20 Best Tool For Digging Trench (2023 Updated)

This shovel is not as wide as your average shovel and it is much longer, for digging deeper. It works well for what we got it for, I wish the handle was slightly shorter, but other than that I am very happy with the product.

This tool is very well made, and heavy duty made in the good old USA! Clears ditches, scoops dirt out of deep tree holes, scoops up gopher piles! Tool has many uses, and the pointed end also chops good size roots.

This is going to be a favorite tool!.

this is the first time I’ve ever used a tool like this and it was the perfect tool for the job! Without it I would still be digging the trench. Buy it you’ll see, with the fiber glass handle it beats the hell out of the wood one.

QVC cracks me up demonstrating “tough” digging tools in loose potting soil and beds where plants could be moved by hand. Thank goodness for the reviews that convinced me to order this a couple of years ago.

We have a 7 acre yard with lots of landscaping and a large vegetable garden. Oh, did I mention the hard, red clay soil and tons of tree roots?? We’ve put this spade/shovel through its paces! It’s made it possible for me to accomplish jobs without help from my husband and now I see him reaching for it himself as the shovel of choice for so many jobs.

And despite the rock hard soil and his notorious abuse of tools, it’s still going strong. Based on our experience, we recommend this tool.

No gardener should be without this spade/shovel. As a woman who hates to admit that I can’t do everything, this tool proves my point. I’ll soon be 70, my hands and wrists are full of arthritis but boy, I can easily dig a hole, plant a tree, transplant a rose without damaging the roots, and anything else I might want to accomplish.

I have one at home and, never wanting to be without, one at our cottage in the woods. I’ve also gave my best friend, cousin and new gardener one as a Christmas present to make her newly found love easier.

If you’re on the fence on this, jump off and start digging!.

I own many garden shovels, including a treasured smith and hawken spade, but still I was attracted to this shovel. It lives up to all the hype. The design enables a 65 year old person with 5 permanently broken and displaced ribs to effectively dig in the garden.

My gardening friends questioned the design, but once they tried it, they also made the purchase. This shovel easily works in soils where other shovels fail.

I paid extra for USA made. It is a heavy gauge metal but awkwardly designed and shaped. Cheap aluminum brads and a plastic grip. The fiberglass handle is hollow not solid. I am about to purchase another shovel, but I am going with something else.

Likely a Seymour even though they are imported. I would not buy again.

Seems to be well-made, although I haven’t had a chance to use it much yet. I got it to remove burr weeds. If you’ve never used one, you just throw it in the dirt because it’s weighted, and it’s flatter than a standard shovel, so it’s great for prying up roots.

No stomping on it needed, which saves your knees. Since it’s heavy, I was looking for a fiberglass handle, and this one fit the bill.

After snapping my wood handle on my old shovel trying to dig out bushes I tired this Bully Tools shovel. Wow! What a difference! This thing is build well and seems indestructible. Most important, it go the job done easier than expected.

I recommend this shovel.

This is an absolutely fantastic spade. Quite frankly, I abused it for well over a year and it stood up to everything. I often used it to smash through sandstone and cut through tree roots. It is also never bent, much like the name suggests.

I finally managed to break it by wedging it under a tree trunk and repeatedly jumping up and down on the handle. It’s final act in life was successfully lifting a fairly hefty tree trunk. I’ll be buying another straight away, safe in the knowledge I can treat it equally as badly.

Bought as a replacement for a spade which had given good service but met with an immovable root, this spade has the added feature of a flat step across the top of the blade making it better for the downward push to dig.

Good weight and size for general purpose digging.

An excellent replacement for my 1980s bought Spear & Jackson spade. ‘Does what it says on the tin’, and I expect it will last as long as its predecessor.

We’ll built shovel however the angle of the business end is unlike most round point shovels. Doesn’t pick up loose material without person bending over so it doesn’t fall off. Needs to be more angled.

Quite heavy, a workout just lifting it numerous times.

Right and best, this spade is a perfect addition to our gardening needs. The build is super sturdy from handle to the spade edges and I can say this is going to be so durable with all stainless steel make.

Good one this being anti rusty when left out. The D shaped handle is well coated with good firm material for extra grip when using it and yet quite ergonomically balanced. The squarish spade is is well edged.

The sod on lawn and flower bed edges are now handled very well with sharp press and it forms a professional edging experience and you will wonder that this tool did it as if a lawn guy does usually with his machine and rotary edgers etc.

The shaft is powerful and it would not stop with moderate stone touches while digging. It outperforms in all working conditions and way better and fitting spade than regular shovels. With regular couple of shovels the work was not that satisfactory when I was trying to pull apart things on the landscaping work and depth and straightness was a miss most of the times.

To my surprise, this one works exactly the way I wanted. It can cut through my grass roots at the edge of flower beds so that they will not go under to make new grass through mulch bottom out. Highly highly recommend for the quality and for the price it comes at.

This is one shovel that far exceeded my expectations. I am really impressed with how well constructed and heavy duty it is. I had purchased another brand shovel from Walmart about a year ago and although so far it does the job the comparison between the two is unmistakable.

I loaned that shovel out to a family member, I am now thinking I will just tell him he can keep it or at the very least use that one as my ‘loaner’ shovel for next time. As the description states the Fiskars shovel has a D ring handle, which is good for gripping better and for hanging.

This handle is made of a very hard grained plastic with a matte finish in a bright orange color. The drawback to that is that the dirt shows up easily on the handle but hey after all it is made for digging in the dirt.

The heavy duty steel construction has a glossy black baked finish. The foot rest for pushing into the dirt is pretty substantial in comparison to other shovels. The measurements are 48 inches approximately from top of handle to tip of blade, the blade is 12 inches long by 9 inches wide, handle is approximately 8 inches x 4 inches.

This shovel looks like it would hold up pretty well for big jobs. It is a great investment. I highly recommend.

This spade is my new favorite line cutter with one weakness that I will discuss later. The steel and welds on this thing are what you would expect from Fiskars, QUALITY and it’s ability to drive into dry solid soil is amazing.

The pictures show me at 165lbs digging with two shoves into a very hard packed south central Texas clay soil easily and that is after me taking it to the hill country and using it on rocky harsh mean dirt and it barely scratched ( I forgot the camera for there).

From the blade all the way up to the D handle it’s a good steel for this job and was as delightful to use as it can be if you are tasked with digging, cutting a line for piping/ Ugh. Seriously my old one is now sitting there forever.

The D handle, hmm it gave me flex and it itself is the weak link but I went online and others posted about putting a screw or two extra in it and I did and it made it so much more firm ( Hint fiskars) obviously I am not the only one.

I did not remove any stars because it’s a simple fix but in fairness it shouldn’t have to be done and they should put a better handle on it or the extra screws from the factory. The rest of the shovel is better than any I have used that I can think of.

P. S. The cloth bag it came in I am using to put it in so I don’t get dirt all over my power equipment and with that Idea my wife will have to sew me some quality ones for all my tools.

Use this great shovel for narrow trench clean out. far superior to a long handled trowel. This size is reasonably well balanced, the 6″ version is top heavy. I use this in water trench clean out in rocky soil.

Do no dig with it for fear of bending the point.

This is a sturdy, well designed shovel which will easily do the job I have in mind.

This is a great shovel and has helped transform our garden. The curve in the spade makes getting digging much more effective as it’s not falling off the edges when you’re moving quickly. Only downside, which isn’t massive considering it’s a good shovel is that it’s advertised as being made from on piece of steel.

It’s not, it’s welded together but still solid.

Really handy shovel, about half the size of a normal shovel but same length and angles. Great for knocking up gear in tubs or digging small trenches. All metal design adds to a nice weight and feel and means you can really abuse it without fear of it snapping on you – Love it!.

Great for digging out roots and holes for fence posts. Wooden handle helps avoid blisters.

Excellent product!! Have used it numerous times in just the last month getting caught up with some digging I had put off. This shovel is perfect for digging sprinkler trenches and french drain trenches.

It’s real sturdy, I feel its built to last awhile. The 5 inch blade makes it a perfect width for your trench to give you room to work. The handle is wood and I don’t have exact measurement, but its a bit on the thicker side.

I prefer that because I have a larger hand and I like the feel. The blade has a real nice point that breaks that sun baked ground with ease. The blade is also angled just enough to get a solid scoop of soil.

Overall, a great purchase a t a real good price.

This True Temper trenching shovel is a back saving and makes digging a trench a lot easier than common shovel. All materials seem to be of good quality. Will buy again if ever a need.

If you garden you need this tool it digs better than any other shovel ever ! Great for bad backs and people with arthritis as it has less resistance going into the ground ! You wont be sorry .

This is one great Tool and can tackle a variety of chores. From digging a latrine or fire pit, to clearing brush or using it for self-defense. All three edges were fairly sharp right out of the box. Only took a few minutes with a whetstone to reach the hair-shaving level.

This thing is built to last and is even more solid than what I expected from all the reviews I read. The only negative was removing the warning sticker from the hickory handle. After slowly removing the paper-part of the sticker, I applied rubbing alcohol to it and let it soak-in for 3-4 minutes.

The adhesive came right off and didn’t leave a mark on the wood. It took about 15 minutes to totally remove the label. I hope this helps y’all. I’ve already purchased 3 of these for family members and expect to pick up several more.

Be sure and buy the sheath. You’ll definitely need one. Happy Trails!!.

This shovel was designed to be the perfect all around camp tool! Not only does it dig with ease but because the edges are sharpened it batons wood and even chops small/thin trees with ease. You can do course carving to prepare for finer knife tasks with this shovel.

I cannot give this higher than 5 stars but if I could I absolutely would. Cold steel has a pure winner here.

I had one a few years back then sold it. Dumb move. This is a great shovel, ax, knife, frying pan and self defense tool. In the meantime I picked up an original Soviet spetnaz shovel. The cold steel version is better.

Heavier, stronger steel to start with. Sharper edge. Thicker handle, which is also easily removed for cleaning, using as a short handled tool or to be put on a longer shaft. Check out the youtube videos people have made.

It also makes a fun throwing ax. Perfectly balanced. Suppose you could even hunt with it in a pinch. It’s not as versatile as an old 1945 entrenching tool but it never loosens up when using it and it looks seriously intimidating.

However you aren’t going to get arrested for having a little shovel in your car as opposed to a big hunting knife. another plus. At $25 or so they are a great bargain. I highly recommend getting one for hunting,camping,the car or light gardening.

I have also used it when metal detecting.

I mainly bought this for backpacking and camping. I used it first while fishing and construction work by digging a hole and going #2. This is a compact product that works well, easy for me to fit into backpack.

It’s so far sturdy and I’ve had no issues. I would recommend this especially cuz it’s an amazing price. Order it now!!.

I love these types of shovels, they are perfect for my camping and hiking kit. I came here specifically to find one that was multifunction, and extremely durable. This one does not disappoint. Super easy to make ready just twist and lock.

I’ll be getting another one soon.

First knife I order and I’m impressed the craftsmanship and quality are great I would say it’s a great deal for anyone looking for a knife they can use from time to time or even daily. For the price you absolutely won’t get a better deal.

At a fraction of the cost you get the shovel fire starter and a knife.

I decided to test this portable shovel in caliche before taking out camping. This shovel is sturdy and compact. It folds small and is lightweight. Locking mechanism holds blade in place. Sharp edges cut into soil effortlessly.

Handle is well-designed and built. Highly recommended.

I haven’t used it yet, but this is sturdily built and great quality materials. I bought it mainly for emergency use in my car. Might use it for car camping if needed. Folds down easily and is very compact and neat to store.

It doesn’t come with cover, but I will buy one separately.

Love the feel, design and quality. But I think the nylon locking mechanism is a design flaw. I have used aggressively, but by no means abusively twice and the nylon locking mechanism has already cracked.

On the bright side, the little bugger is sturdy enough that I could continue digging even after the crack. I will be asking for a replacement, but definitely want to keep it in my arsenal.

This has become the most valuable tool for gardening of the numerous tools that I own. I give it 5 stars. However, the Professional Digging Toot could be much more valuable for persons who are right-handed.

This tool is engineered for gardeners who are left-handed. For right-handed gardeners, the cutting edge should be on the adductive side of the tool. An individual exerts much more power and dexterity in adducting an arm or a manual tool than in abducting it, just as an alligator manifests much more power in adducting its jaw than in abducting it.

The tool can be turned upside down to place the incisive edge on the adductive side, but when that is done, the tool feels awkward, and it does not cut as well as it otherwise would because the notches (serrations) are not angled optimally.

In addtion, an upside-down has a convex upper surface, eliminating the concave scoop. Placing the notches on both sides would not be optimal because the area for scooping would be diminished.

I bought this item for a Christmas gift. It’s sitting under a Christmas tree right now waiting for the big day. I’m pretty sure it will be received well. I intend to get one for me as the gardening season gets closer in March.

This is the most useful gardening tool. I wear it on my garden belt and use it daily. It makes the top five of favorite garden tools. Why is this digging knife twice the price at Garrett Wade?

Overall pretty good, the edges are rather sharp and cut the bag revealing the bodies left ear but some duct tape purchased at my neighborhood Aubuchan solved that issue as well. The surface of the shovel is smooth and the blood wiped right off with a blue shop rag purchased in isle 3 of my friendly neighborhood Aubuchan hardware! I highly recommend this shovel and also the staff at Lee Aubuchan as they have a friendly smile and “tight lips”.

Great shovel, sturdy strong. Gets the work done

I love my Ames shovel. It is well made and easy to manipulate garden issues.

The best shovel I have ever used. The handle is plastic so no splinters or fiberglass in hand and strong enough to use as a pry bar. I cut off 1” on each side of the shovel to make it narrow to dig trenches.

Received my shovel very quickly from Target. It arrived in good condition. I was very happy with the quality of the product. Very nice shovel.

A great handle. But. the spade head is the crap-est Chineseum ever. Yes the handle might be worth the price. You will be changing the spade end out day one. I gave it to my kid when it arrived to dig a one foot deep trench through the lawn.

It didn’t get 5 feet. Kid tried to weld head, just melted handle some.

I have this digging shovel. I love craftsman and even there shovels can show you why. This shower has great spots to step on to dig into the ground harder. Cushion handle to support your hands and keep them from getting blistered of slivers.

Although i haven’t received a sliver without the cushion on other shovels from craftsman. As they have smooth sanded durable wood. Tough and rough is why I like to say about craftsman. You can be as tough and as rough as you want and craftsman will last.

I bought one of these a couple of years ago to replace a very old craftsman shovel that finally died of metal fatigue. The new one has last through some hard digging this last summer but the blade sounds like it will die the death of my old trusty.

We’ll see. Not something I would recommend for really heavy work. Just yard work. I turn my garden by hand.

We were ale to use our new shovel on a backyard project for our garden we are getting together. We choose this model of digging shovels and we were not disappointed! The shovel has a good grip for that hard to tap soil and a sharp edge to cut through the soil with not too much effort.

I didn’t feel as if the shovel was too heavy, my arms never seemed to get tired and I thank that to the weight of the shovel which works out for ladies like myself. I don’t feel like the scoop will easily come off with use as it feels securely attached to the handle up above.

Clean up of the shovel was quite easy (so long you don’t let the soil dry up) I was also able to easily store our shovel for next use. I would highly recommend this product to anyone in search of a shovel for digging!.

Useful for narrow trenches. Shaft could be a little bit longer for the deepest of trenches. If you use it correctly shouldn’t bend, however I wouldn’t use it to pry/dig/scrape out the trench, better tools exist for that, and the Join at the head doesn’t look substantive enough for that.

but it works like it was intended to- clearing out of the bottom of a trench: not problem.

Buy this tool and you’ll soon be wondering how you ever lived without one! Honestly, just buy it. Er. Why are you still reading this? You should be on your way to collect your trenching shovel so you can crack on with that job you’re putting off! Go on then!.

Bought for digging some footings for a wall in my garden. Seems to be sturdy enough, have heard a few clicks from somewhere on it when putting weight against the handle but am not too concerned as it comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Nice long handle and good grip. I found that once you get below ground level it gets hard to use because of the width of the shovel, can’t get your foot on the top to press down so you have to use your body weight over the handle.

Not quite sure why the blade of the shovel is at such an angle to the handle, feel it would be better if it was more in line with it. Overall a handy tool to have.

Forget spending silly money on Specialised Metal detecting spades. This thing is absolutely awesome. Its nice and long so you dont have to stoop and the angle is just right for sticking it in the ground, popping your foot under and scooping out the ground.

Works a treat on ploughed fields and cuts nice and neat on pasture. Absolutely bargain price and built to last. Best spade I ever used.

Excellent as a shovel due to reasonably long, well angled handle, made emptying a couple of ton of 10mm stones from dumpy bag considerably easier. Less good as a digging spade where straight handle works better.

Seems suitably strong and durable with metal handle, yet relatively light, time will tell whether the old adage “a big man with a small brain is capable of breaking any spade” will hold true.

It’s great that this spade has a solid shaft and doesn’t unscrew like my other fiskar spades, but I could do with the same spade only with a straight shaft. Its hard to drive this spade straight into the ground by standing on the top of the blade – it tends to scoop like a spoon so hasn’t nearly so much poser.

Still it is very light, and sharp, which helps.