How to Buy and Maintain a Shovel
Decide what type of shovel you want., Select the correct shape of shovel for the work you wish to do: For general-purpose digging of holes in soil, a round nose (somewhat pointed) shovel with a blade (metal part) 8-12" long and 6-8" wide is ideal...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide what type of shovel you want.
Do you want a shovel to remove snow? Dig holes? Move grain? -
Step 2: Select the correct shape of shovel for the work you wish to do: For general-purpose digging of holes in soil
Rolled edges that you can push on with your feet are a plus.
For heavy or rocky soils, you may wish to get a companion shovel for the above, basically to loosen up the soil so that you can move it with the larger shovel: a thick, heavy blade 8-12" long by about 4" wide is well suited for this task.
For moving light, granular goods, such as grain, a fairly large and well-scooped shovel is best.
For shoveling snow off of driveways, a large shovel with a flat nose is best.
The size should be determined by how thick of a layer of snow you are moving: thicker snow means narrower shovel. , Short handles tend to lead to inefficient shoveling.
Is the handle the correct thickness for your hands? Too thick will tend to give you blisters, too thin will be hard to hold on to.
Is the handle attached to the blade in a robust manner? Is it likely to break off under torsional (twisting) loads? Is the handle robust? Will it end up breaking? , Plastic blades, even as snow shovels, tend to end up chipping and breaking with time.
Is the blade suitably thick? Will it be damaged if it hits something, like a rock, while digging? In the case of a shovel for soil, is the blade's steel of good quality? With permission, test this by filing the edge of the shovel a bit: soft steel with file easily.
If in doubt, just don't buy the cheap shovels. , -
Step 3: a round nose (somewhat pointed) shovel with a blade (metal part) 8-12" long and 6-8" wide is ideal.
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Step 4: Find a shovel with the blade you want
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Step 5: and verify that it's handle is good: Is the handle long enough that you can effectively use the tool without bending over?
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Step 6: Is the blade strong?
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Step 7: Actually buy the shovel.
Detailed Guide
Do you want a shovel to remove snow? Dig holes? Move grain?
Rolled edges that you can push on with your feet are a plus.
For heavy or rocky soils, you may wish to get a companion shovel for the above, basically to loosen up the soil so that you can move it with the larger shovel: a thick, heavy blade 8-12" long by about 4" wide is well suited for this task.
For moving light, granular goods, such as grain, a fairly large and well-scooped shovel is best.
For shoveling snow off of driveways, a large shovel with a flat nose is best.
The size should be determined by how thick of a layer of snow you are moving: thicker snow means narrower shovel. , Short handles tend to lead to inefficient shoveling.
Is the handle the correct thickness for your hands? Too thick will tend to give you blisters, too thin will be hard to hold on to.
Is the handle attached to the blade in a robust manner? Is it likely to break off under torsional (twisting) loads? Is the handle robust? Will it end up breaking? , Plastic blades, even as snow shovels, tend to end up chipping and breaking with time.
Is the blade suitably thick? Will it be damaged if it hits something, like a rock, while digging? In the case of a shovel for soil, is the blade's steel of good quality? With permission, test this by filing the edge of the shovel a bit: soft steel with file easily.
If in doubt, just don't buy the cheap shovels. ,
About the Author
Steven Gray
Brings years of experience writing about DIY projects and related subjects.
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