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Stainless Steel
helenskyblues
Posts: 16
I have been thinking about investing in a Stainless Steel garden spade and fork. Would this be a good investment or should I just carry on with the spade and fork I already have?
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I bought a really good , long handled ( I'm 6ft tall ) stainless steel spade from Lidl a couple of years ago for £10 and it's wonderful.
I'd not bother if you have light , sandy soil, but SS certainly doesn't hold onto clay soil the way non SS spades do.
Mine does Hosta...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've got a SS trowel and fork and find they are easier to keep clean. Thinking about getting a spade, but don't use that as much: usually no problem getting a good sized rootball and the fork is better for knocking bits off!
My fork is a 75 year old Spear and Jackson , potato fork and I love it.
How much gardening would they be used for, ?, I have both stainless steel and normal steel, stainless is easier to clean, can't see the point of a stainless steel fork, I slide mine through the grass on the lawn to clean.
Stainless steel is stronger, harder, will not rust or corrode as easily as mild steel and retains it's shape better. If you are looking for longevity then stainless will, always, outperform carbon steel.
Had some of my tools for thirty odd years doing valiant service, and well used we have a large garden.
I don't doubt you have had super service from your tools cornelly, however, the fact remains that stainless outperforms carbon steel in almost all areas. It is, I agree, a case of over-engineering, in some cases, yet still a fact.
When I worked in Garden centres I found that cheaper s/s tools were terribly badly made, so you do have to be careful what you spend your money on.
I generally use my old (second and sometimes third hand ) carbon steel tools, and if the soil is too sticky I keep off it.
Having said that, I bought my daughter a children's size s/s steel spade and fork and they are brilliant to use and I wouldn't be without my s/s trowel. ( the trowel is by CK and hideously expensive but I think justified).