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A shovel, even in our time of development of modern technologies, is an indispensable tool that will be needed to perform work in the garden and in the garden. The modern market amazes with a variety of equipment for working on the site, so inexperienced summer residents may be confused. We will help you make the right choice of a shovel for various types of work, tell you what qualities a digging shovel should have, and what you need to consider when buying equipment.
Why is it important to choose the right shovel?
If many years ago the purpose of primitive shovels was limited to the need to dig and throw away the earth, now they have been replaced by improved models. With the right choice, a digging shovel will be able to handle the right amount of earth, regardless of its type, in record time. Once upon a time, our ancestors had to process both small areas of soil and fairly wide areas with one tool.
Specialists and experienced summer residents are sure that the right equipment will help save your time, greatly facilitate the process of digging, cleaning the site, planting and harvesting. With the help of a well-chosen shovel – whether it be bayonet or shovel tools – you can cope with the work very quickly, without unnecessarily loading your arms and back. A quality tool is comfortable, functional and durable.
It is made of durable materials, the design has reliable fastenings. Now the shovels can break extremely rarely, as the manufacturers have taken care of the normal fastening of the handle. If you choose it according to your height, you can avoid excessive fatigue. If you seriously approach the choice and purchase of a shovel for the garden, you can purchase not only a light model made of durable materials, but also a reliable assistant that will serve you for many years.
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What should a good model have?
Shovels for digging the earth in the garden are designed for different types of work. If you plan to dig up the earth, hilling vegetables, digging holes and trenches, feel free to choose a bayonet shovel. Her tray is attached at an angle of 180 degrees to the handle, which has a length of up to 130 cm. There is also a platform for resting the legs. The bayonet is made of stainless steel, ordinary steel or titanium. It can have a rectangular, pointed, round shape.
Special bayonet configurations are designed for different types of ground – with a serrated end – for hard ground, with a crescent bayonet – for lawn work, with furrows – for clay soil. The pointed digging shovel has gained great popularity among gardeners today. It is irreplaceable when digging the soil on the site, carrying out road works. A pointed digging shovel is used for cultivating the soil of any complexity and digging planting holes for plants. The edges of her blade are sharply sharpened, which greatly facilitates the digging of the soil. Using a shovel, you can add the required amount of manure to the soil. It differs from the bayonet shape of the tray.
When choosing a shovel, the shape of the blade plays an important role. Given the quality of the soil on the site, you can purchase a shovel that has a rectangular blade – for digging loose soil or sand, or a round blade – for working on hard soil and clay. You may need a special tool, on one side of which the blade will resemble a saw. This will be needed if you plan to dig up the site for the fall, getting rid of weeds along the way. Models of such shovels are specially designed for work with virgin soil and soil penetrated by roots.
When choosing a tray material, its degree of resistance to the possible appearance of rust is important. Leading positions in the market are occupied by specimens made of stainless steel and titanium. Titanium shovels, made of titanium in tandem with an aluminum alloy, have gained well-deserved popularity, although they have recently appeared on sale. They are strong and reliable, have a small weight. If you do not want to change the good old classic steel shovel for a more modern model, then tap on the blade before purchasing stainless steel equipment. For a quality product, steel must ring when struck.
Popularity has gained and “American”. These universal units are a successful combination of bayonet and shovel shovels. The shape of such a tool is a bit like a spoon. Its blade is somewhat concave, like that of a shovel, and the stalk is attached at a slight angle, and not parallel to the blade, like that of a bayonet. Thanks to the design, the “American” allows you to bend down less in the process of digging the earth in the garden.
The height of a quality product should match your height. It is equally harmful to purchase a product with a handle that is too long and one that is too short – working with it will not only progress more slowly, but will also tire you out much faster. A good tool should have a height of 10 cm below your shoulder. Sometimes it can be measured by the location of the bend of the elbow joint.
Tips for choosing
When making a purchase of equipment for performing work on a personal plot, it is important not only to decide on a model designed for a certain type of work, but also on the material and other indicators. For the design, the degree of reliability and service life are important. The material of the bayonet should not show any tendency to deformation or brittleness in the future. A good option would be a hardened steel bayonet.
The shovel handle should not break in the future under the condition of excessive loads. The traditional and beloved wood has been replaced on the market by more durable materials – metal and plastic.
Wood can absorb a lot of moisture over time and start to rot. It is also important to check the junction of the handle with the bayonet. There must be a reliable fastener. The right shovel should have a comfortable handle. It will not only allow you to transfer inventory from place to place, quickly load it into transport in case of transportation, but also help you perform complex work in the process of digging – remove pieces of sod from the soil and so on.
A handle with a slightly bent shape will be more functional than a model with a traditional straight handle. It is very convenient if, with all its necessary equipment and a full range of functions, the shovel will also weigh little. Modern manufacturers have taken care of creating models of digging equipment that will work to the maximum, and at the same time have a relatively small weight.
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