dirtyharry,Hi.. in my experience its kind of horses for courses.. no one shovel is wrong or right...but.. a long handle is a must. Shorthandles are ok for confined spaces ..like when your scatching around a river oak rootball or a deep hole..but.. even then a square mouth is always going to put you at a disadvantage unless your working with loose river gravel over flat bedrock...which is rarely the case. the square mouth can be useful however when your shoveling from a barrow to your highbanker but the plumbers shovel ,or the post hole shovel are the ideal type. i personally have used my "square mouth Posthole " ..long handle (not the same one) for about 30years now.
the ( "square mouth" posthole shovel is not exactly square..you'll find that they are slighly rounded on the mouth ends..and..this makes a world of difference in the way it performs across a vast range of conditions. That said the (PLUMBERS SHOVEL) is very good as well.
The key to shovelling for long periods is to keep your back as staight as possible at all times and learn to use your knee against your lower hand hold to give added power in driving the shovel into you workings..it takes a little practice but is well worth the effort for it will make things so much easier for you AND your back.
Also never just throw your shovel to one side after each stoppage..drive it into the ground nearby so as you don't have to bend over to pick it up.. and save wear and tear on your handle, over the years you'll grab for your shovel ..like 3000.000 times
and if its laying down,well thats a lot of wear and tear on ya back..also in clayey ground, keep a bucket of water on hand, and keep the mouth of your shovel wet..you'll find the blade will slip in easier and you can dig it out in good sized clods. Using a pick and shovel is (believe it or not) an art in itself and a good exponent of that art is rarely sighted these days..keep your (wooden handles-both shovels and picks etc free from splinters and dints etc with a good sanding now and then AND REGULARLY APPLY a wood oil..linseed oil is what i've used for like ..forever.
Finally, get yourself a 'COPING TROWEL" AND A STIFF BRUSH AND PAN SET..for crevicing and those little hard to get to jobsany how everyone might have an opion on this but i hope this helps you to some degree..cheers ROSSCO
the ( "square mouth" posthole shovel is not exactly square..you'll find that they are slighly rounded on the mouth ends..and..this makes a world of difference in the way it performs across a vast range of conditions. That said the (PLUMBERS SHOVEL) is very good as well.
The key to shovelling for long periods is to keep your back as staight as possible at all times and learn to use your knee against your lower hand hold to give added power in driving the shovel into you workings..it takes a little practice but is well worth the effort for it will make things so much easier for you AND your back.
Also never just throw your shovel to one side after each stoppage..drive it into the ground nearby so as you don't have to bend over to pick it up.. and save wear and tear on your handle, over the years you'll grab for your shovel ..like 3000.000 times
and if its laying down,well thats a lot of wear and tear on ya back..also in clayey ground, keep a bucket of water on hand, and keep the mouth of your shovel wet..you'll find the blade will slip in easier and you can dig it out in good sized clods. Using a pick and shovel is (believe it or not) an art in itself and a good exponent of that art is rarely sighted these days..keep your (wooden handles-both shovels and picks etc free from splinters and dints etc with a good sanding now and then AND REGULARLY APPLY a wood oil..linseed oil is what i've used for like ..forever.Finally, get yourself a 'COPING TROWEL" AND A STIFF BRUSH AND PAN SET..for crevicing and those little hard to get to jobsany how everyone might have an opion on this but i hope this helps you to some degree..cheers ROSSCO
