Comparison VERTO 15G003 vs Fiskars 131417

— Garden / construction. This kind of shovels can be called classic: speaking of a “regular” shovel, most often they mean a tool of a garden / construction type. Such models have a rather large length, and the shape can be almost any. Among them there are tools for a variety of types of work: digging holes and trenches, throwing loose materials, etc. At the same time, a long handle reduces effort during work, but makes it difficult to transport.

— Tourist / automotive. Shovels of small size, designed primarily for the convenience of carrying in a backpack or transporting in the boot of a car; exactly the tool that is usually called "sapper shovels". Often made folding or equipped with a telescopic handle, many models are equipped with covers for added convenience. Their small size makes it difficult to use such shovels for large-scale work, but they are not designed for such an application — tourist / automobile models are designed to solve simple tasks of a small volume, such as digging out a wheel “buried” in the snow, preparing a hole for a fire, digging tents, etc. P.

— Snowplow. Snow shovels have a large blade width — it is larger than other types of shovels of the same length. The canvas itself in such models is soviet (see below). The length can be different: there are both full-size tools that are not inferior to garden / construction shovels, and...compact ones (60 – 70 cm) suitable for use as tourist or automobile ones.

— Scraper. A specific device used mainly for snow removal. It looks like a very wide (70 – 80 cm) shovel cloth with a U-shaped handle. Such tools differ from snow shovels (see the relevant paragraph) not only in size and design, but also in the way they are used: the scraper is designed not so much for tilting as for raking snow.

The presence of corrosion protection on the shovel blade.

Usually, we are talking about a special coating that covers the canvas from contact with water and other substances that can lead to rust. Usually such a coating has a characteristic black colour. It is relevant only for shovels made of ordinary steel (see “Blade material”): stainless grades, in accordance with the name, resist corrosion well, and aluminium and plastic are practically not subject to it. Over time, the protective coating can wear out and lose its properties, but anyway, it has a positive effect on the durability of the tool.

The total width of the shovel blade.

The value of this parameter will be different depending on what the shovel is used for — digging, loading / unloading bulk materials or snow removal. In the first case (for example, in bayonet shovels), the width of the pit being dug depends on the size of the canvas. It doesn't always have to be large, and a wide blade experiences more resistance, meaning a large shovel isn't always the best choice. For example, drainage cloths (see "Form") are initially made narrow.

In the second case (shovel shovels), a large width allows you to scoop up more cargo, however, this cargo will weigh accordingly. Therefore, here the difference between different models is most often not very large — most of the canvases have a width in the range of 220 – 260 mm.

In the third case (snow shovels and scrapers), the large width allows you to capture more snow at a time, which is convenient in large open spaces. But for difficult conditions with an abundance of narrow passages and tight nooks and crannies, it is better to choose a narrower tool that can go where a wide canvas does not fit.

— Wood. Even inexpensive types of wood are for the most part quite strong and reliable, especially since the stalk can be made quite thick. At the same time, this material is also durable — the service life of a wooden handle is often comparable to the service life of the canvas itself. However compared with steel (see below), such handles are considered less reliable, not least because they are always made removable. On the other hand, a broken or too long / short handle can be easily replaced with a new one. Also, we note that wood has a relatively low thermal conductivity and does not cool hands as much as metal, and in general it is pleasant to the touch.

— Steel. Steel handle, usually, is used in shovels with a blade of the same material (there are exceptions, but extremely rare); moreover, in most cases, such a handle is welded or riveted to the canvas and can only be detached by breaking it off from the tool. The main advantage of steel is its high strength, garden / construction shovels of this type are better suited for work with high loads than tools with wooden handles. In addition, this material is suitable for foldable touring/automobile models (see "Type"). At the same time, steel cuttings are noticeably heavier than wooden ones, and long work with such a shovel requires more strength and endurance. In addition, steel is noticeably more expensive, it is extremely difficult to change su...ch handles (and most often it is simply unjustified), and if the handle breaks, the entire shovel becomes unusable. So it makes sense to specifically look for a full-size shovel with a steel handle, first of all, for complex work, for which the tree may not be reliable enough.

— Aluminium. Another kind of metal cuttings, permanently fixed on the canvas — similar to the steel ones described above. As for the properties, aluminium, on the one hand, is noticeably lighter than steel, on the other hand, it is not so strong and may not be suitable for heavy work.

— Plastic. The main advantages of plastic are lightness and low cost. In addition, it, like wood, does not get too cold hands at low air temperatures, making it excellent for snow removal tools (see "Type"). But full-sized construction / garden shovels with plastic handles are rare and are intended mainly for use where no special loads are planned — the strength of plastic, especially in inexpensive models, is rather low.

— Without a cutting. Shovels that are not equipped with cuttings at all and are sold in the form of a canvas with a shell. The main advantage of this configuration is that the handle can be chosen at your discretion; this is especially useful in cases where standard handles are not suitable for one reason or another (for example, if the user is tall and the stock handles are almost all too short). Most of these models require use with a wooden handle and do not allow other materials; however, this point cannot be called particularly critical.

The presence of a specific bend in the handle of a shovel (or in the shell where the handle is inserted). Due to this bend, the canvas is not at the level of the handle, but below (if you hold the shovel horizontally in the working position). It is believed that this ergonomic shape of the shovel somewhat facilitates the performance of certain work — in particular, when digging the soil, you do not have to bend as low as with a shovel without a bend.

The total length of the shovel; for models with variable length (folding or telescopic, see above), the maximum size is taken into account, when unfolded to the maximum position.

In the case of full size shovels (garden shovels, construction shovels, snow shovels — see "Type"), the optimal length depends primarily on the height of the user. It is believed that a shovel, placed vertically, should be 10 cm below the shoulder joint; however, some prefer a shorter tool — up to the elbow. If you do not have the opportunity to “try on” the shovel “live”, you can measure the height to the desired point (10 cm below the shoulder or elbow) and, when choosing, compare this height with the length of the tool. Note that a shovel without a handle (see above) may well be somewhat longer than necessary — the “surplus” of the handle usually does not create any particular inconvenience. But in the presence of a handle, length matching is extremely important.

If we are talking about small shovels for tourist / automotive purposes, then here we should proceed from a compromise between efficiency and compactness. A shorter shovel will be more convenient to store and transport, but may be inconvenient and ineffective for heavy work (both because of the inconvenience in the hands and because of the short lever length, which requires considerable effort).

The total weight of the shovel; for models with a removable handle (wooden) it is specified taking into account the complete handle.

The lightweight tool reduces effort and therefore fatigue, allowing you to work faster and longer. At the same time, in some situations, just a lot of weight is more desirable: for example, a heavy bayonet shovel easily pierces even into dense earth and cuts the roots without any problems. In addition, weight loss often comes at a cost. Therefore, it makes sense to specifically look for a light shovel only when working with loose soil or materials where the blade does not have to be “driven” with force.