Types of Shovels and their Uses

Anyone interested in gardening will know what is a shovel but he/ she might not know what are all the types of shovels and their different uses. This knowledge about different types of shovels can help in deciding about the best suited spades and shovels for a particular task. So, here I tell you about some of the very popular shovel types and what are they best used for! But before starting, let me tell what is a shovel – just for those who are novice to the art of gardening.

What is a Shovel?

Shovel is a hand tool with a long handle and a scooping blade. It is generally used to dig and move soil and other similar material. Shovels used for digging earth have foot treads on the top of their blade. This is a flattened area used to rest foot in order to add extra force while working.

Types of Shovels

Spade Shovel- A spade is perhaps the most common types of this garden tool. A spade has triangular points and is specifically designed to dig hard ground that needs a good amount of force. These spade shovels are used to turf cutting and to transplant bushes and small trees.

Scoop- It has a dished or cupped shape with a square edge able to scoop up dirt or other loose materials. However, they can not be used where force is needed such as for digging ground.

Snow Shovel- These have wide blades that generally do not have ridges and that curve upward to help lift snow. However, other snow shovels have blades with sides too that are used for digging and pushing snow.

Trenching Shovel- The drain or trench shovels have long thin blades with typically pronounced upturned side flanges. Due t o their snout, they cut deeply into the soil making the work more easier and efficient. Trench spades are used for digging trenches.

The above types of shovels are all categorized on the basis of their uses. However, the most basic difference in shovel types is based on their shapes- round and square. Apart from this, the handles – the T-handle or D-handle – are also a criteria to differentiate among them. In fact, there are three major criteria on which the types of shovels can be described- their construction; point description- round or square; and handle types. To know more in detail about these criteria for dividing the types of shovels, read about Shovels Spades.