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With the arrival of spring, it is time to prune fruit trees and shrubs. In order to effectively remove all diseased and dry branches on plants, thin out or form a crown of young seedlings, it is necessary to choose the right garden tools. For these purposes, a ratchet pruner is perfect. What are its advantages, we will consider in this article.
What is it used for
A pruner is for a gardener, like scissors for a barber. It is difficult to overestimate all its benefits and benefits when working in the garden. Depending on the amount of work – dry branches, thick or green shoots on trees – you should choose the type of pruner. Planar secateurs are intended for pruning young green plants. They work like scissors. The cut is smooth without burrs, so garden trees heal faster. Contact secateurs are used for dry branches and tree growth. They have sharper, narrower blades than flat pruners. The cutting movement occurs under high pressure, quite clearly.
Titanium contact secateurs with a ratchet mechanism are designed for trimming the crowns of trees, shrubs, when cutting cuttings or shortening roots. Samurai or Gardena? What to choose?
A feature of the samurai secateurs is cutting on one side. It is ideal for pruning live, growing branches as well as small stems. When pruning branches, one blade works on the principle of a “sharp cut”, which ensures the rapid healing of scars on the tree. The handles on the samurai pruner are rubber coated and gripped with four fingers. A serrated nut located in the center of the tool provides fine adjustment of the blade and anvil. With the help of a ratchet mechanism, as well as a large area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe supporting blade, such a tool can cut a rubber hose.
It is no coincidence that Gardena secateurs are called “Smart Carving”, because the precision-ground top knife makes it very easy to trim even fairly thick branches. When choosing ratchet pruners, it is important to consider that it will take a lot of time to trim trees. You will have to cut in 3-4 steps. This means that you need to press the handles several times, because the spring returns to its original state.
Description of the tool
When choosing any secateurs, you should pay attention to its characteristics:
- handle size. Nowadays, some manufacturers rely on hand garden tools in small sizes. However, when choosing a secateurs, the length of the lever should be taken more, this will provide less effort when cutting the branch. Some manufacturers of secateurs have taken into account the possibility of adjusting the maximum width, which is very convenient when carrying out the same type of work. So, for example, the blades on the garden pruner are at an angle to the axis of the handles, which increases the leverage and reduces the effort when pruning trees. It is most convenient when pruning young twigs, bushes and flowers. The anvil garden pruner is great for trimming old, lignified branches and vines. Ergonomically shaped handles fit comfortably in the hand. The two grip positions allow for powerful pruning as well as fast cutting of twigs. The upper blade, located at the angle of the cutting head, has a precision sharpening and an anti-stick coating;
- the cutting ability of the tool is determined by the condition of the blades, they must be exceptionally sharp. Japanese-made Samurai garden pruners, for example, have high-strength steel blades that provide a smoother and more accurate cut;
- the material of the handles – plastic or wood, steel or aluminum – affects the convenience of the tool as a whole. The most ergonomic is plastic with rubber pads or reinforced fiberglass;
- a mechanism that returns the pruner to its original, ready-to-work position. It is of two types – spring (wire or tape type) and lever. The difference between these designs is the way the handles open. The spring type opens the pruner handles at an angle, the lever type opens in parallel;
- the presence of a latch, its reliability, ensures safety during storage and ease of use with other garden accessories. Important is the convenient position of the lever or lock button;
- the presence of a ratchet mechanism. The ratchet secateurs will help you out where the classic tool can not cope, for example, if you want to cut branches with a diameter of up to three centimeters. The essence of ratchet (stepped) secateurs is that you spend a minimum of effort to cut a thick branch. Your movements are decomposed into three or four stages, which reduces the applied load on the instrument.
Video “Ratchet Type Tool”
What is a ratchet
What is the essence of the mechanism of the device, which allows you to cut a tree branch up to 3 cm at a right angle? A ratchet is a gear mechanism with intermittent action. It turns out that after pressing the blade stops, the spring returns the pruner handle to its original position. A clean and smooth cut is achieved by keeping the top blade in place. All you need to do is press down on the handle of the tool again, and continue these steps until the branch is cut off. Another name for a ratchet is a ratchet, which allows the axle to turn in one direction and prevents it from returning. The main task of the secateurs is to reduce the effort applied while working with wood.
Advantages
The ratchet tool has a number of advantages that make it popular with gardeners. Basically, it is ease of use that attracts the fair sex. You can remove thick branches and knots without deforming garden plants, and without straining your hands too much. If you choose the right tool for pruning your garden, you can protect plants from damage and infection. For small branches, use a pruner with two blades that provide a sharp cut. For branches thicker in diameter, a stronger tool with a special mechanism is needed.
Video “Garden tools: regular and ratchet”
To understand what are the distinctive features, differences and advantages of this or that type of garden tool, see the following video.
Author: Svetlana Galitsina
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