Secateurs are a special tool through which gardeners direct the growth of trees and shrubs. If the crown is not trimmed in time, then it can grow excessively. As a result, harvesting will cause additional difficulties, in addition, the volume of harvested crops will decrease. As a result of this, the branches located inside the crown are deprived of young shoots, there is no color on them, and therefore there will be no fruits. If the branches grow at an acute angle, they can break under the weight of the ripened fruit. Secateurs can effectively solve these and similar problems. Let’s find out, how to choose secateurs.
Getting to the tool selection
The most important requirement when choosing a secateurs is the material from which it is made – it must be steel of the highest quality. Well, if the pruner is easy to disassemble, this will ensure the simplicity of its sharpening. Other than that, the tool should do well «sit» in your hand: this way you are safe from the appearance of corns even with intensive work. Well, if the secateurs have a loop-strap that allows you to fix it on your wrist. As a result, you will avoid many of the problems associated with rearranging a step ladder. It is necessary to carry out work with this tool in the fresh air, therefore it must be resistant to moisture.
Speaking of manufacturers, for the manufacture of high-quality tools it is better to purchase products of Finnish, Swedish or German origin. Undoubtedly, in this case you will have to pay more than when buying Chinese consumer goods.
In those cases when the scope of the proposed work will be small, you can assess the possibility of buying an inexpensive model, perhaps you decide to use a domestic product. Inexpensive tools have a simple design, for their blades the most usual sharpening is suitable.
The use of handles improves working comfort. They can be made of a variety of materials: steel, reinforced plastic, aluminum alloys, polypropylene or wood. Giving preference to this or that material, it is important to consider the period during which you plan to use pens. If you want them to serve for a long time, then it is better to prefer a soft, rough material, due to which it will not slip in your hand. If you plan to work no more than a couple of hours, then the simplest pen will do. It is good if there will be recesses for fingers, which will provide additional protection and increase productivity. In addition, this device will contribute to a good grip. Titanium secateurs usually have just such a grip. This information will help. choose secateurs.
How to achieve competent blade sharpening
To sharpen a pruner, you need to disassemble it. The chamfered portion of the blade is used for cutting. It is also sometimes called chamfer. In width, it reaches a couple of millimeters, it is located at right angles to the cutting line. This hand tool is not the most convenient to use, to its disadvantages you can add the possibility of damage to the branch. To improve the quality of garden pruning, sharpen the knife until the bevel is at least 5 millimeters wide..
To achieve this goal on an electric grinder, first remove the steel layer. As a result, you should get an even bevel that can come close to the opposite blade, but not touch it. To refine the blade, you can use any bar. Ensure that the inside of the cutting edges do not stick out. They need to be slightly trimmed at the end of grinding. With the right job, you can even cut paper with a pruner.
Secateurs of foreign production are not so convenient in sharpening. This is due to the fact that their production uses higher quality steel. However, such products have a longer life without sharpening. At the same time, they need more care and compliance with the loads provided by the manufacturer. Using manual secateurs, you can trim branches that do not exceed 25 millimeters in diameter. If you significantly exceed the allowable load on the tool, it may fail. In addition, avoid using the secateurs for other purposes: do not use it to cut metal and other hard materials.
After sharpening, remove all debris from the tool, then wipe the tree sap from it, wipe it dry and grease it with oil. To store secateurs, you need to use a dry place, it is advisable to have a special cover for this.
