Three steel tines, ash handle (bends but doesn't break). Length 1.5 meters. Weight 1.5 kg. Unchanged for 200 years.
Technique
Forks aren't shovels. You don't dig — you toss. Movement: stick, lift, throw. Skill is in smoothness: no jerking, from the waist, circular motion. Master throws 800 kg/hour. Beginner — 200.
Why by Hand
Tractor with loader — 3 tons/hour. But tractors crush roots, compact soil, burn diesel. Forks — gentle, quiet, free. And hand-handled hay is better: no dirt mixed in, no damp clumps.