Fork selection

Garden wonder-pitchforks for digging the earth and cleaning the garden plot: how to choose?

Garden forks can be divided into three main types:

• blunt pitchfork for digging up various root crops;
• forks-shovel for digging and loosening heavy soil;
• pointed forks for mixing and applying organic fertilizers to the soil.

When choosing this garden tool, you need to take into account the shape and length of its handle, since the convenience of working with it and its functionality depends on it.

It is also worth paying attention to the material of manufacture of its teeth - they must be made of high-quality hardened metal and covered with an anti-corrosion compound

According to their functional purpose, the forks are divided into the following groups:

• Sweepers are designed for cleaning and carrying hay, dry grass and humus. They have four long teeth that can be flat, faceted, or round. With the help of this tool, root crops are harvested, cut grass and weeds are removed from the site.
• Manure pitchfork 4-horns are designed for cleaning and transporting manure to the beds or flower beds. Their bucket is robust and deep to carry large loads.
• The digging pitchfork is a necessary tool for the gardener, which makes it easier to dig up various fruit and berry crops. They have a straight tooth for easy digging of soil.

Many experienced summer residents also use a pitchfork for digging a vegetable garden, since earthworms live in the soil, which provide natural aeration of the earth. When a shovel is used to loosen the garden, the worms often fall under its blade and die. The pitchfork does not allow this. And damp earth does not stick to them as much as to a shovel.

And some gardeners very often use a pitchfork for digging potatoes, since it is convenient to pick up tubers with their tines, shake off the soil from them and then transfer the peeled root crops to buckets or a garden wheelbarrow. In this way, the crop of potatoes goes to the shed for storage cleaner and tidier.

We make a pitchfork for digging up the ground and harvesting

Now we will make with our own hands 2 main types of tools that will always come in handy in the country: classic and harvesting forks. If necessary, the first option can play the role of a manure spreading tool, and the second type can conveniently collect hay. Thus, there is no need to keep a whole bunch of inventory at home. Let's get to work.

Step 1Making horns.

It is better to buy the metal part on the market, since it is quite difficult to do it yourself. However, it is possible. First you need to find a good steel wire with a diameter of 8 mm and a steel bar with a diameter of 15 mm for the base. Furthercut the wire into 35 centimeters and measure out 30 centimeters for the twig... We sharpen the wire under the cone on emery, the horns should evenly go from 8 mm to 3 mm at the other edge. Next, we simply weld the thick edge to the rod, welding a wide layer of metal with the help of a welding inverter.

Step 2We make the mount.

We take a pipe with a diameter of 45 mm, cut off 10 centimeters from it, and weld it to a steel rod. You can make a reinforcement on the front side - weld on a steel bar.

Step 3Cutting finishing.

It will be easier to buy the workpiece itself at a hardware store or at a bazaar. It is better to give preference to birch or oak, since pine has weak strength characteristics. It should also be borne in mind that digging forks must have a solid margin of safety so that you can dig up solid ground in the fall.Grind the birch stalk first with coarse-grained sandpaper, then fine-grained. Next, you need to cover the workpiece with wood stain, wait until it dries and apply a layer of varnish. Very little of it will go, since the stain has already saturated the wood well.

Step 4Securing the cutting in the seat.

We insert the handle into the seat, turn the tool upside down and hit it several times with the holder on the concrete surface. After that, we take an electric drill, drill a 5 mm hole in the mount and hammer in a nail so that the holder does not slip.

The work can now be considered completed. You can safely take an instrument and go to test it.

Shovel and bayonet shovels

The shovel is the backbone and workhorse of handheld garden tools. The shovel is best suited for handling bulk materials such as sand, fine gravel, and gravel. It resembles an elongated bucket or scoop in shape. Such shovels are ideal for digging ditches or holes, leveling the soil.

The bayonet shovel is more versatile, it has a flat, sharpened blade. It is great for digging, trimming, replanting and separating plants. The edge of the shovel must be sharpened for clean and efficient digging, resulting in the least damage to the plants.

When buying a shovel, think about what kind of work will be carried out with it and this will determine the size and type of shovel

Pay attention to what the tool is made of. Since the shovel will be subject to considerable stress, the materials and construction of the tool must be reliable.

Blade material - stainless steel or titanium. Blade thickness - not less than 1.5mm.

The plastic handle is durable, lightweight, stronger than wood, it is not afraid of deformation. If you are choosing a wooden stalk, it is preferable that it is an aspen. It is lightweight, durable, and absorbs moisture well. The handle at the end of the shaft gives extra comfort when shoveling.

About types and features

So, pitchforks, as it is not surprising, are divided into nine types. Surely few people know about this, but they are divided into:

1. Dung.
2. Harvesting.
3. For hay.
4. Floral.
5. Pointed.
6. Fork shovels.
7. Telescopic.
8. Digging.
9. Ball-point.

Each of these types has its own characteristics. For example, manure forks have only four tines, and they are slightly concave. Due to this shape, fertilizers can be transferred to a container or trolley without any problems. As for the harvesting type, such forks also have no more than four teeth. And their shape is such that it does not allow the crop to crumble during transport. Such a tool can be safely used instead of a bayonet shovel.

Hay pitchforks can have three to five tines and are very long. With this tool, you can easily grab hay. If we talk about flower pitchforks, then they are also called border. The main difference between this type of instrument is its miniature size and low weight. The teeth of the pitchfork are very small and are ideal for cultivating flower beds.

Pointed forks are distinguished by the fact that they have rather thin teeth. Therefore, a tool of this type is used to loosen the soil. The shovel pitchfork differs from all other varieties in its design. In addition to the teeth, they also have a sharp, wide enough bayonet. Due to this, the user in the process of work spends the least energy on the workflow.

Agree, this is very important for cases when a fairly large amount of work is required.

If we consider telescopic forks, their main difference is that the length of their shank can be adjusted. This type is a novelty on the market of tools that are designed for agricultural work. Digging models are distinguished by their strength and massiveness. They are designed for digging up the soil and leveling it.They are also used for digging up weeds and aerating lawns.

The last, ninth, type of pitchfork is ball, which are also known as potato. This type of tool is intended for harvesting, and its main feature is that there are rubber balls at the ends of the teeth. Due to this, when digging up root crops, there is no risk of damaging them.

What you need to know about pitchforks?

Some manufacturers, as you know, offer customers a pitchfork without a shank, implying that the owner will independently select a wooden holder of a suitable length and fit the working part on it.

Naturally, the stalk will also have to be purchased separately.

Sometimes, in addition to the correctly selected material of the cutting, it usually requires its completion in the form of grinding, which is done in two stages:

• Coarse emery cloth is used for roughing.
• Lapping is done with fine-grained sandpaper.

For the convenience of further operation, the cutting is additionally covered with a stain, and after drying with a layer of varnish.

Tool advantages

The question of what is more convenient for digging the earth - a shovel or a digging pitchfork, does not have an unambiguous answer, because every gardener must try both with his own hands, and make a choice on his own. However, there are several reasons to choose the second option. Garden forks are lighter than shovels, at least due to their construction. This means that when working with them, summer residents have time to do more and get tired less.

There is almost no soil sticking to the teeth, unlike a shovel. In addition, the process of digging up root crops is accelerated - the earth wakes up between the teeth, and potatoes or beets can be immediately thrown into a wheelbarrow, and not picked out of the ground with your own hands. The blade of the shovel, cutting the ground, cuts everything in it - the same potato. When digging with a pitchfork, there will be less damaged root crops, and earthworms also do not suffer.

Usage Tips

An agricultural pitchfork can be used on site instead of a shovel, and in some cases this replacement will be much more beneficial. The reason for this is the ability to dig up the soil without damaging the earthworms, which help to make it lighter by providing aeration. They often die from shovels when they are cut, and miracle pitchforks can minimize such a negative impact.

Forks can be used in almost every process that is done on the ground. A correctly chosen tool will allow you to work quickly, and competent use will help you not to waste extra energy. If you need to process a small piece of land, you should choose a small pitchfork; for larger dimensions, you will need a more massive tool.

For forks for digging a garden plot, see the next video.

The correct use of the forks makes all gardening tasks much easier. First of all, we are talking about the teeth, their strength should correspond to the task. Forks with thin teeth for digging should not be used, since at best it will be possible to achieve only slight aeration of the soil, but there is a great risk of breaking or bending the tool.

To a lesser extent, the correctness of use concerns the cutting, but here, too, a shorter cutting is needed for loosening, and a longer one for carrying heavy loads. In addition, a universal rule for agricultural implements: the length of the handle should be on the shoulder of the worker. In this case, a telescopic pitchfork can become salvation, which is perfect for those summer residents whose whole family loves to work in the garden with their own hands.

Selection recommendations

In order to choose the right forks for using them on the site, it is important to know exactly for what purposes they will be selected. There are some of the most common options:

• for digging the earth;
• harvesting and loading hay;
• manure;
• bales;
• rolls;
• vegetable garden;
• potatoes.

When choosing a pitchfork, you should pay attention to the material from which they are made

It is very important that it can withstand all the stresses that it will encounter: moisture, chemicals and heavy weight. Usually quality tools are made from carbon steel or tool steel, which has a special protective coating that prevents the forks from deteriorating.

If we are talking about a simple inventory that removes leaves and hay, then in this case, ordinary stainless steel will do.

Usually, quality tools are made from carbon steel or tool steel, which has a special protective coating that prevents the forks from deteriorating. If we are talking about a simple inventory that removes leaves and hay, then in this case, ordinary stainless steel will do.

The next parameter that you should pay attention to when choosing is the teeth. In simple models, they should be absolutely the same in length, width, and be at an equal distance from each other.

For household needs, the length of the prong will be 30-35 cm, and the distance between them will be from 8 to 10 cm.

It is extremely important to consider the material from which the handle is made. The most common option is wood, which is easy to work with due to its light weight, but from time to time it can dry out or gain moisture and become heavier.

A wooden handle must be properly cared for, and ideally painted with varnish or paint. A more practical option would be with a plastic handle, which is made of high-quality and durable material. The most durable are metal handles, which last the longest, but the weight of the product is much higher, and the price is more expensive.

The narrow forks are ideal for use in the garden or when carrying hay. Large options will facilitate quick digging of the earth, such forks will help to cope with difficult soil without much effort, thanks to the original shape of the product.

How to choose a miracle shovel for digging the earth

A shovel for the lazy (as the described device is often called) is a kind of ripper, because it not only digs, but also breaks clods. This tool does not have a shovel as such, but the differences from the classic bayonet version do not end there. Its handle is much higher - it should ideally reach the shoulder.

• loosening the soil;
• breaking clods;
• "Extraction" of weed roots with minimal damage to them;
• digging potatoes, carrots and other root crops.

Device

If you are interested in a self-digging shovel, then first familiarize yourself with its device and the principle of operation, otherwise the purchase made may not suit you. The miracle shovel for digging and loosening layers of earth consists of one or two strips with pins, which are movably connected to each other. Some models have a backgauge in the design, which makes it easier to dig in dense and heavy soil, reducing the load on the lower back. In addition, the structure is equipped with forks and linkage.

How does it work

The miracle digger makes it much easier to work in the garden or on a suburban area, and the main load falls not on the back, but on the legs (when the forks are pressed into the ground) and hands (when the forks are turned out of the ground). The back is almost unloaded during work, especially since it is in an upright position. Efforts to plow several acres of land (whether it be black soil or another type of soil) will require less than using a shovel bayonet. The procedure is as follows:

1. Grab the handle and place the wonder shovel on the front ripper.
2. Next, bend the forks into the ground so that the backgauge touches the ground. If necessary, push down on the front forks bar with your foot. the soil can be heavy, dense.
3. Pull the hand cultivator handle towards you. This action lifts the forks, passes through the forks of the front stop and breaks up any clods of soil.
4. Drag the fixture back a little, then repeat all the steps from the beginning.

Decide on the design. If you are looking for a less bulky option, then go for a model without a front rest. True, its presence increases stability during operation.

Pay attention to the width of the working section. The best option is considered to be 45-60 cm - you should not choose more, because

this will complicate the digging process and your productivity will drop.

Compost / manure

Compost farm forks are used to transport or distribute humus and manure. Such models differ from the classical design by curved teeth that form a bucket. This indentation makes transporting the compost more convenient, allowing you to capture more product at a time.

COURSE 76991

The welded fork is equipped with four tines and reaches a height of one and a half meters. The handle is made of wood. The work surface is made of steel for increased durability. The model weighs 1.2 kilograms. The pitchfork is considered versatile and is suitable for several purposes: digging, transferring manure and compost and transporting hay.

Pros:

• steel blades;
• a light weight;
• ease of use;
• versatility.

ROS 76992

The four-horned pitchfork is used for gardening and composting. The work surface is made of carbon steel and the handle is made of wood. The pitchfork is one and a half meters high. The 27 cm width of the product allows it to be used for working with hay. Due to its moderate weight, the fork fits comfortably in the hand and is suitable for continuous use.

Pros:

• high quality materials;
• optimal height;
• durable carbon steel blade;
• low price.

FISKARS Solid 1026687

The pitchfork consists of three elements - a steel shank, hardened teeth (4 pieces) and a plastic D-shaped handle. The pitchfork is 1.2 meters high. The ergonomic design allows the forks to be used comfortably for hours. Stainless steel is corrosion protected and designed for a long service life.

Pros:

• ergonomic handle;
• sturdy round shank;
• welded joint of the handle and the working part;
• quality paint.

What materials are garden forks made of?

Each garden plot has its own characteristics. It is not difficult to dig up and loosen soft earth. But hard clay soil is much more difficult to process, but this must be done, since many plants and flowers in the garden are capricious and whimsical and require special conditions for growth and development. Forks made of mild steel may not withstand constant use and are more likely to bend or even break.

That's why for processing heavy soils the tool must have a high strength carbon steel working surface.For soft soil cultivation and fertilization, a tool made of tool steel coated with anti-corrosion paint is suitable. To collect and transfer hay, leaves and tops of plants, you can buy ordinary garden forks with a stainless steel working surface, but they cannot be used for digging up soil or carrying heavy loads due to the fragility of the metal.

Gardener feedback on loosening

On my small plot I grow various vegetables, herbs, there is a little bit of everything. I have always believed that loosening is a very important element of care, as is watering. Without it, the earth quickly compresses, becomes like a stone, and the plants wither, develop poorly. Therefore, I immediately took it as a rule - not to start the beds and loosen them after precipitation and watering, so that a crust does not form.

Different vegetables require different attitudes. For example, beds with tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage at the very beginning of plant development can be loosened deeper, and then, as they grow, it will be necessary to reduce the depth and move away from the stem so as not to damage the roots. And the roots, on the contrary, are first loosened by 3-5 cm, and then we increase the depth as they grow back. Such simple rules help to keep the soil in a loose state, and plants grow on it better, and the harvest pleases! ".

What to look for when buying

After the gardener has decided on the purpose of the pitchfork, it is time to move on to the finer details.

Working part width

The scope of its application largely depends on the width of the pitchfork:

• 120 - 200 millimeters: Tools with a narrowed working surface are suitable for loosening soil near bushes and bushes. Such forks allow you to accurately do pinpoint work on a limited area of ​​land;
• 200 - 300 millimeters: tools with a wide working surface are used for spreading fertilizer and carrying grass or hay. These forks are usually slightly set apart. Thanks to the larger surface area, work gets done faster.

Expert opinion
Dmitry Levin

A common cause of fork breakage is improper use.

It is important to understand that wide tools are not always designed for long-term loosening of the soil. Their teeth break on the ground or become dull quickly.

Features of the teeth

There are two types of blades on the working part of a garden pitchfork:

• narrow and pointed: designed for handling light materials. These tines are convenient for spreading sawdust, manure, tops and hay.
• flat and wide: designed for tough jobs that require effort. Flat teeth handle digging vegetable gardens and uprooting plants.

Special attention is paid to the shape of the blades. Straight specimens are created specifically for cultivating the land, thanks to the rapid deepening into the ground

Curved are used for picking up and transporting light objects (sawdust, grass, compost).

What kind of pitchfork do you use in the country?

Three-hornedFour-horned

The number of teeth determines the area that can be conveniently processed with a particular tool:

• Three-horned forks are suitable for cultivating the soil around flowers, shrubs and other plants;
• four-horned pitchforks are considered universal. They are used for loosening, digging, fertilizing and harvesting;
• five-horned forks are used to carry hay and tops or fertilize the soil. They take up a large amount of material and speed up the workflow.

Working part materials

In the manufacture of the working part of the garden forks, manufacturers use steel.

Which type of steel to choose depends on the task that the tool performs:

• high-carbon steel: used for processing heavy soils, as it is considered the most durable and resistant to destruction. Ideal for clay soil;
• tool steel: suitable for soft soil and fertilizer delivery. The surface of such steel is treated with anti-corrosion compounds;
• stainless steel: designed for harvesting hay, tops and leaves. The material is not suitable for cultivating the land and is used for simpler types of work.

When choosing a garden fork, it is recommended to pay attention to those models, the working surface of which is treated with anti-corrosion compounds. This coating makes the steel insensitive to water and damp soil.

Cutting characteristics

The shank has two significant characteristics - length and material.

In terms of length, garden forks are divided into two categories:

• 1100 - 1200 millimeters: for digging and loosening the earth;
• 1200 - 1500 millimeters: for spreading and transporting fertilizers, forming a stack, drying hay.

Manufacturers make cuttings in three versions:

• wooden: classic design, which is characterized by lightness and strength. The tree has one drawback - it dries up during operation. A varnish coating will help to avoid this effect;
• plastic: stand out for their light weight (lighter than wooden specimens) and resistance to wetting, sunlight and other external factors. The quality of the cutting depends on the quality of the plastic - it differs from manufacturer to manufacturer;
• metal: they are ahead of the previous options in terms of strength and cope with the processing of any type of soil. Used for cultivating the soil and carrying large amounts of fertilizers.

Expert opinion
Dmitry Levin

Some cuttings have a combined structure. Most of the surface is metal, but plastic inserts are provided for ease of use.

What it is?

Since our ancestors actively worked on the land, it was important for them to have the necessary equipment with them, with the help of which they could quickly and efficiently cultivate the land and do any other agricultural work. The most versatile of these devices are the pitchfork

With their help, you can dig up the ground for the garden, loosen the soil after winter, make holes for aeration, dig up crops growing in the ground, transfer hay. The variety of functions entails the external differences of the pitchfork, which have their own characteristics for each type of work.

This instrument consists of a round-shaped wooden handle with a diameter of 3 to 5 cm, its length is usually about one and a half meters. In the lower part, there are metal teeth, which have a curved structure. Their number can be different, from three to seven pieces. All the teeth are bound together by means of a cross member so that the load is evenly distributed, the tool does not bend or break.

The handle also has its own characteristics, it should be slightly bent to the other side of the bending of the teeth, this helps to correctly distribute the weight that will be held in the hands and prevent the contents from turning the forks themselves. In the event that the tool is used for loading and unloading hay, the handle should be longer, usually 2.5 meters. There is also a variant of a pitchfork, which is made entirely of wood, most often they have two or three prongs and are created from a branch that has a fork. A small amount of hay is transferred with such a device.

There are a variety of pitchforks that have balls crowning the tips of the teeth, this is done in order to blunt the edge, which will dig out potatoes or other crops growing in the ground. In addition, it is convenient to load coal with such a device.

There is also such a type of tool as a shovel pitchfork, where the teeth are not round in diameter, but flat, with a tooth width of about 2 cm, which allows you to dig up heavy soils that are difficult to handle with both a simple shovel and ordinary forks.