In fact, the sapper shovel has a lot of advantages. The first basic advantage is the ability to dig your car out of almost any dirt, snow and ice. Even if you dug yourself into the sand, trying to flaunt your incredible coolness, racing along the coastline and catching a dozen or two admiring glances of wheelless but tanned men and women, alone you will be able to very quickly dig a rut for a safe exit onto the asphalt or wooden platform.

In addition, a real sapper blade of khaki color gives its owner a feeling of peace of mind, and all your road enemies - a burning and itching sensation in the area of ​​Sauron’s ring. Just imagine: you calmly get ahead of the frozen flow along the dirt shoulder, so as not to create an already extensive traffic jam, then, without unnecessary movements, wedge yourself into the right lane in front of the overpass and gradually continue moving in your lane. And then suddenly some impudent person cuts you off, abruptly pulling off to the right of your car, jumps into the traffic, almost touching the polished bumper of your “swallow”, and violently moves his thin lips, clearly swearing at you.

Of course, anyone sensible person he won’t tolerate this and decides to teach the road boor a lesson. Moreover, you have a compact but strong sapper shovel in your trunk. So, choosing a moment when the traffic has stopped, you burst out of the interior of your car with sharp, well-honed movements, rush headlong to the trunk, grab a shovel, and then, with the speed and fury of a desert eagle, rush directly to the unsuspecting offender. I assure you, having noticed a daring silhouette in the rearview mirror with something sparkling in his hand, your opponent, instantly losing his former pride, will hit the gas and try to disappear into the aisle, just so as not to taste the sudden gift.

Of course, many will say: “Why do I need a shovel if there are other, more brutal means of self-defense and preventive attack?”, but I will answer why the engineer’s shovel is beyond competition here. Yes, a baseball bat is a kind of classic of the genre, but baseball as a sport is not developed in our country, so the words “I’m going to training” will cause poisonous laughter from any law enforcement officer. In addition, nowadays they can put you in jail for a bat, and when they find a spatula in your hands, even if you are holding it right behind the wheel, they will only ask you a completely reasonable question: “Why?”, and you, without a shadow of a doubt, It’s important to answer that, they say, I’m going to dig Volga truffles in the morning, sir.

Or maybe they’ll ask you: “I want one too... Where did I buy it?”, then you’ll say, tell, show, make friends with the policeman and be comrades until the end of time.

The next advantage of the sapper shovel is, of course, its compactness. Unlike full-size shovels, a sapper shovel can be easily and naturally placed anywhere in the car: under the carpet, in the trunk, in the front seat pocket... In large SUVs, you can even put it in the glove compartment if you really want to.

But I warn everyone who reads these lines: choosing a blade is a serious, painstaking and lengthy matter. This is akin to searching for enriched uranium in the clandestine storage facilities of the Middle Eastern Arab states. After all, you can stumble upon a banal Chinese counterfeit. And then you are destined for a series of pain, suffering and cruel disappointments. Chinese folding spatulas look great, but break once or twice. If you suddenly get stuck in plowed black soil, during a summer thunderstorm, giving way to a colorful rainbow, you will break your folding multi-tool shovel after just five minutes of digging in the ground. And then what? A long journey on foot in search of a nearby village and a sober, hungry tractor driver.

Therefore, we need to look for a strictly authentic sapper blade, from Soviet military bins, honestly communized by a selfish ensign. Come to any indoor market and begin to stare at the ruins of rusty garden and construction tinsel: there are pipes, anvils and locks hanging out, there are sledgehammers and saws... There you have it! A good sapper shovel is a matte green metal blade mounted on a thick short handle. The paddle kit must include a cover made of durable, waterproof fabric with a brown leather strap for attaching the paddle handle. On the bayonet of the shovel you can find embossed numbers corresponding to the year of manufacture of the tool. It is advisable to look for your peer among the shovels.

When the choice is made, you will realize another important advantage of this wonderful tool - its price. Two hundred, two hundred and fifty rubles. The maximum is three hundred rubles, and you become the happy owner of a true friend who will help you out in almost any situation.

The sapper shovel is a unique tool. You can dig the ground with it, chop wood, scare your enemies... Yes, you can even fry potatoes on it like in a frying pan! You never know what you will need on the road, a shovel will help, it will come in handy in difficult times, and after use it will peacefully wait for its next hour.

And now let someone try to say that a mining shovel is not a car accessory? This is the most necessary thing in a car fleet after a pump, first aid kit and fire extinguisher.

We forgot about the cons! But the spatula has only one disadvantage: it is difficult to find, but it is easy to lose it in loose soil or melted snow when you put it aside and try to get out of an awkward situation.

From the editor:

Seriously though, the site doesn't condone road rage or driving on the side of the road, and let's hope this is humorous. In general, a shovel, sapper or ordinary, is absolutely necessary thing in the automotive industry, because only it can turn your car from a hatchback into a crossover for 500 rubles. Or a crossover into an SUV. By by and large, a driver with a shovel is not afraid of almost any off-road terrain, except a swamp, if you are not too lazy to dig. Out of town on an unfamiliar route without a shovel? Yes, you love risk! Well, if it’s a snowy winter, then the shovel, alas, becomes an indispensable assistant even city residents.

Work in the garden is a troublesome and responsible task that requires not only physical effort, but also the use of high-quality, strong tools and high-performance equipment. For manual digging of soil, a bayonet shovel is usually used. But with age, such work becomes beyond our strength: our back hurts, fatigue sets in quickly, and our joints ache.

To make the work of gardeners easier, well-known manufacturers produce various modifications of tools. Among the wide range of models, there is sure to be a miracle shovel that will greatly facilitate work on the site.

Kinds

The classic version is a device in which metal panel there are “forks” attached to it using hinged joints. Translational and rotational movements are performed: pointed rods plunge into the ground, digging it up. When the “forks” are pulled out of the soil, lumps remain, which additionally have to be broken up with a rake.

Improved ripper shovels are models that have an auxiliary element in the form of a crossbar, onto which the same pointed pins are welded as on the main part. The “forks” plunge into and out of the ground, passing through the gaps between the crossbar bars, crushing large lumps into small fractions. The roots of the grass cling to the pins; all that remains is to pull them to the surface.

Well-known modifications are “Plowman” and “Mole”. The first has a length of loosening bayonets reaching 10-15 cm, the second - 25 cm. The latter option is convenient because it plows the soil deeply, catching a layer of freezing soil in the off-season.

In addition to the “Mole” and “Plowman”, the “Vyatka Plowman” model is known, the drawing of which was developed by the monk Father Gennady. Due to his state of health, the clergyman had a very difficult time working at personal plot. He came up with a convenient and simple miracle shovel. Its manufacture requires a minimum of parts, and the performance of the tool exceeds all expectations. An arched steel plate (in homemade devices you can use the main part instead bayonet shovel).

At the end of the pipe there is a pin that immerses the plate to the depth of the soil being excavated. Then a rotational movement is made, the clod of earth is easily thrown to the side with a shovel. If you dig up an area, taking steps backwards in a straight line, a smooth furrow will remain. Potato tubers and root crop seeds are left in it. When the gardener begins to cultivate next row, then the fresh soil will lie flat in the furrow dug earlier. The homemade shovel of Gennady’s father was taken as the basis for similar models that are now produced by well-known manufacturers. Taking into account the physical characteristics of a person and his state of health, it is easy to choose suitable option miracle shovels.

Advantages

The advantages of new designs are that working with them does not require a lot of time and physical effort.

In addition, they are convenient because:

• labor productivity increases by 3-4 times;
• no need to bend down to the ground;
• you don’t have to strain your back muscles when the shovel moves upward along with a lump of earth (when the earth is damp, this is even harder to do);
• Due to the rotational movement of the digging or loosening main element, only the hands are strained, pressing on the handles that are attached to the handle.

When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the weight of a person the miracle shovel is designed for. For example, classic options can be used by people no lighter than 80 kg, since the devices are quite bulky and difficult to move across the surface. But the “Plowman” design is suitable for gardeners weighing 60 kg or more. Gennady's father's shovel is much lighter complex configurations, so it will be easy for a person holding it freely in his hands to perform garden work regardless of your weight category.

Flaws

Gardeners did not find any significant “shortcomings” in the miracle structures for digging soil, but no one can argue with objective facts:

• The “working” grip of ripper shovels can reach 40 cm, which means that in an area where seedlings are planted close to each other, it is a useless tool;
• a loosening or digging device (the invention of Gennady’s father) will not be able to dig a deep hole;
• advanced models are difficult to repair in case of breakdowns, since they are made of large quantity details.

The fewer elements, rotating mechanisms, bolted connections, the easier it is for routine maintenance and repair. Therefore production homemade shovels it is better to start with a careful selection of the drawing, which involves the use of a small amount simple elements. For pointed rods on panels, handles, and handles, you need to select durable, corrosion-resistant materials. Perfect option in this case, stainless steel. A metal pipe is suitable for the handle; you can also use it to make a bar and a stop.

How to make a model of Gennady's father?

Dneprodzerzhinsk resident N.M. Mandrigel proposed his modification of the priest model. Its main difference is that used parts can be used to manufacture the structure. To make a miracle shovel at home, you will need:

• bicycle handlebars - for handles;
• pipe made from of stainless steel– for cuttings;
• steel shovel - instead of an arcuate plate;
• a movable steel pin or with a spring - for easy immersion of the main part into the ground (its height is adjusted depending on how deep the earth is dug).

It is possible to make a shovel in several stages. If desired, it can be made in 1 day.

• The steering wheel is leveled. It will be easier to apply pressure with your hands. You can stretch pieces from an old hose onto the ends.
• The pin from below is pushed into the pipe with its sharp end facing out. To give it a static position, a 2.11 M8 bolt is used.
• The steering wheel is welded to the pipe (to the opposite end from the pin).
• A shovel is attached by welding at the bottom left and right.

The person applies light pressure on the handles, the pin plunges into the ground, and behind it is the shovel. The steering wheel makes a rotational movement to the left or right, and the clod of earth rushes to the side along with the shovel.

It is important to correctly select the height of the pipe to which the handles are attached. They should be located approximately at chest level. A resident of Dneprodzerzhinsk has developed a special formula for this, which is presented along with a drawing of a shovel.

Homemade shovel-ripper

When choosing suitable model Difficulties often arise with the selection of constituent elements. The way out of this situation is simple: many people have old sleds, pipes from strollers, and dusty fittings in the garage at home. To make a shovel-ripper you will need:

• drill and saw for metal processing;
• welder;
• measuring instruments (angle, tape measure);
• steel pipes or angles;
• reinforcement from which the teeth will be made;
• metal stalk.

The parts must be precisely sized and match the person’s height. Therefore, the parts are assembled by first measuring them and cutting off unnecessary parts with a saw.

• The support frame is made from metal pipe. It is bent in the shape of the letter “P”. If top bar is 35-40 cm, then the length of the legs is 2 times greater - 80 cm.
• A transverse auxiliary strip with teeth is made. They can be pieces of unnecessary reinforcement 20 cm long, sharpened on one side. If the bar is made of a pipe, several holes are drilled in it at a distance of 50 mm, where the teeth will be inserted and welded. If it is a corner, then the pins are welded directly onto the metal.
• An auxiliary strip with pins is welded to the bottom of the legs at such a distance from the crossbar in the support frame that the main forks move freely.
• WITH outside The crossbar of the support frame is secured with a stop. It will bear the main load when pressure is applied to the handle. The stop is shaped like the letter “T”.
• Select a piece of pipe that is 50 mm smaller than the width of the auxiliary strip. The teeth of the main ripper are welded to it.
• Swivel joints are made from steel ears and a piece of pipe on which the main “forks” will “walk.”
• A handle is inserted into a section of pipe, to the top of which a pipe is welded, which acts as handles. For this purpose, you can use a straightened bicycle handlebar.

There is a lot of work in the garden, but the most exhausting work is digging up the soil, cultivating it and removing weeds. They start digging ahead of time, in small areas because the load is too heavy. The miracle shovel will help reduce the complexity significantly and at the same time speed up the process at least twice. This relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated device really works, even on difficult soils.

What is different and what can

To be precise, this is not a shovel, but a ripper, since it not only digs, but also breaks clods. The miracle shovel consists of two (sometimes one) slats with pins movably connected. Some models also have a back stop - for easier digging of dense, heavy soil. So in reality it looks more like double pitchforks (see photo below).

Miracle shovel and its components

From the picture it is clear that this tool does not have a shovel as such, but the differences from the classic bayonet shovel do not end there. It also has a much higher handle - it should reach your shoulder. It is also convenient if there is a crossbar at the top - you can operate it with both hands.

The miracle shovel performs three operations at once:

• loosens the soil;
• breaks clods;
• “extracts” the roots of weeds without tearing or cutting them (in any case, damaging them much less);
• Digs root vegetables easily - you can dig carrots, potatoes, etc.

But its main advantage is that it greatly facilitates digging the earth, and the main load falls not on the back, as when using a conventional bayonet shovel, but on the legs (driving the working forks into the ground) and on the hands (turning the forks out of the ground). During work, the back is in a vertical position and is almost not loaded.

The only downside to this tool is the weight. It is really much larger than the bayonet one. But the super shovel can be rearranged; there is no need to lift it. Or rather, it is raised only a few times: when it is placed on the ground at the beginning of the row. Then, by pulling the handle, it is simply tightened a little.

There is another very attractive point in using a miracle shovel - it digs the garden at least twice as fast. This occurs due to the wider working part - up to 50-60 cm. Provided the physical activity This is very good.

How to work

Although this design is not particularly complex, working with it has its own characteristics. First, you need to start from the far edge of the bed, then move back, gradually dragging the forks back. well and general order actions like this:

• Holding the handle, place a miracle shovel and rest it on the front ripper.
• Stick the pitchfork into the ground. Drive them in until the back stop touches the ground. If the ground is heavy or dense, additional force may be needed - press your foot on the crossbar of the front forks.
• Pull the handle towards you. With this movement, the forks will begin to move upward. As they rise, they pass through the forks of the front stop, breaking up the lumps.
• Pull the device back a little, repeat all the steps (plug, squeeze, pull the handle).

It's actually very simple. It’s worth trying a couple of times and then everything repeats automatically.

Constructions

In addition to the option shown above (called “Tornado”, “Digger” or “Plowman”), there are several more variants of miracle shovel designs under different names.

Soil ripper without front support

This design also has working and support forks, but does not have a front stop. Because it is less bulky and weighs a little less. But the front stop gives increased stability during operation. And the weight when dragging is not so important.

The handle is attached to the working forks, the back stop is welded to the comb of the second forks. Both of these structures are movably connected to each other (even door hinges can be used).

Ripper miracle shovel for easy tillage

The photo shows one of the implementations, which is made on the basis of a corner and round pipe. When working, the pins are driven into the ground by pressing on the crossbar, and not on the stop, as in most models.

Digger

An option called “Digger” is essentially a wide fork with a stop for easier turning and a high, powerful handle.

Miracle shovel "Digger"

The peculiarity of this design is the stop and the adjustable handle. It is fixed with two bolts and adjusted to the height of the working person.

The emphasis is not stationary, but movable. It is fixed to the frame. When plunging the pins into the ground, press on it with your foot, then, without removing your foot, turn it out by pressing the handle of the fork out of the ground.

The physical load during work is low, the work progresses quickly. But this miracle shovel will not work for hard and lumpy soils: it does not crush the soil. She collapses through the pitchfork under her own weight. But this is only possible on loose soils. On clay or black soil it is better to have a second comb with pins.

How to make a miracle digger, see the following video.

Lightcop

This miracle shovel design is slightly different from the previous one. The stops in it are rounded, the handle is arched, but the basic structure is the same. There is some drawback - there is no way to adjust the handle, but otherwise everything is the same - a movable stop and working forks.

Two options called "Lightcop". The simplest ripper for the vegetable garden, garden and cottage

It’s hard to say whether this variation is better or worse. It would be possible to evaluate only by comparing the performance of both copies on the same site.

If you watch the following video, you will see that with such a miracle shovel you can dig not only loose soils, but also heavy ones. And the second thing you can pay attention to is that for such soil it is better to have a second comb of pins, against which you can crush the inverted lumps.

What and how to make it from

The designs, as you have seen, are different, but the set of materials will be approximately the same. Their number differs, but the cross-section and characteristics remain unchanged.

You can use a round or profiled pipe, metal rods or “parts” from forks

Materials for production

They usually start with making the frame. It is often made from a profiled pipe, the optimal cross-section is 30*30 mm or so. The wall thickness is important - at least 3 mm. Some models used a corner. The shelf width is also about 30 mm, the metal thickness is at least 3 mm.

The handle can be made from the same profile pipe, you can use a round one. The thickness of the walls is also important. In principle, having made a latch, you can use a wooden shovel holder. Some purchased models provide for the installation of a wooden holder.

The main attention should be paid to the material that is used for the teeth of the working forks. It must be good structural steel. The forks are made from a rod of at least 8 mm in diameter.

What craftsmen make them from:

• They cut it off from an ordinary fork and weld it onto a miracle shovel.
• Straighten the suspension springs.
• Car springs are sawn into narrow strips.

If you can find a good rod - round, square or hexagonal - it doesn't matter, it will be much easier for you. Not a bad option, by the way, with a pitchfork. But you have to buy good ones, and this is not cheap. And one more thing: calculate the dimensions of the miracle shovel so that the working forks have 8 pins. Then you will need to buy two jokes of ordinary pitchforks.

If the design is chosen with two forks - working and thrust, you can place pieces of a suitable length of metal rod on the thrust forks. The loads here are not so high, so the strength should be enough. The diameter of the rod is 10 mm; you can use ribbed reinforcement, which is used to reinforce the foundation.

Dimensions

Most companies that produce miracle shovels have whole line sizes of this product. Our people are different in build and physical fitness. For men, you can make more massive models, and for women and older people, smaller and lighter ones. The average sizes are:

All other sizes are selected depending on the design and material used.

Blueprints

Detailing of the stop and forks

For centuries, a person has been accompanied by a bayonet shovel, but it is painfully difficult to work with it. This is probably why a person always wants to modify or improve it. So various magic digging tools appear, like the “Tornado”, designed to make the work of the tiller easier. Almost 10 years ago, the miracle shovel of the monk Father Gennady was invented, which he called the “Vyatka Plowman”.

It became a real gift to all diggers and plowmen. After all, any gardener knows that the hardest physical work associated with digging up the earth. We all pay for planting potatoes with pain in our backs, arms and legs. An Orthodox monk made his own version of the traditional bayonet shovel; he claims that digging with it is a pleasure, it even helps plant potatoes.

In the process of digging a garden, you have to bend down each time, pressing the shovel forcefully into the ground, and then, straining all your muscles, lift not only the heavy shovel, but also the soil on it. Of course, such work hurts your back. The Vyatka Plowman shovel allows you to work without stress. This is its main advantage, which is why it is called a “shovel for the lazy,” although it would be more accurate to say, for the weak, because any pensioner with it can become a digger.

It is not symmetrical, you can work with it only with one leg - the left one, but there is no problem with that, you can make a tool for the right leg. The inventor installed a bicycle handlebar at the top, so you can hold the shovel with both hands at chest level. The most important thing: there is no need to lift the earth; it turns over smoothly as a result of the turning movement of the hands.

With such a shovel you can increase labor productivity several times. It is successfully used for digging up a vegetable garden and planting potatoes, but you can also dig a ditch.

Principle of operation

The work consists of pressing the bucket (blade) of the shovel into the ground and turning over the layer of earth, turning the handles to the right. The earth turns over in a neatly cut layer and lies on the right. The back remains straight, there is no need to bend, a bayonet is stuck into the ground, thanks to which the blade of the shovel enters the soil under the weight of the leg. On light soil you can work with one hand. The spine performs only a rotational movement; without the use of force, with the help of a lever, the work of cutting, removing and turning over a layer of earth is performed.

You can plant potatoes with this “magic digger” as if you were using a plow. You need to dig one furrow (stepping back), put potatoes in it, and when digging the second furrow, even and neat digging occurs. Moreover, you can place fertilizer in the second furrow and bury it while going through the next furrow. With a bucket width of 30 cm, you will get a very even planting of potatoes, with 60 cm between the bushes.

Video “Everything about the instrument”

Advantages

The undeniable advantage of the “Vyatka Plowman” is its high labor productivity and the absence of stress on the spine when digging a vegetable garden. With its help, a digger can dig a trench, and a summer resident can easily and quickly dig up a garden. This miracle digger can handle digging up virgin soil. It is especially good to use in light sandy soil, then you won’t even have to loosen it.

It’s interesting that this miracle shovel can be made with one’s own hands. The drawings are posted on the Internet; they were made by a resident of the Dnepropetrovsk region to help everyone. It can be made practically from scrap metal. You will need the following simple materials:

• stainless steel pipe;
• stainless steel shovel blade (preferably cold rolled);
• pin;
• bicycle wheel.

With the help of these drawings, a shovel for the lazy with your own hands can be made taking into account the height of a person. Horizontal handle should be located at chest level so that you do not have to raise or lower your arms. Although today you can buy a ready-made digger for any leg of your choice. It is in demand, which means that production can be entrusted to professionals, and you don’t have to understand the drawings!

Flaws

The miracle shovel of an Orthodox monk is an excellent tool that really makes the work of summer residents and diggers easier. But it is not suitable for every soil; on clay soils and black soil, the inverted layer must be broken up immediately, otherwise it will dry out to a stone state, and then it will be difficult to work with it. They say that it is suitable for re-digging an area, but digging virgin soil is very difficult due to the roots of weeds. It rotates the cut layer of soil by a maximum of 180 degrees, and when digging up an area with grass or after cereals, the soil must be completely turned over so that the roots are at the top.

We tried digging up potatoes with a miracle shovel, but it’s not as convenient as planting potatoes with it. It picks up the bush well, but the turn is not enough for all the potatoes to be on top.

It would be nice to have on the farm various modifications of shovels and other tools that make the life of a gardener-digger easier. Great to use as a ripper manual cultivator"Tornado". Some craftsmen adapt an auger for loosening the earth, and a shovel with an auger has become indispensable for manual cleaning snow. "Tornado" also facilitates physical labor when cultivating the land. Its telescopic handle is adjusted so that a person does not bend his back, and a straight back gets less tired. "Tornado" is an excellent assistant when removing weeds.

It is placed above the bush, then pressed into the ground, turned and pulled out, the teeth scroll around the plant and snatch it out of the soil along with the roots. "Tornado" is flying, loosens, removes garbage from the garden. What he can still do is dig holes for planting plants, remove large weeds - everything for which without the Tornado cultivator he would have to bend over or squat. “Tornado” can even be adapted for transplanting strawberries; its teeth can easily grab a bush and turn it out of the ground without damaging the roots. Man always tries to improve his tools; the Tornado cultivator and the miracle shovel are excellent examples of this.

Video “Miracle shovel according to the drawing of monk Gennady”

In the video you can see how this device is used in practice. This video can dispel all doubts regarding whether it is worth switching to similar look shovels.