Treatment and Repair of Garden Tools

Winter is the most suitable time for repairing garden tools and other equipment. Winter evenings are long and there's much more time than during the season when you constantly need to do something in the garden.

Hoes, spades, rakes, scissors, lawnmowers and other garden tools need their condition checked after a demanding season. Some tools survived the season without damage, so they just need thorough cleaning, while others need sharpening or replacement of worn parts. Read on to find out what you shouldn't forget when preparing your garden tools for the new season.

In this article you can read about: tool care at home, what is the key to success, what not to forget

Maintenance and repair of garden tools with handles

Tools with handles include hoes, spades, shovels, forks, rakes. The most common problem with these tools is a broken handle, wobbly handle, splintering of wooden handles... There's not much you can do with a broken handle - you have no choice but to buy a new one.

When choosing, examine the handle carefully. The handle should be knot-free and well-sanded. For comfortable work, the "right" handle length and a shape that fits well in your hand are essential.

Wooden handles are most commonly available, but you can also choose plastic or metal ones. Handles made from ash wood are considered the most durable.

Before installing a new handle, you need to carefully remove the remains of the original handle. Before fitting the new handle, check that the metal part isn't rusty or blunt.

Sand the cleaned metal part of the tool that was affected by corrosion and coat it with mineral oil.

Sharpen blunt items with a file or grinder. Then carefully insert the handle into the treated and sharpened metal part. If the handle isn't tapered, you must first taper it at the bottom. Attach the handle to the metal part with a nail, for example.

After attaching, you can sand the new handle with sandpaper and optionally treat it with petroleum jelly or lard.

Garden tools require careful maintenance.

A wobbly handle can be easily repaired by inserting a wooden wedge into the gap between the metal part and the handle. Wobbling occurs due to constant changes in humidity where the tool is stored.

In drier environments, the wood dries out and decreases in volume, while in more humid environments it swells back up. A wooden wedge simply solves this problem. Sand splintering handles with fine sandpaper and treat them with lard or petroleum jelly.

Sharpening spades and hoes is something of an alchemy. It's not entirely simple, but skilled individuals can handle it without problems. Depending on the degree of damage (dullness), use a file or grinder for sharpening. Minor irregularities or touch-ups can be done with a file, for more significant defects, get a grinder to help.

Before working with a grinder, make sure it is firmly attached to the base and doesn't move. For grinding, use a medium-grit disc; too coarse grit can damage the edge, while with a very fine disc you'll be grinding the tool for a very long time.

Sharpen the edge evenly on both sides.

Don't take rakes to the dentist, you can take care of them yourself.

Hay rakes with long teeth are prone to breaking and wear. Remove the remains of broken teeth and replace them with new wooden or plastic ones. Also replace heavily worn teeth with new ones.

When replacing a tooth, also check the other parts of the rake to see if they're loose or cracked. Cracked parts can be reinforced with carpet tape or other fixing tape.

Don't repair larger cracks; it's better to head to the shop for a new handle, saving yourself a lot of work with constant repairs.

Sharp edges on scissors, knives and axes are the foundation of success

Only with sharp scissors will your work go smoothly. You'll recognize dull blades by the fact that the scissors' cut is no longer smooth, they don't cut through completely, and overall they're more laborious to work with. Such scissors need to be disassembled, cleaned of corrosion and plant residues, and then sharpened.

When sharpening scissors, be careful that scissors are sharpened only on one side. When sharpening, try to maintain the original angle size. The size of this angle ranges from 45° to 70° depending on the type of scissors. After sharpening, it's advisable to oil the sharp edge to prevent corrosion. You can also lubricate the screw and springs.

Knives can be sharpened on electric, mechanical, or stone grinders. Most accessible are mechanical sharpeners, which are constructed so that the sharpening angle is preset, making them suitable even for less experienced sharpeners. Insert the knife into the slot and pull it towards you under pressure.

Most sharpeners have two sharpening slots - one for right-side and one for left-side sharpening. Sharpen the edge with an equal number of pulls through both slots. Sharpen axes with a file or, even better, on an electric grinder. You'll certainly appreciate a sharp axe when splitting firewood.

Don't Forget About Watering Cans, Sprayers and Garden Wheelbarrows

During your winter inspection, don't forget about sprayers and watering cans. Thoroughly rinse sprayers, dry them, check the seals, inspect hoses for damage and ensure the nozzle isn't clogged.
Replace worn parts. Sprayers often have special clips that hold the hoses in place - these can become loose and need tightening. Replace non-functional sprayers with new ones.

Your garden wheelbarrow deserves some care too. Check the condition of the tire and lubricate the wheel bearings. If needed, clean the wheelbarrow of rust and paint it with suitable paint. Taking action against rust early will extend the wheelbarrow's lifespan by many years.

Written by Lenka Z.