Dig Your Way To China With Great Shovels
Whether you’re a casual gardener or a landscaper by trade, if there’s one piece of outdoor equipment that’s a must for every Aussie, it’s a good quality shovel. And thanks to eBay, there is an abundance of variety you can choose from when shopping online.
Common types of shovels
Though there are many different types of shovels, these are the most common.
- Edging shovel allows you to define the boundaries around your garden, which is ideal if you want to create a space for a garden bench or for breaking up grouped plants. With an edging shovel, simply apply pressure to the straight footplate by stepping on the little metal semi-circle at the bottom of the long shaft. The flat, sharp blade will drive into the ground, though it’s quite shallow.
- A trench shovel is much longer in length and is used for digging shallow ditches and tidying up deeper ones. It has a pointed tip, with a long, narrow blade.
- A flat shovel has a flat-bladed design and is primarily used for scooping. It’s great for scooping soil, mulch, gravel and can also be used for carrying garden items.
- A tree planting shovel is made specifically for planting trees. The narrow blade of a tree-planting shovel has a curved or pointed tip. Because of the shovel's narrow blade, it can be used to dig a variety of hole sizes by working it in a circular motion into the earth. Longer shafts are better for flat, even ground; shorter shafts are better for hills or inclined ground.
- Handheld shovels are also known as the garden shovel, garden trowel, hand trowel, and garden spade. They are short-shafted mini-shovels that can be used to dig up weeds, pull out plants, and dig new holes. They are typically around six inches long.
- Digging shovels are available with pointed ends and rounded, and have either plastic or metal blades, with curved edges and broad footplate. The shaft is usually wood, or metal and these shovels allow you to dig into deeper and denser soil.
Shopping online considerations
When shopping, you need to consider the purpose for your shovel. Do you want a shovel that digs holes big enough to plant trees, or simple garden shovels you can use to install your garden furniture? You’ll find plenty of options available with eBay, for a great price, so start shopping today!