Spear & Jackson Traditional Stainless Steel Border Spade with 712mm Wooden Handle

Product Information

The overall length of the Elements garden spade is the same as its stainless steel sibling at around 102cm, so it is shorter than the Fiskars model we just reviewed and may suit shorter people better. They’re often lighter than digging spades, and may be easier for petite gardeners to use for prolonged periods. With a head made from carbon steel, instead of the standard stainless-steel construction, this Kent and Stowe Digging Spade is a particularly strong tool to use in the garden.

If you’re installing fence posts our selection of post hole diggers help to create narrow, even holes in the ground and feature non-slip handles for a secure grip. Equally as strong feeling is the blade itself. Made out of high carbon steel, heat treated to increase the hardness and durability, then epoxy coated to make it more resilient when it comes to rust, corrosion from soil alkalines, and even scratches. This digging spade measures 102cm long and weighs 2.18kg. A big reason the weight is on the lower side for garden spades is that the shaft and handle are made out of polypropylene, a very hard wearing and strong plastic, which is lighter than both steel and wood. Spades on the other hand have a flatter and sharper blade that makes them perfect for digging straight down into the ground and digging edges around your lawn. Spades usually have a larger ‘step’ on top of the blade so that you can use your foot to help break the surface you are digging into.

The blade of the spade, also referred to as the head, tend to be made of either stainless steel or carbon steel. So, what’s the difference? Stainless steel is rust resistant. It contains chromium which doesn’t oxidise. This layer of chromium in stainless steel is therefore what keeps it from rusting or corroding. Spades with a stainless steel blade are unlikely to need any maintenance at all.

So, there you have it, our top tips for finding that top garden spade that will have you digging away for many years to come. There are a couple of design points to bear in mind, which help improve the strength and longevity of a garden spade. Firstly, the best garden spades have either a hardwood or polypropylene shaft . Ashwood is commonly used because it is strong but lightweight, and polypropylene has been shown to have three times the strength of steel.The ash-wood components are made from FSC approved timber, which reassures that the wood has been responsibly sourced. The handle and head are both strong enough to complete a lot of challenging work like tree stump removal, moving heavy soil, and shifting gravel. For clearing away the autumn leaves and drawing lines in your soil to plant vegetables and vibrant flowers for the summer, our wide selection of garden rakes will help you keep your garden looking neat and tidy. The pointed blade on this model is made out of high quality steel which has been coated to prevent rusting and corrosion. It is both sharp and solid, and is set off on a slight angle from the shaft so as to give you a more ergonomic digging position, and it works very well. Steel is the strongest but also the heaviest and can be probe to rusting. Wooden shafts have a great traditional look and are very durable, but if not weatherproofed properly they might rot. Also, if a wooden handle isn’t finished properly, it can cause splinters in the hand or blisters due to roughness. It is also much lighter, weighing in at just over a kilo, so it’s a great tool for getting your kids to help you around the garden and away from their mobile phones or tablets for 30 minutes. At only a kilogram, they have no excuses not to give you a hand.

First, we look at comfort and ease of use in relation to handle and blade materials, explaining the pros and cons of carbon steel, stainless steel, wood, fibreglass and plastic. Bulldog have a good reputation for creating heavy-duty tools straight from their forge in Wigan. Their Evergreen Digging Spade is a durable tool with several design features that help make it particularly strong. Garden spades are a type of tool that is commonly used in gardening and landscaping. They are designed to help gardeners dig and move soil, as well as to plant and transplant flowers, vegetables, and other plants. Kent & Stowe have brought us this excellent, compact garden spade that is ideal for people with smaller builds, whether it is the elderly, children, or women, or just for someone looking for a lightweight spade for certain specific tasks.Plastic shafts can be very strong too but only if they are good quality polypropylene, and they are usually lighter than the other materials. Plastic won’t rust but will degrade over time though. Blade/head material Garden spades come in a variety of sizes and styles, depending on the specific needs of the gardener. Some spades are designed for general digging and planting, while others are specialised for tasks such as edging, trenching, or transplanting. Some spades also have features such as serrated edges or pointed tips to make them more versatile and effective. It’s also hardwearing and comfortable, with a stainless-steel head and lightweight 1.8 kg design. There’s no join between the shaft and the handle, as it’s all made from the same piece of weatherproofed ash, meaning there are no weaker areas in the wood. It is very important to take proper care of your garden tool so that it continues to perform at its peak. Do not leave your tool outside, always store it away after use in a dry environment. Even in dry weather conditions your tools, if left outside, are exposed to moisture from wet grass and dew.