The Basic Types of Shovels - The Super Handyman Al Carrell

Shovels can be used for a variety of tasks. If you are digging a deep hole, say for a tree, you’ll want to use a shovel with a curved, sharp blade. Look for a shovel with a long collar and make sure it is made with heavy gauge, tempered steel. This will reduce the chances of the shovel breaking. You can use a grinder to help keep the blade sharp. And if you have wooden handles, treat them with linseed oil. It will help the wood last longer and it will be gentler on your hands.
If you are digging a hole for something like a fence post it is a good idea to use a post hole digger. It helps you dig a deep, yet narrow hole that will lead to a more stable post. You can even rent posthole diggers that use power.
Once you have finished digging your posthole you’ll want to bell out the bottom of the hole. You can use a shovel known as a drain spade or stinger. When you pour the concrete around the post the big bell at the bottom creates a stable environment that will keep the post from leaning or popping out.
There are also shovels that help rip shingles off a roof. The shovel has teeth that will clip off any nails that get in the way as you remove shingles. Even if the shovel doesn’t rip off the heads of the nails, you can use it to pry the nails out of the roof.
And now that you have a driveway full of shingles we have another shovel that can come in handy. It is called a grain scoop. Many of you will know it as a snow shovel. Either way, the grain scoop is a handy tool for scooping up debris like shingles and leaves. It’s also very good for shoveling snow.