Shovel ID

A lot of this came about because of a management and productivity guy named Taylor about a century ago (before bucketloaders and other such mechanizations were common) who determined you could get the most work out of a dedicated shoveler if he was neither underloaded or overloaded. An optimal weight of around 21 pounds was selected. Before that time, guys would bring in their own shovels for whatever work they were doing, and one well suited for, say, digging ditches might be quite unsuitable for shovelling furnace ashes. Since managers love getting the last iota of effort out of their workers this just wouldn't do, so they began getting shovels made to hold just the right amount of whatever it was they needed to have moved, and then issuing them to the workers as the tasks arose. Once these new shovels caught on, they stayed in the lexicon, if you will, even after some of the jobs they were originally made for were long gone--they were just too good a shape not to keep being used.

To bring the discussion full circle, I've noticed that if all I'm shovelling is heavy wet snow instead of light fluffy stuff, I can get much more done by switching to a square-pointed garden shovel with a smaller blade than by sticking with a bigger snow shovel. --Glenn Lyford

The most interesting shovel I have seen was left by the previous owner of a dairy farm Dad bought in 1957. It was hanging up in an old maple tree. The handle was 10-12 feet long, if I remember correctly. The interesting part was the blade. It was a standard looking shovel, except the blade was at right angles to the handle. If the handle was straight up, the blade part was lying flat on the ground.

Dad said it was a shovel for digging deep holes, like for a power poll. It was used for scooping out the dirt, not for the actual digging. I suppose they used a long steel rod to loosen the soil, first.

Paul

| > Man, there are a lot of specialized shovels. | >

| > Steve | | The most interesting shovel I have seen was left by the previous owner | of a dairy farm Dad bought in 1957. It was hanging up in an old maple | tree. The handle was 10-12 feet long, if I remember correctly. The | interesting part was the blade. It was a standard looking shovel, | except the blade was at right angles to the handle. If the handle was | straight up, the blade part was lying flat on the ground. | | Dad said it was a shovel for digging deep holes, like for a power | poll. It was used for scooping out the dirt, not for the actual | digging. I suppose they used a long steel rod to loosen the soil, | first. | | Paul | | Yes, I have seen those, and that is exactly what they were used for. | Removing loose dirt in the bottom of a post hole, most commonly one for a | telephone pole sized pole. IIRC, called a spoon. | | Steve | |

It is indeed called a spoon. It's companion is the same length, but looks like a shovel that has been straightened, call a spade. I have used both far too many times, digging telephone pole hole in easements inaccessible by truck. Standard depth for 35 and 40 foot poles is 5.5 and 6', respectively.

The most interesting shovel I have seen was left by the previous owner of a dairy farm Dad bought in 1957. It was hanging up in an old maple tree. The handle was 10-12 feet long, if I remember correctly. The interesting part was the blade. It was a standard looking shovel, except the blade was at right angles to the handle. If the handle was straight up, the blade part was lying flat on the ground.

Dad said it was a shovel for digging deep holes, like for a power poll. It was used for scooping out the dirt, not for the actual digging. I suppose they used a long steel rod to loosen the soil, first.

Paul

Yes, I have seen those, and that is exactly what they were used for. Removing loose dirt in the bottom of a post hole, most commonly one for a telephone pole sized pole. IIRC, called a spoon.

Steve

No, this is the ultimate snow shovel. An Ames True Temper #1 aluminum shovel with a decent handle on it.

Wes

I looked it up, and

handle, and a poly

for grains. Not a

#1 aluminum shovel with a

That's a good shovel but it needs one more thing : another T handle made to a length to suit your arm reach and attached to the rivet hole in the shank of the shovel. A handle about a foot long should do it. Major back saver, it is............ phil

I'm allergic to that particular model.

Steve

I shovel a lot of snow, really dislike either "T" or "D" handles. They just get in the way, long straight handle is the way to go. For heavy duty shoveling I use a plastic scoop (grain scoop size) with a layer of paste wax smeared all over it. Light work gets done with a reinforced plastic pusher.

Those are my two favorites. I have several others for special snow/circumstances.

Any plastic shovels I've ever used have come to a Bad End, either by hitting a sidewalk slab edge in sub-zero weather or a blob of ice. Without wax, the snow sticks, when you knock it off, the blade breaks. Aluminum is no good for busting ice. A good steel shovel, waxed, works well for me. If it gets bent, a little hammer work straightens it up and it wears a whole lot better than either plastic or aluminum. The problem is finding replacements. What kind of idiot rivets the handle so the end is only 1" from the edge of the shovel? That's the current offering at True Value. Even worn, my current one has about 3" of wear left before it hits the handle socket. Time to dig up some strapping iron and rivets.

Stan

What wax do you like? I use Johnson's Floor Wax.

Wes

Temper

another T

rivet

plastic

What I was refering to is another handle, a short one, attached at the rivet hole so it pivots at that point. Now you have a triangle to work with. You can swing the shovel sideways golf style and do a fine job of clearing the walkway or banking the house (if you know what _that_means ;>)) ) phil

I pretty sure I understand Phil. I bought one of the commercial bent-handle easy on your back shovels several years ago (similar idea). It feels nice in your hands, but isn't worth a toot for chucking a glob of snow 10-15 feet away. Spent around 3 hours yesterday doing just that with the re-handled plastic grain scoop. I would like to try a bit longer handle in it, but don't happen to have one on hand. I just loath having to buy a special handle :) if I could even find one. There aren't too many stores around anymore that carry replacement handles anyway.

My neighbors just roll their eyes watching me shovel out. They think I like to shovel snow, run, walk, buck wood... what I really like to do is drink beer and eat munchies ;-)

do

"D"

is

smeared

have a

banking

;-)

I agree with you on those silly bent handle shovels, they are useless. The second handle needs to be able to move independently of the main handle. Once you've tried this setup I'm sure you'll love it. phil the michigan yooper......