Rail steel shovels: features, types and tips for use

Recommendations for use

The shovel is not a high-tech product, so many do not find it important either to select it or to follow the instructions for use. However, the manufacturers guarantee a shelf life of the product for 12 months only if these instructions are followed. In particular, they involve adherence to techniques that help avoid unnecessary injury.

To prevent the shovel from breaking during the first use, it is recommended to install it with the blade perpendicular to the ground, keeping the handle in front. With your feet, you need to press the edge of the shovel blade. In order to drive the blade into heavy soil, it is sometimes necessary to concentrate all the energy on this push. Manufacturers do not recommend jumping onto a shovel or pushing on the edges with both feet. If the soil is so dense that you cannot cultivate it by hand, it is better to use a mechanized tool such as a cultivator.

When digging with a shovel, remember that if you move your hands too far down the handle, you will have to bend too low. You also need to understand that you cannot constantly work with a shovel like a crowbar, although the bayonet tool will cope with some small rockiness. It will be easier to chop off roots or perform other similar work if you turn the working part of the blade towards you. This will simplify the task, since if you do this work with the blade turned away from you, you will have to extend your arms too far. You will not save strength and health, and the work will seem too hard.

Care and storage

For a long service life of the tool, it needs proper care and storage. Leaving means:

• after each use, the cutting tool must be cleaned of dirt and rust;
• it is recommended to sharpen the blade in time;
• a layer of technical oil can be applied to the bayonet against corrosion.

Storage:

• the storage room must be dry;
• it should not be too hot in the hozblok so that the cuttings do not dry out;
• the tool shed must be ventilated.

Choosing a bayonet shovel shouldn't be a problem. The main thing is to correctly determine the purpose of the purchase and its type!

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Top Models

The manufacturer "MATiK", in addition to the popular shovel, bayonet and garden tools, offers products of type 2.

For example, a tool for rubble, in another way is called a miner's. It has a sharpened blade, like a bayonet, but with a curved blade like a shovel. It is convenient to throw coal or gravel with the tool, since its shape does not allow bulk material to wake up.

Car shovel, also called a debarking shovel. It has a shorter handle than conventional tools. The working surface of the shovel is similar to that of a snow. It allows you to dig out the car from the sand or remove dirt and snow from it.

The rock shovel is suitable for loose, very loose materials. The tool is suitable for processing large volumes of loose sand, it is also called - sand.

The universal construction shovel can be used for any, including agricultural work. In another way, it is called railway.

For combustible materials that are explosive, an intrinsically safe shovel must be used. It is often used as an ice ax.

Ladies' shovel is a small version of the bayonet type. The tool is used to work in greenhouses when you need to plant seedlings. The blade of such a tool is distinguished by a coating of coloring powder, and the handle is supplied with a plastic handle.

An analogue of a ladies' shovel is called a tourist one. The tool is sized to fit in a backpack. Another name for the instrument is "American", the handle of which has a curved shape.

Characteristics of a garden bayonet shovel

The characteristics and conditions of use of bayonet shovels primarily depend on the material from which they are made.

• The main material for the manufacture of shovels is steel. High carbon tool steel is excellent for garden tools in terms of both wear resistance and toughness. As a rule, these shovels work for a very long time and can be used in very extreme conditions. The width of the steel shovel can be varied, everything will depend only on the goals that need to be decided by the consumer.
• The next material from which a shovel bayonet can be made is titanium. Titanium tools are not inferior to steel ones in terms of strength properties and wear resistance, but they are much lighter. It can also be operated under very harsh conditions without worrying about breakage. Perhaps the only and very serious disadvantage of the titanium bayonet is its high cost.

• Aluminum for certain types of shovels is also quite good for making. Such shovel assemblies are lightweight, which allows them to be very efficiently maneuvered for a long time without fatigue. A serious drawback of aluminum shovels is their low strength and wear resistance. Therefore, the aluminum tool is suitable for very light work, such as loading / unloading feed mixtures, sawdust, light aggregates, etc.

It is customary to use wood as cuttings for bayonet shovels. It is cheap, strong enough, lightweight, that is, it fits perfectly as a material for a handle. But today, more and more often you can find a steel or aluminum handle on a bayonet garden tool. The use of metals as a tool handle is due to the fact that the metal handle can withstand higher loads than wood and, therefore, is more durable.

Important! Many car owners prefer to take bayonet shovels with a telescopic handle with them. It does not take up much space in the trunk, however, if necessary, its importance is very difficult to underestimate.

The cuttings can be straight and curved in shape. The most common option is a straight stalk. However, curved, from the point of view of operation, is more profitable, since the load on the user's hands is less.

The standard width of the bayonet shovel is from 230 to 280 mm, and the length is from 300 to 320 mm. Anything less than these sizes refers to a gardening or sapper tool. Larger shovels are very heavy, and this, in turn, is unlikely to speed up the work.

Varieties

Shovels are divided into types, and also come in various shapes.

For example:

bayonet rectangular;

The companies Alex Diggermaer, MATiK, Zabaikalresurs offer customers shovel, household and digging tools at an affordable price. The products of enterprises can be distinguished by the type of stamp that is on the tulle. For example, in the views of the Alex Diggermaer tool, you can see the letter "D". Russian enterprises use the inscription "rail steel", which is applied to the canvas.

The types of shovels are varied, so you can choose the right tool for any job. Let's consider the most popular options.

Scoop - it has a corresponding shape, since the canvas is located at an angle to the handle. The curved edges of the blade allow you to conveniently clean the surface. The tool can be used to rake out earth, sand, and other bulk materials. The shovel is convenient for auxiliary work, for example, mixing solutions.

Any shovel is supplied with a handle, which can be made of metal or wood. The first product option is a hollow tube.It is usually curved, which makes it comfortable. The disadvantage of the material is that it is cold, it is uncomfortable to work with such a shovel.

Rating of the best models

There is a rating of the most reliable and already proven bayonet shovels. It is compiled based on the reputation of the manufacturer and user reviews.

• The first place is deservedly taken by the tool of the Finnish manufacturer Fiskars. In particular, the Fiskars Solid shovel today has a lot of positive feedback from users. It is a shortened model that fits perfectly into the trunk of a car, as its length is only 84 cm. However, despite its modest size, it copes very effectively with all types of soil. Fiskars is made of durable high carbon steel and powder coated. The handle is made of plastic, pleasant to the touch, which is not inferior in strength to steel. At the end of the handle there is a handle that increases the ergonomics of the tool. In addition, the shovel has an excellent curvature of the handle, making it easier to work with it. Thus, the shovel made in Finland comes first.

• The second place is undeniably taken by the instrument of the Gardena company. Her shovel Terraline could have been in the first place, but due to its high cost it is located here. The distinctive features of this model include a very sharp bayonet made of steel with a corrosion-resistant coating. The Garden shovel has wear-resistant foot pressure pads that prevent the foot from slipping. The handle is made of plastic, at the end of which there is a removable ergonomic handle. The color of the instrument also leaves only positive emotions.

• Truper ranks last among the prize winners. The Trooper shovel consists of three materials at once: high-carbon steel, wood and plastic. The handle is coated to prevent slipping of the hands. The curvature of the shovel contributes to comfortable working.
• In fourth place is a shovel of very high quality from the Kuzbass company. The creation of a domestic manufacturer is not expensive. Literally for a penny, the user gets an all-metal tool that will definitely not break. The blade is located at a slight angle relative to the handle, which makes it easier to work. The Kuzbass shovel on the blade has teeth that allow you to effectively cut tree roots. It is also important that the manufacturer gives a 3-year warranty for the product and refers to GOST.
• The second domestic producer, SibrTech, ranks fifth. The SibrTech shovel is made of high-quality materials. It has a steel handle, which is equipped with a handle for ease of use. The handle has an anti-slip coating. There is also a bend in the handle and a ledge under the leg. The combination of price and quality of this tool is not very bad, but there are many negative reviews on the Internet about the quality of the steel of the shovel bayonet.
• The very convenient and mobile shovel Palisad conquered everyone with its reliability, versatility and small dimensions. It is ideal for travelers and motorists. The Palisade shovel will fit into the trunk without any problems. The only drawback of the product is its somewhat overpriced.

• Zubr's shovels are in a rather shaky place (they might not have made it into the rating at all). Most of the reviews about this tool are positive, but there are also negative ones, for example, many note the heavy weight that the purchased shovel requires sharpening, and with all this, it is not quite a budget option. The Zubr shovel has high strength and hardness, which allows it to dig most types of soil. In addition, there have been cases when, when working with hard rock, the bayonet of the shovel broke. But as a garden tool, this shovel can be used for as long as necessary and without complaints.

Types of bayonet shovels and features of their operation

The classic version of the bayonet shovel is the LKO shovel (pointed shovel).This type of tool has a rounded blade and the standard geometries indicated above. A straight handle with a blunt end is traditionally used as a handle. With such a shovel, you can easily dig trenches or dig up the earth.

• A classic shovel with a straight handle and an additional handle at the end of the handle. Structurally, the tool is no different from the previous version, since only at the end of its handle is a plastic handle mounted, which allows you to efficiently and conveniently maneuver when digging trenches. However, this design is already very convenient for ordinary soil digging. In addition, a fire bayonet shovel is also a classic option, which may have only slight differences from the household type in the size and shape of the blade.

• A classic shovel with a shortened handle and a plastic handle at the end. This option is made specifically for working in confined conditions, i.e. for digging any narrow trenches or holes. It is also great for carrying in the trunk of a car, as the short handle of the tool allows it to be stored in the trunk.
• Bayonet with a curved shank under the handle. This is actually a versatile option that combines high penetration efficiency, since the sharp-angle bayonet allows you to easily dig into hard and bulk materials, but at the same time the grip of this material will be much higher than that of a conventional bayonet shovel. This is achieved by deepening the main part of the bayonet. Thus, this version of the tool resembles something in between a bayonet and a shovel. This solution in the device of shovels came from North America, so the nickname "American shovel" was stuck behind it.
• Bayonet with a rectangular blade. This type differs from the previous ones only in that the edge of the blade is almost straight, and the bayonet itself is rectangular. It is convenient and effective to dig soft rock with such a shovel. With dense soil or clay, a rectangular bayonet of a shovel copes quite hard due to the large area of ​​simultaneous contact.

Note! There are also shovels of increased strength and rigidity. They have additional stiffeners near the glass, in which the handle is fixed

The reinforced version of the tool is useful for dense and stony soil.