Shovel Recommendations?

[Rattlehead]

My current two favorites are my Predator Spartan and Excalibur Merlin. To me, the Spartan strikes the perfect balance of blade size, overall length and weight. It also has a D handle, which I prefer. The Excalibur Merlin breaks down to a very compact size which allows me to carry it, along with my Deus 2 in my Motorcycle saddlebag or a backpack. I haven’t had it long, but so far it seems very durable and works great. I have some other Predator shovels and a Root Slayer, but those two are the ones I use the most.

I have Hip-Clips on all of my shovels, which lets me carry them on my belt whenever I want to free up a hand.

[Badger-NH]

 

Roots aren't a major problem where I hunt so I go with the rounder blade shapes and lighter weight of the floral shovels. My shovels need to be a minimum of 42 inches long to save my back from having to bend. I also prefer the handle to be made of fiberglass or wood. Metal handles can be cold on the hands in lower temperatures.

I forgot to mention my backup, the Ames Floral shovel. I actually prefer this over the Raduis Floral because it's lighter and easier to carry. The only drawback is that it's not unbreakable so I generally don't take it on long hikes where breakage would end the hunt. I've only broken one in 12+ years of using them so the risk of breakage is not high. They come 52" but I cut mine down to 45".

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ames-42-in-Wood-Handle-Steel-Blade-Floral-Shovel-2916100/204476249

[Zord]

 

[F350Platinum]

16 hours ago, Rattlehead said:

I have Hip-Clips on all of my shovels, which lets me carry them on my belt whenever I want to free up a hand.

Tried one of those, first time out one of the screws came apart and I lost half of it. Should have used Loctite on 'em. Sure was nice tho.

Just do shoulder carry now. 🤔

[JCR]

I actually used my belt hook for the big DeWalt drill driver the other day to hang my Nomad. I was making a video and did not have a free hand.  It worked well until I tried to back up.😊

[Rattlehead]

3 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

Tried one of those, first time out one of the screws came apart and I lost half of it. Should have used Loctite on 'em. Sure was nice tho.

Just do shoulder carry now. 🤔

You sure that was a hip-clip? Mine are only one piece and only use one bolt. If it was a hip-clip, let me know and I’ll send you a replacement.

[Geologyhound]

 

On 3/30/2024 at 2:49 PM, F350Platinum said:

My vote is for Predator Tools, specifically the Ranger.

This thing is an absolute beast and won't break.

I've had mine for 4 years now and you know how much I get out. 🙂 It doesn't even creak.

I do like the notion of one which has some good longevity to it!

[Geologyhound]

OK, I was having a problem finishing my post so I exited Safari and came back in.  I still couldn’t finish my post so I exited Safari came back in again and then cleared the editor and started from scratch.  This time I was able to finish my post and I submitted it only to find that it got submitted three times.

I can’t figure out how to delete a post and if I edit a post to have nothing it won’t let me do it.  So I’m over writing one of the duplicate posts with this question.  How do I delete a post?

[Geologyhound]

This is another duplicate reply I am over writing because I can’t figure out how to delete it.

[Geologyhound]

 

On 3/30/2024 at 6:13 PM, MD4V.org said:

I use a Grave Digger Tools Nemesis shovel. It's heavy, but I've used it on 3" diameter roots, prying out river rocks, and smacking a rabid raccoon! 

https://gravediggertools.com/ 

Hopefully I won’t have to deal with any of those!