In the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, China invented iron smelting technology, and made great progress soon, thus providing a technical and material basis for the emergence and popularization of iron farm tools. At that time, Qi was the first country to produce and use iron farm tools. According to "Guoyu Qiyu", Guan Zhong, an official of the State of Qi, suggested to Qi Huangong in the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period: "Cast swords and halberds with US dollars to test dogs and horses; Evil gold tries loam by casting hoes, hoes, pounds (axes) and hoes. " Refers to casting weapons such as swords and halberds with bronze (that is, "Yuan") and trying them on dogs and horses; Use iron (that is, "evil gold") to cast farm tools such as Yi, Yi, Jin and try to cultivate the land.

This is the earliest written record of using iron farm tools in China. With the development of iron smelting industry, the use of iron farm tools is gradually popularized. Guan Wangpian said that at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Qi "had a shovel and a shovel for the tiller", which showed that the state of Qi had widely used iron farm tools at that time.

China began to use iron farm tools in the Spring and Autumn Period, which can also be confirmed by modern archaeological discoveries. For example, a variety of ironware unearthed from the Chu Tomb in Deshan, Changde, Hunan, Beixizhuang, Houma, Shanxi, and Chucai, Changsha, are relics of the late Spring and Autumn Period, including iron thunder, iron halberd, iron flower and other agricultural tools.

After the mid-Warring States period, iron farm tools have been widely used in various vassal States. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, farm tools were completely ironed. Iron farm tools are much more efficient than primitive farm tools such as wooden barriers, stones and bones. The use of iron farm tools played a very important role in promoting the development of ancient agricultural production in China.

Widely used after the mid-Warring States period.