this part.

I should also point out that if you are thrifty and resourceful, you don’t even need a dowel. Just find a suitable length and diameter of tree branch (preferably dead and seasoned) and use a knife to carve tenons in the ends as needed. Why not?

This next picture shows the set-up I use to cut the tenon end on spreader dowels

What you’re looking at is an old and well-worn Craftsman table saw. The rip fence (at top of picture) is adjusted and locked into position 1-1/4” away from the saw blade. The saw blade is set to 5/32” high, and the miter gauge (set at 90-degrees) is positioned so the center of the dowel (when held against the fence of the miter gauge) is over the center of the blade. A clamp on the end of the saw table holds the miter gauge from moving. This simple set-up can be used to create a tenon.

The first step in the creation of the tenon is to lower the dowel down onto the blade, keeping the end tight to the rip fence and the body of the dowel tight to the fence of the miter gauge. Then spin the dowel slowly around to cut a saw kerf, which will be the shoulder of the tenon. You can see this being done in the above picture. Here are a couple more views of the same operation:

Now, to remove the unwanted wood and form the rest of the tenon, you are going to do something unconventional but perfectly acceptable. With the saw still running, and the dowel still tight against the miter gauge fence, slowly pull the dowel away from the rip fence. As you do this the set in the teeth of the blade (a carbide-tooth blade is recommended) will carve the wood away and your dowel will then look like this:

Pretty neat, eh? Now, in like manner, continue to feed the dowel back and forth (slowly) across the blade, and give the dowel a slight turn after each pass. Perform this procedure repeatedly around most of the dowel and it will look like this:

In the background of the above picture you can see the clamp that is holding the miter gauge from moving. It is blue and blurry. In this next picture we have completed the turning and shaving to create a very nice tenon.

At 11/16” diameter, this tenon is undersize for the 3/4” hole in the handle. It should fit in the hole loosely and that is what you want. The reason for this is that the handles come off the body of the hoe at an angle. An undersize tenon facilitates assembly. If you did not undersize the dowel and wanted the tenon to fit snug in the hole, you would have to cut it at an angle. That’s not a simple woodworking operation, and it’s not necessary.

There is one more thing you need to do to your formed tenon. Use a sharp knife to chamfer (bevel) the end. This end will stick out the hole in the handle and be visible. The chamfer gives it more eye-appeal. Here’s a picture showing the tenoned end with a knife-carved chamfer:

Make a tenon on each end of the dowel and your spreader dowel is done!

Click Here To Go To The Next Step (Step 5) Of This Tutorial

Step 5: Assemble The Hoe

2009-05-24T05:29:00.003-07:00

.
In the previous steps you have acquired the metal parts for your wheel hoe, spray painted them, and made (or purchased) your handles and wood dowel handle spreader. You should have also purchased a $15 tire from Northern Tool (Here’s The Link To The Tire You Need). Now I’m going to show you how to put this thing together. This is the fun part. It’s also real easy to do. Just take it a step at a time....

Attach The Wheel To The Tire Arms
Place the 1/2” axle bolt through one tire arm. Slide a 1/2” flat washer over the bolt, up to the arm. Thread a 1/2” nut down tight to the washer. Then put another 1/2” flat washer down over the bolt. your assembly, thus far, will look like this;

Slide the wheel over the bolt, then another 1/2” flat washer, and then another 1/2” nut. Snug the nut down. But do not tighten it so much that it interferes with the bearings in the wheel hub. Make sure the tire spins freely. Here’s a picture of how your assembly will look at this point.

Put another 1/2” flat washer over the axle bolt, then the other tire arm. And this is what you’ll have:

Put a 1/2” lock washer on the bolt and finish the assembly with a 1/2” nut, snugged down tight.

Here is a picture of the wheel connected to the tire arms:

Attach The Wheel Assembly To The Hoe Body
Use two 3/8” x 1-1/4” bolts to attach the tire arms to the hoe body, as shown in this picture:

The bolts are secured inside the hoe body with a lock washer and a nut, as shown in this next picture:

You do not put a bolt through the other hole in the tire arms.... yet.

Bolt The Blade To The Blade Arm
Use the 1/4” by 5/8” bolts with lock washers and nuts to attach the hoe blade to the hoe arm.

Here’s what this finished assembly will look like:

Attach The Blade Assembly To The Hoe Body
The blade assembly attaches to the bottom of the hoe body with the oscillator clamp. This first picture shows the parts needed and the blade assembly in position for bolting.

And here is a picture of the oscillator clamp bolted into place.

Those bolts are 3/8” by 1-1/4”. Don’t neglect to put the 3/8” flat washers under the heads of the bolts. Put lock washers and nuts on the bolts from inside the hoe body, as this next picture shows.

Now here is a close-up picture of the oscillator clamp in place.

As you can see, the clamp piece does not fit down tight against the blade arm. And the holes in the blade arm are 1/2” diameter instead of 3/8” (the diameter of the clamp bolts). This renders a looseness in the assembly and is what gives the blade a range of movement, which is the oscillating action that makes for efficient hoeing. These next pictures show the extent of the range of movement:

Attach The Handles
The handles are first bolted to the body of the wheel hoe with a 3/8” by 2” bolt through the bottom hole in the handle, as shown in this next picture:

Make sure you place one 3/8” x 1-1/2” fender washer under the head of the bolt. Place a lockwasher and nut on the bolt inside the hoe body as shown in this next picture.

Important: Notice that the lockwasher and nut are on the end of the bolt and not tightened down. Do not tighten this nut yet!

Now, in the upper bolt hole in the handles, you are going to use the 3/8” x 2-1/2” bolts. Put a fender washer under the heads, as was done on the lower bolt. Then, between the handle and the hoe body, place a stack of eight fender washers, as shown in this photo.

Position the handle and bolt over the stack of washers and slide the bolt down through. Place a lockwasher and nut on the end of the bolt inside the hoe body, as shown in this next picture: As with the lower handle bolt, don’t tighten the nut on this upper handle bolt... yet.

Attach the other handle on the other side the same way. Those eight washers serve to angle the handles. The reason you do not tighten the handle bolts now is that you want to first insert the handle spreader dowel.

Install The Handle Spreader Dowel
The following pictures show how the spreader dowel fits into the handles. You will notice that the dowel is finished to match the handles, but the mortise end is not finished. That is not a good thing. You should make sure to apply some sort of wood preservative to the tenon ends when you make your wheel hoe.

No glue, screws, or other fasteners are used to secure the spreader dowel. Once it is in place, and the handle bolts in the body are tightened down, the spreader dowel is not going anywhere.

Tighten The Handle Bolts
With the spreader dowel in place, you can go back to those handle bolts and tighten the nuts down on the lock washers. Your handle-to-body assembly will look like this:

Congratulations....
You’ve made your own Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe. And it sure is a beauty!

Specifications For The Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe

2009-05-24T05:29:00.001-07:00

.
If you opt to purchase a Whizbang Wheel Hoe Parts Kit, all the necessary metal parts you need to make your own wheel hoe are included in the kit. They are cut to size and all the bolt holes have been drilled. All you have to do is file away any sharp edges, spray paint the pieces, and bolt everything together, as fully explained elsewhere on this web site.

If you decide that you want to build your Planet Whizbang wheel hoe from scratch, the many pictures and parts descriptions on this site will provide you with plenty of details. But if you want some exact parts specifications, you can purchase the complete parts specifications package I sell (click HERE for details and scroll to the bottom of the page). What follows are actually photographs of some of the drawings that are in the specifications package.

This first drawing is for the two Tire Arms

This next drawing is for the Blade Arm (prior to being bent)

The Blade Arm must be bent to a specific shape to accommodate the spring-steel blade. This next drawing shows the specifics of the bend. I do not provide specifications for making the 8” spring-steel stirrup blade. You can just Buy One From Whizbang. Or you can purchase an 8” blade from another source. By the way, if you don’t want to go to the trouble of bending this part, you can Purchase a Whole Arm & Blade Assembly From Whizbang.

This next drawing is of the Oscillator Blade Clamp

The Body of the wheel hoe will need two holes drilled in the bottom to secure the Oscillator Blade Clamp. This next drawing shows the placement of these holes.

Three holes also need to be drilled in each side of the Body, as indicated in this next drawing.

My specifications package also provides you with actual-size pistol grip handle templates on heavy stock paper. You simply cut the template out with scissors and trace onto your handle stock.

This last picture shows you the handle and spreader dowel specifications. These are also provided (along with lots of pictures) in Step 4 of the tutorial.

Handle Lengths For Different Folks

2009-05-24T05:28:00.003-07:00

I stand 5’ 9-1/2” tall with my work boots on. The picture above is of me holding a Whizbang wheel hoe with handles made according to the specifications given on this web site (See Step 4). The working height of the pistol-grip handles is about 39" off the ground. Note that my hands are gripping the hoe handles at the hip-to-waist level of my body. This is a comfortable working height for most people. Up to a couple inches above the waist is also a comfortable working height. If you have to grasp the handles much below your hips, it is not comfortable of efficient.

I think of myself as near the top end for an average man’s height, and my wife is probably average height for a woman. She is 5’5” (with her sneakers on). The same wheel hoe is also convenient for her to hold and operate.

If you are somewhat average like us, I think you will find that the 52-1/2" handle length that I recommend on this web site will work just fine for you. If you are below or above average (in height), you may need to modify the length of the hoe handles to accommodate your unique stature.

You can shorten the handles by simply cutting off the bottom end as needed and re-drilling the two 3/8” bolt holes in the wood.

To make the handles longer you’ll need a handle stretcher, which is like a board stretcher, but it’s made specifically for wood handles. Unfortunately, handle stretchers are hard to come by these days (but don’t let that stop you from asking around). In the event that you do not find a handle stretcher, you’ll just have to cut out some new handles.

Generally speaking, for every 3-1/2” you add to the length of the handle, it will give you 1-7/8” more of height off the ground. So if you make the handle 7” longer, the handle will be 3-3/4” higher. And so on.

Those measurements will, of course, also work in reverse when making the handles shorter.

I don’t think it is possible to come up with a hard and fast rule that provides an ideal handle length that will “fit” every person according to their height. That’s because people are proportioned differently. Some have longer legs and shorter torsos, and vice-versa. And the length of a person’s arms must figure into the equation too. This sort of thing could get real complicated.

But it doesn’t have to be complicated....

If you are around my height or shorter, just make the handles to the specified length in these plans. If they prove to be too long for you, shorten them. If you are much taller than me, I suggest you make your hoe handles a little longer to start.

If you do opt too make the handles longer, there is no need to change the placement of the wood dowel spreader hole. Keep it at 42-1/2” from the bottom end of the handles.

The following picture is of 15-year-old son with the Planet Whizbang. Teenagers can use it too!

Attachments For The Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe

2009-05-24T05:28:00.001-07:00

.
The instructions on this site tell you how to make a wheel hoe with an 8” oscillating stirrup blade. This tool is the most common and universally useful hoe attachment.

When I purchased a Glaser wheel hoe years ago, I paid dearly to get several different attachments with it. I have tried them all but the only one I really used was the 8" stirrup hoe.

Since developing the Planet Whizbang design, with the 8" hoe blade, I have come out with a 10" oscillating stirrup hoe attachment. In time, I may offer a 12"stirrup hoe for the Planet Whizbang.

I’m also working to develop an adapter fitting that allows the Whizbang to accept Glaser wheel hoe attachments, like the 3-tine cultivator and hiller-furrower.

But The Planet Whizbang wheel hoe is first and foremost a stirrup hoe weeder, and as such, it is an incredibly useful tool!

About Herrick Kimball & His Whizbang Business (by: Herrick Kimball)

2009-05-24T05:27:00.008-07:00

The picture above is of me with a couple of just-plucked chickens right out of my homemade Whizbang chicken plucker, I developed the design for that absolutely amazing device almost ten years ago. Then I put the plans together in a humble homemade plan book titled Anyone Can Build a Tub-Style Mechanical Chicken Plucker. I had 100 copies of the book printed at a quick-print shop. That was the beginning of my home business, Whizbang Books.

Since then, many thousands of copies of my plucker plan book have been sold, and thousands of Whizbang pluckers have been made. Along the way I started making and selling parts to help people make their own plucker.

Building off the modest but tangible success of the plucker book, I self-published more books. The Complete Guide to Making Great Garlic Powder: Homegrown & Homemade Secrets From a Garlic Powder Guru was my next book. Then came the book, Anyone Can Build a Whizbang Chicken Scalder. In 2007 I published Anyone Can Build a Whizbang Garden Cart. Then, earlier this year (2009), I published Anyone Can Build a Whizbang Apple Grinder & Cider Press.

Now, instead of publishing a how-to book about making a Planet Whizbang wheel hoe, I’ve decided to publish the how-to information for FREE here on the internet.

Whizbang Books (& project parts) is a part-time home business. My focus is on providing people with down-to-earth inspiration and how-to information. With that in mind, I have also published numerous other internet how-to essays. Here are links to a selection of those writings:

My Whizbang Squash Planting Secret
Introducing My Homemade Automatic Compost Sifter
How I Plant My Garlic
Making Pickled Garlic Scapes
Harvesting Garlic
Curing Garlic Bulbs
Making Great Garlic Powder
How To Butcher a Chicken
The Fun, Fast Way to Skin a Deer
My Cider Vinegar Experiment: The Remarkable Final Report
FREE Chicken Feed
Organic Weed Annihilation (Any Weed!)
How to Make and Enjoy a Peppermint Zing Sinus Sauna
Whizbang Apple Cider

When I’m not writing, publishing, taking care of the mail order business, or working my full-time factory job in the city, I’m spending time with my family and working on our little homestead here in the rural countryside of upstate New York. We live simply and close to the land, providing many of our needs without being dependent on the Industrial Providers. In time, I hope to build Whizbang Books into a business that will allow me to quit the factory job. That’s the goal.

I’ve also self-published a book which is part memoir and part celebration of the Christian-agrarian lifestyle my family actively pursues. The book is titled, Writings of a Deliberate Agrarian.

Thank you for taking the time to read about me and my Whizbang business. I hope you will take time to check out some of the above links. And if you do, you will discover a wealth of internet writings far beyond what I’ve mentioned here.

Best Whizbang Wishes,

Herrick Kimball
hckimball@bci.net

How To Use The Wheel Hoe

2009-05-24T05:27:00.007-07:00

.
Here is what Eliot Coleman writes about how to use a wheel hoe in his book, The New Organic Grower:

”A wheel hoe equipped with an oscillating blade makes for pleasant work. The operator walks forward at a steady pace while making smooth push-pull motions with the arms. The push-pull takes full advantage of the swinging action of the oscillating blade and keeps its cutting edges free from debris.”

That little paragraph pretty much sums it up. The necessary motion is not difficult at all. In fact, it comes naturally and you’ll develop your own hoeing style in no time. You can see a 30-second movie of the Glaser wheel hoe in use and get an idea of how the push-pull action works At This Link.

Hoeing At The Right Time
I want to make it clear that the wheel hoe with an oscillating stirrup blade is best suited for cutting small, fledgling weeds. Simply disturbing the top 1” of soil will be sufficient to kill such weeds before they get a foothold. And periodic shallow cultivation is the trick to keeping your garden free of weeds for the whole garden season (make sure to read The Secret To Easy Weed Control).

A Solution For The Footprint Problem
One drawback to the wheel hoe is that when you push it ahead of you, the stirrup blade cultivates the soil, then you walk right over the just-cultivated area. This leaves footprints. Each footprint compacts the soil, thus replanting disturbed seedlings. In other words, you defeat the purpose of cultivating—at least in the area where your feet step.

There are two hoeing techniques for eliminating the footprints....

First, with the 8” stirrup hoe, it is possible to walk just to the side of the cultivated section, and this is not difficult to do.

The other “trick” is to simply walk backwards down the row. Again, this is an easy thing to do while working the hoe in a push-pull cultivating action in front of you. Try it and you’ll see it for yourself.

My own garden, now consists of many raised beds (with no permanent curbs—just raised soil—that are 4-foot wide and 50-foot long. Adjoining beds are spaced 2-feet apart, forming a walkway. I use a Collinear Hoe to quickly and easily cultivate the beds while standing in the walkways. Then, when I’m done, I use the wheel hoe to cultivate the walkways.

I do this by making a forward pass up alongside each of the beds while walking in the middle of the walkway. This renders two outside swaths of cultivated soil with no footprints. Then I finish up by cultivating right down the center of the walkway by walking backwards. The only impression on the cultivated area is that of the hoe’s rubber wheel, which is minor.

Now, here’s the best part of this whole thing: I can cultivate that walkway in about three minutes without bending my back or breaking a sweat. Please understand that I can cultivate that amount of area so quickly because I have been cultivating it lightly and frequently since planting, and have not let the weeds get established. If I had not done this, and there were a lot of well-rooted weeds, the job of cultivating would take longer.

Wheel Hoeing & The Black Knight
The oscillating blade will easily slice through more established weeds, severing the roots from the tops. But sometimes the severed weeds will remain standing, just as though nothing happened to them.

It reminds me of that Monty Python scene where King Arthur has a sword fight with The Black Knight. Arthur cuts off one of the knight’s arms, then the other. To this, the knight responds, “It’s just a flesh wound,” and kicks the king.

But just because a hoed weed may appear unharmed, it is mortally wounded. It just doesn’t know it yet. Within a day or so, it will wilt and die. In the event that a large, root-severed weed does manage to re-root and survive against the odds, it will be weakened and you’ll get it the next time you pass by with the hoe.

Bending The Hoe Arm Without A Howron

2009-05-24T05:27:00.005-07:00

.
.
”Parsimony is the mother of invention.”
—Herrick Kimball

When I was developing the Planet Whizbang wheel hoe, I needed to bend the hoe arm so that it would hold an 8” stirrup hoe blade. The arm is made from a piece of 3/16” by 1-1/2” steel.

Lacking a fully-equipped metalworking shop ( I was a professional woodworker for 20+ years), I attempted to form the arm by clamping it in a bench vise, then manually bending and hammering it to the desired shape.

This proved to be a frustrating experience. I completely ruined several lengths of perfectly good steel before I came to the conclusion that, when it comes to bending steel, beauty and precision are not possible with a bench vise and a big hammer.

But I did not give up on this idea of bending my own blade arm. I simply approached it from a different angle. I fabricated a bending form using 2x lumber and wood screws. Using the makeshift form and a 20-ton hydraulic jack, I managed to bend two hoe arms with an accuracy that, after the previous frustration, was particularly satisfying.

If you are too thrifty or too poor to buy an already-formed hoe arm from me (Click Here For Details About Buying This Part) I offer the following photos as inspiration. Where there is a will, there is a way, and I wish you great success with your “from scratch” wheel hoe project.

The Story Behind The Planet Whizbang Logo

2009-05-24T05:27:00.003-07:00

.
My Planet Whizbang wheel hoe is an improved modern incarnation of the old Planet Jr. wheel hoe produced by Samuel Leeds Allen back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. How ol' S.L. came up with the name, Planet Jr. is a complete mystery to me.

Equally mysterious is the Planet Jr. logo, as shown in this next illustration:

What does a logo of the planet Saturn have to do with agricultural implements? Answer: Nothing at all. Like I said, it's a mystery.

But Planet Jr. was once a very big company with a worldwide market. That unusual (but memorable) name and logo was as well known and recognized as John Deere is today.

When I considered the possibility of a unique logo for my new Planet Whizbang wheel hoe, I wanted it to have some out-of-this world, or planetary theme in deference to the old Planet Jr. logo. But I also wanted the Planet Whizbang trademark to have a decidedly down-to-earth aspect. In other words, I wanted a totally oxymoronic logo.

This was quite a conumdrum. But in a flash of pure inspiration, I came up with the idea of a vegetable surrounded by golden Saturnal rings.

What, I ask you, is more down to earth than a beet? perhaps a potato but, as much as I respect and appreciate potatoes (after all, my grandfather was a potato farmer), they do not compare to the beet for visual appeal.

I strongly considered a carrot because, truth be known, I’m especially fond of carrots. But your average carrot is simply not globular enough for the job.

Turnips came to mind. I love the two-tone color of the root. But turnips are a little too obscure.

Rutabagas (known by the old timers as “swedes”) are more obscure than turnips but they are probably the one root crop that looks most like a planet than any other. Nevertheless, rutabagas are not nearly as recognizable (or respected) as the beet.

Radishes? Well, radishes are certainly earthy. But it’s hard for me to take radishes seriously.

And so it was that I chose a lovely beet with its delightful red-veined green foliage and, of course, the Saturnal rings.

When I first showed my wife the new Planet Whizbang logo, she was speechless. I watched her face intently for some clue to her thoughts. I sensed a hint of a smile as she finally mumbled: “It’s a nice looking beet.” I took that as affirmation of the “rightness” of the design.

Later, my wife made some comment about “that beet with a halo.” I immediately corrected her: “That’s not a beet with a halo. Those are Golden Saturnal Rings!”

I wonder what S.L. Allen’s wife thought of the name “Planet Jr.” and his planet Saturn logo?

Whatever the case, let me make it clear now and for future generations that there is no symbolism or hidden meanings in the Planet Whizbang logo. It is simply a whimsical variation of a unique old trademark. In the end, I can tell you that I settled on this new logo for the same reason I like old-time banjo music.....it makes me smile.

In time, maybe I’ll come out with a whole line of products sporting the Planet Whizbang logo—hats, coffee mugs, shirts, beach towels, boxer shorts..... Why not?

============================

Note: The “Planet Whizbang” name is a trademark established on 2 March 2009. All rights to this name are fully owned by Herrick Kimball of Moravia, NY. The Planet Whizbang logo of a green-leafed red beet encircled by golden Saturnal rings is a trademark established on 28 May 2009. All rights to this image are the property of Herrick Kimball of Moravia, N.Y.

You Can Be A Planet Whizbang Pioneer

2009-05-24T05:27:00.001-07:00

.
I am launching the Planet Whizbang wheel hoe in the spring of 2009 with an initial production run of 250 Hoe Parts Kits. To commemorate this historic event and have some fun with the occasion, I am issuing a very official Planet Whizbang Pioneer Certificate to those people who purchase one of these very first 250 hoes. Here’s a picture of one of the certificates:

As you can see, this official certificate is beautifully designed and features the exciting new Planet Whizbang logo of a fresh beet encircled with golden Saturnal rings. This is one of those bits of ephemera that is destined to be a sought-after agrarian collectible of the future!

Ownership of one of these numbered certificates will be your proof of membership in the exclusive community of down-to-earth Planet Whizbang folks.

But wait. That’s not all..... Every Planet Whizbang Pioneer will, upon being issued their personalized certificate, be authorized to use the honorable abbreviated suffix of P.W.P. after their name on all official and unofficial documents.

So that’s what being a Planet Whizbang Pioneer is all about. Don’t let this one-time opportunity to be a part of history pass you buy. Order a Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe Parts Kit today.

Update: March 2011

The first 250 Planet Whizbang wheel hoes have now been sold. My sincere thanks and hearty congratulations go out to all the Planet Whizbang Pioneers!

Yes, I Ship Wheel Hoe Kits All Over The World

2009-05-24T05:26:00.007-07:00

.
The Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe Metal Parts Kit will fit in a U.S. post office Flat Rate International Priority Mail box, and that makes it easy to ship the kits almost anywhere in the world. Typical delivery time is 6 to 10 business days. Below are the different options with prices and easy-click PayPal ordering buttons.

SHIPPING TO CANADA & MEXICO
The following options apply to shipments going to Canada and Mexico. For other countries, scroll further down the page.

Option #1
(to Canada & Mexico)
Planet Whizbang Metal Parts Kit
This hardware parts kit contains all the metal parts you need to build your own wheel hoe (except the wheel, which you can Get Here). The steel parts are rough-cut so you will need to file away sharp edges and spray-paint the pieces before bolting them together, as this web site fully explains (Click Here To Begin Reading The Instructions).

In addition to the parts, every kit contains heavy-paper templates to help you make the wood hoe handles, as explained in Step 4 of the instructions. Here's a picture of the paper templates:
AVAILABILITY: In Stock
PRICE: $127.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)

Option #2
(to Canada & Mexico)
Planet Whizbang Metal Parts Kit with Spreader Dowel

This hardware parts kit is just like the one described above (and includes the handle patterns) but it also contains a wood dowel handle spreader. Buying the handle spreader with the kit saves you a couple dollars.

AVAILABILITY: In Stock
PRICE: $132.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)

Option #3
(to Canada & Mexico)
Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe Specifications Package

If you want to make your own wheel hoe from scratch, I provide all the specifications free of charge At This Link. But you can also purchase a “hard copy” of the same specifications. This packet of information includes six parts drawings and two heavy-paper handle patterns. Please understand that these drawings are detailed parts specifications, not assembly instructions. The assembly instructions (with lots of photos) are all on this web site.

AVAILABILITY: In Stock
PRICE: $14.95 (cost of shipping is included in price)

=============================================
=============================================

SHIPPING TO THE REST OF THE WORLD
According to the U.S. postal service, they can deliver to 190 different countries. If you are wondering if they deliver to your country, contact me by e-mail and I will let you know for sure (hckimball@bci.net).

Option #4
(anywhere in the world)
Planet Whizbang Metal Parts Kit
This hardware parts kit contains all the metal parts you need to build your own wheel hoe (except the wheel, which you can Get Here). The steel parts are rough-cut so you will need to file away sharp edges and spray-paint the pieces before bolting them together, as this web site fully explains (Click Here To Begin Reading The Instructions).

In addition to the parts, every kit contains heavy-paper templates to help you make the wood hoe handles, as explained in Step 4 of the instructions. Here's a picture of the paper templates:

AVAILABILITY: In Stock
PRICE: $145.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)

Option #5
(anywhere in the world)
Planet Whizbang Metal Parts Kit with Spreader Dowel

This hardware parts kit is just like the one described previously (and includes the handle patterns) but it also contains a wood dowel handle spreader. Buying the handle spreader with the kit saves you a couple bucks.

AVAILABILITY: In Stock
PRICE: $150.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)

Option #6
(anywhere in the world)
The Specifications Package

If you want to make your own wheel hoe from scratch, I provide all the specifications free of charge At This Link. But you can also purchase a “hard copy” of the same specifications. This packet of information includes six parts drawings and two heavy-paper handle patterns. Please understand that these drawings are detailed parts specifications, not assembly instructions. The assembly instructions (with lots of photos) are all on this web site.

AVAILABILITY: In Stock
PRICE: $26.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)

Don’t Waste Your Money On High-Wheel Hoes!

2009-05-24T05:26:00.005-07:00

Eliot Coleman is a well known and widely respected gardener who has written some excellent books. In The New Organic Grower (pictured above) he says this about modern wheel hoe designs (like the Planet Whizbang) compared to the old wheel hoe designs (like the Planet Jr):

” In recent years improvements have been made to this reliable tool. The heavy metal wheel of the old model, with its crude bushing, has been replaced by a lightweight rubber wheel with ball bearings. The original cultivating knives have been replaced by a far more efficient oscillating stirrup hoe, which has a hinged action and cuts on both the forward and backward strokes. When combined, these improvements result in the most efficient implement yet designed for extensive garden cultivation.”

Mr. Coleman also gives his opinion of large-wheel wheel hoes (like shown in the picture at the bottom of this page) vs small-wheel wheel hoes (like the Planet Whizbang). Here is what Coleman says on this subject:

”The truth of the matter is that the design of the large-diameter wheel hoe is faulty. Human power is limited and it shouldn’t be wasted. In a well-designed tool, the force exerted by the operator is transferred directly to the working part. In the case of a wheel hoe, the working part is the soil-engaging tool, not the wheel. The low-wheel design transfers force much more efficiently that the high-wheel model.”

”The small-wheel model obviously allows the most efficient and direct transfer of force from the operator to the hoeing tool. Because the force is direct, a much higher percentage of the effort is applied to the cultivating blade. A further disadvantage of the high-wheel hoe is that a forward force is being used to manipulate a rear-mounted implement, thus causing torsional (twisting) forces to come into play that put even more strain on the operator. In sum, the low-wheel hoe is more accurate (easier to direct), less tiring (no force is wasted), and less cumbersome to use.”

I can relate to everything Eliot Coleman says about low-wheel vs high-wheel hoes because when I was just a teenager (30+ years ago) I got an old high-wheel hoe with a tine cultivator attachment. I outfitted it with some pine handles and used the tool quite a bit. I remember it being awkward to work with. But, years later, when I bought and used a low-wheel hoe with an oscillating stirrup blade, I had some perspective. I knew immediately that the low-wheel unit was superior to the high-wheel in every respect. Don’t waste your time and your money with those high-wheel hoes!

Here’s a current picture of that old high-wheel cultivator I had when I was a kid:

Get Your Planet WhizbangHoe Parts Here(or the specifications package)

2009-05-24T05:26:00.003-07:00

This web site gives you the information you need to build a Planet Whizbang wheel hoe from scratch, without the need to buy anything sold below. But if you are not skilled with working metal and wood, or you just want to save time, you can purchase the following parts right now with a few clicks of your mouse. You can also Print Off This Order Form and mail your order in.
.

When you order hoe parts, you are purchasing directly from Herrick Kimball, the guy who developed the Planet Whizbang wheel hoe and created this web site. I have been selling plan books and project parts on the internet for several years. Click Here To Read More About Me & My Whizbang Business.

Please Note There is no extra cost for shipping these parts. All prices below include the cost of shipping.

Planet Whizbang
Hardware Parts Kit

This hardware parts kit contains all the metal parts you need to build your own wheel hoe (except the wheel, which you can Get Here). The steel parts are rough-cut so you will need to file away sharp edges and spray-paint the pieces before bolting them together, as this web site fully explains (Click Here To Begin Reading The Instructions).

In addition to the parts, every kit contains heavy-paper templates to help you make the wood hoe handles, as explained in Step 4 of the instructions. Here's a picture of the paper templates (one is for pine handles and the other for hardwood handles):
.

The kit will be shipped to you in a Priority Mail box and the cost of shipping is included in the price given below.

AVAILABILITY: In Stock & Ready To Ship

(Significantly Reduced Price For A Limited Time)

PRICE: $99.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)

Planet Whizbang
Hardware Parts Kit with

Wood Handle Spreader Dowel

This hardware parts kit is just like the one described above but it also included a wood dowel handle spreader. Buying the handle spreader with the kit saves you a couple bucks.

AVAILABILITY: In Stock & Ready To Ship

(Significantly Reduced Price For a Limited Time)

PRICE: $104.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)

Planet Whizbang
Handle Spreader Dowel

Step 4 of the instructions tells you how to make your own wood hoe handles and how to make the necessary wood dowel handle spreader. But you can purchase a spreader dowel right here and save yourself the trouble of making one.

These spreader dowels are made of unfinished ramin, which is a strong, straight-grained tropical hardwood.

AVAILABILITY: In Stock & Ready to Ship
PRICE: $9.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)
Note: These are cheaper in quantity.

Planet Whizbang
Ash Handle Set

Step 4 of the instructions tells you exactly how to make your own inexpensive wheel hoe handles. Or you can just buy a set of handles from me right here and now. The handles I sell are not inexpensive, but you will be hard pressed to find better quality.

Please note that the handles I sell are sized to accommodate people of average height. Click Here For More Information About Handle Sizing

These handles are made of 7/8” thick seasoned ash. Two handles and an ash spreader dowel are included in the set. I have gone to the trouble of precisely drilling the handles for the bolts and spreader dowel, so you don’t have to do any of that. You will, however, need to give these handles a coating of wood sealer (i.e., boiled linseed oil). Prior to applying the preservative, you may want to sand the handles a bit. They are already sanded good enough for an outdoor tool handle but some people will want to give the handles a little more smoothing.

AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $75.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)
Note: Handle sets are shipped by UPS

8” Spring Steel Hoe Blade

The Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe Parts Kit (shown at the top of this page) includes one of these incredibly durable spring steel hoe blades with chamfer-sharpened edges, and under normal conditions the blade will last you for years. But if you are making your own hoe form scratch, or you just want to have a spare blade on hand, you can order one or more right now. Each blade comes with the attachment hardware, as shown in the picture.

AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $23.00 each (cost of shipping is included in price)

8” Hoe Arm
With Spring Steel Blade

Both of these items are included in the metal parts kit but you from-scratch hoe makers can purchase just the parts, as shown in the picture.

AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $49.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)

10" Hoe Arm
With Spring Steel Blade

This 10" oscillating blade arm and blade gives you an extra 2" of cultivating width. But you should be aware that the extra width amounts to a little extra drag on the tool. In other words, hoeing is not as easy with a 10" blade as it is with the "standard issue" 8" blade. Unlike with the 8" arm and blade above, this hoe arm is powder-painted bright red.
AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $55.00 (cost of shipping is included in price)

Planet Whizbang
Specifications Packet

If you want to make your own wheel hoe from scratch, and would like more specific details than this web site provides, you can purchase a wheel hoe parts specifications packet. The information packet includes seven parts drawings and two heavy-paper handle patterns. Please understand that these drawings are detailed parts specifications, not assembly instructions. The assembly instructions (with lots of photos) are all on this web site.

AVAILABILITY: In stock & ready to ship
PRICE: $14.95 (cost of shipping is included in price)

.....

Here's A Whizbang Mail-In Order Form For Hoe Parts

2009-05-24T05:26:00.001-07:00

If you would like to order Planet Whizbang wheel hoe parts by mail with a check or money order, just print a copy of this page, checkmark or circle the items you are ordering, make notes in the margins if needed, and send it along to:

Whizbang Books
P.O. Box 1117
Moravia, N.Y. 13118

Sales Tax
If you are a New York state resident, please include 8% sales tax. If your purchase is agriculture tax exempt, include the exemption paperwork with your order.

Shipping Information
If you live in the continental United States, there is NO ADDED COST FOR SHIPPING. All prices below include shipping. I send the Specifications Packet by first class. Other parts are typically shipped in a Priority Mail box.

Your Mailing Address Please...
NAME:_________________________________
ADDRESS:______________________________
TOWN:_________________________________
STATE:_________________
ZIP:____________________
PHONE:_________________
E-MAIL_________________

CLICK HERE to see pictures and descriptions of each of the following parts.

PLANET WHIZBANG PARTS KITS
[ ] Planet Whizbang Hardware Parts Kit
Price: $119.95
[ ] Planet Whizbang Hardware Parts Kit
(With Wood Dowel Handle Spreader)
Price: $124.95
INDIVIDUAL PARTS
[ ] Planet Whizbang Ash Handle Set
(includes ash dowel handle spreader)
Price: $75.00
[ ] 8" Spring Steel How Blade
(with attachment hardware)
Price: $23.00
[ ] 8" Hoe Arm With Spring Steel Blade
Price: $59.00
[ ] Wood Dowel Handle Spreader
Price: $9.00
[ ] Planet Whizbang Specifications Package
Price: $12.95

Questions?
Please e-mail me if you have any questions about products, pricing, or ordering any of the items on this order form: hckimball@bci.net

S. L. Allen & Planet Jr.

2009-05-24T05:25:00.005-07:00

That fellow in the picture is Samuel Leeds Allen. He was an inventor and manufacturer of agricultural implements which were sold under the Planet Jr. trade name.

Allen was born May 5, 1841 into a prominent Quaker family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating from a Quaker boarding school in 1859, S.L. went to live and work at his father's farm in New Jersey.

Young Sam applied his natural problem-solving intellect and mechanical skills to the work at hand. When he was 27 years old he patented his first agricultural tool— a seed planter fashioned from two wash basins.

Shortly thereafter he established the S.L. Allen manufacturing company. Allen was awarded almost 300 patents in his lifetime, most of which were for different farm and garden tools sold with the Planet Jr. name attached to them.

But Samuel Allen's most famous invention was not an agricultural implement. In 1889 he invented a snow sled with steel runners that could be easily steered. He called his new sled the Flexible Flyer.

Allen died in 1918 at 77 years old. The S.L. Allen Company and Planet Jr. was sold off in 1968. Planet Jr. is now a part of history, but the Flexible Flyer sleds are still being made (in China).

S.L. Allen became wealthy from is many inventions and his manufacturing company. But he was also known as a caring and innovative employer. Allen was one of the first industrialists to provide his workers with disability insurance and retirement plans. It is reported that he developed and produced the Flexible Flyer sled as a way of keeping his employees working in the winter months when demand for agricultural tools was slow and employees were often laid off.

I would like to learn more about this man. If anyone can direct me to an extensive biography of S.L. Allen, I would appreciate it. What I'd really like to know is how he came up with the name, "Planet Jr."

The “Secret” To Easy Garden Weed Control

2009-05-24T05:25:00.003-07:00

.
I remember, at ten years old, sitting on a little stool in my family’s suburban-home backyard garden, during summer vacation, between rows of carrots and beets, in the hot sun, picking weeds. The weeds were a solid mass of robust greenery, taller than the puny, sun-starved vegetables they engulfed. I pulled those weeds and left them in great piles behind me as I slowly made my way down the rows. It was laborious, boring work that, before long, left me feeling like a just-picked weed myself, wilting in the noonday heat.

Trying to rescue a vegetable garden full of well-established and overgrown weeds is not one of my favorite childhood memories. Not at all. With such trauma in my background, it’s a wonder that I’ve grown up to be an avid vegetable gardener.

I can assure you, though, that I certainly would never have become an avid gardener if I hadn’t learned the simple “secret” to weed control that my city-born father didn’t know and therefore never taught me.

I learned this secret from other, more knowledgeable and experienced gardeners—people who had beautiful, weed-free, and productive gardens. These were people who loved to garden because, in part, they knew the secret I’m about to tell you.

This secret reduces weed control in a garden to a minor and—Believe it or Not—pleasant routine.

This secret is not some newfangled idea. It is as old as gardening and weeds. But so many people in our modern world are ignorant about the old ways of providing for themselves, apart from the provision of the Industrial Providers, that this technique is no longer widely known. And now, as a result of the current economic crisis, many people are, for the first time in their life, planting seeds and hoping for a bountiful harvest. For many, their dreams will be dashed because they do not know the successful gardening ‘secret” that I am about to share with you....

Here is the secret:

The way to easily keeps weeds out of your garden is to cultivate the soil before you see any weeds.

This is counterintuitive. Why would anyone want to cultivate (hoe) the soil when there are no weeds? Well, because the weeds are there—you just don’t see them yet. Millions of tiny weed seeds throughout the soil are germinating just under the surface, out of sight. They are sprouting and sending their fragile, white, threadlike roots down into the earth before you see any evidence of them above the ground. Each of those fledgling weed seeds has the potential to grow into a moisture and nutrient-robbing giant. The bigger they get, the more extensive the root system grows, and the harder those weeds will be to eradicate.

But all those little filaments, yearning to stake a claim to your garden, can be stopped by merely sliding the blade of a hoe through the soil about an inch below the surface. Such light cultivation is extremely easy to do—when the weeds are very young.

Five or six days after planting your garden seeds, before you see the weeds, you should perform a shallow cultivation between the rows. Then do it again no more than a week later. And again a week later.

A wheel hoe (like the Planet Whizbang) is, of course, the easiest and fastest way to cultivate between rows or down walkways between garden beds. For cultivating in the beds where plantings are closer together, a hand hoe is the tool to use. For cultivating the soil up close to your vegetables, a kitchen fork with a careful touch will do the job quite well.

There are numerous hand hoes on the market. I own several but I’m partial to two of them for shallow cultivation. This Amish-Made Hoe From Lehmans is one of my favorites, and This Collinear Hoe From Johnny’s Seeds is a great shallow-cultivation hoe.

Frequent, shallow cultivation with a hoe will not destroy every single weed, but it will get most of them. You will still need to bend over and pull an occasional weed that grows up close to your plantings. But that is no big deal.

As the growing season progresses, and the small weed seeds near the surface of the soil sprout and are hoed to death, less frequent cultivation will be needed. And as the garden plants grow larger, their foliage will provide a “shade mulch” that helps to discourage small seedlings from developing. In other words, weed control gets easier as the season progresses. But you have to get off to the right start and be diligent about your cultivating.

Now you know the “secret” to successful weed control in your garden.

Site Map(You Can Get There From Here)

2009-05-24T05:25:00.001-07:00

Home Page

Planet Whizbang Feedback

Read This Before Your Buy A HOSS Hoe

About Herrick Kimball & His Whizbang business

Buy Hoe Parts Here

Ordering Information For Those Outside the United States

The Secret To Easy Garden Weed Control

Step 1: The Parts You Need

Step 2: File Away The Sharp Edges

Step 3: Prime & Paint The Parts

Step 4: Make The Handles

Step 5: Assemble The Hoe

Wheel Hoe vs Rototiller

Make Your Own Planet Whizbang Handle Rub

Handle Lengths For Different Folks

Get Your Custom Engraved Hoe Handles Here

Specifications For The Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe

Attachments For The Planet Whizbang

Mail-in Order Form For Wheel Hoe & Parts

How To Use The Wheel Hoe

Bending the Hoe Arm Without A Howron Bender

The Story behind The Planet Whizbang Logo

You Can Be A Planet Whizbang Pioneer

Don't Waste Your Money On High-Wheel hoes

S.L. Allen & Planet Jr.

Customized Hoe Handles

2009-05-24T05:24:00.009-07:00

Now you can get custom-engraved Planet Whizbang wheel hoe handles. Here's the story....

I received an e-mail from a fellow named Todd Macijauskas over in Connecticut asking if I would be interested in trading a Planet Whizbang wheel hoe parts kit for a pair of custom engraved hoe handles. I took Todd up on the offer and, as you can see in the picture above, Todd does a nice job.

Those handles are actually on Todd's Planet Whizbang. I have yet to outfit them on my own wheel hoe. But when I do, I intend to paint the engraved lettering so it shows up better. And when I finally get that done, I'll post another picture below.

Todd's handles are made of maple and they are 3/4" thick. He can engrave your name, your farm's name, or whatever you want on your wheel hoe handles. These customized handles, along with a wheel hoe kit, would make an especially nice gift for someone.

If you have an interest in this, you need to contact Todd directly for details. His e-mail address is: tmmreh@hotmail.com (make sure you put PlanetWhizbang in the subject line of your e-mail).

I want to make it clear that I am referring you to Todd because I think he has a great idea and product. I am not making any money on this and any dealing you have with Todd is between you and him. But if you do get yourself some custom handles, I'd appreciate knowing if you are satisfied and maybe you could even send me a picture. (my e-mail is: hckimball@bci.net)

Make Your OwnPlanet Whizbang Handle Rub(A Remarkable Wood Preservative)

2009-05-24T05:24:00.005-07:00

.

Wood tool handles should be maintained with an annual coating of suitable wood preservative. For many years I’ve used boiled linseed oil for this purpose. It does the job. But a friend of mine (the fellow who makes the Planet Whizbang handles I sell) told me about a much better handle “rub.” This essay will tell and show you how to easily make this remarkable tool handle coating. If you make some of this rub for yourself, you’re going to be very pleased with it.

I want to make it clear that this homemade paste can be applied to any wood handle: hoes, shovels, rakes, forks, picks, and even scythe snaths are tools that will last long and serve you better if they’re given a periodical rub with this mixture.

Personally, I’ve even used it as a waterproofer and preservative on my leather work boots. I can’t say that this is a recommended use of the rub. But it seems to do the job just fine.

There are three simple ingredients in this “Whizbang” handle rub: boiled linseed oil, turpentine, and wax. The wax can be bee’s wax or paraffin (otherwise known as candle wax). You combine these three ingredients and heat them to get them thoroughly blended. When the mixture cools, you have a soft paste.

Since linseed oil and turpentine are flammable, Do NOT Make This Mixture Indoors. Keep the process outdoors where, if something goes wrong, you aren’t going to cause a structure fire. And please understand that when you heat up flammable materials, there is always the possibility that you can be burned by flame or hot ingredients. So use extreme care. Do not make this rub if you are not going to take full responsibility for your actions. Nuff said. Let’s begin....

This next picture shows the ingredients and tools I recently used to make a pint of handle rub. A pint will coat a lot of handle area.

From back to front, there is a propane torch, turpentine, boiled linseed oil, two old candles, a stirring stick, Vise-Grip pliers, empty tin can, and one pint jelly jar.

I began by pouring some linseed oil into the pint jelly jar. The ingredient proportions are 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 turpentine, and 1/3 wax. But these proportions are not exact. Approximations are close enough.

Next I added some turpentine to the jar. I happen to love the smell of turpentine. It takes me back to when I was a little boy. The boat house at my grandparent’s camp in northern Maine smelled of turpentine.

Then I pour the mixture into the tin can for heating.

For the wax in this handle rub mixture, I used a couple of old candles. When I see candles at a yard sale for 5-cents or 10-cents (or even 20-cents) each, I buy them. I buy them because I think I might need them someday when the electricity goes out. It’s always good to have a supply of candles on hand. Besides that, you can use them to make a dandy wood tool handle rub.

You can break up the candles and put them in the can, or just stick the whole candle in. It will melt down quickly when you get the linseed oil and turpentine real hot. The Vise-Grip pliers make a perfect handle.

I should point out here that I’ve also used beeswax to make this rub. I happen to like bee’s wax rub better, but beeswax is a whole lot more expensive than some old candles, and the candle wax works just fine.

[Note: when made with beeswax, this rub makes a very fine finish for homemade furniture—like, for example, on Yeoman Furniture]

I used a propane torch to heat the can up, as shown in this next picture.

Keep the heat on the bottom of the can and get it roiling hot. When that happens, the candles will melt right down to nothing. It will take maybe 5 minutes for this to happen.

That is HOT oil. Don’t spill it on yourself. I used a small stirring stick to fish the candle wicks out.

Then pour the solution from the can into the jar. You could actually leave it in the can if you wanted.

I was concerned that pouring the super-hot solution into the canning jar might shock and break it. So I poured only a little in at first, and let it heat the jar up before filling it the rest of the way.

The mix will solidify into a firm paste when it cools down.

To use your homemade tool rub
Dip a cloth into the paste and rub it liberally on your tool handles (before you do that, though, you might want to take a minute to smooth and clean the handle with a piece of 100-grit sandpaper). The wax will fill and seal small cracks in the wood. Leave the rub on the handle for a few minutes, then buff it with another cloth. It’ll rub down to a smooth, waxy sheen that is durable and feels particularly good in the hand.