Hammer-Action Hand Planter

Function

A hammer-action hand planter has been designed to plant seedlings in rocky soil. Standard hand planters perform well in ideal soil conditions, but they are extremely tiring to use when the planter strikes rocks. The hammer-action hand planter is designed to absorb such shocks.

Description

The hammer-action hand planter consists of a 3-foot (1 meter) metal rod with a piercing head on its lower end. A heavy slider tube with handles at its top slips over the rod. The operator lifts the slider tube and slams it down onto the rod, driving the head into the soil. Hammer-action planters have been designed with either T- or D-handles for the slider tube, with standard dibble heads for planting container stock, and with wedge-shaped heads for larger bareroot stock or for very rocky soil conditions.

The heads are about 10 inches (25 centimeters) long, but they can be driven below the ground's surface, producing a deeper hole. The dibble is designed to produce a tapering hole between 1 and 2 inches (3 to 5 centimeters) in diameter. The wedge-shaped head creates a cavity about 3 inches (8 centimeters) wide and 1 inch (3 centimeters) deep that tapers to a point. Both models weigh between 20 and 22 pounds (9 to 10 kilograms).

Operation

The hammer-action planter uses an inner rod with a tool head attached. The hammer head and handle/slider tube encase the rod. The operator simply raises the handle/slider tube the length of the rod and slams the hammer head down against the top of the rod, driving the tool head into the ground.

Advantages

Hammer-action hand planters are rugged tools that can withstand heavy wear and tear when used in rocky, hard soil. Much of the shock of metal against rock is absorbed by the slider tube rather than by the operator's arms.

Disadvantages

The principal disadvantage of the hammer-action tool is its weight—20 pounds (9 kilograms). The tool can become very cumbersome to operate after several hours of use.