If you are a keen gardener, you may already have a shovel or two, unless you are after a new one because one broke.
You might know about ones with a curved blade, a pointed tip, or any other of the designs you can find.
Depending on your tasks, you may have a narrow one with straight sides or a huge one that is spoon-shaped.
They come with many names and can be called a shovel, a scoop, or a spade, and you will find many for each task you need to carry out. (Find the Best Pruning Shears)
When you need a new digging tool, what you thought was the task of picking one of the different types of digging, shovels turn into something needing a bit more thought.
Here we have some of the best gardening shovels to help you make up your decision to help with your gardening needs. You never know, you may find one of the best shovels for digging in our list.
Contents
- Why You Need a Good Garden Shovel?
- Top Garden Shovel Reviews
- Garden Shovels Buying Guide
- Final Verdict
Why You Need a Good Garden Shovel?
When gardening, there is a myriad of tools you need for many reasons. If you wanted a small shovel for use on your potting bench, you’d use a garden trowel.
If you had snow on your drive, then a trowel is useless as it a digging spade to a point, and you need a large garden scoop type of snow shovel.
If you need to dig holes, then these aluminum garden scoop types are no use. You get shovels specific for digging and others for digging narrow trenches.
What you need to begin with is a good all-around shovel for hardening that can deal with multiple tasks.
Once you have something specific to do, you can move on and select the right gardening tool for those gardening tasks.
You will find that you need a good heavy-duty all-purpose shovel to do all the work for you and won’t bend or break when you exert pressure on the handle.
Top Garden Shovel Reviews
1. Fiskars 96685935J LNG Hndl Digging Shovel
Before planting anything, you need a shovel for gardening and dig holes large enough to cater to the roots.
Using the Fiskars Long-Handle Round-Point Steel Digging Shovel, you’ll get the job done using hardly any effort and sweat compared to using conventional types of garden shovels.
The build is rock solid where the 14-gauge steel blade is welded to the 18-gauge steel handle, so there is little chance of it breaking. Even if there was a chance of this, the lifetime warranty has you covered.
The best garden shovel comes with an extra-large foot platform on the garden spade so that you can get your full weight onto it.
Also, there is an orange rubber handle grip to keep your gardening gloves in position with no slipping.
The Fiskars Long-Handle Round-Point Steel Digging Shovel is 57.5 inches long, so for most average height gardeners, it will be an ideal size of gardening tools for moving soil.
Pros
- Durable steel construction
- Welded blade and handle
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Heavy for smaller individuals
- Not suitable for digging a small hole
With a guide price of just under $30, you get a lot of tough soil digging performance from the top picks of any gardening shovel you can find.
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2. Bully Tools 82510 14-Gauge Round Point Shovel with Fiberglass D-Grip Handle
When you need to start digging, you can grab hold of the Bully Tools Round-Point Shovel. It has a very strong 14-gauge steel blade.
To drive in the power, you have a polypropylene D-shaped handle design, which is unbreakable.
It is made in the USA, and the Bully Tools 82510 Shovel can withstand the greatest efforts and can destroy the most stubborn roots.
Pros
- Robust handle that doesn’t get cold
- Durable and
- Comes with a lifetime limited warranty
Cons
- Shovel is head heavy
- Neck can bend when pushing on the D handle under pressure
The fiberglass handle is reinforced with hardwood to make it almost indestructible. It also comes with an extended ferrule that is stronger than others and can help prevent the shaft from detaching from the scoop with heavy impact.
With a guide price of just over $40, you get a decent performing D handle shovel that can last years.
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3. Bond LH015 Mini D Handle Shovel
If a conventional shovel is too big to deal with certain jobs, then the Bond Mini D Handle Shovel can help.
This shovel is just over 2 feet from the handle to the tip. In contrast, it isn’t capable of digging around the garden all day if you’re stuck and need something to dig you out. It is more than capable.
The D-shaped mini handle square grip is ergonomic, and its plastic covering delivers a non-slip grip. The pointed tip and wide blade make the shovel good for digging or packing and taking camping.
Pros
- Non-slip grip
- Lightweight and good in tight spaces
- Versatile and decent digging performance
- Corrosion-resistant and good warranty
Cons
- Not suitable for big tasks
- May be too small for larger adults
With a guide price of just under $25, this small shovel can be all you need to get you out of a bind.
It is the smallest of handled shovels, yet it is more than suitable for competing with the big boys in raised beds in your vegetable garden.
4. Fiskars 46 Inch Steel D-handle Transplanting Spade
A good narrow trench shovel blade spade helps gardeners’ slice through soil and roots. It does this with a flat, straight, and slightly sharpened blade. If you are edging, then the shape of the Fiskars is near perfect.
The Fiskar D Handle comes with a 14-gauge hardened steel blade with an 18-gauge steel shaft that makes it tough enough to deal with any task.
Pros
- Perfect for digging straight holes and transplanting
- Highly durable
- Lifetime warranty
- Power handles deliver control
Cons
- Tool handle only connected with one screw
- Limited to certain gardening tasks
It comes with a lifetime warranty, and the guide price of around $40 delivers a lot of spade for the money. If you have tough soil, this is the spade that can cut through.
5. AMES 2672100 Aluminum Scoop with Hardwood Handle and D-Grip, 45-Inch
The Ames comes with a hardwood handle for durability and also an easy grip feature handle. This, however, is just a rivet or single screw fitting.
For moving dirt, mulch manure, or heaving snow, the large aluminum scoop blade delivers a large enough area to move the most material at once. The handle is 24-inches, and the scoop shape is 15 inches wide by 11 inches long.
Pros
- Ideal size tool to prevent back strain
- Rugged wooden handle construction
- Lightweight
- Ideal for moving compost, mulch, or snow
- Large grip feature
Cons
- The aluminum blade can wear on hard surfaces
- The blade material is thin
With a price of around $35, you will have a wooden handle shovel ideal for numerous jobs around the home you want to do quickly in any weather. It is probably the best shovel out of all these types of shovels.
Garden Shovels Buying Guide
Here are a few things to consider when after new garden shovels.
Blades: Digging shovels and spades have steel blades in the range of 8 to 10 inches across and 10 to 12 inches long. However, a trenching shovel is one exception and is narrower.
A durable steel head shovel will have forged blades where the blade starts as one piece of steel and formed into shape. (Find the Top Rated Log Splitter)
Less expensive models have stamped blades where blades and attachments are stamped from steel. You’ll pay more for a stainless-steel blade garden tool with a forged blade as in trowels, but they last longer.
Handle Length: Garden shovels and scoops have handles 44 to 48 inches in length and offers comfort for most gardeners. Long-handled garden tools offer more leverage and better for your back.
Handle Materials: You find three materials to make shovels and spade handles: wood, steel, and fiberglass. Wood is traditional for digging tool handles, and many gardeners like the look and feel for shifting soil. Wood is heavier than fiberglass and can splinter. Steel-handled shovels and digging tool will be stronger but much heavier.
Final Verdict
Out of all the shovels, many were suitable for certain tasks, and where they excelled. For the best shovel you could use for everything to a degree, we saw the Fiskars 96685935J LNG Hndl Digging Shovel moving ahead.
It was the best performing and didn’t cause too much body or wrist strain. It cut through hard soil with ease and didn’t hurt your feet when stamping on the top of the blade.
Using the Fiskars was a treat, and jobs took less time with the balance and shovel performance.
All in, this is most likely to be the best garden spade you need, and the last you will buy for years to come.
With over 20 years of hands-on gardening and landscape design experience, Tim Graham, the founder of YardandGardenGuru.com, is dedicated to sharing expert advice and fostering a vibrant community for garden enthusiasts. His award-winning designs and sustainable practices reflect a deep-rooted passion and expertise in horticulture. Connect and cultivate your green thumb with Tim!