As a gardener or basically anyone, I’m sure you know that having the right tools is very important when gardening or doing yard work.
Not only does the right gear make the job easy, but it also makes sure it’s done quickly and correctly.
For gardeners, shovels and spades are two of the most important tools they can have.
Even though they are very useful, these two tools are often misunderstood. “shovel” and “spade” are often used to mean the same thing, but there are big differences between them.
You can avoid frustration and enjoy gardening more if you know the differences between tools.
In this blog post, I will be discussing the difference between a shovel and a spade.
Let’s get started!
Shovels
Shovels are useful tools that can be used for many things, like farming, building, and other activities outside.
It’s mostly made for digging, lifting, and moving big things like sand, rock, and dirt.
A shovel has the following features:
1. Blade: The shovel features a broad and flat blade, which is typically made from sturdy materials like steel or hard plastic. The blade is often slightly curved or angled, which helps in penetrating the ground more effectively and allows for easier scooping and lifting of materials.
2. Edge: The edge of the shovel blade is usually sharp or serrated. This design helps it slice through soil or cut through roots, making it easier to dig into tough ground.
3. Handle: Shovels come with a variety of handle lengths and types. The handles can be short for close work or long for additional leverage. They are commonly made from wood, metal, or fiberglass, offering durability and strength. The handle often ends in a D-shaped or T-shaped grip, providing better hand comfort and control during use.
4. Shaft: The connection between the handle and the blade is the shaft, which can be straight or slightly curved. This part is crucial for providing the necessary leverage to dig effectively and lift heavy loads.
Check out my guide on the best tools to spread mulch
Spades
A spade is a specific type of digging tool that is essential for precise garden work, such as planting, edging, and shaping.
Unlike a shovel, a spade is designed for cutting into the earth with greater accuracy. Here are the key features of a spade:
1. Blade: The blade of a spade is typically narrower and flatter than that of a shovel. It is rectangular with a flat or slightly concave surface and sharp edges, which make it ideal for slicing into the soil. The blade is often made of strong, rust-resistant materials like stainless steel.
2. Edge: The bottom edge of the spade’s blade is straight and sharp, designed specifically for cutting through hard soil, turf, and roots. This sharp edge helps create neat, straight borders and makes it easier to work in confined spaces.
3. Handle: Spades usually feature a shorter handle than shovels, which provides better control and precision. The handle may end in a T-shaped or D-shaped grip to enhance comfort and ease of use during tasks that require more force.
4. Shaft: The shaft of a spade is typically straight, connecting the handle to the blade without curving. This direct alignment allows for more precise control over the cutting edge of the blade, facilitating accurate and clean digging.
Differences Between a Spade and Shovel
| Aspect | Shovel | Spade |
| Function | Mostly used for moving, scooping, and lifting things. | Mostly used for digging and cutting into the ground with great accuracy |
| Blade Shape | It has a wider, more flexible blade that makes scooping easier and lets the tool hold more material in each scoop. | It has a flat, narrow blade with straight ends that is made for accuracy and making it easy to dig into the ground. |
| Material Handling | Works great with bulky, loose things like rock, sand, and dirt. Because of its form, it can easily pick up and move these things. | Best suited for handling compacted, dense materials. The sharp, flat edge can cut into tough soil and turf, making it ideal for tasks requiring neat outlines. |
| Ideal Uses | Ideal for tasks such as moving large quantities of earth, clearing snow, or spreading materials. Shovels are great for general excavation and loading tasks. | Perfect for detailed garden work like digging holes for plants, edging around flower beds, or slicing through roots. Spades are also used for creating clean, straight garden lines. |
How to Choose the Right Tool (Spade or Shovel)
Picking the right tool for a building or farming job not only makes the job go faster but also makes it easier and better done.
The following tips will help you choose the right tool (shovel or spade) for the job:
When to Use a Shovel
To do the following, a shovel is best for the job:
- Moving Loose Materials
A shovel’s broad, bent blade makes it easy to pick up and move loose, bulky materials like dirt, sand, or manure.
- Filling Wheelbarrow
The wide and deep blade of a shovel makes it easy to load a wheelbarrow with a lot of stuff, which saves time and effort when doing things like cleaning up the yard or distributing materials.
- Leveling Soil
A shovel can be used to spread and level the soil in a garden bed after it has been tilled or new soil has been added. This gets the bed ready for planting.
When to Use a Spade
When you need to be precise and strong, a spade is the best tool for the job:
- Edges for Beds
Spades are great for making straight lines around flower beds or along paths because their blades are flat and sharp. Its shape lets you make cuts that are straight and accurate.
- Making Holes for Plant
To plant trees, shrubs, or big plants, a spade’s narrow blade is ideal for making deep, narrow holes. Because of its shape, it can dig more precisely without upsetting the dirt around it.
- Breaking Up Tough Soil
With a spade blade, you can break up hard-packed soil by driving its strong, sharp sides into the ground. This will make it easier to work in or plant in.
- Trenching
The straight sides of a spade make it easy to dig clean, even ditches for things like setting irrigation lines or making drainage channels.
Check out some of my other helpful guides:
Types of Shovels
1. Round Point Shovel
This is the most common kind of shovel, and it works great for digging, pulling, and moving small stuff. It can be used for many things because it has a smooth tip and a slightly bent blade.
2. Square Point Shovel
This shovel is great for moving dirt, sand, and other things because the front part is flat. It’s also great for making surfaces smooth and even.
3. Trench Shovel
It has a long, thin blade that is great for cutting and cleaning ditches, which is another name for it.
4. Scoop Shovel
Scoop shovels are best for moving heavy things like dirt, rocks, or snow because their bodies are wide, flat, and deep.
5. Spade Shovel
Despite its name, this tool is a mix of a spade and a shovel. It has a flat, sharp blade that can cut through tough dirt and be used for trimming.
Different Types of Spades
1. Garden Spade
This is the standard spade with a flat, rectangular blade that is used to dig, cut roots, and edge flower beds.
2. Border Spade
It’s made to be used in smaller areas or by farmers who like lighter tools because it’s smaller and lighter than a yard rake. It’s great for accurate tasks like planting and trimming.
3. Transplanting Spade
You can dig deep into the ground to move shrubs and small trees with this spade’s long, narrow blade that ends in a point.
4. Drain Spade
A drain spade has a narrow blade and is used to dig narrow ditches and clear out drainage lines that are already there.
5. Post Hole Spade
This spade has two handles that are linked by a hinge and two half-circle blades. It is great for digging deep holes for posts.
Conclusion
Anyone who works in gardening, planting, or building needs to know the difference between shovels and spades and be familiar with the different types.
The broad, curved blades of a shovel are best for picking up and moving loose materials, while the flat, sharp blades of a spade are better for precise tasks like edging, trenching, and digging in hard soil.
Using the right tool for the job not only increases productivity but also makes sure the job gets done well and more easily.
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