I Need a Shovel

[Stringtyer]

I’ve been doing my digs with a Fiskars garden knife that works pretty well for shallow targets in workable soil and I have a nice sand scoop thanks to my wife. I obviously need a shovel. I have a trenching shovel but it is a bit large and cumbersome.

What shovels do y’all recommend?

[3cylbill]

I have a grave digger and am very happy with it , check it out....www.ecwid.com....

[rebbel31]

The grave digger nemesis for The field.
Raptor 31 or lesche for the park.

[Terry Soloman]

Grave Digger Tools "Nemesis" shovel, Lesche "Sampson Pro" shovel, Deteknix "Diamond" hand digger, Grave Digger Tools "Sidekick" hand digger.

[Carolina Tom]

https://www.predatortools.com/collec...shovels?page=1

Model 55 Barracuda!

[creade]

Root slayer shovel,like the piranha but half the price!

[BrettCo124]

Predator tools. Will last you a lifetime.

[Tommybuckets]

Tree spade- Walmart $20. It has a long thin blade so you can make small plugs and it doesn't tear up the turf too much. I put a short loop of line on mine so I can sling it around my shoulder and its really low profile and light when you are hiking along for a good distance. Plus its a decent walking stick on tough terrain since it has a longer handle than most diggers. Not all walmarts have them but most do.

[TerryC]

I use a Cold Steel SOG entrenching tool/shovel. Small, easy to carry, and makes a VERY GOOD weapon without the nasty look. Check it out. ╦╦Ç

[IDXMonster]

Grave Digger Tools "Nemesis" shovel, Lesche "Sampson Pro" shovel, Deteknix "Diamond" hand digger, Grave Digger Tools "Sidekick" hand digger.

You can clearly see Terry does NOT &@$# around....

[Stringtyer]

Do any of you have any experience with a White's Ground Hawg shovel? I can get one locally but, based on popular opinion, I may want to get the Lesche Sampson Pro.

[Divine Profit]

Looks like the ground hog would be a good high quality shovel like the sampson. It's a little longer with a little wider blade than the 31" sampson. I have the 31" and 18" sampson T handle shovels and love the 18". I hardly ever use the longer one, but that's just myself and both will work well. I like to get on my knees after I cut the plug open, and if you need to dig deeper/more from there it's nicer to have the smaller shovel in hand rather than trying to awkwardly use the longer handled while kneeling down or having to stand up again to use it. Also if a person thinks they may use it in a public place like a park, the smaller 18" is less obscure.

[Tpmetal]

what type of ground will you be digging? Ive broken/bent everything I've owned. First few I went with lowes specials, broke them all. next went to sampson t handle, have bent it a few times but still not totally broken. Next I went to whites groundhawg. broke it twice, once at the base of the tube handle, welded it and then the round stock connected to the blade broke. . onto a predator shovel now. We will see how it lasts, seems much better quality than the others I've used so far.

[Phishfarmer]

I bought one small garden shovel and it was a waste of money. I've bought two lesche shovels: t handle sampson and t handle 18" (to fit in backpack). They are very well made and I always have to cut roots so they get a workout. They are a little pricey but worth every penny. Just my two cents.

[Stringtyer]

what type of ground will you be digging?

The question about ground is well taken. I live and hunt in an area with every soil type from sandy loam to hard packed clay - sometimes within a few yards of each other. Many places have rocks that percolate up through the soil over time (especially during the winter). It seems that everywhere I get signals is overrun with roots.

@DivineProfit, thanks for the suggestion about a shorter handled shovel. I like that idea for the reasons you mentioned. As I mentioned in my first post on this subject, I have been using a trenching shovel that works pretty well but it has an incredibly long handle. Definitely less than subtle.