Tools (continued)

Weed Cutters (Grass Whips). Weed cutters are used for cutting light growth like grasses and annual plants that grow along trails. They are lightweight and durable and usually swung like a golf club.

Power Weed Cutters. Several manufacturers make "weed whackers," motorized weed cutters that use plastic line to cut weeds. Some have blades that substitute for the line. These can be a good option for mowing grass and weeds on trails. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for safe use and operation. Eye protection is especially important.

Tools for Pounding and Hammering

Sledge Hammers. Sledge hammers have heads forged from heat-treated high carbon steel; they weigh from 3.6 to 9 kg (8 to 20 lb).

Driving sledges are used to set heavy timbers and drive heavy spikes or hardened nails. Stone sledges are used break boulders or concrete. Because of differences in tempering, these tools are not interchangeable.

Hand-Drilling Hammers. Hand-drilling hammers are used to drill steel into rock or to drive wedges and feathers into cracks or drilled holes. There are two types of hand-drilling hammers—single jacks and double jacks. For more information on hand drilling, read Hand Drilling And Breaking Rock (1984).

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