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A gardener without a good shovel is like a soldier without arms up his sleeves. You got Sunday or some free time and totally in the mood to work in your garden and find a broken or no shovel in the shed will leave you with no choice but to feel exhausted before starting the task.
It doesn’t matter if you are digging up a garden or garage, a good shovel is what will make your job easy for you. We recommend Radius Garden 202 Pro as the best shovel for digging up roots you can easily use to supplement your gardening efforts.
Depending on the variability of handle, blade, shape, length and average price, we filtered five best products, and in this article, we will discuss them one by one.
By the end of the buyer’s guide, you will be able to choose the best one for yourself.
Are you in a Hurry?
You can check through the following quick comparison table & Buy the best shovel which fits your need and budget now on amazon by clicking the check price link:
| Product | Price | Dimensions | Blade | grip |
| Root Assassin | Check Price | 43 x 5.5 x 9 inches | Wings design/ Rust resistant | ‘D’ shape |
| Radius | Check Price | 39 x 2.8 x 7.5 inches | V-shape/Teeth rip sides | ‘D’ shape |
| Bond LH015 Mini | Check Price | 27.6 x 13.6 x 7.5 inches | Rust-resistant/footstep platform | ‘D’ shape |
| Fiskars | Check Price | 4.8 x 8.5 x 47 inches | Sharp, Rust-resistant, powder-coated | ‘D’ Shape |
| Radius Garden | Check Price | 41.3 x 8.5 x 3.5 inches | HQ steel, Rust-resistance | ‘O’ shape |
Let’s start to discuss our top 5 picks:
Best shovel for digging up roots
Root Assassin One Shot Garden Shovel, 43″ D-Handle
This shovel is 43 inches long with a ‘‘D’’ handle. It is made of very high quality, high strength fibreglass. The best part about this shovel is that it is resistant to rusting, unlike other ordinary shovels. It is made up of a special steel blade.
It is universal in a way that you can use it for digging up roots, shifting dirt, lifting clay etc. The upper part of the blade is bent which can keep things on from slipping off.
Specifications
| Product Dimensions | 43 x 5.5 x 9 inches |
| Item Weight | 2.2 pounds |
| Material | Non-rusting steel blade |
| Manufacturer | Root Assassin |
Handle
It has a sturdy handle with 43 inches length and ‘D’ shape designed.The shape of the handle is specially designed on a trial basis for human comfort while working. It is long-lasting and manufactured of high duty, high strength, lightweight fibreglass. It is not predisposed to cracking and eroding at all.
Blade
It is made up of steel and weighs only 6 lbs. You shouldn’t worry about rusting and chipping.
Foot place is specially designed:
Extra-large footstep helps you in digging deeper to get more in one scoop. It will protect your shoe from the cut as it is specially designed with moulded/bent wings.
More power:
Its frontal anatomy is very innovative, which makes it more empowered while digging or cutting up roots. Less effort will make you dig more.
Pros:
- Strong handle
- Non-rusting, No eroding
- Moulded wings
- High-quality fibreglass material
Cons:
- Only one size available (43’’)
Radius Garden 22311 Root Slayer Nomad
Made for small spaces uses like home gardening, camping and has multi-purpose uses with its sharp teeth rip sides which helps in cutting and frontal lobe in digging.
It is inverted and V-shaped tip which goes down the soil and roots with very much ease.
The blade is made of powder-coated carbon steel which is resistant to rusting. The shaft is manufactured of resin-covered carbon steel while the top or handle has latex-free grip.
Specifications
| Product Dimensions | 39 x 2.8 x 7.5 inches |
| Item Weight | 2.7 pounds |
| Blade | V-shape with teeth rip sides |
| Manufacturer | Radius Garden |
| Material | Special innovated modern steel |
It is an ideal tool for weeding. Its multipurpose use made it very popular. It can cut the roots of bamboo and shrubs conveniently. The head of the shovel weighs about 70% of the total weight. The handle is round and comfortable to hold.
Steel shaft is covered with a patented durable ergonomic polypropylene grip. Manufacturer gives you a lifetime guarantee. What else do you need?
Pros
- Durable material
- Sharp teeth sides
- Powerful frontal lobe
- Strong shaft
Cons
- Not ideal for lifting clay or shifting dirt
Bond LH015 Mini D Handle Shovel
As the name shows, it has a shorthand compared to other shovels in this list. It is convenient for domestic use of gardening, camping, and small scale bedding. It is very efficient in digging at small scales and moving clay, dirt or stuff effectively.
It is 27 inches in length from the tip of the blade to hand top. The handle is ‘D’ shaped and made of durable material. The manufacturer gives a 5-year guarantee.
Specifications
| Product Dimensions | 27.6 x 13.6 x 7.5 inches |
| Item Weight | 1.75 pounds |
| Shipping Weight | 1.75 pounds |
| Department | unisex-adult |
| Manufacturer | Bond |
| Handle | D shaped |
It is durable and heat treated. It is also rust-resistant with powder coated paint.
If you want to do stuff at home, wanna go up the mountains for camping or bedding flowers in the backyard, this shovel is tailored for you.
Pros
- Lightweight steel handle
- Strong
- Non-slip grip
- Rust resistant
- 5-year guarantee
Cons
- Not good for higher scale work
Fiskars 46 Inch Steel D-handle Square
This garden shovel has 46 inches length and a very comfortable hand which helps in lifting stuff or cutting through the soil. The blade has extra-large footstep, which allows in forcing down the earth and reducing tench and roots.
The welded 14 gauge sharp blade not only helps in cutting trenches, small shrubs but also has very effective digging. The 18 gauge steel shaft is very durable and resistant to any erosion or chipping.
Specifications:
| Product Dimensions | 4.8 x 8.5 x 47 inches |
| Item Weight | 4.75 pounds |
| Shipping Weight | 4.75 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Fiskars |
| Blade & Shaft | 14 gauge steel/18 gauge steel |
It has a durable design that offers best gripping while digging up roots or cutting through the turf. The D-shape handle gives two hands control and helps in moving or lifting all along. The blade is ideally sharped, which can cut trenches efficiently. The footstep platform over the edge makes it easy to force down the turf or through the hardened soil.
Pros:
- Best thing for edging or cutting garden bed
- 14 gauge blade
- 18 gauge shaft
- Resistant to rust
- Easy cleaning and maintenance
Cons:
- May not withstand rocky stuff or digging through rocks containing soil
Radius Garden 202 PRO Ergonomic Stainless Steel Shovel
North Americans love round handed shovels, and maybe the reason is comfort or traditional usage. Still, according to many customer’s reviews, they said round handed spades have double space for both hands which helps in working out.
This is an award-winning bestseller product with O-shape handle and is 41 inches long overall. The blade is made up of high-quality rust-resistant pure steel, Probably the best steel so far in the list. The shaft is resin-encased carbon steel with a more open elevated front track for safety and enforcement.
Specifications:
| Product Dimensions | 41.3 x 8.5 x 3.5 inches |
| Item Weight | 5.07 pounds |
| Shipping Weight | 5.75 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Radius Gardens |
| Material | HQ Steel Blade, Resin encased carbon steel shaft |
The handle is over moulded with non-latex super comfortable, a thermoplastic grip which makes its use very convenient. The footstep platform is very innovative, which decreases the leverage and increases its efficiency in digging up roots and cutting through turf or shifting clay or dirt.
Lifetime guarantee
Pros:
- Round point design
- Strong stainless steel
- Double hand handle surface
- Best grip (Non-latex, thermoplastic)
- Lifetime guarantee by Manufacturer
Cons:
- Expensive (but with higher price comes high quality, keep that in mind)
Buyer’s guide for Best shovel for digging up roots
Using our buyer’s guide, you can easily find the best shovel for digging up roots. The ideal choice comes with identifying your need and technical aspects of a product you want to buy.
Regarding Best shovels for digging up roots, we need to consider the following things before buying one.
What is your nature of work?
The first step is identifying the need. Ask yourself the nature of work. For example, a mini round handed shovel will not work in cutting through rocks while a long spade will not fit your camping project. A trench cutter will not help you in clearing snow while a cupped shovel will not help in cutting bamboos and dandelions’ roots.
Just like every key has a lock, every need has its own solution/product within the product, so choose carefully.
Material used in the shovel:
Irrespective of what your needs are, you will always look for good quality material, right? But you also need to compare it with all the three parts, i.e. handle, shaft and blade. Sometimes people look for a better quality blade and end up on a losing handle or rod which is of low quality, for example, a steel shaft will withstand all the forces and weights while a fibreglass shaft may bend or break sometimes.
High-quality stainless steel will never get any rust which increases the lifespan of the shovel and also its sharp edges and efficiency.
Handle length
Shovels are in the different range of length depending on its usage. Mostly they are between 38’’ to 48’’ long. However there are shovels which are between 18 to 30 inches long and equally famous and some are best selling products as well.
This typically depends on your work. Most of the gardeners go for long shovels as they are easy to use while standing without bending back, hence no pain yet much gain.
On the other hand, if you are working in a congested area or going on camping or trip the short length shovel suits you very well.
Blades
Blade is the important part to cut or dig for you. They are usually made of steel unless they are very cheap brands. In steel blades, you should look for a forged blade instead of a stamped or bonded blade. The better quality, the more loyal will be the shovel to your garden.
Having said that you should not ignore the importance of blade shape on the upper side e.g if it has a nice folded footstep platform it will be best for digging up the turf with less force. However, if you need it extensively for cutting trenches and shrubs then V-shape teeth rip shovel will be the best choice for you.
Handle grip/ Design
A shovel with a broken handle or no grip is useless or at least less efficient.
Most of the time shovels with high price and good looks have a wooden or fragile hand which fails to withstand tough work or higher load. A good shovel will have a grip which is usually made of high-quality decent plastic or rubber foam and is designed in a way to make grip comfortable.
Some gardeners love D-shape and other O-shape round grips, which totally depend on choice but rubber foam grip is more durable than fibreglass. Having said that it also depends on the kind of work and use.
Weight
Weight can not be neglected while choosing the shovel. It depends on the nature of work, the gardener’s ease and material used. For example, a shovel with steel blade and steel shaft will have more weight compared to the one with fibreglass/plastic/wooden shaft. The one with steel shaft and steel blade offers more durability but maybe not best for you if you hate lifting weight or your doctor advised you against it.
Also, now most of the shovel manufacturers offer 5 years or lifetime guarantee. In that case, you should opt the one which makes you feel comfortable while working all day without any fatigue and exhaustion.
If you are buying for moving clay, clearing snow or other weight lifting work, you should choose in between, not too light that it breaks, not too heavy that makes you feel exhausted.
Price/shipment
Shipment policies are must-read in any online shopping however they stay uniform within one product. However, breaking down the price is an important step and you need to make a chart of how many benefits you get with a slighter hike in the price and then decide. With high price comes the quality.
Conclusion
Many would say that this product is universal and best for all operations but I don’t believe in that notion. Identify the need, look for features which can fulfil your need and buy the right product.
Happy Shopping for today!
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