Belonging to the category of universal tools for the garden, the Fokina flat cutter allows you to perform a fairly wide range of work. At the same time, its operation does not cause difficulties. The official name of this device is “Fokin manual tillage implement.”
Fokin's flat cutter and its role in organic farming
When using a Fokin flat cutter, complete loosening is ensured, although the soil layer does not turn over. This processing technology organic farming is the most gentle because it protects the garden from weathering and erosion.
With regular use of a flat cutter, the soil structure improves due to aeration, which leads to an increase in yield.
Advantages and disadvantages of the tool
Fokin's tillage implement is evaluated according to several parameters, highlighting its following advantages:
- increasing soil fertility;
- convenient use for cultivating the soil without unnecessary strain on the back, which remains straight during work;
- the ability to perform almost 20 operations;
- easy processing of hard-to-reach areas;
- easy maintenance of instruments.
Among the disadvantages, some gardeners cite the inability to completely extract the roots of cut weeds to the surface.
You need to understand that with regular processing, organic residues accumulate and rot, contributing to the growth of the fertile layer. This circumstance turns this factor into an additional advantage of the tool.
Flat cutter device
The design of the flat cutter is a wooden handle, the cross section of which has rectangular shape with rounded ribs. This solution for the handle is the most convenient, since it does not slip in the palms and does not leave calluses. A metal plate is fixed to it using bolts, which is bent at certain angles, depending on the type of tool. The insert has three cutting surfaces with varying degrees sharpening and holes for mounting bolts.
What tools does a flat cutter replace?
When used correctly, the Fokina flat cutter can replace several of the most common garden tools. These include:
- hoe;
- cultivator;
- hoe;
- hiller.
If necessary this universal tool can partially replace a shovel, rake and even a scythe.
What types of work can be performed
If you use a flat cutter that seems simple at first glance correctly, then as you master the tool you will be able to carry out almost all garden operations. These include the following types of work:
- weeding;
- hilling;
- leveling the surface of the bed, breaking up lumps;
- cutting strawberry whiskers;
- marking furrows and filling seeds after sowing;
- removal of weeds and single weeds;
- loosening the soil;
- equipment of beds;
- thinning of seedlings;
- cleaning tree bark before whitewashing;
- spreading mulching material or rotted compost;
- cleaning small outbuildings when keeping chickens, piglets, sheep; raspberry tenderloin;
- loosening tree trunk circles; mowing grass.
Before you understand how to use the Fokin flat cutter when mastering it, you should carefully study the recommendations for using the tool set out in the instructions.
Loosening the soil, rules for performing work with tools
When loosening, the principle of operation of the tillage implement is to deepen the wide side of its blade by about 50 mm.
It should be taken into account that the blade is directed into the soil sharp end at a slight angle, making it almost parallel to the surface.
After this, the tool is pulled smoothly towards itself or made wide lateral movements, which looks like mowing grass. As a result, the earth, while loosening, does not move.
How to form ridges
Having marked the boundaries of the bed on the loosened soil with a string, they begin its formation, raking soil from the row spacing on both sides in turn. When performing this operation, you should use reverse side flat cutter, pointing the edge of the blade down. The required height of the bed is regulated by the amount of soil poured.
Grooving
For the purpose of cutting grooves or so-called soil slicing, a pruning cutter is inserted into the ground with a narrow edge. Then the tool is smoothly passed along the stretched string along the surface of the bed. And then they place the seeds in the grooves and cover them with soil on the other side.
Weeding and weed removal
If the flat cutter is sufficiently sharpened, then it is quite possible to weed with it. To do this, the blade is buried 30 mm into the soil and pulled towards itself. At the same time, the earth is further loosened. If you need to remove a plant with a well-developed root system, then after the blade is brought under the stem, you need to make a sharp jerk, pulling out the weed.
Hilling
To hill up plants, such as potatoes, tomatoes or cabbage, the wide part of the blade should be lowered into the ground a few centimeters. Then they loosen the soil, simultaneously pulling it towards the stem from all sides and pouring a mound of the required height.
Types of flat cutters and how to use them
Among the assortment of gardening tools you can choose different types flat cutters, suitable not only for a specific job, but also taking into account the type of soil on the site.
Large and small flat cutter
A large flat cutter is designed for working in beds. With its help you can loosen the soil to a considerable depth. This tool is also used for weeding, hilling, and breaking the surface crust. You can use it to mow the grass and remove significantly overgrown single weeds with powerful roots. Analyzing why a small flat cutter with a compact size and light weight is needed, it should be noted that its main purpose is to process light soils. It copes well with weeding between rows of onions, beets, carrots, turnips and other garden crops. In addition, the tool allows you to thin out dense shoots.
Powerful, and in what works it is better to use it
A characteristic feature of the tool, called the “mighty”, is a wide blade, which allows you to quickly and efficiently hill up potatoes, raise the level of the beds to the required height and form them. Use the tool to work on heavy soils. It can easily cut down small hummocks if the garden is located near a peat bog. If necessary, it will loosen a turfy or rocky area and remove perennial weeds.
Poles: large and small
Among the varieties of Fokin's soil-cultivating implements, you can choose “poltiki”: large and small. The first sample has a narrow, long blade that allows you to weed large areas very quickly. When working, it is usually deepened by 30 mm. This device is also used to loosen the soil and thin out crops. A small “poltik” with a narrow blade is the smallest tool in the range of Fokin’s soil-cultivating implements. During operation, it does not damage even closely planted plants, which makes it easier to weed and thin out dense crops.
Strong - assistant for cultivating heavy soils
The shortened wide blade of the “strong” flat cutter allows you to effectively use it on clay soils. This tool is successfully used to develop virgin lands. During operation, the narrowed end is stuck into the soil and one fragment of soil after another begins to fall off.
With the help of a “strong one” you can cut down thickets of weeds and weed out weeds.
Modifications of the flat cutter
In the assortment of flat cutters you can select modern modified samples that differ high efficiency and greatly facilitate gardening operations.
Swift
A special feature of the “swift” modification is the shape of the tool, which consists of two cutting elements connected in the center in the shape of a heart. Depending on the size, there are small, medium and large flat cutters. The miniature version is convenient for working in greenhouses and greenhouses. More large species allow operations to be carried out on open space. With their help they spud:
- potatoes and cabbage;
- mow the grass.
Double flat cutter
An improved universal option is a double flat cutter, which has two blades on one handle: small and large. It turned out more universal option. It will be useful when processing large plot, and a miniature bed or flower garden. The gardener does not have to purchase several types of tillage implements.
Assembling a flat cutter
The flat cutter is most often sold in disassembled form. The package includes a bracket with a blade, as well as fasteners in the form of two bolts. The cutting can be purchased separately. It is important to follow safety precautions during assembly.
Since the blades are very sharp, you need to protect your hands with gloves. All assembly operations are carried out in strict accordance with the instructions.
Choosing a cutting
If you have to select a handle yourself, then pay attention to its length, which allows you to work with a straight back without causing pain in the lower back. For tall people a handle up to 160 cm long is provided. For gardeners of average height, the handle of the flat cutter varies from 110 to 140 cm.
Installation of the metal part
The process of installing the metal part is not difficult. Mount the iron part of the flat cutter on a selected flat handle, orienting it in accordance with the instructions, and securely fix it with bolts. For reliability, a metal flat gasket is placed under the bolt washer.
Instrument setup
The reliability of the soil-cultivating tool and the absence of problems with its use depend on preliminary settings, for which the small flat cutter has two methods for attaching the blades, and the large one has four. For this purpose, there are additional holes in the bracket. If you are short in stature, it is recommended to install the flat cutter at a slight angle to the handle. If the gardener is taller than 175 cm, then the blade is fixed almost at a right angle.
Sharpening rules
Every tool needs to be sharpened from time to time. At the same time, it is taken into account that it is necessary to maintain the standard cutting edge angle. If sharpening is carried out using electric sandpaper, then minimal effort is used without sudden pressure and overheating, so as not to reduce the wear resistance of the steel. Manual sharpening involves the use of bars, wheels, and sharpeners. Only the beveled bevel is sharpened, without touching the front surface, so as not to increase the angle of sharpness.
Advice: “When work in the garden ends, a tool for winter storage treated with an anti-corrosion compound. You can immerse the metal part in sand soaked in used machine oil.”
How to distinguish an original from a fake
When planning to buy a flat cutter on the market, remember that the promised efficient processing site will be provided only by original instruments. To distinguish it from a fake, focus on the following signs:
- The original instrument has a black blade without streaks of paint;
- the shaft has the natural texture of well-polished wood;
- high-quality structural steel is used for the working part;
- the blades of the original are sharpened;
- On products that are recommended to be purchased in specialized stores from the official manufacturer, between the holes there is a sticker with the name of the tool or the letter F is stamped.
The fake is most often made of soft metal. A low-quality product is indicated by a dull blade and no warranty.
Make a flat cutter with your own hands
Having decided to make a flat cutter with your own hands, first select suitable material. For the working part you will need a metal strip with a width of 40 to 45 mm and a length of up to 400 mm. Steel needs high wear resistance. A good option will become spring-spring steel, so you can use a spring from a car or a suitable steel angle, which needs to be sawed using a grinder. It is advisable to make the cutting from birch - it is quite durable wood. As for pine, this material is excellent for sanding, but does not last long. A quality option It can become ash, the wood of which can withstand processing remarkably well, does not deform and lasts for many years.
The shape of the cutting is made with rectangular cross-section, rounding the edges. After sanding, wipe the surface of the cutting with hot vegetable oil. In order to correctly make the working part, it is necessary to study the drawings available in the instructions, which will allow you to fully take into account the ergonomic properties of this product. Places for bending and holes are marked on the workpiece. To bend the metal, clamp the workpiece in a vice and carefully punch it with a hammer.
You can bend and drill spring steel only after “releasing” the metal. Heating is carried out blowtorch. The heated metal is left to cool in air before being shaped. After shaping and drilling, the “tempered” metal is hardened.
The first bend is performed at an angle from 95 to 105°. For the second, these parameters vary from 110 to 130°. If there is a third and fourth bend, they are performed in the same way as the second.
Finally, use a grinder to remove the edge chamfer at a 45° angle on the end and side surfaces of the future blade. They sharpen it first using a machine, and then make the final finishing touch with a hand sharpener. All that remains is to assemble a home-made device for cultivating a vegetable garden, securing the working part of the tool to the handle with bolts and washers. The Fokina flat cutter requires competent execution of all operations. Only in this case will the universal device not disappoint and become yours an indispensable assistant in the garden - after all, the tool can perform 20 different operations!
We are the official store, in which you can be guaranteed to purchase the entire range of original Fokin flat cutters manufactured in the production facility founded by the author of the invention, Vladimir Vasilievich Fokin (Vladimir region, Muromtsevo village). Beware of fakes, they do not perform the stated functions and break quickly!
Unfortunately, in Russia, they produce a large number of counterfeits of this wonderful instrument, taking advantage of its well-deserved popularity. Moreover, the quality of these fake flat cutters is often unimportant. The metal is “raw” (cases of breakage of such a “product” after 1-2 hours of work in the beds are not uncommon).
I would like to note that today, not a single enterprise in Russia has a license to produce Fokin flat cutters, except for the family of the inventor. Nevertheless, counterfeits are being made, and thereby the law of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Patent Law” is grossly violated, and damage is also caused to the case of V.V. Fokin.
And this not only undermines the reputation unique instrument, but also causes significant financial damage to the legal successors of the author-inventor, who are constantly concerned about improving the quality of manufactured flat cutters and reducing production costs.
ATTENTION! By buying a counterfeit instrument, you not only risk wasting your money, but you are also helping illegal manufacturers with your money! And most importantly, if you purchase a “fake” you will be deeply disappointed and will not get the joy and satisfaction from work that comes from working with an original Fokina flat cutter!
Choose the right tool, then you are guaranteed to get longevity of use of the tool and, most importantly, pleasure from working in the country or garden.
Here are the features of the original instrument:
| № | Original flat cutter |
Fakes |
| 1 | Since January 2016, the original flat cutter must have an engraving (stamp) trademark flat cutters "From Fokina" is the letter "F" (the capital letter of Fokina's surname). This is done using a special pneumatic needle-impact installation. It looks like this: | There is no mark on fakes, or a mark from another manufacturer |
| 2 | Color – BLACK, and only black. Painted with simple paint. To the touch, the branded instrument is a little rough. | All other colors are blue, brown, green, etc. - a clear sign of a fake. |
| 3 | All bends and angles on the flat cutter correspond to the patent for the invention. The flat cutter is sharp when purchased. | The angles, shapes and method of sharpening are not verified and differ from the original flat cutters. |
| 4 | Metal quality- this is the most important thing in the original instrument. The Fokina flat cutter is made of high-quality structural tool steel that has undergone special processing - hardening up to 40 Rockwell units and sharpening. This flat cutter is both hard and elastic at the same time. The flat cutter is springy both in your hands and in the garden bed. | But the fake is that the metal is either too soft - the flat cutter bends, quickly becomes dull, or is too hard - brittle, easily chipped, so it quickly breaks before the first sharpening. The flat cutter is made from stainless steel. |
| 5 | The blade of the flat cutter is sharp. A new flat cutter must be milled and sharpened from all external (upper) sides to the handle. | There is no sharpening on the fakes. Some may have sharpening on both sides, external and internal. |
| 6 | Each flat cutter must be supplied with bolts and nuts (for attaching the flat cutter to the handle). | For fakes, bolts and nuts are not sold as a set. |
| 7 | The distance between the holes on the flat cutter is 7.5 cm | The distance is not maintained or the size is different. |
| 8 | To a set of flat cutters (large + small) A branded author's brochure is required: “To the Earth with Science” by V.V. Fokin. The brochure must have 64 pages. The address of the manufacturer IP Fokin V.O. must be indicated. In this brochure, the author himself, the inventor, talks in detail about how to correctly set up a flat cutter, how to use it correctly and effectively, and shares his experience as a wise gardener. | They sell flat cutters without books or books without an address. |
| 9 | Specially shaped cuttings, flat, birch or pine with 2 drilled holes with diameter 8 mm, length from 120 to 130 cm. | Cuttings for flat cutters are not sold, or they are sold, but one for a set consisting of 2 flat cutters. Collapsible cuttings. |
| 10 | Working with a real flat cutter is very easy, even pensioners and children can do it. Up to 20 types of different works are performed. | It is much more difficult to work with counterfeits, especially when you are older. And they are unsuitable for performing all 20 types of garden work. |
| 11 | Only from official representatives you can purchase all modifications of Fokin’s flat cutters: set (large + small), mighty, strong, large strip, small strip. disc “To the Earth with Science”, and also ask about the availability of permits (patents, certificates, etc. with the living seal of the manufacturer) |
We recommend the most the right way to purchase a branded flat cutter is to purchase it from us.
We will not only tell you everything about Fokina flat cutters, but also give you a quality guarantee for every flat cutter of the Fokina brand purchased from us.
We also guarantee the durability of the tool and the pleasure of working in the country house or garden.
Even at the dawn of mankind, farmers sought to make their work in the field easier. This is how our ancestors began to use homemade tools, which made it possible to cope with the task of caring for plants faster and better. Millennia have passed, but the approach has not changed. Gardening tools are still actively used, which greatly facilitates exhausting work. Anyone can make a Fokin flat cutter with their own hands, and the advantage of this tool will become obvious immediately.
Pictured is a Fokina flat cutter
Farming is a challenging but rewarding activity. Summer season in full swing, there is a lot of work. However, connoisseurs of natural food are not stopped by any difficulties. First of all, farmers are driven by the desire to get a rich harvest of tasty and healthy vegetables.
When performing work on the site, everyone strives to make their work easier. That is why many summer residents use a variety of devices and devices. The Fokina flat cutter is one of them. Comfortable and significantly reduces stress on your arms and back. It is very convenient and easy for them to cultivate the land, and the speed of work and its quality increase significantly.
Anyone can make a Fokin flat cutter with their own hands, and the advantage of this tool will become obvious immediately
What are the main advantages of the Fokin flat cutter? We invite you to familiarize yourself with the main areas of its application:
- High-quality destruction of weeds due to deep penetration of the blade into the soil layer.
- Deep or superficial loosening of the soil, which contributes to its better saturation with oxygen.
- The flat cutter is very convenient to operate when processing an area. It allows you to process hard to reach places, row spacing, without damaging root system noble cultures.
- The tool allows you to quickly and most importantly, without additional effort, hill up bushes.
Video on how to use a Fokin flat cutter:
The Fokina flat cutter has a special shape and a sharp blade, thanks to which it gently penetrates the soil. By changing the direction of movement of the blade, you can hill up potato bushes or loosen the soil by changing the angle of inclination of the tool. The depth of penetration of the blade ranges from 3-5 cm to 15-20, depending on the shape and size of the flat cutter. Typically, when working in greenhouses or densely planted areas, small flat cutters are used. IN open ground more convenient to work with the tool bigger size, making it possible to process large areas faster.
Drawings of Fokin's flat cutter
Anyone can make a Fokin flat cutter and no special expensive equipment is needed for this. You need to find a strip of metal about 40-45 mm wide and 40 cm long. It is worth giving preference to high-quality metal. Mild steel will be unreliable, quickly dull and bend, which is unacceptable in this case. A rectangular handle is suitable as a handle. Thanks to this shape, it will be convenient to work and the tool will not rub calluses.
Video about the Fokin flat cutter with your own hands:
Make a Fokin flat cutter with your own hands to make it easier manual labor- This worthwhile idea. Every gardener will enjoy cultivating the soil quickly and efficiently using a flat cutter. Now loosening the soil and exterminating weeds will be a simple matter, and the yield of noble crops will be much higher.
26.11.2016
19 590
Fokina flat cutter - learning garden tools up and down!
The Fokina flat cutter is a garden tool with which you can easily cultivate the land with minimal physical effort. But gardeners and gardeners have many questions about how to use, whether detailed instructions on assembly, which handle to choose, whether sharpening is needed, etc. You can find answers to all sorts of questions, as well as tips for use and photos in the article as you read.
Content:
What is the instrument?
The flat cutter performs two main functions - weeding and loosening. In addition, the tool can be used to perform up to 20 jobs carried out on the ground. The hoe consists of two parts - a bracket with a blade and bolts, of which there are only two. Assembly of the flat cutter is quite easy; it needs to be bolted to a wooden handle on both sides.
The main action is cutting weeds at a depth of 2-5 cm, while upper layer the earth remains in place, and loosening occurs without turning out the soil layer. So, what is the advantage of such processing, you ask? The fact is that cultivation preserves the structure of the soil and does not harm living microorganisms living in the surface soil layer.
In addition, removing weeds and weeding beds is carried out with little physical effort, the process takes less time compared to in the usual ways soil treatment. It is worth noting that the mechanism does not replace a hoe for work in the garden, so loosening heavy soils will be much more difficult.
According to reviews from summer residents, using the tool on a site without plowing the land, in just two years, will make the soil porous and loose. They will live here earthworms, which has a good effect on fertility, which means that the harvest in the beds will be larger and better. The bent plate of the flat cutter is sharpened on three sides, so for easy work the blades must always be sharp, otherwise you won’t be able to weed the bed quickly and effortlessly.
planting potatoes using a Fokina flat cutter - pictured 
Fokina flat cutter when planting potatoes - pictured
In a garden store, on the market, or on the official website, you can see and buy up to 6 types of devices - Krepysh, Mogushnik, Polotik small and large, etc. The most common and purchased are flat cutters, which are included in Universal kit, consisting of small and large guns. With a small device, ridges are carefully and quickly weeded, thickened crops are thinned out, with a large device they are used to hill up, prepare the ground for planting, mow down weeds, etc.
The mechanism must be mounted on a handle that has a flat shape and is made of wood; this design of the handle allows you to work most conveniently on garden and personal plots. A large flat cutter must be secured in such a way that future work is convenient. The tool is fixed in two positions, while the angle of inclination changes so that the tool can be adapted to your height and style of work. The equipment is designed rationally, even for left-handers there is a comfortable position.
How to use a Fokina flat cutter - instructions
What can you do with a Fokin flat cutter in the garden. Read on to see what work to do and how to use the tool correctly:
➤ Loosening and weeding of beds is done with a wide blade, while maintaining a distance of approximately one meter from the place where the cuttings and soil are held, which is convenient for the gardener; there is no need to bend over. It is recommended to weed early stage until they begin to grow rapidly for easier removal;
➤ To form a bed, you need to first loosen the area with a flat cutter, then rake the soil between the rows with upside-down equipment. The flat cutter is positioned with the small blade down, which makes it almost vertical to the ground surface;
preparing the beds using a Fokina flat cutter - pictured
➤ With movements away from you or vice versa, the soil is leveled when the implement is in an inverted state, without wasting extra effort. Using this position of the tool, grooves, beds, etc. are filled;
➤ Deep loosening of the earth is achieved by striking with the narrowest strip, in the same way if the work was done with a plow;
➤ To thin out crops and improve the structure of the soil, slitting is done by extending a narrow blade, deepening it into the soil;
➤ Large lumps of earth are broken by the blunt part of the flat cutter (heel);
➤ To mow adult large weeds, you need to make the blows with a bend;
➤ You need to dig up the weed, bury a narrow blade under the root system of the plant and dig under it, holding it with your hand;
➤ They even mow the grass with a flat cutter. Truth in the areas small area where the braid does not pass;
➤ To hill up the ridges, soil is raked alternately on both sides.
In addition, the miracle tool is used to remove strawberry tendrils, when working with hay, and is used instead of a fork, a shovel, or a rake.
The Fokina flat cutter is designed for agricultural work, but not on an industrial scale; it is well suited for summer residents and gardeners who have many beds with different landings requiring special care. Don’t worry if you didn’t manage to cover a lot of area the first time and you’re tired, you need to get used to the tool and learn how to use it correctly, only in this case the work will be made easier and minimized.
The summer season annually brings a lot of trouble to the owners land plots. The main task is to cultivate the area for planting a new crop of vegetables and fruits, flowers and herbs. This difficult work requires special equipment.
The Fokina original flat cutter is familiar and is a tool that performs many functions, making the hard work of processing easier. Equipped with a double-edged metal blade with sharpening.
Equipment
- Big
- Small
- Fastening (bolts and nuts)
- Book
- It is possible to purchase cuttings separately. Length 130 cm.
Using a flat cutter
Works for which it is intended:
- digging;
- loosening;
- hilling;
- weeding;
- weed removal;
- application and leveling of fertilizers;
- formation of beds for planting.
When using this device, the earth is enriched with oxygen and saturated with organic substances. When used, the need for application to the soil is eliminated chemical substances and some fertilizers. Fertility increases naturally. This becomes possible thanks to V. Fokin’s original methodology, which is based on knowledge of the laws of agriculture and facilitates the work of gardeners.
If the tool is located under right angle and is used according to the manufacturers' recommendations, it reduces the load on a person's back. When working with the device, you cultivate the soil according to the rules. It is saturated with oxygen and retains its natural structure. Despite the fact that the device is inexpensive, it is reliable and durable, easy to maintain - it needs to be cleaned after use. For even greater convenience, the kit includes a large and small flat cutter for processing the corresponding areas.
Advantages
- With its help, many operations are performed: crush the soil horizontally to a depth of 5 cm; level the surface, breaking up lumps; sprinkling seeds; raking grass, leaves, hay.
- Tool High Quality. Made from durable hardened steel. The finest sharpening makes it possible to use it effortlessly.
- Easy to use.
- Compact. It is easily transported and takes up little space during storage. It can even be transported by bicycle.
- Original technology of gardening.
The essence of the land cultivation technology proposed by V. Fokin is that it is not necessary to dig it up, as was done before, with a shovel bayonet. Sufficient processing depth is 5-7 cm. Thus, useful material beneficial living organisms are preserved in the layer and do not allow them to die - they, together with the mown grass, prepare a favorable environment for breeding and cultivating plants. This prepares the soil for sowing and planting much easier and faster than digging with a shovel. The yield increases due to the biological activity of the soil.
How to distinguish an original Fokin flat cutter from a fake:
We offer to buy an original Fokin flat cutter at an attractive price in our online store. We deliver throughout Russia, as well as the possibility of pickup in all major cities countries.