Small Farm Tools, Descriptions, Uses, And Maintenance

Introduction

They are also called simple farm tools, old farm tools, and traditional tools. They are small hand-operated tools used for performing minor operations on the farm.  These small farm tools are manually operated (i.e. require force to operate). Their blunt edge requires constant sharpening for efficient usage.

They are mostly used by small-scale farmers in carrying out farming operations. Over the years the uses of these farm tools have faced a lot of criticisms that the output from the farm is very low, it requires strength for effective uses, and it always leads to tiredness.

However, these small farm tools are needed in every aspect of the farming industry, as far as agriculture is concerned. They are usually required to perform one operation or the other. These hand-operated farm tools are required for various operations ranging from clearing to marketing.

Even at farmsteads, at home, at abattoirs, and in the kitchen, they are very essential for cutting, pruning, slicing, weeding, and loosening and tightening nuts. These simple farm tools are required for various operations ranging from clearing to marketing.

These tools are vital in the farm for performing minor operations, such as reducing cost, security, and protection, increasing yields, and reducing disturbance or destruction of soil structure compared to farm machines.

Some examples of small farm tools are Cutlasses, hoes, rakes, spades/shovels, knapsack sprayers, spanners, pliers, shears, secateurs, sickles, wheelbarrows, and watering cans.

Small Farm Tools and Their Use

Some common types of small farm tools and their uses in the agriculture industries are discussed below.

Fruit pickers

A fruit picker is made of a small metal rod constructed or designed like the shape of a basket.  The posterior end of the metal basket is made of small curve cutting mechanisms which help to remove the fruit pedicel from the tree.

The metal rod is arranged from the cutting mechanism to form a circle at the base where a long pole of various heights is attached. The handle of the fruit picker could be made of a wooden or metal handle and is attached to the fruit picker with the aid of a clipper. The tools are lightweight and very durable for rough uses.  

Uses of the Fruit Picker

The uses of the fruit pickers are:

1. It is an excellent tool for picking hard-to-reach fruit.
2. It is designed purposely to harvest fruit crops such as apples, pears or plums, cocoa, mangoes, cashews, etc.
3. It is used for harvesting fruit crops to prevent injuries and bruises to the fruits.

 Maintenance Practices

The maintenance measures of the fruit picker are

1. Ensure that the handle is tightly fixed before use
2. Clean the fruit pickers after use
3. Keep the fruit pickers away from rain to avoid rusting
4. Constantly paint the fruit pickers to corrosion.

Mattock tool

A mattock is similar to the pick axe in appearance but differs significantly. The tool is made of a long wooden or metal handle. It is about 100m in length.

The tool has a cylindrical handle which is fastened to the tools with the aid of a hole in the center of the mattock. The tool has a small block thick metal blade and a hole where the handle can be attached.

After the hole, is a long point or narrow blade.  The thick small long metal blade has a sharp edge while the other edge is pointed.   

Functions/Uses

The uses of the mattock are:

1. The mattock is used for stumping during land preparation.
2. It is very suitable for tilling hard soils.
3. It is an excellent tool for digging hard soil when making channel
4. It is used to harvest crops mostly in the dry seasons.
5. it is used to remove stones during land preparation.

 Maintenance Practices

The maintenance measures of the digger are

1. Wash and clean the mattock or wash it after use
2. the cutting edge of the mattock should be sharpened regularly
3. Store the tools in a well-ventilated area.
4. Store the wooden handle mattock in a termites-free area.

 Digger

A Digger has a long metal or wooden handle. Different types of diggers exist, some are made of heavy long metal with a flat sharpened thick edge, while others have a small curved metal blade and a point where the handle is attached.

The curved long metal blade has small openings where nails or nuts are used to hold the metal blade and wooden handle together.

Functions/Uses

The uses of the digger are :

1. It is used for harvesting yam and cassava during the dry season.
2. It is used for the stumping of palms and other tree.
3. It uses digging and breaking tillage pan.
4. It is used for cracking stones during the digging of soil.
5. The long curve digger is used for painting tree crops such as rubber, oil palm, cashew, etc.

 Maintenance Practices

The maintenence measures of the tool are

1. was and clean digger.
2. rub the metal blade with oil to prevent rusting.
3. The edge of the digger should be sharpened regularly 

Crowbar

The crossbar is made of different carbon steel and metal of high quality. The crowbar is a long metal bar consisting of two curved edges.

One of the edges has a curved shape like that of the gooseneck. While the other has a flat blade. The tool is called different names such as the wrecking bar, pry bar, pinch bar, and prise-bar.

The curved edge has a flattened surface with an opening where it can be hooked to an object and forcefully removed.  The flat blade of the lever is very sharp and thick like that of the pick axe but not as wide as the edge of the pick axe. The crossbar is a construction tool with multifaceted uses.

 Function/Uses

The function/uses of the small farm tools are

1. For opening a crate
2. For removing wrongly placed nails while roofing and carrying out construction in the farmstead.
3. It is essential for lifting a plyboard during construction
4. It can be used for minor diffing during crop planting.
5. It is very suitable for forcing two wrongly nailed plywood or board objects apart
6. It is used for breaking heavy soil,

.

Maintenance Practices

1. Store in a well-ventilated place.
2. Grease or oil the pivot or fulcrum before use or storage for a long time.

Bradawl

The bradawl is a small hand-operated tool used for woodwork. it is a small carpentry tool with a soft plastic and wooden grip handle of various shapes.

The bradawl has a short metal round blade and a flat sharpened pointed edge for cutting. The metal blade could be stainless steel or spring steel alloy. The blade is about 3mm long. The tool is similar to straight screwdrivers and chisel

Functions/Use

This small farm tool is used for the following

1. It is excellent for boring holes in the wood when making wooden feeding troughs, wire mesh fixing, and roofing in the farmstead.
2. It is used to bore holes in leather during thinning, and or when stitching covers all.
3. It is very appropriate for gentling tapping wood, ceramics, and plastic handle farm tool for  insertion fastening nuts and screw
4. It is used for marking surfaces when working on timber, plywood, and board. 
5. It is used for sewing, punching, and  binding Books in the farmstead
6. It is an excellent tool for creating pilot holes in wood and easy to fix with screws and nails.

Maintenance Practices

The precautionary measures to be observed when using the tool are

1. oil metal moving parts.
2. Don’t use the tools for the opening of hard objects.
3. Don’t leave the tools in the rain and sun

Budding Knife

The budding Knife is a small stainless steel blade with a short, wooden handle, ceramics, plastic, and metal handle of different colour. 

The tool has a straight metal blade, slightly curved and pointed at the posterior end.  The knife comes in various forms, the foldable and unfordable (that is, straight knife).  The knife has two edges, the blunt and the sharpened edge. The handle is usually fastened together with two or three nuts.

 Function/use

The uses of the budding knife are:

1. The budding knife is used for vegetative propagation of plantation crops such as citrus, cocoa, rubber, etc.
2. It is used for Loosing budded vegetative propagation of plantation crops such as citrus, cocoa, rubber, etc.
3. It is used for slicing insertion slits in the bark of the host rootstock.
4. It is used for scraping out the bark of trees
5. It is used for cutting budding tap and  nylon during budding
6. It is used for minor weeding around host rootstock.
7. It is for minor pruning.

Maintenance Practices

The maintenance measures of the budding knife are:

1. Do not use the budding knife for cutting hard objects
2. Sharpen the cutting metal blade regularly.
3. Store in a rain and sun-free area.

Emasculator

The tool is made of stainless steel and consists of two handles like that of the clamps.  The two handles are held with screws at the fulcrum.

The cutting and crushing (pincer) edge are sharp and fixed in opposite directions. The cutting edge is broad with a metal handle. The emasculator works by clamping the scrotum, and press the neck of the scrotum to crush the spermatic cord which supplies blood to the testis at a right angle. The two occur in various sizes and types.

Function/Use

The uses of the emasculator include:

1. It is used to castrate farm animals, especially the males, e.g. bull, ram, doe (goat)
2. It is an excellent tool for tail trimming of farm animals.
3. It is used to crush and cut the spermatic cord of farm animals during animal castration.
4. It is for clamping the spermatic cord during castration.

Maintenance Practices

The maintenance of the emasculator is

1. Wash, clean, and disinfect after use.
2. store in a rain and sun-free area.

 Burdizzo

The burdizzo tool is similar to the emasculator in function but different in shape and design. The tool is made of stainless steel and consists of two handles like that of the pinchers. 

The two handles are held with a screw at the pivots (that is, the fulcrum). The jaw or the pincher has a curved blade circular in shape and is sharp like that of the pincher. The handle is made of metal. 

During operation, the burdizzo is held with the right hand while the testis is held with the left hand. the burdizzo is used to press the neck of the scrotum to crush the spermatic cord which supplies blood to the tests at a right angle.

Function/Use

1. It is used to castrate  farm animals, especially the males, e.g. bull, ram, doe (goat)
2. It is very appropriate for tail trimming of farm animals.
3. It is used to crush and cut the spermatic cord of farm animals during animal castration.

Maintenance Practices

1. Clean and disinfect after use.
2. store in a rain-free area.

Hammer

There are various types of hammers. The two side block head harmers and one side block while the other side flat hammers. 

In the two blockhead hammers, the hammer is rectangular with a heavy metal with a hole in the middle where the handle is fixed. The other hammer has one rectangular or circular blockhead with a flat prong-like edge. The hammer has a short handle which could either be a wooden, metal, or plastic-coated handle.  

 Function/Use

1. It is used to shape metal during fabrication of farm tools and other small implement.
2. It is an excellent tool for straightening bent and rough parts of farm tools and implements.
3. It is used for crushing or breaking of rock for the construction of farmsteads.
4. It is used to drive nails into wooden parts when roofing farm buildings and structures.
5. It is used for driving nails into the wooden parts when making wooden feeding troughs or do-it-yourself-farm tools.
6. The flat-end hammer with a prong-like edge is used for removing nails from wood.
7. The flat-end hammer is used to force two wrongly placed plywood open.

Maintenance Practices

1. Rub metal parts with oil to prevent rusting
2. store in an area free from rain and sun.
3. A hammer with a wooden handle should be stored in a termite-free area.

Mallet

A mallet is made of either wooden or plastic. The mallet has the same shape as the block-headed hammer. The tools have a short wooden or metal handle, that is attached to the hole in the middle of the mallet.

A mallet and hammer are very similar in appearance but the mallet is different from the hammer, in that the hammer has a heavy steel head for driving nails, while the mallet is made of either a wooden head or plastic, used purposely for tapping an object for precision work. Similarly, the mallet is lighter while the hammer is heavy block metal.

Function/Uses

1. It is used for driving a chisel during woodwork
2. It is also used for driving the chisel and other cutting tools when cutting and shaping wood
3. The mallet is used to gently tap the wooden joints together in order to achieve precision
4. The mallet is used for tapping to create blocks so as to achieve proper alignment during the construction of farm structures and buildings.
5. It is very appropriate for tapping the wood handles on tools like chisels
6. The Mallet is used for slight tapping of ceramic tiles or laminate flooring on the farmstead.
7. It is excellent too for fixing PVC pipework and other rubber fitting in the farmstead.   

Maintenance Practices

1. ensure that the tools are not left outside to prevent the wood from breaking.
2. store in the tool on the toolboxes.

Cutlass

The cutlass is a flat metal blade with two edges, the blunt edge and the sharpening edge. It is one of the most commonly used Small farm tools. 

It has a short handle which could be plastic, ceramic, or wood. The handle is fastened with aids nuts and bolts. Two types of cutlass exist, one with a slightly curved edge with a short wooden handle, while the other has a straight metal blade.

Function/Uses

The following are uses of the cutlass.

1. The cutlass is used for cutting,
2. It is used for minor transplanting of seedlings
3. The cutlass used for propagating seedlings
4. It is excellent for harvesting crops.
5. it is used for clearing and weeding farmlands.
6. It is used in the abattoir for slaughtering animals.

 Maintenance practices

The maintenance measures to be observed while using the cutlass are;

1. Sharpened the cutlass regularly
2. Keep the cutlass in a dry and cool place or store
3. Oil Metal or grease mental parts before storage
4. It should not be left lying outside the farmstead

HOE

The hoe is made of round or rectangular metal. The handle is made of wood or metal depending on the choice of the manufacturer.

The wooden hoe has a metal part attached to the wooden handle, while the metal handle has its metal blade welded together.

 Function/Uses

The functions of the Hoe include the following.

1. The Hoe is used for making a heap
2. It is suitable for making ridges
3. The hoe is used for planting crops
4. It is used for transplanting crops such as pepper, garden egg
5. It is suitable for harvesting some crops such as yam, potatoes
6. It is majorly used for weeding on the farm

Maintenance Practices

The measure to be observed while using hoe includes the following

1. The cutting edge should be sharpened regularly.
2. Store in dry and cool environmental
3. grease or oil metal blade regularly
4. Wash the hoe after use.
5. Keep the wooden handle from termite

Spade

The Spade has a long wooden or metal handle. The handle has a D shape which enables the user to hold firmly.  The metal blade is usually very broad and sharp with a hollow point where the handle can be fixed.  

 Function /Uses

The uses of the spade include

1. The Spade is used for lifting and turning the soil.
2. It is an excellent tool for leveling or filling pits or holes.
3. It is used for planting cassava on flat
4. It is for digging holes during the transplanting of planting, mango, citrus, and other tree crops.
5. It is used in the farmstead for mixing cement while building pens and other structures.
6. It is appropriate for mixing feeds and ingredients for farm animals.

Maintenance measure

The maintenance measures for this type of small hand tool are

1. Store the spade in a dry and cool area
2. Keep the wooden handle from termite infestation
3.  Keep the spade rain to prevent rusting
4. Sharpen the digging edge regularly.

Shovel

The shovel and the spade look very similar but differ in the blade. Both the spade and the shovel have long wooden handles and D-Shape which provide room for effective handling.

The shape of the blade of the shovel is similar to that of the room packer. The shovel is hollow, broad, rectangular, and round at the diggings edge.

Function/Use

1. A shovel is an excellent  tool for lifting or transferring soil on the farm
2. It is used for loading feed mix into bags or trucks.
3. It is use packing sand during load into the wheelbarrow during construction
4. The shovel is used for packing rubbish from the farm

Maintenance practices

The maintenance measures of the shovel are;

1. Clean the Shove after use.
2. Store the shovel in a dry and cool place
3. Oil, or grease metal parts before storage
4. Keep wooden handle from termite infestations

Garden Fork

The Garden fork is constructed with four mental prongs or teeth at the end. The handle is usually very long made.

The prongs are pointed at the end of the blade. The blade has a hollow point where the handle is attached. Various types of garden forks are available for performing various farming activities.   

Functions/Uses

The advantages of garden fork

1. The garden fork is used for making compost-making
2. It is an excellent tool used for pulverizing the soil around plants before transplanting
3. It is very suitable for packing organic manure and hay due to its prong.
4. It is used for harvesting crops like carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, etc

Maintenance Practices

The maintenance practices of the garden fork are:

1. Wash and sundry after use.
2. Store in a rain and sun-free area

Pliers

A plier is a small farm tool made of stainless steel, bronze, and any alloy of metal. The plier has two short handle joints together at the pivot.

The tools have grove jaws with parallel-toothed surfaces.  The handle is coated with rubber for ease of handling.  Used for gripping. There are different types of pliers with various shapes and sizes.

Functions/Uses

1. The plier is used for bending and compressing objects.
2. It can also use the pliers for twisting metal during construction and wiring of the farmstead
3. You can use the tools for gripping materials during the construction and repairs of other small farm tools and implements farmstead.  
4. It is a suitable tool for holding bolts and nuts when servicing farm implements.
5. It is used for pulling objects from the farm machine and farm implements.
6.  The pliers can be used for cutting objects, especially wires, and other cables when wiring the farmstead.

Maintenance Practices

The following measures should be observed while using the pliers.

1. Do not use the pliers for cutting hard objects to avoid cracking of the jaw.
2. Oil or grease the pivot to avoid stiffness.
3. Store the plier in a cool dry place to avoid rusting and corrosion

Screw Driver

 A screwdriver is a small farm tool that is made of a small round metal rod. Two types of screwdrivers exist, one with a flat metal edge rod, with a handle made of transparent glass with a small bulb to detect lightning (electric testing screwdriver).

While the other consists of a metal rod with two edges. One of the edges is flat and blunt while the other edge has a star shape. The handle of the screwdriver is made of plastic or rubber of different colours. 

The tools are designed such that the metal rod with the two edges is detachable to suit the needs of the users. The tools come in different sizes but similar designs of two-edge detachable metal rods.

Functions/Uses

The functions and uses of the screwdrivers are:

1. You can use the tools for inserting screws when fixing electrical fittings and other fittings in the farmstead.
2. The tool is used to remove screws from damaged electrical and other fittings in the farmstead.
3. The screwdrivers are used for detecting or testing the presence of electric current while fixing electrical fittings or repairing farm machines.
4. It is an excellent tool for turning screws in or out of wood materials while constructing wooden items or do-it-yourself (DIY) materials in the farmstead.
5. The tool is used for peeling off coated rubber electrical wires to ease the fixing of the electric fitting.
6. It is also used to hole into an object to facilitate ease of fixing other materials.

Maintenances Practices

The following measures should be observed when using the screwdriver.

1. Do not use the screwing on stiff screws, to prevent breaking of the edge
2. Keep the tools from rain to prevent rusting and corrosion
3. always remember to refix the screwing rod whenever it detached.
4. always store in the toolboxes

Nut and Bolt

The bolt and nuts are made of various types of steel, and bronze. Different types of bolts and nuts exist. The bolt consists of a metal rod which could be short or long depending on the choice of the users and the material requirements.

It is a cylindrical rod with a head at one edge which could either be a Hexagonal, Square, Cylindrical, Cup-headed, or round-headed bolt. The body of the bolt is threaded in a spiral pattern so that it can fixed into an object.  The bolt is an externally threaded rod used for connecting two metal parts together.

While the nuts are designed along the bolt, the size of the nut depends on the size of the bolt at the other end. The internal portion of the nuts is also threaded in a spiral pattern to allow the bolt to fix properly with the nuts.

Although the bolt and the nuts are produced together or produced to be fixed into the nuts of different sizes the uses of the bolt are independent of the nut (i.e. it can be used at times without the nuts). 

Function/Use

The uses of these small farm tools are:

1. They are used to fasten the handles of farm tools
2. They are used for fixing electrical fittings in the farmstead.
3. The nuts and bolts are used for holding two pieces of metal together in farm machinery
4. It is an excellent tool for holding two pieces of wood together in farm structures.
5. They are used for fastening two metal parts of farm implements together.
6. The tools are important in the construction industry for fastening multiple parts together 
7. They are essential tools to assemble metal parts. 

Maintenance Practices

1. Store bolts and nuts properly in the toolbox
2. Use bolts on specified nuts
3. Use the appropriate spanner to loosen nuts and bolts.

Chisel

A chisel consists of a metal blade and a short wooden or rubber handle. It is made of high-quality steel and it is about 20-30cm long.  These small farm tools are wide and thick at the posterior end while it is tinning toward the handle.

The chisel is just like the file in shape but different from the fill in that the file has a slanted vertical threaded line on the body.  The tool is sharp toward the end of the metal blade. The chisel comes in various shapes, designs, and sizes.

During operation, the tool is held at the right position on the left-hand side while the mallet, hammer, or other heavy metal is used to drive the tools down the wood, stone, or metal when working.

Function/Uses

The uses for chisel are:

1. You can use the chisel for cutting or shaping wood and stone
2. It is an excellent tool for carving or cutting a hard material
3. Use the chisel to chip the wood or door to fit in keys and other door fittings.
4. It is used for making joints when roofing farm structures and buildings.
5. The tool is used for carving locally made mortar and pestle for household uses in the farmstead.
6. It is an important tool for making chairs and tables in the administrative building

Maintenance Practices

The maintenance measures of the chisel are:

1. Do not leave the chisel in the rain or outside
2. always store the chisel in the toolboxes.
3. always apply grease or oil on the metal parts before storage.