# Shovels



## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

The most basic of tools. What do you carry. Wood or Fiberglass? Long handle or short handle round point? lightweight or heavy-duty? Any special tools?

Nick


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## Bill (Mar 30, 2006)

Wood and fiberglass, long and short, spade and flat, and even a military style spade (For tunneling under footings and for plumbing under existing structures) Long handle grubbing hoe, and a mini grubbing hoe
Specialty? Tough one, everything from Stabillia laser square, laser level, Milwaulkee rotery hammer, Dewalt 12' sliding compound miter saw, Stabillia 8', 4' 2' and 16" levels.


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## specwood (Sep 5, 2005)

wood, fiberglass, heavy duty, light duty - it makes no difference. We break them all with no discrimination.

One of my guys has broken 3 post hole diggers (the wood handle and fiberglass handle versions), two shovels, one level, one palm sander, one Nissan and one Dodge since September. 

The kid only weighs like 120 lbs. He might make 130 if he had any brains.


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

We've never had luck with the fiberglass ones. We ususally use wood.

We have all types and sizes of shovels.


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## jmic (Dec 10, 2005)

My preference are wood handled shovels, long handled.:thumbsup:


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## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

We have moved to mostly fiberglass. The masons like the lighter weight ones by Sears (the handles are guaranteed for life and I haven't had to buy one of those for a long time.

Each tracked machine has on of those garden spades on it that are about 4" wide 18" long with a round nose with a regular D short handle for cleaning tracks.

Nick


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

> jmic, My preference are wood handled shovels, long handled.


Yep, I agree wood handled shovels. I use the square point razorbacks.
They are strong, last long and seem to dig easier than some of the others.

I rarely use a round point, in fact did not own _any _till I hired a couple guys and told em to stop and get some tools. Next thing I know I have like 3 or 4 round point shovels on the job.

Square point holds more soil, gets job done faster. Yeah, a shovel full of dirt weighs more with a square point, but I'm here to work and get done, not play games in the dirt.


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## jmic (Dec 10, 2005)

denick said:


> Each tracked machine has on of those garden spades on it that are about 4" wide 18" long with a round nose with a regular D short handle for cleaning tracks.
> 
> Nick


Ditto:thumbsup:


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## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

Tom,

It sure is easy to see your not from CT. You couldn't penetrate the topsoil with a square shovel here. If your smart you sharpen your round point shovels here.

Nick


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

I am glad I am not up there digging out those boulders I see your photos of. We have some rock areas around here. 

Some sites that have to be blasted or hammered to get in foundations, but we know which areas and can anticipate what is needed. You guys have those Glacial boulders everywhere.

That would drive me nuts.


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## TMatt142 (Apr 28, 2006)

Well, long spade and a long flat. Shouldn't you always have both????? With all this technology nowadays, its funny because I watch the laborers I work with sometimes pulling out this old transit, trying to get the legs on the tripod to work and extend....Then they spend about 15 min leveling the instrument, while I just take my eye level out, hop out of the machine and shoot the grade I needed before their even set up and done the number crunching!!! I would never go anywhere without my eye level, 100ft tape, and stick rule (both of em, one has tenths and metric, the other tenths and inches!) It's good to have one cause if you forget to charge your laser....gotta have something!


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## [email protected]&R (Jul 26, 2005)

Not sure if this is any information you guys care about but I just bought new shovel Lowes had to see how it stands up. They have a fiskers brand now down here. Has a all steal handle welded to the head. Seems good so far. Luckly I don't do the digging because it's was a bit heavy just carrying it through the store.


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