Where is the ratchet pruner used?
The most famous garden tool is the pruner. Despite its apparent simplicity, the tool is thought out to the smallest detail, the ratchet pruner is an example of respect for manual labor. The ratchet mechanism allows the physical effort of cutting a thick branch to be divided into several steps, while maintaining an even cut and cleanliness of the open plane
Device, varieties and purpose of secateurs
When choosing an assistant, you should pay attention to individual nodes:
- The handles should not be too short, because they work like levers, they should have a comfortable grip and a spontaneous opening lock.
- Blades are chosen from hard metal sharp, Teflon coated is encouraged.
- The mechanism for bringing the handles to the working position is spring or lever.
- The best cutter is the ratchet pruner.
Choosing a tool is always a risk. You can trust the manufacturer and buy an expensive product of a well-known brand. However, the brand does not yet guarantee that the pruner is not made in China. It will be safer to turn to an experienced gardener and take his advice in choosing a tool. He has already tried more than one model, and can give a good recommendation. You can read reviews on the Internet.
When choosing a device, you should evaluate its weight. The easier secateurs, the less hand will get tired during work. You can choose any tool for cutting thin branches, but the work of forming fruit trees requires a lot of effort.
For an even cut of branches with a cross section of up to 3 cm, it is appropriate to use a garden pruner with a ratchet mechanism.
Using the device, even weak female hands can perform high-quality forming of thick branches.
How the ratchet works
A ratchet is a mechanical assembly that gears the lever forward with each press. But the lever is connected to the knife, and with each deepening the knife remains in the thickness of the branch, in a motionless state, waiting for the next action on the lever by pressing. The cut can be made in a few steps and will have a flat surface. Thus, the total impact on the branch is the sum of several feasible squeezes of the handle by the user. As a physical definition, the secateurs ratchet converts the pivot-pivot movement of the lever into a pivot. A ratchet is called a ratchet for its characteristic sound during operation.
It is clear that in order to cut one branch, you will need to press so many times so that the amount corresponds to one, but strong impact. Trimming speed slows down, but anyone can do the job. Ratchet pruning shears are more expensive for many reasons:
- the complexity of manufacturing;
- expensive material of manufacture, usually titanium;
- especially sharp and reliable cutters made of hard alloys, often with a Teflon coating;
- the tool is made by renowned manufacturers.
For cutting thin branches, it is better to have an additional plane device.
The possibility of using new and expensive materials for hand tools is expanding. Recently, titanium was installed only in aircraft construction and critical components of the chemical industry. The material is characterized by exceptional lightness and inertness. Titanium tools will never rust, and dirt will not adhere to them. Therefore, the ratcheting titanium contact pruner is the most durable.
Manufacturers and varieties of ratchet garden appliances
When choosing a pruner, the first thing to evaluate is its comfortable hand grip. If the instrument is delivered by courier, it is necessary to discuss in advance the possibility of canceling the purchase precisely on this basis. At the time of purchase, you need to test the cut and evaluate the applied effort.
When choosing a tool, preference is given to forged products, they are more durable.
It is good if the tool steel of the blade contains more carbon, is chrome plated, or has a Teflon film that reduces the cutting resistance. This is how the Grinda tool is presented to the buyer, the handle of which is equipped with a safety hilt. Traditionally high quality Gardena Comfort SmartCut ratchet pruner.
Particularly noteworthy is the product of the Russian brand with production in Taiwan. MR Logo products are represented by excellent quality tools. Premium steel, good cutter coverage and well thought out ergonomics guarantee quality. The MR Logo ratchet pruner is a well-known instrument in Russia.
A quality product has been working in professional conditions for several years. Thick and dry branches up to 30 mm thick are handled by the device with ease and minimal stress on the hands. The blade is made of special high-carbon steel, the handles are comfortable. The straight blade is easy to use. The latch, which prevents spontaneous opening, is locked with one finger of the working hand. Bright colors will always help you find the loss.
The price of the product is on average about 600 rubles. Numerous reviews predict a long life for the tool, subject to the care of the coating. A sponge for cleaning the surface and an oiler for cleaning the ratchet are sold with the device.
Products of "Centroinstrument", a company for the production of hand-made construction and gardening products, are always distinguished by low cost and reliability. The most convenient is the ability to disassemble the tool to the screw. This allows you to change the brought node in time and extend the service life of the device, which has already become familiar.
As there are many varieties of maintenance operations in gardening, there are also many different pruners. There is no universal tool. Each of the devices is designed for a specific job. Therefore, you should not trim thin twigs with a ratchet pruner. For thicker branches, there are loppers. And there is also inoculating, classic models, for pruning roses and others.
Recently, it became possible to use titanium blanks in production. The ratchet pruner Tsentroinstrument was chosen by professional gardeners. Despite its low cost, the mechanism serves for many years. After wear, the tool is replaced with an identical one.
The reviews of the masters are the most positive. A not young, six-year-old pruner cleared 8 acres of a neglected area from thickets to 5 cm in diameter of plants, and only then, a backlash appeared on the retainer, and the blade became dull. This is written by a woman.
There are many reviews of a titanium pruner with a ratchet mechanism from a Russian manufacturer. Everyone notes the reliability of the instrument, but after several years of work, the lower lip begins to deform the bark.The retainer does not always work; over time, the ratchet wears out. The high functionality of the inexpensive tool suits many users.