Ancient history 101-How many tines on a pitchfork

Where I come from (WV/PA) the pitchforks were all 2 tined forks and my Father (who pitched a LOT of hay in his day) was adamant about that. If he asked for a pitchfork and you brought him something with more than two tines on it you would be dispatched to correct your error.

Another friend who was present during this discussion and grew up on a dairy farm in OH (but never pitched a single fork of hay other than to break a bale up into a cattle feeder) said their's had three tines.

I reluctantly acquiesed that three might qualify (I'm sure Dad is rolling in his grave) and we both agreed that anything over three was most definitely not a "pitchfork". What say the Elders here?

TOH

Four and more light tines is a manure fork.

Four and more heavy tines with D handle is for spuds or some guys like them for roofing demo.

Three or more heavy tines at a right angle to the handle is for ear corn.

jt

I don't care if they have one tine or forty tines I hope I never have to use one for what it is designed to be used for. (Forking hay)!

I already did my share years ago and it still makes me hot to think about it!

Zane

These are what I saw in my formative years on the farm. Had a lot to do with my change of vocation.

Three tined - bundle fork for pitching bundles
Four tined, narrow - bundle fork

Four tined, wide - hay fork for pitching hay, came in various widths.

Five tines - manure fork for pitching bedding and er ah a cow droppings!

Four or five flat tines, short 'D' handle - digging spuds

The wide forks with various numbers of tines narrowly spaced, both long and short handles - used similar to manure fork but to heavy to 'pitch.'

I just inherited the old farm. Most of them are still there including MY old hay fork.

Mr. Webster says, "A long handled fork that has two or three long somewhat curved prongs . . . .

Looks like 3

My uncle, who farmed his whole life in the bluegrass region of Ky. until he passed on in 87' gave me a fork which has three tines. He, as well as all my kin refer to such as a pitch fork

That said, I have seen 4 tine forks that I would consider a pitch fork cause of the long slender tines that aren't suitable for manure or anything heavier than hay.

There are regional differences in tool names however, for instance what is know as a grubbing hoe in Ky., is know as a maddock in Ga.

Down here in Alabama we used to only see 3 forks on a pitch fork. I have never seen 2 on one. I think I broke the last one when I was sticking carp and gar with it. I baled off the bank on about a 50 pound gar and when the water quit boiling, I was holding the handle.

I remember handling potatoes with a flat forked 4 tine when I was a kid.

A barley fork has 4 tines and maybe a different curve to them.

A manure fork had 5 tines.

A silage fork has a bunch of times.

A potato fork has 4 flat times.

Never heard of a two tine fork.

Yours and others may vary.....
Roger in Iowa

Maybe it's a regional thing, with two-tiners bein' more prevalent where excessive cypherin' brought on migraines? ;o)

I know some of my cousins would've been challenged if someone asked 'em to fetch a fork and specified how many tines it needed to have.

I haven't seen a thrashin' machine in operation since my uncle sold his in the late 50s, but suspect there are still some around.

Only place I've seen crops shocked lately, are on that Amish farm along Rt. 15, just below the half falls. I've also seen them using horses and a hayloader to load loose hay.