What do you use a mattock for?

A mattock /ˈmætək/ is a hand tool used for digging, prying, and chopping. Similar to the pickaxe, it has a long handle and a stout head which combines either a vertical axe blade with a horizontal adze (cutter mattock), or a pick and an adze (pick mattock).
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What is the difference between a mattock and a pickaxe?

A mattock has a broad blade on one end of the head and a pick or axe on the other, which makes it good for digging, prying, and chopping. A pickaxe has a pick on one side and a chisel on the other, making it good for prying.
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Is a mattock better than a pickaxe?

The thinner blade of the pickaxe allows it to penetrate rocky or clay soils deeper, making it more suited for those conditions. The mattock is better suited for removing larger quantities of softer soils.
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Can you use a mattock to chop wood?

A mattock isn't a tool for chopping down trees or splitting firewood. Instead, mattocks are used for digging and slicing through tough roots, as you might need to do if removing a stump from the ground.
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Do I need a mattock?

Although there are many uses for the pick mattock, this tool is commonly used when trying to break up rocky soil and dig trenches. The pointed end is ideal for breaking up the soil and the adze end is mainly used for clearing out trenches etc... The cutter mattock is a combination between an axe and an adze.
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Cutter Mattock tips 1 (pick axe)



Why is a mattock called a mattock?

The mattock is a hand tool that is often mistaken for a pickaxe. It is used for digging and chopping. Mattocks are very similar to what is called a Polaski in America. This tool gets its name from Edward Polaski, the forest ranger who developed it in the early 1900's.
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Should a mattock be sharpened?

Mattocks are sharpened like picks—instead of making the blade very sharp, maintain the original bevel angle (in this case, about 45 degrees). A too-sharp edge will become deformed as soon as it hits the first rock.
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How do you dig a trench with a mattock?

Trench with a Mattock

A mattock is designed for digging narrow trenches—just right for running cable or pipe. Swing it like an ax to cut into hard soil, and then lift out the dirt with the wide blade. The chopping blade slices through roots. Wrap tape around the shaft to gauge the depth of your trench.
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What tool breaks up dirt?

Shovels are great for digging most materials in your yard or garden. They're also good for breaking up and turning over soil and compost. Shovels have a bowl-shaped blade with a rounded edge. The other end of the blade is often flat, giving you a place to put your foot as you push the shovel into the ground.
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What is the difference between a mattock and a hoe?

is that mattock is an agricultural tool whose blades are at right angles to the body, similar to a pickax while hoe is an agricultural tool consisting of a long handle with a flat blade fixed perpendicular to it at the end, used for digging rows or hoe can be (us|slang) (ho) a prostitute or hoe can be a piece of land ...
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What is a pick axe used for?

The pointed end is used both for breaking and prying, the axe for hoeing, skimming, and chopping through roots. Developed as agricultural tools in prehistoric times, picks have evolved into other tools such as the plough and the mattock.
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What is the use of Bolo in gardening?

Guna, also called bolo-guna, is a Filipino weeding knife with a very short and wide dull blade with a perpendicular blunt end. It is an agricultural tool used mainly for digging roots and weeding gardens, approximating the functions of a garden hoe.
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What is the best tool to dig a trench?

What is the Best Tool for Digging a Trench?
  • The traditional trenching tool kit is: trench shovel, drain spade, pick mattock, and rake.
  • If the trench must be dug on extremely rocky or hard ground, a walk-behind trencher may be required.
  • For detailed borders, use a border trenching tool.
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What is the easiest way to dig a trench?

What is the Fastest Way to Dig a Trench by Hand?
  1. Water the soil for 1 hour the day before excavation.
  2. Use a trenching shovel to quickly excavate the trench.
  3. Use a pick mattock to dig up rocks and break through tough soil.
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Can I use an edger to dig trench?

An edger can be used as a trencher, but you won't get the best operational efficiency. Specifically, your depth will be very limited, and the whole project will take longer to complete. However, it's possible to convert an old edger into a mini makeshift trencher.
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How do you clean a mattock?

Cleaning. Mattocks, like most tools should always be cleaned before being put away. Brush off any dirt or earth from the whole mattock and dry the mattock if it's wet or damp.
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How do you keep a pick mattock?

Both ends of a mattock should be maintained to keep a reasonably sharp edge; this can be done with either a grinder or a hand file. The adze blade and axe of a mattock should be kept clear of burrs and any severe dents/chips ground or filed out. The adze however should not be kept as sharp as the axe cutting edge.
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What is a garden pick?

Product Overview. This pick/planter is a great tool for working hard soil in your garden. This mattock-style tiller features a pick on one end and an adze on the other. Ideal for working in confined areas, shallow planting, digging, and cultivating. Pick end for breaking hard soil.
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What is better than a shovel?

In areas that are difficult to dig — places where the ground is hard, rocky or heavy with clay — an earth auger is easier to use than a shovel. There are other tasks a garden auger or earth auger can handle, as well. Whether you need to bore holes or mix liquids, the augers that we offer will help!
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What tool with one end of its blade flattened and the other pointed at right angles to its handle?

A shovel is a tool used for lifting or digging and moving objects or materials like coal and sand etc. The handle of shovels is usually made of wood to provide extra grip and rigidity. They are highly used in agricultural activities.
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What is hand cultivator?

A hand cultivator is a gardening tool that is used to turn the soil where you plan on planting and for removing weeds. In small flower or vegetable gardens, it can also be used like a small plow to dig the planting rows.
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Can you break rocks with a pickaxe?

The pick part of a pick axe is used to break up and split rock, concrete and hard earth. The chisel end of the pick axe head is used to pry apart broken rocks and other objects such as paving slabs.
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How do you break concrete with a pickaxe?

Cut into the concrete about 1/4 inch deep before beginning to break it up, and not only will it break easier, but it will tend to break along the cut lines and make the concrete pieces more manageable. Use this method to break an interior slab where you cannot access the bottom of the slab with a pickaxe.
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