9 Best Shovel For Digging Soil [2023 Top Picks] Shovel Reviews

9 Best Shovel For Digging Soil | Shovel Reviews

Do you know how essential a Best Shovel For Digging Soil and start on the entire area of your yard? Well, you must remember, without this tool you can’t protect your yard from some potential seasonal threats. A shovel is a must-have tool in that sense. But, without having the best shovel, you can’t get the most out of your garden. In the toughest terrains, a shovel can help you to dig up dirt and cut through roots. So many issues are needed to bring under consideration about choosing the best shovels for digging up roots to get the best outcome from your yard.

Now, what is a shovel? How does it work? Check out the next section.

What is a Shovel?

A shovel is basically a very essential tool for digging, moving, or lifting soil, snow, sand, coal, or gravel. It is a hand tool, more like a kind of spade with a broad blade and a medium-length handle. The broad pan of this tool is used to lift or move things. You should have this important gardening or agricultural tool for different purposes. If you want to get yourself a perfect and well-maintained yard, use it for different applications.

Suppose, your hobby is gardening, and taking up gardening in your free time is a joyful activity for you. But, if it takes too much time to deal with the unwanted overgrown roots from your leisure, it no longer remains your hobby. It’s very irritating to find the overgrown roots from the plants that shatter the beauty of your yard. There are some possible methods for removing the roots easily with a shovel. An in-depth solution to any problem related to digging is going to be discussed below that will help you to look out the factors while choosing the Best Shovel For Digging Soil. Let’s get right to the discussion!

Types of Shovels

There are numerous shovels having different functionality and designs that you can avail of. You can consider the differences in terms of the design of the shovel, the length of the steel handle, blade shape, the construction, etc. Hundreds of shovels are there, yet, pick out the best to tackle the most projects. Let’s get introduced to some shovels-

1. Fiskars Long Handle Digging Shovel

This is one of the best shovels for digging up roots. It is a steel-constructed sharp-bladed shovel for digging in soft or tough soil. The steel makes it more durable and helps to protect it against cracks and dents.

2. Union Tools Poly D-Grip Round Point Shovel

Keep this one in your choice list. Carbon steel makes it very durable. It assures that it won’t break down despite being a lightweight shovel because the blade’s attachment point and the handle is reinforced.

3. Radius Garden Root Slayer Shovel XL

A multi-tasker shovel which has a very sharp blade to slice through the roots. It has a slight learning curve to it that helps to get more gripping power than D-handles. The longer shaft of this shovel helps to ease your body strains.

4. True Temper Transfer Shovel

Another shovel that can be used for multi-purposes. With this, you can take on lots of projects around your yard. The wide blade and long handle help it to transfer items.

5. Bully Tools Round Point Shovel

This one is of functional design and construction. The blade is made of 14 gauge steel. Its triple-layered construction ensures the quality form that helps it to work without bending.

6. Toolite Square Point Shovel

This type of shovel is best for your little farm or pet house. Like the previous one, this shovel also has a longer handle to prevent it from bending while working. The 14 gauge tempered steel blade, 29 inches long D-handle, and fiberglass body allow you to toss out sticks and rocks while soil slips through.

7. Seymour Fiberglass Handle Notched Super Shovel

Choose this shovel if your area has compact clay soil or rocky ground. Its jagged blade with sharp teeth can slice through the soil but can’t break up the rocks. It can resist rust and corrosion.

8. Bond Mini D-Handle Shovel

This can be the best option if you have a tighter area to work in. This two feet long shovel can help you to work in the yards where bigger shovels can’t fit or if you are a bit shorter and comfortable to work kneeling down and digging. Even children can use it. It is suitable for working in a flower garden.

9. Ames Long Handle Square Point Shovel

Are you from a snowy country? Choose this shovel over others that deals with snow and ice in the winter. This square-bladed shovel will ensure a flawless finish while edging your garden. It’s more handy for tall gardeners.

10. Lifeline Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel

A good shovel for working on lightweight projects. It can be brought in your vehicles. The lightweight aluminum on this shovel resists rusting or corroding when it gets wet. You can find several colors and designs on it. For haulage, it can be a good choice.

Let’s Get Introduced to The Best Shovels for Digging Soil

Always go for the best shovel for digging up roots. The best shovel is needed to get rid of your yard from overgrown tree roots as quickly as possible. Dig the roots close to your foundation as early as possible to prevent damage to your underground pipes.

Let’s get introduced to the best-reviewed shovels you can find online-

Be concerned about the blade types that are the most important thing for digging up roots. So, here are some recommended blade types for you-

Open Back

Maybe you are on a tight budget but want to get your job done perfectly; this one’s for you! The blade of this shovel is of a particular shape that is meant to give a lightweight experience. You can consider using this one within your low budget.

Close Back

A sturdily constructed mid-range shovel. This has an additional welded plate that can ensure its strength and rigidity.

Forged

This heavy-duty shovel is actually forged from a single steel piece which makes it stronger as it has strong blades. The blades of this shovel give a good cutting performance for loose soil.

1. Editor’s Choice: Spear Head Gardening Shovel with Two Cushioned Grips

With innovation and the modern technology combined, this shovel is awarded as the “Best of the Best” in garden shovels by independent test lab Best reviews in 2018-2020. This can be used for many purposes such as gardening, landscaping, and digging tasks in clay, rocky, or compacted soils. It can dig deeper even into the most compacted rocky soil. Whether you choose to dig a trench, move sands, coal, mud, or dirt, or fix up your garden, you can pick this shovel for the best results. 

Spear Head Gardening Shovel with Two Cushioned Grips 

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Key Features:

Product Specifications:

Brand: Spear Head Spade

Material: Fiberglass

Color: Yellow

Grip type: Padded

Shaft length: Long/short

Item weight: 4 pounds

Item dimensions: 58×3.5×9 inches

Pros:

Cons:

2. Premium Choice: Radius Garden 22211 Root Slayer Round Head Shovel

This red-colored, root-slayer carbon steel shovel is crafted in a way that can be used for the most challenging digging tasks. The design is very well crafted and the modern materials used to design it, make it very unique. It’s super amazing to know that in the continental US, this shovel has been given a lifetime manufacturer guarantee. This is a kind of versatile garden spade that gives more digging accuracy and reliable performance if you sharpen and clean it on a regular basis.

Radius Garden 22211 Root Slayer Round Head Shovel

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Key Features:

Product Specifications:

Color: Red

Weight: 5 lbs.

Shaft material: Carbon steel

Item dimensions: 45×10.5×3.8 inches

Pros:

Cons:

3. Best for Professional: Root Assassin One Shot Garden Shovel

This shovel will help you to do any kind of digging tasks at its best like removing sands, dirt, coal or mud etc. It has very sturdy handles that are designed very expertly. With innovation and latest technology combined, this peeks into the future of gardening experiences. The quality of this shovel is guaranteed. You should use this one for your important projects, then you will have faith in its high-end durability and quality. You will be able to fix up your garden or yard with this shovel very perfectly.

 Root Assassin One Shot Garden Shovel

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Key Features:

Product Specifications:

Brand: Root Assassin

Type: 43” D-Handle

Material: Fiberglass, Alloy Steel

Weight: 1 kg

Style: Outdoor, Garder

Item dimensions: 43×5.5×9 inches

Pros:       

4. Best Overall: Radius Garden 22311 Root Slayer Nomad

It is a small gardening digging shovel which is best for use in small spaces, raised beds, and campgrounds. Grip type of it is ergonomic. You need to clean your nomad shovel to retain the quality of this shovel as well as the blade’s performance.

Radius Garden 22311 Root Slayer Nomad

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Key Features:

Product Specifications:

Brand: Radius Garden

Material: Alloy steel

Color: Red

Style: Root slayer nomad

Weight: 2.7 pounds

Grip type: Ergonomic

Pros:

Cons:

5. Best Public Choice: Martha Stewart MTS-MDS1 27- inch Mini Round Pt. Digging Shovel

This shovel should be your best choice for digging holes, planting small shrubs, spreading mulch, transplanting and dividing perennials, etc. The design allows it to work at ground level or in tight spots. This tool is a perfect companion to hand shoveling. It will give you a fine shoveling experience.

Martha Stewart MTS-MDS1 27- inch Mini Round Pt. Digging Shovel

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Key Features:

Product Specifications:

Shaft material: Alloy steel

Weight: 2.6 lbs

Item dimensions: 28×5.5×2 inches

Pros:

Cons:

6. Best Heavy Duty: Radius Garden 22011 Root Slayer Shovel

If you are tired of using shovels that give pressure on your hands and wrists, pick this one for you. You can use it for any sort of garden task including digging up roots. It gets lifetime manufacturer guarantee in the continental US. The design of the shovel is ergonomic. It is not meant for prying.

Radius Garden 22011 Root Slayer Shovel

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Key Features:

Product Specifications:

Color: Red

Shaft material: Carbon steel

Weight: 5 lbs.

Item dimension: 45×10.5×3.8 inches

Pros:

Cons:

7. Best Budget: Berry & Bird Garden Short Digging Shovel

This shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. It is very comfortable and ideal for all gardening enthusiasts. Do you want to know the durability of this? This tool can give you support for 10 years or even more. If you are working for a long time with a shovel causing fatigue of your hands and wrists, use this one from now onwards to reduce the fatigue.  This round point digging shovel is very beautiful to look at and has great collection value. Count it as one of the most effective shovels for gardening, camping, off-road or beach usage. You can use this for multi-purposes like cutting grass, branches, vines, digging holes, trenches, edging, transplanting and many more.

Berry & Bird Garden Short Digging Shovel

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Key Features:

Product Specifications:

Brand: Berry & Bird

Material: Stainless steel

Handle length: Short

Grip type: Ergonomic

Pros:

Cons:

8. Best for Newbie: Kids Beach Shovel with D-handle

It’s a kids’ beach shovel that can be used as a garden shovel, camping shovel, or car shovel as well. This is suitable for multi tasks like transplanting and composting in the planting frame. It has a short handle with a grip that will help you in digging out the unwanted roots of your garden.

Kids Beach Shovel with D-handle

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Key Features:

Product Specifications:

Brand: N/N

Material: Wood, metal

Color: Wooden color

Style: Round

Grip type: Ergonomic

Weight: 2 pounds

Item dimensions: 28×6.1×2 inches

Pros:

Cons:

9. Best for Everyday Use: Super Duty Multi-Purpose Garden Spade Root Cutter Shovel

An innovative garden tool that eliminates the need for saws and other things. It is very much useful for cleaning tracks, digging, and cleaning trenches and drains. It digs through hard sod and roots and digs into dry compacted clay and rocky soils. This multi-purpose shovel provides additional leverage while reducing the stress on the hands and wrists.

Super Duty Multi-Purpose Garden Spade Root Cutter Shovel

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Key Features:

Product Specifications:

Brand: LavoHome

Material: Wood

Color: Black

Length: 14 gauge

Blade Length: 14 inches

Grip type: Padded

Pros:

Best Method to Dig up Roots with Shovels

Suppose, you have the best shovel for digging up roots in your hand but you don’t know how to utilize that in your garden or yard. Will it be helpful for you anyway if you don’t use that shovel? Let’s check out the several methods for digging up roots.

Cutting roots with a shovel

A shovel can help you to remove roots very easily. Just take a position in front of the root and cut it off close to the ground using your shovel. Thus, you can remove the unwanted roots from your lawn completely without leaving any traces behind.

Prying up roots

You can follow some other alternative methods for digging up roots. Instead of cutting off the roots completely, you can dig around them and pull them with your shovel. It’s an effective method in dealing with lots of large and arrogant roots growing near one another.

Digging around roots

We call it trenching also. This method basically involves digging a hole beside the root which you want to cut off. With your shovel, pry out the whole area. You will then, none of them are left behind in the soil. Fill back up and make it complete this way.

These are some important factors that you need to consider while looking for a way to dig up the roots. Hunting for a shovel that suits you the best alone can’t serve everything. You also need to take into consideration many other factors.

The Buying Guide-How do I Choose the Best Shovel for Digging up Roots

On the above, you already have got the idea about some of the best digging shovels. You can choose any one from the index according to your garden type and your preference. Shovels are not equal; they are different in terms of size, color, shaft material, weight, design etc. Here are some buying guides that may help you to choose the best shovel. Let’s go through some curial factors you need to be concerned about before buying the best digging shovel for your garden.

Blade Material

Looking out the blade type should be the first duty to pick the best shovel. The blade is the most important organ of a shovel that cuts through the dirt and digs up the roots. So, you need to get yourself a long-lasting and study blade. In the shovel, you can see several blade types like steel, aluminum or plastic. Steel in making the blade makes it more durable. It is the most expensive as well.

Blade Shape

Considering blade shape is the next duty for a gardener while choosing a shovel. The blade needs to be pointy enough to penetrate the soil. You need to look for the sharp edge of the blade for cutting off the roots efficiently. There are various types of blade shapes and structures. Each of them have different working features

Blade Size

You should change the blade size completely based on your requirements. It wholly depends on the type of soil of your garden and the intensity of the digging your garden needs. For superficial digging that requires less effort, small blades can be good for that. But heavy root digging work needs a large edge shovel. You need to remember one thing, larger blade shovels might be a bit heavier so you need to give more effort to work with it.

Shaft Material & Length

Another crucial factor to consider is the shaft of the shovel and its length. You can be injured with severe back pain if you use the wrong shaft length. You can not work for a longer time with that too. So, get yourself the most suitable length of the shaft compatible with your own height. There are shafts of different qualities for shovels.

Handle & Grip Quality

A very important factor is to choose the handle type of your shovel. It is very essential to make your shovel experience comfortable while digging up roots. Straight grip handle is the most common handle design. But this handle can not be used for a long time otherwise you may get a damaged wrist in the long run. The D-grip handle has the most ergonomic design. It’s very easy to use. The O-grip handle allows people to use this together. The L-grips and T-grips are light weighted. But your hands might slip while using it. So, you need to be very cautious to use it.

Weight

The weight of the shovel also depends on the user’s choice. Your shovel’s weight depends on the blade you choose for it, the type and size. You need to choose the shovel according to your digging purpose. Sometimes, your digging work may need a heavy weighted shovel. You need to think about your strength also. Don’t go for the heavy shovels if you think you can’t handle it. Heavy weighted shovels may cause wrist damage.

Digging up roots in a perfect way requires you to pick the best digging shovel for your garden.

If you want the best performance from a shovel, you have to select your shovel remembering the features. Unless and until your shovel meets the above criteria, you can’t get your best and maximum performances out of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a plant with root rot be saved?

Answer: A root rot mushes up the root system of a plant. So, a plant with root rot can’t be saved. It needs to be replanted in fresh new soil with better nutrients. If you see that everything is in favor, you can save the plant with root rot.

What type of snow shovel is better? metallic or plastic?

Answer: Plastic shovels are better for snow. For dealing with snow, you need to work with a light leight shovel. Plastic shovels are more handy, affordable and durable.

What’s the best material for the handle?

Answer: To many gardeners, fiberglass handles are very popular and preferred because they can manage heavy work but the material is light weighted. The fiberglass handles are more expensive but they are best for valuing both your strength and lightweight things. It’s not always the first preference actually. Depending on the functionality of the shovel, you need to choose the handle type between plastic or steel.

What size of shovel will be best to pick for my garden work?

Answer: Choosing the size of shovel completely depends on the work your garden or yard requires. Different activities require different shovels. Like, for moving soil around the garden, choose a shovel with a large scoop. For superficial digging work, choose the light weighted shovel. If you go camping, your shovel should be more compact. So, choosing the right shovel depends on the applications and your needs.

Do you think durability and quality of shovels matter?

Answer: Sometimes you need branded shovels that ensure the quality you expect from the object. If you want to use folding camping shovels or other shovels with moving parts, you need to choose premium quality shovels that are more durable also. Durability of the shovels is important for the shovels that feature moving parts, telescopic shafts.

What is the best procedure to use a shovel?

Answer: Firstly, you need to take a stance with your feet wide apart. Then, put your front foot close to the blade of your shovel and stand on the top of the footrest with the other foot. Slowly drive your foot into the blade. Stay balanced, keep the load and movement close to your body to avoid falling off balance.

Is there any difference between the shovel for gardening and the shovel for camping?

Answer: Yes. For gardening, you need to choose a shovel with a longer handle and larger scoops so that you can move soil or chop at roots. On the other hand, the shovel for camping has a folding or telescopic handle that will allow for compact storage and stowing in backpacks.

What’s the way to dig up tough roots?

Answer: In the first place, you need to use a sharp shovel with a pointed blade that can cut off the tough roots. A sharp blade also helps the root from not breaking apart. Start by cutting through the ground at its edge and continue towards the center of the root. Then, dig around the root and pull it out.

What to look for in a shovel mostly?

Answer: You need to look for a strong, good quality, durable blade and shaft in a shovel. With a good blade and shaft, a shovel can dig through soil without breaking. Every other factor like size, weight, shape, materials etc are needed to consider as well but mostly garden enthusiasts look for the blade and shaft type in a shovel.

Final Thought

Now, what’s your understanding so far about choosing the Best Shovel For Digging Soil? It comes down to your choice when deciding which shovel to use. You might need a thinner, thicker or lightweight design. Whatever you need, go with the best suitable choice. Consider all the factors like the shovel’s size, type, material, length, construction, durability, grip and weight. If you find out all the information about the factors, it will be easier for you to choose the best shovel for digging up roots.

To wrap up the things, you need to get yourself a perfect shovel by your side at all times. You can go through the list above of the best shovels for digging up roots, their services and features. Now, it’s all up to your decision to choose one that fits your purpose the best. Hope you will be able to find out the most suitable one for you and have happy gardening days from now onwards!

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