Stainless Steel Tools

[sandersj89]

Are stainless steel tools weaker than traditional? The reason I ask is at the weekend I managed to break both a digging fork and spade.

First the spade, as I was digging out a diseased Hebe, just using one hand to wiggle the spade under the root ball and it bent the blade.

Then the fork, doing the same thing and one of the tines snapped clean of.

The fork was less than 2 years old and made by Spear & Jackson, the spade was less than 6 months old and by wilkonson sword. Both have 15 year guarantees but as they were both gifts I don’t have any paper work to support this.

I then used an old steel spade and no problem removing the root ball and there were no stones or the like that could have caused a problem!

It could be interesting trying to get them replaced.



Jerry

[peter]

I would say never mind the material, what about the design.
I bought one of those DIY Chain own brand spades.
Looked fine, first dig the blade bent right across, flexed back when taken out of the ground, basically poor blade profile or design.
Still it was only £9.99, what should I have expected.
As for the cheap trowel and fork bought for my son by a relative, hah, plate steel heavily painted with a deliberate weak point (by the shape) at the point the metal entered the wooden handle, they just bend unless you are stirring sand or loose peat.

Replacement handles also seem to be useless these days. I bought one, my mate who is a real dab hand at such things wielded the old spokeshave and we custom fitted the new handle. That was last year, this Jan it snapped clean off at the metal.
Are the original manufacturers handles somehow shrunk then shoved in the metal
Fo example, ever managed to fit a replacement axe handle with the wood on the end completely filling the hole in the axe head?

[Guest]

The answer is YES, they are weaker. Stainless steel is brittle, doesn't have a natural springiness and won't take a good edge either. A clean steel tool will work the soil just as easily as a stainless one. I think the only reason people buy stainless tools is that they they look shiny and they don't have to bother with cleaning them but then I'm an old cynic.
Stick with good quality traditional steel and your tools should last a lifetime. If you brush them off after use and wipe them with a few drops of cheap vegetable oil then they're ready for action again next time that you need them. Veg oil is much better than than mineral oil (car or cycle oil) as it won't contaminate your soil.

John

[Allan]

The trouble is you can't get a tool made the way they used to do it. Our favourite is 40 plus years old, not stainless and no fancy coating but it is springy and takes a shine when used. Look at the side of the blade, it is tapered donwn to nothing at the bottom edge which is as sharp as a knife and wears that way. Excellent multi-function, turfing, cutting up cabbage stalks or bramble roots etc. I wounder if they changed for cheapness or safety, I wouldn't like it to cut through my boot.
Allan

[nog]

The touble is in the old days they sold spades and it was ther name on the product and they were proud of it so were the people on the line who built it.

Now they are multi- nationals and they don't give a damb if they make a loos on one part of the company they make up for it on the finances.

[sandersj89]

Well I have managed to replace the fork at Focus, they dont stock wilkinson sword products so have will have to remember where I bought the spade.

The first Focus branch would not replace it but tried the one near my office and they did not bat an eye lid.

Jerry