Look after your garden tools
MORE and more these days things have become disposable. Gone are the days when if you bought something, knives and forks, dinner plates , pots and pans, televisions, fridges or sofas you expected to have them for life or as near as damn it. Nowadays everything is either more expensive to fix than buy or no longer de rigueur and has to be changed for something shiny and new.
I am hoping that for most of you, gardening tools don’t fall into this category. Good quality garden tools can and should last a lifetime or ‘’as near as damn it’’. Apart from rejecting the throw away mentality hand tools in particular become comfortable to use and familiar with an old friend feel. To change them is sometimes like learning a skill all over again. I have a much loved digging spade that I just can’t shake off dispite that fact that the digging blade has worn away to three quarters of its original length.
Now that many of us are hunkered down for the Christmas and New Year period and when most of your garden tools are also having a well earned rest it is an Ideal time to do an inventory, tidy and maintenance check on of them.
Firstly with any engine driven tools like lawnmowers, strimmers and hedge cutters you are probably best to get them serviced by a professional. Mowers definitely need to be serviced annually and have their blades shapened because of the work load they do throughout the year, even in small gardens. With strimmers and hedgecutters if they are only used for a couple of days a year biennial servicing should really surfice. I would however suggest that you start this equipment up once a month throughout the year to check all is in working order. Electric tools need plugs and cables to be checked and any internal oil if there is the facility. A light rub of the cutting blades with wire wool or brush and a wipe with an oily rag are advisable. Many hedgecutters are self sharpening so this should take care of itself.
Other hand held cutting tools like loppers, saws, lawn edging shears, hedge shears and secateurs want to have there blades rubbed lightly with wire wool to remove gunk from plant sap residue and any rust that has occured during the year. For saws it is safer to use a wire brush for this job and retain all fingers. Saws, apart from chainsaws, are rarely sharpened these days so do have a lifespan. Loppers, shears and secateurs should have their blades shapened annually using a fine grade file or whetstone. Always be careful while doing this as the edges can be sharper than you might think. No trips to A and E over the season.
With digging tools, spades, forks, shovels, trowels and edging irons wash off all traces of soil and allow to thoroughly dry then wipe over with an oily rag. If your spade or edging iron has become blunt you might sharpen the cutting edge with a metal angle grinder. Any tools with wooden handles should be checked for splinters and sanded off if arising. A light application of linseed oils afterwards will keep them in tip top shape. Any broken handles should be refitted with good quality hickory replacements. Always try to store your tools in a dry environment and if possible keep them off the base of your shed or garage.
Wherever you store your tools try to have a place for everything and keep it as ordered as possible. I won’t preach on this as in my garage I do have a place for everything but very few things are actually in that place. This is a good time to make an early New Years resolution clean up that shed or garage and be determined to keep it that way. At least until spring anyway!