Here’s what I did…
https://yadi.sk/a/q-H5nls-tyuok
If anyone wants the recipe I’d be more than happy to provide it.
They are not made for heavy lifting or getting stuff like rocks or frozen manure stuck in between the forks. I find if I am careful about those they last for years. I keep a couple of broken ones around for those kinds of jobs. I do buy the brand name or more expensive ones.
yes this is an ongoing problem.
when I get a GOOD ONE- I hide it from everyone else and treat it like gold :lol:
Another reason to bed with straw. We’ve been using the same pitch forks for years. The handles are nice and smooth like an old pair of jeans, nice and comfy. 
Duraforks aren’t meant to do heavy lifting. They’re fine for sifting shavings, but they’re plastic and aren’t up to some jobs.
I keep a pitchfork for the heavy jobs. I have one horse that creates a “poop mountain” in his stall each day. Nice because all the poop is in one place, bad because it’s too much for a Durafork. I use my regular pitchfork for that job.
I also use my regular pitchfork for cleaning up paddocks, etc.
I don’t know how you can stand the basket forks!
They’re so droopy and heavy!
Our barn has the plain plastic ones, and also these fancy “wave” ones. I have come to really like them as they are a combination of both styles and are very handy! Also, a 5 YEAR WARRANTY! :eek:
http://www.nobleoutfitters.com/products/wave-fork
Try it, you may never go back to the basket!
Agree- I dont like the basket forks. too heavy.
I like a sturdy plain fork:)
This is an old thread, but forks are always worth talking about. Daughter is not living at home any more, so husband is helping with chores now. He is hard on plastic forks!
I have asked around on the Wave forks. Everyone likes them, from being OK to thinking they are great. I am going to get one for him and a pack of spare tines. I can get 8 repairs with replacing the broken tine out of my extra pack. So even with extra cost of purchase I should save money fast, not replacing fork heads at the present cost of $8.50 each. He breaks at least 2 heads a year. I wIll not buy their handle, just reuse the old wooden handle he likes best.
I did come across a cast aluminum fork head modeled like the plastic forks. It has the name Booger on it and I bought one. Seller warned me not to try chunking ice with it, not tough enough for that, but a good daily use fork in all other ways. So we will be giving it a try. It’s heavier than plastic, have to see if I like it to use daily. Fork was way on sale, cold not pass it up to try. I am kind of a tool junkie, trying out new ideas in designs.
I have gone to a plastic scoop shovel for wet sawdust and love it. Ames makes a nice one, but my new one has a metal strip under the front edge to prevent wear. New one feels lighter, does a good job getting under wet stuff on stall mats for getting out the last wet bits when cleaning. I got it at Horse Progress Days for I think $23. I can see about the seller if anyone is interested.
My plastic fork must be a freak of engineering? It’s 20 years old this year. I thought they all lasted that long…?
[QUOTE=DJohn;8783715]
I don’t know how you can stand the basket forks!
They’re so droopy and heavy!
Our barn has the plain plastic ones, and also these fancy “wave” ones. I have come to really like them as they are a combination of both styles and are very handy! Also, a 5 YEAR WARRANTY! :eek:
http://www.nobleoutfitters.com/products/wave-fork
Try it, you may never go back to the basket![/QUOTE]
The wave fork is the BEST PITCHFORK EVER! I have one and it has been great. It sifts very well, it isn’t heavy and if a tine breaks (which hasn’t happened in the year I’ve had it), you can replace just the one tine. The kit actually comes with an extra tine or two, which is super handy.
Plus the fork never gets “loose” from the stick. Worth every penny!
You have to be mindful in how you use the plastic ones. No back-dragging, no jamming straight down and hitting the floor, no prying frozen poop up with them.
I just broke mine a few months ago (by back-dragging, like I knew I shouldn’t) and was able to order a basket head alone from State Line Tack I believe for ~$6.
Now I’m more diligent about using the metal garden rack and heavy metal pitchfork for serious jobs 
I have a Durafork and it’s been going strong for well over 10 years. I don’t know if they are still made as well, but I LOVE mine. Would drive to the ends of the earth to replace it if it ever breaks.
I have two. They are the BEST! (although the metal handle can be chilly in the winter…)
http://www.foreverfork.com/
[QUOTE=islgrl;8786053]
I have two. They are the BEST! (although the metal handle can be chilly in the winter…)[/QUOTE]
Wrap it in VetRap
The sturdiest brand of plastic cork IMO is Future Forks. I began noticing that I had forks set aside because of broken/wornkut handles and saved handles set aside because the plastic fork had actually broken. ALL the good forks are Future Forks. So I recycle the saved handles by screwing them on the FFs. The FFs have thicker plastic at tbe “base” and last longer. I do not like the basket style forks after trying one.
have you seen this one? Replacable tines in a variety of colors(!) and a “sort of” basket
http://www.sstack.com/product/Wave-Fork-Tines/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campaign=paid_search_google_pla&scid=scplp6538231&sc_intid=36251&gclid=CIO0pPqrus4CFdg2gQody7oBeA
mypaintwattie you are correct----if you are putting your foot on the back to the plastic fork and pushing with said foot you are cracking the neck of the fork…stop it…seriously…if you need extra push, push with the front of your upper thigh and hip bone…really…last summer my forks kept coming up “cracked” and floppy and I finally caught a boarder pushing with her foot and I heard it crack as I walked by…the cracked not well balanced forks stay out in the grooming racks and wash racks for boarders to use and I keep my 2 good ones put away for my use.
I wish the Wave forks came in a fine tines model. I currently use the Fine Tines basket fork but it is quite heavy. I’m used to it now and don’t really notice but anyone that covers for me hates using them.
