Member - JohnR (Vic) replied:

Bob L I have a post hole shovel in my kit with the rounded off corners. The main think I guess is that you don't cut or damage anything you may hit underneath as you reach the sand or mud. I can not recall using a pointed spades shaped shovel in my life but guess I have. Remember you will seldom have to clean off a flat surface like concrete with it.

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Member - Rick (S.A.) replied:

Go the square nose.

Only after you have used the round nosed will you have wished you got the other.

have a look at a fencing contractors gear if you don't believe me.

they are much easier to load up with soil/sand & to dig with

Good price, too

cheers

navaraman replied:

Square nosed has a better cutting action if you need to cut the tops of wheel ruts for example. Always carry one in my car, I usually carry two anyway, many hands make light work.

Member - Rick (S.A.) replied:

Bob L

Miners use the rounded corner shovels i.e. the ones that are 'pointy', or even shaped (roughly) as a triangle. It is the only way to load a shovel of tough rock or freshly blasted rubble.

In these circumstances, the square post hole shovel with rounded corners are no where near as good.

Nor is your traditional square mouthed shovel, which is ideal for concrete mixing, moving dirt/sand etc. They move twice the amount of a long handled shovel in that envionment with the same amount of work.

Cheers

Des Lexic replied:

Bob, Broke the wooden handled one recently and went to buy a new handle. Price was $26 and only $20 for a new shovel with fibreglass handle. No prizes for guessing what I did. I store it across the back of the drivers seat on the floor under a false floor.

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It's not the years of your life that matters, it's the life in your years that count. Member: My Profile

Member -Bob & Lex (Sydney) replied:

I have he square mouth with rounded edges & it works great for all occasions. I store it in shovel holders mounted on the roof rack, get them from 4by shops.

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Crackles replied:

I'd suggest the wooden handled post hole shovel. Avoid the fibreglass or plastic ones as they flex too much when digging & the rubber grips come loose. Don't get them mixed up with the irrigation shovel which looks the same but doesn't have the reinforcing ribs on the blade. cheers Craig.....................

brownie replied:

If you have a 75 series landcruiser then the shovel fits into the front chassis crossmember - just the right diameter for the handle, just the right length.