Shovels and Spades

Shovels and Spades

Shovels and Spades

Choosing the right shovel or spade for your gardening needs is important. From the material the handle is made from to the construction of the blade. You will have a choice of 3 blades when choosing your garden shovel.

  • Forged Blade - This is where the head and shank are forged from a single bar of steel. This is the strongest construction of blade
  • Closed back blade (welded) - This is a stamped blade where the back is reinforced by a welded piece of steel for added strength
  • Open back blade - This is an economy blade that is stamped at the back. It is the least strong but is lightweight and ideal for basic gardening jobs

Shovels and spades also have many designs based from general tasks such moving dirt or sand to specific task such as a trenching shovel used for trenches such as irrigation or electrical lines.

The newest handles are the composite handles that combine the best qualities of wood and steel in that they are light, strong, and resist uncomfortable resination. Also the shape of the handle is important where you have the choice of a "D" handle for getting a better grip or simply a straight handle with a grip at the end which can give you more leverage. Also the material a handle is made from is important as for example steel handles are practically unbreakable, but can be heavy and resinate uncomfortably if you hit a rock. Wooden handles feels better but is susceptible to weather stress. The newest handles are the composite handles that combine the best qualities of wood and steel in that they are light, strong, and resist uncomfortable resination.

As a flexible rule of thumb, spades are used for digging and shovels are used for moving materials.

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