What to look for when buying a digging shovel

Why is it important to choose the right shovel

If many years ago the purpose of primitive shovels was limited to the need to dig and throw the earth, now they have been replaced by improved models. With the right choice, a digging shovel will be able to handle the right amount of soil, regardless of its type, in record time. Once upon a time, our ancestors had to process both small areas of soil and rather wide areas with one tool.

Experts and experienced summer residents are sure that correctly selected inventory will help save your time, greatly facilitate the process of digging, cleaning the site, planting and harvesting. With the help of a well-chosen shovel - whether it is a bayonet or a shovel - you can get the job done very quickly without undue stress on your arms and back. A quality tool is convenient, functional and durable.

It is made of durable materials, the structure has reliable fasteners. Now the shovels can break very rarely, since the manufacturers took care of the normal fastening of the handle. If you choose it according to your height, you can avoid excessive fatigue. If you are serious about choosing and buying a shovel for a garden, you can purchase not only a lightweight model made of durable materials, but also a reliable assistant that will serve you for many years.

Video “All About Forks and Shovels”

What a quality model should have

Garden shovels are designed for different types of work. If you plan to dig up the earth, hilling vegetables, digging holes and trenches - feel free to choose a bayonet shovel. Her tray is attached at an angle of 180 degrees to the handle, which has a length of up to 130 cm. There is also a platform for resting the legs. The bayonet is made of stainless steel, regular steel or titanium. It can have a rectangular, pointed, round shape.

Special bayonet configurations are designed for different types of soil - with a serrated end - for hard ground, with a sickle bayonet - for lawn work, with furrows - for clay soil. A sharp-pointed shovel has gained great popularity among gardeners today. It is indispensable for digging soil on the site, carrying out road works. A pointed shovel is used for processing soil of any complexity and digging out planting holes for plants. The edges of her blade are sharply sharpened, which greatly facilitates digging up the soil. Using a shovel, you can add the required amount of manure to the soil. It differs from the bayonet shape of the tray.

When choosing a shovel, the shape of the blade plays an important role. Considering the quality of the soil on the site, you can purchase a shovel with a rectangular blade - for digging loose soil or sand, or a round blade - for working on hard soil and clay.You may need a special tool, on one side of which the blade will resemble a saw. This will be needed if you plan to dig up the site in the fall, getting rid of weeds along the way. Models of such shovels are specially designed for work with virgin soil and soil penetrated by roots.

When choosing the material of the tray, its degree of resistance to the possible appearance of rust is important. The leading positions in the market are occupied by models made of stainless steel and titanium. Titanium shovels, and made of titanium in tandem with an aluminum alloy, have gained well-deserved popularity, although they have recently appeared on sale. They are durable and reliable, lightweight. If you do not want to change the good old classic steel shovel for a more modern model, then knock on the blade before purchasing stainless steel equipment. In a quality product, steel must ring when struck.

The “American women” have also gained popularity. These versatile units are the perfect combination of bayonet and shovels. In shape, such a tool is a bit like a spoon. Its blade is somewhat concave, like a shovel, and the handle is attached at a slight angle, and not parallel to the blade - like a bayonet. Thanks to the design, the "American" allows you to bend less in the process of digging the ground in the garden.

The height of a quality product should match your height. It is equally harmful to purchase a product with too long or too short a handle - working with it will not only progress more slowly, but will tire you much faster. A good tool should be 10cm below your shoulder. Sometimes it can be measured by the location of the flexion of the elbow joint.

Selection Tips

When making a purchase of inventory for performing work on a personal plot, it is important not only to decide on a model designed for a certain type of work, but also on material and other indicators. For the design, the degree of reliability and durability are important. The bayonet material should not show any tendency towards deformation or brittleness in the future. A hardened steel bayonet is a good option.

The shank of the shovel should not break in the future under the condition of excessive loads. Traditional and beloved wood has been replaced on the market by more durable materials - metal and plastic.

The tree can absorb large amounts of moisture over time and begin to rot. It is also important to check the connection between the handle and the bayonet. Reliable fasteners should be located there. The correct shovel should have a comfortable handle. It will not only allow you to transfer inventory from place to place, quickly load it into transport in case of transportation, but also help to perform complex work in the digging process - remove pieces of turf from the soil, and so on.

A slightly bent shank will be more functional than a model with a traditional straight shank. It is very convenient if, with all its necessary equipment and a full set of functions, the shovel will also weigh little. Modern manufacturers have taken care of creating models of digging equipment that will work to the maximum, and at the same time have a relatively low weight.

Video "Shovels made of rail steel"

What this design is and what it is used for - you will learn from the video below.