Buying a digging shovel

12 years ago

Hey guys,

Figured I would share my lessons from trying to buy a good digging shovel... We had a big discussion over on the Fruit forum - and there was a lot of good information...

It seems like it would be simple to buy a good shovel.. but that hasn't been my experience....

Here is what I learned...

If you are buying a Round Point shovel... First, you need to decide on what you plan to use it for, and what sort of soil you are trying to dig...

First - some terminology...

Sizes - A #2 is the biggest standard shovel you will likely see. It's also the most common in hardware stores. #1 is smaller by about 1" and a #00 is smaller again by about 1" in both head length and width. Note that the smaller shovels are usually also lighter.

Shovel Lift - This is how much the head crooks up from the handle. The higher the lift - the better the shovel is for scooping and the worse it is for Digging... A "Typical" general purpose shovel runs between 4" and 6" of lift... The 4" models are easier to dig with. The 6" lift models are easier to scoop/transfer dirt with.

Irrigation shovels tend to have lower lift - 2"-4" - because they are primarily used for digging holes and trenches... Of course, they don't do well for scooping dirt out of piles.. The points end up poking into the ground when you are scooping...

"Fireman" shovels tend to have high lift - 6"+.. They are used for scooping up embers, scooping sand to throw on fires, and for scooping up debris and forest litter... They are generally not used for trenching or digging holes... and they can be hard to dig with.. The handle hits the back of the hole once you get to 10 or 12" deep.....

What are you going to use it for? If you plan to use it for Transferring dirt, scooping dirt out of piles, or using it to fill up holes - you want HIGH lift.. If you are digging holes - you want LOW lift...

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Comments (3)

john_in_sc
Original Author
12 years ago
Next deals with types - Open vs Closed back and stamped vs forged...

Stamped shovels are what you find in most hardware stores. They can be light and strong... but they can also be very weak, or heavy and clunky.

Forged shovels can be very strong - but are generally heavier than their stamped bretheren...

In my own opinion - stamped shovels work great when you are scooping dirt or in digging soft or sandy soil. They don't work as well when digging in rocky soil, heavy soil, or soil that's full of roots.

Forged shovels are great when you are battling rocks and roots... They are much stiffer and don't crack as easily. I personally don't like the extra weight when scooping dirt, though.

Open or Closed back in a stamped shovel? Open back talks about the part where the shovel handle meets the shovel head. If you flip it upside down and can see the shovel handle through the shank - it's an open back shovel... This is handy with Wood handles - as the open back allows gunk and water to drain out.. It can save the handle from dry rot... The down side is that Open back shovels almost always break where the shank meets the head near the steps... Closed back shovels are stronger - but also heavier.
mxyplx
12 years ago
Lotsa good info.

I worked in a farm implement warehouse in the 50's. The shovels we carried had a steel reinforcing bar in the handle running from inside the shovel blade shank up the handle several inches. This bar was inserted in the underside of the handle.

One of the older guys showed that to me. He had a big scar on his neck from a broken handle. It was a damn close call and he said never use a shovel without that bar but I've never seen one since. I've done a lot of shovel work and always kept that scar in mind.
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john_in_sc
Original Author
12 years ago
That's interesting.. Never seen one with a steel shank inside the handle...

I wanted to share some of the info I learned... I had several shovels - and I used some very frequently because they were "Easier" to use... Others I hated using... but I couldn't see any obvious rhyme or reason to why some were easy to use and some were terrible...

Then - my "Favorite" shovel started creaking and flexing too much in our hard, rocky soil.. and I thought "Gee - I would like to buy a good Forged shovel... but those are expensive - how do I know I will get one I am happy with".... and I started poking around trying to figure out what to buy...

Unfortunately, Not even the Shovel Manufacturers themselves publish any useful information to tell you what their shovel is designed for or for figuring out what shovel you should buy to do what work.... It's really frustrating - because not even their Customer Service people know the info... like how much Lift or shovel head size or weight....

I would have at least thought those guys would list some basic info like I shared above.. but they don't...

Thanks