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Spring is coming, and this is not only the time of the first visits to the dacha, the first grass, this is the time of hard earthworks, because along with spring, it will be time to prepare the land for planting. This will have to be done quickly – landings are not waiting, which means that you need to prepare a tool. A titanium shovel is just what you need.
Description and characteristics
Conventional bayonet shovels, commonly used in summer cottages, have a steel working surface. It often has to be sharpened in the process of work, the earth sticks to it, this creates certain inconveniences, you have to stop and clean it. After the first day of work, the steel shovel looks like it has worked all season – dirty, scratched. It needs to be stored properly, make sure that it does not rust, but we are all used to such troubles. But then the Zubr shovel appeared, it is made of titanium, and this is its main difference. It has a number of advantages compared to steel, but nothing is perfect, it also has its drawbacks.
The Zubr titanium shovel, which is produced by Ural OJSC, can make excavation easier for the summer resident, even give pleasure – it is so convenient. The titanium bayonet shovel has a pointed blade, its working surface measures 22 cm by 30 cm, the wooden handle has a length of m 1 cm.
Titanium is the lightest of metals, which becomes a huge advantage in the tool, the pointed edge of the blade does not need to be sharpened, as happens with steel counterparts. She can have a curved handle, this is an additional plus, since working with such a handle puts less strain on the back. Although even a straight one with a handle also creates a comfortable stop and leverage when digging.
Folding models are very interesting, they make it possible to fix the working canvas in three positions. On the road, it is good to turn the blade to the handle, in this position the shovel is safe and easy to transport (probably, folding models were invented for this). For work, in addition to the usual position, when the blade is directed in the opposite direction from the handle, and most importantly, it is fixed, you can use one more position: when the working canvas turns perpendicular to the handle and is securely fixed. In this position, the shovel turns into a kind of hoe, that is, one tool can perform several functions. There are also sapper shovels made of titanium, they are with a shortened handle.
Advantages
“Bison”, unlike the one who worked for her, after a hard day’s work looks exactly the same as before. The earth does not stick to it, even wet, no scratches or scuffs can be found. Moreover, it does not even rust, does not oxidize, and the working edge remains sharp and does not require additional sharpening. All this, of course, thanks to the remarkable properties of titanium. Since the density of titanium is much greater than the density of ordinary steel, the Zubr shovel is successfully used on hard soils.
In addition, it is very important that the Bison is much lighter than its steel counterparts, they say, 4 times. This is remembered with gratitude not only during work, but when they take it with them on a hike or outing. True, for such cases, you can take a shovel. The sapper room can also be perfectly used in the garden, it can be convenient to dig in small plants without disturbing the neighboring ones.
The quality of the handle is very important, because with the unconditional strength of the working blade, it can suffer from loads.
For the Zubr, the handle is made of durable wood, it is polished, varnished for convenience and durability. But there is a better, more modern option – a carbon fiber handle, which is lighter than wood and much more durable, a worthy partner for titanium. OJSC Ural makes cuttings with the possibility of telescopic length adjustment. Protective case included. Of course, a titanium shovel with a hydrocarbon handle is very light, and the telescopic adjustment allows all family members of different sizes to use this tool with equal success.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage of the Zubr shovel is considered by many to be its price. Ordinary bayonet, sapper, folding titanium shovels are much more expensive than their steel counterparts. But they are also used much longer, they need to be sharpened much less often – here you can calculate the costs of maintaining a steel shovel, constantly used in the garden or in the country, and it is not yet known whether the price of the Zubr will be just as frightening after that.
A more significant drawback of a garden tool can be the brittleness, more precisely, the fragility of titanium. It can be used in very heavy hard soils, where a conventional shovel would bend, titanium will hold up. But if a very hard opponent is encountered, a piece may simply break off from a titanium shovel. This is already a serious drawback, but you just need to know which soils will have to be cultivated. Uprooting trees is better with another tool, but with a titanium “Bison” you need to dig up a garden, plant flowers and vegetables – you never know the work in the country to cultivate the land.
The lightness of the Zubr shovel becomes its disadvantage when you need to make a lot of effort to cut through the ground, here you have to press more with your foot, which will not make the job easier.
Video “ZUBR folding shovel”
Can I do it myself
Often we want to make tools with our own hands, but this is not always advisable. If you have already decided to get hold of a titanium shovel, it is better to purchase a Zubr manufactured by Ural OJSC, and not to look for it from some craftsmen. The fact is that it is difficult to find real titanium, and it will not work to process it at home, you can only buy it. You can only save here by buying a ready-made working canvas and making a cutting yourself. This can work out even if you want a folding or sapper shovel, but for working in the country you can make a wonderful stalk with your own hands, according to your height and weight.
They say that it is the stalk that most likely fails. That is, having bought an expensive shovel, the summer resident can use it for many years in a row, but the handle will have to be changed several times during this long operation.
Video “New Soviet-style sapper shovel”
