Bayonet shovel: structure, modifications, manufacturing materials

Purpose

This shovel used to be called a spade (the accent is correctly placed on the first syllable). It has a flat, pointed shape. The surface is slightly concave, and the upper edge is almost perpendicular to the handle. This feature makes it easier to press on it with your foot.

The shovel is ideal for performing various gardening and construction work. With its help, it is easy to cope with digging holes for household needs and transplanting seedlings, mixing the soil, loosening and digging even heavy, abundant clay soils.

Varieties

There are several types of spade, although they have a single design. Depending on the nature of the work, the following types are distinguished.

• Gardening bayonet shovel. Already from the name it becomes clear that it is used for work in summer cottages and gardens. Unlike other types, it has a more wedge-shaped shape, which is convenient for cultivating the land.

• Military shovel. It has a more elongated handle, which allows it to be manipulated for a long time. A type of military spade can be classified as a sapper shovel. It is smaller in size, so you can take it with you anywhere.

• Tourist shovel. It is often supplemented with a special useful function. For example, the tool may be foldable, have additional attachments or serrated edges.

• Universal. This shovel has a standard shape, so it can be used for any type of work.

Types of shovel cuttings

Using a shovel is not possible without a handle called a handle. The most traditional material for its manufacture is hardwood. The most commonly used wood is birch.

When purchasing a handle for a shovel, special attention should be paid to the absence of large knots, as well as spots of gray mold, which can lead to destruction of the material. In addition, you should weigh the cutting in your hand and make sure its low humidity, since damp birch wood is susceptible to rotting and warping. The length of wooden cuttings can reach 1500 mm, which is quite enough for a worker of any height, taking into account the length of the bayonet.

Some types of tools are equipped with steel tubular handles equipped with a special attachment that facilitates the use of the shovel as a whole.

Depending on the height of each individual worker, it is necessary to select the correct length of the shovel handle. It should ensure optimal positioning of the human body, which will prevent rapid fatigue. The wooden cutting is shortened by sawing it to the desired length. Shovels with non-adjustable handles are selected directly in the store.

The easiest tool to customize for a specific worker is a shovel with a telescopic handle. However, lengthening the handle leads to a decrease in its strength, which limits the area of ​​use of the shovel as a whole.

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Plate material

This is the most basic criterion that you should rely on first when choosing a shovel. The materials used are various metals. And each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• Titanium. A bayonet shovel made of this material is beginning to occupy a leading position in the garden equipment market. To be more precise, a titanium alloy is used. This shovel is quite light, it has a durable blade that does not bend, and the earth does not stick to it so much. The option is excellent, if not for several shortcomings. A titanium tool costs 5 times more than a steel one and does not bend at all. The bucket will not withstand too much physical impact and will simply break.

• Steel. This is the best option if you need a simple tool for a summer cottage without any special technical characteristics. A steel bayonet shovel is suitable for solving any problem. It is sold everywhere and is inexpensive. But it has many disadvantages. This is quite a lot of weight, high adhesion to the ground and frequent breakdowns when bending the canvas. Despite all the shortcomings, many prefer this type.

• Made of high-alloy spring steel. Recently it has become more and more popular because it has a number of advantages. It has increased density, low abrasion coefficient and moderate flexibility. The strength of such a plate is several times greater than that of ordinary iron. At the same time, it weighs only 8% more. Of course, rail steel will not be as light as titanium, but in terms of strength and other characteristics it is in no way inferior. The only disadvantage we can note is that it is difficult to sharpen, but at the same time it practically does not wear off. In addition, spring steel is 3 times cheaper than titanium alloy and only 2 times more expensive than plain iron.

• Made of stainless steel. Perhaps this is the second most popular material, which is preferred by summer residents, if you pay attention to the reviews. Bayonet shovels made of this material are inferior in physical and mechanical characteristics to titanium and rail steel, but superior to ordinary iron. In comparison, stainless steel is a little stronger, more resistant to fractures, and is only 1.5 times more expensive. In addition, stainless steel shovels are never exposed to the environment, and therefore last a very long time.

According to expert reviews, it is better to purchase a titanium shovel if it will be used very often. If the tool is needed for “amateur” purposes, then the best option would be stainless steel or ordinary steel.

Choosing the right material

If not everything, then a lot depends on the quality of the metal.
There are a huge number of grades of steel from which a bucket can be made, but not all of them are economically viable or practical for ordinary country use. Let's take a closer look at all the advantages and disadvantages of buckets made from different materials, and choose a shovel for your dacha based on the advice of the experts. The relevance of purchasing a titanium shovel is high only if your goal is not to save a little money, and it is intended to be used very often. If you plan to use the tool only for “amateur” purposes, then you can get by with ordinary iron, preferably stainless steel.

Plate shape

Traditionally, the bucket of a shovel looks like an oval, slightly narrowed downward. But there are also alternatives that are designed to be used for specific purposes.

• Rectangle. This form of bayonet shovel is suitable for deep loosening of fairly soft soil and removing large amounts of snow.

• Trapezoid. It has a reduced working area, but the perimeter of the blade remains standard. This is an excellent option for cultivating heavy soils.

• Triangle. Blades of this shape are ideal for digging up hard ground. The depth of loosening will be small, but when cultivating the site you will need to apply a minimum of effort. Moreover, the more the plate resembles a wedge, the easier it is to work with such a shovel.

Bayonet shovels

Mining steel shovel LGR (Bor Pipe Plant)

118.28 rub. Retail price: 138.32 rub.

Mining steel shovel LGR-1. The steel mining shovel LGR-1 of scoop type has a wide internal working area, due to which a large volume of soil or other working material is captured.

Bayonet shovel 'AMERICAN RAIL STEEL' S503-S1 K-1

134.41 rub. Retail price: 157.19 rub.

Bayonet shovel 'Bison master' analog Fiskars 39523

RUR 569.91 Retail price: 666.49 rub.

Planting fork ergonomic handle designed gardening equipment, used for planting, cultivating, weeding and sowing, both indoors and outdoors.

Bayonet shovel 'Rail steel' with aluminum handle and V-shape. with a pen

RUR 338.72 Retail price: 396.12 rub.

Bayonet shovel 'RAIL STEEL' reinforced with two stiffeners, S506-1 K-2

129.04 rub. Retail price: 150.91 rub.

height with tulle 40 cm, width 25 cm, tulle 7.5 cm

Country bayonet shovel LD (Borsky Pipe Plant)

99.29 rub. Retail price: 116.12 rub.

Country bayonet steel shovel LD (Borsky Pipe Plant). Designed to perform various excavation works. Manufacturer Bor Pipe Plant Country of origin Russia Shovel type Bayonet Blade length 0.235 (m) Blade width 0.195 (m) Working part material Steel Weight 0.78 (kg)

Country bayonet shovel LD rail steel

107.53 rub. Retail price: 125.75 rub.

Bayonet shovel LKO (Borsky Pipe Plant)

105.38 rub. Retail price: 123.24 rub.

Bayonet shovel, steel LKO-3, without handle 210*285. Description: Pointed digging shovel. Designed for digging soil. Metal thickness: 1.5, hardened Weight, kg: 0.86 Size, mm: 210*285 Packing: 10 pcs. Designed for digging up soil and performing other types of excavation work.

Plate dimensions

Typically, the dimensions of a bayonet shovel bucket are as follows. 32 centimeters long and 23 centimeters wide. This is the generally accepted standard. Of course, you can find other options. But when choosing, it is better to rely on the recommendations of specialists. If comfortable work with the tool is important, then the length of the plate should not exceed 40 centimeters. The optimal parameter is considered to be 30-32 centimeters. As for the width of the working part, it should not be more than 28 centimeters. To minimize the load when working with dense soil, it is recommended to give preference to a width of 23-25 ​​centimeters.

You can find smaller blades (18-20 centimeters in length). But they are already classified as sapper equipment. Larger specimens (over 40 centimeters) are very heavy and therefore make the work ineffective.

Bayonet shovel width and other parameters

When choosing the right shovel for the job, its size can be important. If we consider the handle, then the ease of use of the equipment depends on its length.

Typically, the length of the cutting part ranges from ninety to one hundred and ten centimeters. When choosing a shovel, you need to focus on your height. The optimal length will be ten centimeters below the shoulder.

How many cm is the bayonet of a shovel? The dimensions of the bayonet part usually vary between forty cm long and about thirty cm wide.

The optimal length is from 30 to 32 cm, but should not exceed 40 cm. The width of the described instrument is considered to be no more than twenty-eight centimeters.

It is best if the width is twenty-five centimeters. Too large a shovel bayonet area will grab a lot of soil, so it may break due to excessive stress.

It will be difficult for a gardener to lift such a large weight; he will quickly get tired. The small working area of ​​the bayonet will force you to make more unnecessary movements, which will also lead to premature fatigue.

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Features of the handle

If the shovel is bayonet with a handle, then you should take a closer look at its “configuration”. Modern instruments are often equipped with triangular handles. They prevent rotation of the handle along the axis, which can occur while digging the earth and throwing it out of the trench. This is a very useful improvement, because thanks to this design, the load on the hand is reduced and the accuracy of grasping a portion of soil increases. For example, it will be comfortable to make trenches.

On the other hand, the triangular handle adds inconvenience if you work “on two fronts”. You will have to constantly keep the brush parallel to the plate and rotate it when dumping the earth. This is bad when processing beds, especially when digging up potatoes and other vegetables.

Shovel LShP-01

The LShP-1 bayonet pick-up shovel is most popular among the population, is characterized by high strength characteristics of the blade and is equipped with a fiberglass handle. The handle on the handle has a plastic base with a rubberized surface, which avoids slipping during operation and also reduces vibrations transmitted to the palm. A distinctive feature is the curved blade. Thanks to this, the load on the spine is reduced, there is no need to bend over, and the result of the work is much better than if you were digging with a regular shovel.

Handle material

If a bayonet shovel has a handle with a handle, then, as reviews show, it would be better if it were made of wood. This material has the optimal ratio of quality and price. Metal handles are not recommended because your hands “stick” to them in cold weather. As an alternative, you can consider plastic. Such a disaster will not happen to him. In addition, it is lightweight and inexpensive. But you should understand that plastic breaks easily when dropped.

Handle material

For bayonet shovels, the handle is made of steel and wood. The first option is durable, but expensive. Wooden cuttings are the most common. They come in various types.

• Pine. The most common type of wood. Its main advantage is its low cost. The disadvantages include low density and high risk of corrosion.

• Acacia. This material is 30% more expensive than pine. Acacia wood practically does not absorb moisture and is quite durable.

• Oak. It is superior in strength to the above materials and lasts a long time if properly processed. But such cuttings are expensive and weigh a lot.

• Larch. It is considered an elite breed and costs accordingly. Such a cutting weighs even more than an oak cutting. But it will also have a long service life. In addition, larch is not subject to corrosion, so it does not need to be coated with varnish or paint.

It is not recommended to purchase shovels whose handle is made of cedar, chestnut, plum, aspen, willow or walnut. As reviews show, these woods are very brittle and can fail at the wrong time.

Cutting

Although not as significant a parameter as the previous one, it is still of considerable importance. And first of all, what is important is what the cutting consists of. There are three possible options here.

• Tree

The most common option, since it combines two positive features: reasonable cost and quality. In addition, wood does not freeze your hands when working in cold weather. The wooden part can be cut to the desired length, and in case of breakage, it can be easily replaced with a new one.

The downside is its considerable weight. It is worth noting that wood is subject to natural deterioration: it cracks, dries out, and becomes moldy. Although most of these problems arise from improper storage.

Cheap cuttings are made from pine, but they have low performance properties; such a handle has to be replaced with a new one pretty soon. More expensive products are equipped with handles made of birch and acacia. Cuttings from larch, oak and ash are considered the leaders in strength.

Whatever type of wood the handle is planed from, it is important that the wood is well sanded and there are no chips, cracks or traces of knots on its surface. Otherwise, there is a risk that the cutting will simply break under heavy load.

In some cases, the wood is coated with varnish or paint. This allows you to protect it from rotting, but complicates the selection process: there is a risk that low-quality material is hidden under the coating layer.

• Metal

The handle is made of aluminum or steel. This is a hollow tube that can be of a special shape, and not just straight, like a wooden handle.

These guns are quite reliable. At the same time, aluminum ones are also lightweight. But such devices “cool” your hands in the cold, are more expensive than wooden ones and have a limited model range (only three sizes in length). In addition, the handles cannot be replaced and if they break, you will have to buy a new shovel. And the price for them, as they say, “bites”.

• Carbon fiber

Composite material with excellent performance characteristics: durable, unbreakable, lightweight. But unfortunately, the cost of such a tool is unlikely to please you.

• Plastic

It stands out for two advantages: low weight and low cost. This is where the advantages end, because the technical characteristics of such handles are far from brilliant: they cannot withstand any serious load, they can crack from an impact - in general, they are fragile and short-lived.

It is necessary to carefully consider the selection of cutting parameters. The standard length is 120 cm, but it is advisable to select equipment according to your height: the shovel should be 10 cm below your shoulder. The ideal cutting diameter is considered to be 40 mm. Larger or smaller sizes can lead to rapid fatigue.

In addition to simple straight handles, there are other types. Shortened versions are used for minor operations. They are also suitable for teenagers and those who, for health reasons, are unable to handle large objects. They have less functionality, but are much lighter and more compact.

Curved ones are used mainly for American shovels. In telescopic models, the handle folds and extends, like a vacuum cleaner pipe. This solution makes it possible to easily adjust the length of the instrument to your height. In addition, they are convenient to store and transport.

Cutting length

This parameter is selected on an individual basis. The stalk should be so long that it reaches the shoulder. If you need to work with heavy soils, then it is better to purchase a shortened bayonet shovel. The length of its cuttings may be 10-15 centimeters less than the standard one. This allows you to reduce the resulting load on your back. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to ensure that the handle is securely connected to the plate using bolts or a metal brace ring.

So, the review looked at what types of spades there are, what they are intended for, and what options people prefer. You should choose a tool wisely to make your work easier and save time. An unsuccessfully selected bayonet shovel reduces work efficiency and can even cause harm to health. Also, do not forget that the instrument must be properly cared for. Only in this case will it last as long as possible. It is important after each job to clean the shovel from dirt, wipe it dry and lubricate the plate with machine oil.