Varieties and technical features of the forks for digging the ground
Content
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.
What are
The pitchfork is a fairly diverse tool in its design. There are several types of pitchforks in total:
- garden;
- potato;
- shovel pitchfork;
- spiky;
- dung;
- harvesting;
- for hay;
- floral;
- telescopic forks.
The most versatile are the classic four-pronged so-called garden forks, with slightly curved prongs and a center of gravity mixed downwards. This offset makes the forks comfortable to grip when carrying heavy loads. The shank of a standard pitchfork is about one and a half meters long. They can do almost all garden work for a pitchfork, and therefore it is this variety that is the basis for subsequent modifications.
Forks for digging with wide flat teeth, also used for digging beds and collecting other root crops. The number of teeth of such a pitchfork can be up to eight. Sometimes an additional handle is attached to them at the level of the handle groove, which makes it easier to work with the lever. A shovel pitchfork is a relatively new type of agricultural equipment. They have an additional fixed frame with teeth. When digging, the earth rises with one row of teeth and passes through the second, which allows you to loosen the clods with a tool, and not with your own hands.
Pointed pitchforks have sharp, thin teeth. They can be selected for loosening light soils when applying organic fertilizers. Manure forks have a deeper bucket than others, which allows more manure or humus to be transported at a time. Harvesting forks are characterized by the presence of small metal balls at the ends of the tines. This design allows you to collect roots from the ground without damaging them.
Separately, mention should be made of a pitchfork for harvesting hay. First of all, they are characterized by completely different teeth. They are long (up to 70 cm) and sharp, allowing you to grab more hay or straw in one go. In addition, a hay pitchfork usually has a very long handle. The total length of the tool can be up to two and a half meters.
A curb or flower pitchfork is used to work in a flower garden or in a flower bed. They can also be selected for loosening the soil between plantings.
Telescopic forks allow you to adjust the length of the handle.It is also an imported novelty in our market, but the manufacturer promises a high-quality attachment made from the best grades of steel and a handle adjustment in the range of about 20 cm.
Video "How does a shovel pitchfork work"
This video shows how a shovel or ripper fork works. This type of pitchfork has a great effect on the soil.
How to make yourself
Making a pitchfork with your own hands is quite difficult. Better to at least buy a metal part, and then plant it on the handle. Nevertheless, enthusiasts of making everything and everything with their own hands can find on the Internet and recommendations on how to make a pitchfork. However, you will have to take into account that this is an extremely time-consuming process, and you will need a grinder, a drill for metal and a welding machine. For the first option, you need to choose a high-quality steel rod with a diameter of 10 mm. It is cut into pieces 25-30 cm long, future teeth.
The minimum number is 4, but a tool with seven or eight teeth is more convenient for digging. The teeth need to be slightly bent and sharpened with your own hands from one end. The bar to which the teeth are attached is made from a cut of a steel pipe. Drill holes in the pipe according to the number of teeth, insert the teeth, weld to the crossbar. On the side of the crossbar opposite from the teeth, you need to weld a groove to insert the handle. The shank is made of wood and grinded at one end for easier connection to the groove. After the handle is inserted into the groove, it is secured with screws.
These forks are suitable for digging soil and harvesting potatoes.
It is also easy to make a fork-shovel out of them with your own hands. To do this, you need to assemble another pitchfork, with the number of teeth one less than that of the main pitchfork and a square frame. To the groove for the handle of the main forks, you need to add a holder, to which the square frame of the second forks is movably attached. Due to the movable attachment, the possibility of digging is achieved. But, please note again, these are not forks for harvesting.
A simpler version of a do-it-yourself fork can be made from wire. Cut steel wire 6-8 mm in diameter into pieces of thirty centimeters. Grind off each piece from one end to sharpness. Weld with non-sharp ends on a steel bar, on the opposite side from the teeth, weld a groove for the handle. It can be made from a piece of old pipe.
Shank (a thin bar of oak or other durable wood), grind and grind, varnish. Insert into the groove and secure with a screw or nail. We have another garden pitchfork ready, but because of the thin teeth they are not suitable for digging, but they can collect hay, dry tops, compost.
Principle of use
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 should not be used for digging, 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.
Video "Description of the forks for digging the soil"
In this video, you can hear a description of the soil digging fork (manual cultivator) and see how they work.