Types of Shovels: You Should Know About it

Digging Shovels

All shovels are designed for digging. However, in this case, by digging we mean hardcore digging. These are specifically designed to be durable and sturdy so that users can dig a hole or ditch in the ground, not just for moving some soil out of the way.

Digging shovels have a curved scoop, upturned edges and a pointed center (pointed left edge in some cases). The pointed tip shovels are used for digging on soft and tilled soil while the sharp flat tip digging shovels are used to dig holes in dry and hard soil.

Trenching Shovels

Apart from being used for digging, trenching shovels are purpose-built for clearing trenches.

Just like digging shovels, they have a long handle but a wider base. They sport a sharp and pointed tip combined with square sides. Most of the trenching shovels are four to six inches wide and are specifically constructed to be precise.

The design is optimized to create neat and clean trench walls and to prevent disruption in the surrounding soil. These shovels are mainly used for digging a compost trench, removing a deep-rooted plant, for laying out pipelines as well as making slender swale runoffs.

Drain Spades

Drain spades and trenching shovels have a lot in common, except that the former has a smaller handlebar.

Unlike trenching shovels, drain spades have a round tip and curved edges. This shape and construction make them ideal for spot work like planting a flower in an existing flower bed, adding small shrubs, cleaning previously dug trenches, etc.

Since the spades are extensively used for transplanting things, they are also called transplanting spades. Their rounded tip makes transplanting easier since it does not damage the plant or the roots.

Most of the drain spades come with a narrow, scoop-like base that retains the soil and does not disturb the soil and roots in the vicinity.

Scoop Shovels

These shovels are designed for moving material that is already dugout. It is mostly used on construction sites where piles of gravel and sand need to be moved.

Most gardeners use it to transfer or move manure or soil from one spot to another or to a transportation vehicle or wheelbarrow.

Scoop shovels are designed in small and large sizes for all kinds of tasks. These shovels are either constructed using aluminum, polyurethane, or steel.

Aluminum shovels are used for shoveling things like grain, fluffy compost, soil, etc.

Steel shovels, on the other hand, are designed for heavy-duty tasks like transferring cement, gravel, heavier soils, etc.

Polyurethane shovels are quite useful and among the most affordable options.

Scrapers

They are designed and optimized for exactly what the name suggests. Scrapers’ origin can be traced back to flat-bladed shovels that are used to scrape driveways and rooftops. Similarly, scrapers are not meant for digging and scooping, they are used from scraping stubborn debris off different surfaced.

The most common use of a scraper includes scraping ice and snow off the driveway and walkways to prevent slipping. They are also used to remove shingles from the roof and come in handy while removing weeds that poke through walls or driveways.

They come in short and long sizes. The common scraper design consists of a handle (short or long) and a square, rectangle or partial triangle shaped base.

Edgers

Just like scrapers, this tool is also derived from the flat-bladed shovel. As the name suggests, it is used to create smooth and sharp edges.

They look a lot like pizza cutters. The handle is connected to a half moon blade that is used to cut through shallow materials.

Edgers are mostly used to clean up borders, separate and curb perennials, clean ground cover, etc.

The tool works wonders while separating plants from offshoots. These tools, on contrary to the category they fall in, cannot be used to dig and pick up things. It’s more of a precision and cleaning tool.

Post Hole Diggers

Posthole diggers are heavily used mainly due to the versatility they come with.

They are basically two shovels connected back to back with a hinge. They are used to pick soil, however, they cannot penetrate hard and dry soil. Hence, before using these, it is advised that you till the soil with the help of an ax or spade. If your soil is loose, you will get the best results.

The post hole digger is used to excavate holes for fence posts, patios holders, bulbs and whatnot. To use it, pull the handles apart, forced it into loosened soil and leave the handle. This leaves behind a neat and tidy hole.

These tools come in a variety of sizes and you can choose one depending on the task at hand. Even if you have a longer post hole digger but want a smaller hole, you can just push it half way into the soil. Most gardeners like to use it for planting trees.

Wrapping it Up

The above-mentioned seven shovel types are the ones most commonly used. Most people confuse shovels, spades, and scoops. They all fall into the same category but have completely different uses.

Spades are used to dig deep into the earth and are relatively flatter. Shovels and scoops, on the other hand, are for scooping. Scoops are usually smaller in size and are handheld.

Most of the shovels, especially the ones designed for scooping and digging, are versatile and can be used for more than one purpose.

For example, if you buy a drain spade with a larger base, it can be used for the purpose it is designed for but can also double as a snow shovel. Most of the above products are interchangeable.

This article was all about helping you understand different types of shovels, their usages, their ebbs, and flows. Make sure to pick one that suits you the best.