How to choose a steel shovel?
Residents of country houses always have something to do, especially on the site. A well-known hand tool called a shovel helps them to dig, dig and plant. It is used both in everyday life and in professional construction work. A stainless steel shovel is a great helper for any summer resident.
What is it made of?
The tool blade is made of a type of alloy steel (an alloy of iron and carbon) that is resistant to corrosion due to the chromium content. In addition to anti-corrosion properties, chromium gives such alloys the following positive characteristics:
- excellent strength;
- durability in operation;
- the ability to obtain reliable joints by welding;
- relative versatility;
- great appearance.
Different types of shovels are made of steel: from gardening to automobile (sapper). Today there are more than 250 brands of "stainless steel". One of the best when manganese is added to the alloy - 10X23H18. It is easy to weld and has excellent corrosion resistance.
Features of hand tools
The main working element of the shovel is the bayonet-blade. Today you can buy garden products from various metals. So, the blades of garden tools are made of steel (including rail), titanium and "stainless steel". The most common is a steel tray. This shovel has a low cost, but at the same time it quickly rusts and has a weak "labor" power.
The blade, made of rail steel, is incredibly durable and reliable. Moreover, it is quite heavy, expensive and practically impossible to sharpen. A titanium shovel can be called “eternal” because of its power and durability. But she still has a drawback: the bayonet of the shovel does not bend and often breaks under severe loads. It should be noted that such equipment is quite expensive.
The features of a stainless steel shovel include the following characteristics:
- great for use in vegetable gardens;
- has a high resistance to fracture, in contrast to conventional steel (less carbonaceous);
- does not rust and is perfectly sharpened.
The disadvantages include the rather high price of the product and the unwanted adhesion of earth to the blade. Cuttings for all types of shovels are in most cases made from wood (pine, acacia and oak). The ideal size for garden hand tools (collapsible) made of stainless steel is 290x205x1500.
Compact yet powerful
For working with hard soil (digging and digging), as well as for preparing soil and building mixtures, a steel bayonet shovel with a handle is suitable. The thickness of its blade is no more than 2 mm, and the length (total) is 1200 mm. This type of shovel is usually made of boron steel and has a strong structure.
The small size of the tool will make the work dynamic and dexterous. In most cases, a bayonet shovel is equipped with a metal handle.
Care and storage conditions
Regardless of the steel used in the manufacture of tools, the shovel requires careful maintenance. Pay attention to the following guidelines:
- after operation, we clean the blade from the remnants of soil or building materials;
- we store garden tools in dry, ventilated places, moisture is undesirable;
- we periodically tint the stalk;
- we keep under control the connection of the cutting with the working blade.
For rail steel shovels, see below.
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