General Garden Tool Maintenance
Caring for your garden tools keeps them looking great and working properly. Regular care and maintenance also help them last longer. Here are steps you can take to maintain your garden tools.
- Always clean off excess caked-on soil or grass after each use.
- Ensure that tools are dry prior to storage.
- Store tools in a dry, well-ventilated environment.
- Remove rust with a paste of baking soda and water or soak the tool in white vinegar overnight, then scrub with steel wool.
Maintaining a Shovel or Spade
Dull tools make digging a real chore. To sharpen gardening tools like a shovel or hoe only takes a few minutes. Once done, you'll notice a big difference the next time you use the tool.
The frequency with which you need to sharpen a shovel depends on the consistency of your soil and how often you use it. For instance, sandy or rocky soil is abrasive and rapidly pits and dulls most tools. If you use a tool often, sharpen it often.
Remove dirt from the tool after each use with a wire brush or steel wool pad. You can also rub the tool with a wadded piece of aluminum foil or spray it with the garden hose — just be sure the tool is dry before storing. Make sure the handles are clean and dry, too.
Want to prolong the life of your digging tools? Follow these steps:
- Fill a 5-gallon bucket with sand.
- Mix in one quart of motor oil. (Use the oil that you've drained after an oil change.)
- After using your shovel or fork, stick the blade or tines into the sand a couple of times to remove dirt and oil the tool.
The slight angle on the edge of a cutting blade is called the bevel. When sharpening a tool, try to maintain that same angle on the new edge. Sharpen the beveled edge only.
Sharpening a Shovel or Spade
When working with any sharp objects, always wear eye protection and gloves.
Step 1: Secure the Tool and Clean
Attach the tool securely in a vise or clamp it to a work bench with the top cutting edge facing up. Clean the dirt off with a wire brush. To remove rust, use penetrating oil and steel wool.
Step 2: File the Tool
Using a flat mill file, use both hands and file in the direction away from you with long strokes, down and to the side. Remember to retain the same angle as the original bevel. Lift the file off the tool on the return stroke. The blade will develop a slight shine as the edge improves.
Step 3: Finish Filing and Oil the Tool
Once you’ve finished filing the top, flip the tool over in the vise. Run the file (or use steel wool) over the bottom edge a couple of times to remove any rough spots. Apply light oil when finished. Leave the oil on if this is a postseason sharpening. If you plan to do more digging, wipe off the excess oil.
The slight angle on the edge of a cutting blade is called the bevel. When sharpening a tool, try to maintain tIt’s fine to use a grinder, drill attachment or rotary tool, but they remove metal much quicker than a file, so know when to stop. Over-sharpening a tool makes the edge easier to damage when you use it again. Overheating the metal can change the temper (and the strength) of the tool. hat same angle on the new edge. Sharpen the beveled edge only.
Sharpening Pruners, Loppers and Shears
Pruners and shears are more difficult to sharpen. They often need to be disassembled before sharpening. If sharpened improperly, they might end up in worse condition than they were before sharpening. Use the same sharpening technique as with the shovel and spade. Sharpen the cutting edge only and push the file away from you as you’re sharpening.
Periodically lubricate any tools with moving parts like pruning shears or loppers with light machine oil or penetrating oil. This helps prevent rust and corrosion and maintains a smooth operating action. Do this prior to storing the tools for the season.
Removing and Replacing Old Tool Handles
Wooden handles occasionally need to be sanded to remove rough spots. After sanding, rub the handle with boiled linseed oil to preserve the wood.
When your garden tool handles experience wear and tear or they’ve become severely damaged, give them new life by replacing them. Replacing handles is a cost-effective way to extend the life of your tools.
Removing An Old Tool Handle
To remove a handle, file down the head of the rivet that holds the handle in place. Once filed down, remove the rivet with a hammer and punch, then remove the handle.
Installing A New Tool Handle
If the replacement handle isn't a perfect fit in the ferrule, socket or shaft, shape it with sandpaper or a rasp. When the handle is set in its correct position (with no wobbling), tap the end of the handle on the floor to settle the tool head. Drill a hole through the ferrule and into the new handle, then drive in the new rivet. Working on a sturdy surface, pound the rivet head with a metalworking hammer to secure the head and handle. If the head was originally attached by a bolt, re-use or replace it.
Bring the old handle or tool head with you when shopping to ensure the replacement handle matches.