Broken Shovel Alert!

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

my trusty companion of many hours of digging has finally gone beyone the small crack to where it is going to end up parting of the ways metallically. so today while i was out running errands i was shopping for a new flat short shovel. one was $35 and i didn't like the design of it, another was $20 and it looked like it might barely last the 5yrs of the warranty period. so i went to another place and checked out what they had. they didn't. not many places had a short square shovel like the one i've had for all these years. i have a few more places to check the next few weeks as i won't likely be using this shovel a lot anyways, i won't really need it until this fall.

the question becomes can i use another shovel that i already have and not get a replacement? possibly, but i really like having this size of shovel for almost all my garden digging since i'm not digging that deeply and most of what i do is trenching i like the flat bottom and edges the shorter square shovel makes. hmm... i guess we'll see what happens next when i get there...

Might I suggest an A M Leonard square point / transfer shovel?

 

[flowerbug]

Might I suggest an A M Leonard square point / transfer shovel?

i don't want raised edges. what i'd like is a flat blade, square, reinforced enough that it won't break too easy. the one that's about to break all the way across is a RIGID, but it doesn't look like they make them any longer.

i may just end up getting the $20 version and not use it for trying to lift heavy clods of dry clay. that's what did the current shovel in for sure. breaking dry clay ground and trying to pry those clods out of the ground. instead i will use a different shovel for that in the future. i have a long handled all metal shovel that will work for that or i will break the soil into smaller pieces (i should be doing that anyways because my body isn't going to get any better at this as i get older so i should learn to change my ways before it gets hurt from doing it the hard way). i do usually have enough time for most of my garden tasks where i can do this, i just need to be smarter about it.

welcome back, i hope things have been going well for you there?

 

[ducks4you]

Buy the BEST shovel you can afford. I use My shovel every day that I garden. Just MHO.

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

i don't want raised edges. what i'd like is a flat blade, square, reinforced enough that it won't break too easy. the one that's about to break all the way across is a RIGID, but it doesn't look like they make them any longer.

i may just end up getting the $20 version and not use it for trying to lift heavy clods of dry clay. that's what did the current shovel in for sure. breaking dry clay ground and trying to pry those clods out of the ground. instead i will use a different shovel for that in the future. i have a long handled all metal shovel that will work for that or i will break the soil into smaller pieces (i should be doing that anyways because my body isn't going to get any better at this as i get older so i should learn to change my ways before it gets hurt from doing it the hard way). i do usually have enough time for most of my garden tasks where i can do this, i just need to be smarter about it.

welcome back, i hope things have been going well for you there?

Good and bad. Have spend the last few months coaching softball for one of my kids but am also going through a divorce that's amicable but is going to throw some serious turmoil into life :/

 

[Dirtmechanic]

my trusty companion of many hours of digging has finally gone beyone the small crack to where it is going to end up parting of the ways metallically. so today while i was out running errands i was shopping for a new flat short shovel. one was $35 and i didn't like the design of it, another was $20 and it looked like it might barely last the 5yrs of the warranty period. so i went to another place and checked out what they had. they didn't. not many places had a short square shovel like the one i've had for all these years. i have a few more places to check the next few weeks as i won't likely be using this shovel a lot anyways, i won't really need it until this fall.

the question becomes can i use another shovel that i already have and not get a replacement? possibly, but i really like having this size of shovel for almost all my garden digging since i'm not digging that deeply and most of what i do is trenching i like the flat bottom and edges the shorter square shovel makes. hmm... i guess we'll see what happens next when i get there...

Go find a muffler repair shop and let them weld up the old shovel? Then polish and paint it, and oil stain and seal the wood handle. Then put up a picture so we can make pithy comments?

 

[flowerbug]

Go find a muffler repair shop and let them weld up the old shovel? Then polish and paint it, and oil stain and seal the wood handle. Then put up a picture so we can make pithy comments?

good idea, except i suspect it may cost more than what it would for buying a new one.

 

[flowerbug]

today checked a few more places, one didn't have any square shovels at all the other place had one and it was decent enough that i bought it for about $18. now that i know i need to be more gentle with prying stuff with them i hope i can get plenty of use out of this new one and not crack it.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I'm sorry, Sprig. Its a tough time for sure. Hugs to you!