Fiskars 9668 Long Handle Digging Shovel
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List Price: Our Price: $29.31 You Save: $0.68 (2%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Lawn & Patio See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Fiskars 9668 Long Handle Digging Shovel
Customer Review: How to break the world's best shovel
Summary: 4 Stars
This shovel is a pleasure to use, and both the handle and the blade seem to be unbreakable. The weak point is the weld between them. There is a long weld between the very end of the handle and the curve of the blade, and a short weld between the handle and the step. The quality of this weld varies from shovel to shovel, and on mine, it was unusually small. After a couple years of heavy use, I was prying a piece of buried wood and it snapped. The shovel kept working fine for another two years, and then, when I was prying some roots, the long weld started to break. And yet, if I'm careful, the shovel still digs! If you want to pass this tool on to your grandchildren, my advice is to never pull UP on the handle while the blade is wedged under something.Customer Review: I am so impressed!
Summary: 5 Stars
It's funny, on the blade of the shovel there is a big sticker that says "world's greatest shovel - Mother Earth News" but it's true! This really is an amazing shovel. The shape is really well thought out and the construction is super heavy duty. I would highly recommend it.Customer Review: I broke it. But they're honoring their lifetime warranty!
Summary: 4 Stars
After having broken maybe 6 wooden or fiberglass-handle shovels, I have acquired the "wisdom" that you get what you pay for. I admit, I used it to pry out a tree stump, so it's my fault, but this product first bent along the shaft, and then ultimately sheared and broke near the weld. That said, it has been the best shovel I've owned, and even if it didn't come with a warranty, I would probably go back and buy the same thing. Now for the amazing part...
I called up their customer service, and within 3 minutes, they had my shipping information and told me they are sending me a brand new one! They didn't even want the old one back. Wow! I am now a huge fan of this brand and will be replacing my other tools with Fiskars, which all seem to be well-designed, built, and come with a lifetime warranty.
Customer Review: I love tools that work, and this one works
Summary: 5 Stars
A shovel is a shovel is a shovel, right? Yeah, I thought so too until I ordered and tried this one.
Our yard is mostly a thin layer of topsoil over hard clay with some flint gravel mixed in, plus lots of thick, tough roots. Digging is such a chore that over the years I've done very little of it.
When I broke the wooden handle on our heirloom shovel, I read the reviews and decided to order this one. At least, I thought, since it's all steel I won't be breaking another handle.
It arrived and I immediately grumbled about the weight. This is a heavy shovel. I wondered how am I supposed to do anything with this? It'll tire me out before I even get started.
But then I tried it. I set the point in some hard ground, put my foot on the step and pushed, and "shhck," the blade plunged down into the earth.
I was mildly stunned, and delighted. I had never had that experience with a shovel before. The heavy weight of the shovel was actually working for me, not against me.
As I said in the heading, I love tools that work, and this one worked. Over the last few months I've done more digging and have moved more plants and shrubs than I have in, well, as long as I can remember. Digging holes is such a pleasure now--if you can believe that--that I forget about the weight. And even with the extra weight, after digging a hole I'm actually less tired than I would be if I were hacking with the old, lighter shovel. It goes that much easier.
The shovel's steel handle has already proved its worth in the number of roots and large rocks I've pried out of the ground. Another reviewer remarked that the egg-shaped profile of the handle increases its strength, and I can believe it. I've put an enormous amount of stress on it and it hasn't bent even slightly.
Because of its weight, this shovel isn't for everyone. But if you can manage a regular shovel okay, and don't think you'd have a problem with a shovel that weighed a few extra pounds, then this is the one to try.
Incidentally, there are a few hard clay spots in the yard that even this shovel can't cut. For those spots I use a clay pick (similar to the COLLINS CLAY PICK 6 lb. ) to break up the soil before shoveling.
But the bottom line is this is a great product, and I'm giving this shovel a five star rating.
Enthusiastic over a shovel. Who'da thunk?
Customer Review: I'd never thought I could be this pleased with a gardening tool
Summary: 5 Stars
I would tell the whole world what an outstanding shovel this is.
Key are its greater-than-usual weight, its balance, and its cutting power. One stroke of this shovel can accomplish much more than one stroke of a conventional shovel. The result is less overall effort than required for a conventional shovel.
What's more is that this shovel's resonant frequency is less than a conventional shovel's and below the fatiguing threshold.