You might be surprised to learn that there are a variety of different tools that you can get for digging holes in your yard.
Some are multi-purpose digging tools but some have a specific purpose. In this post, I’m going to explain all the different digging tools that are available and what their primary purpose is.
Types of shovels for digging
Did you know that there are different types of shovels that are used for a variety of purposes? Let’s look at the most common ones.
Square shovel
A square shovel has a square head with a sharp flat end. The head has a bowl-type structure to hold the material that you’re moving around.
This type of shovel is ideal for digging in hard soil that is compacted as the sharp end allows you to cut into the ground. The shovel is also perfect for scooping up and moving materials such as soil, sand, gravel, and mulch.
Trenching shovel
A trenching shovel has a long, narrow head with a sharp tip and squared sides. It’s the perfect shape for digging uniform trenches to lay irrigation pipes around your yard.
This shovel can also be used to remove deep-rooted plants thanks to its long and narrow head.
Plumber’s shovel
The plumber’s shovel has a relatively narrow head and the end is rounded to a pointed tip.
It is primarily designed for digging drains but you can also use it for digging holes. The head has slightly raised edges so that you can use it for moving soil around.
This shovel also has an extra long handle to give you additional leverage when you’re digging.
Digging tools for hard ground
If you’re dealing with hard and compacted soil, you should consider using a square shovel. The sharp flat tip allows you to more easily cut into the ground.
Here are some other tools that are great for hard ground:
Spade
A spade has a flat head, unlike a shovel, and sharp edges. Most spades are square in shape but some can come with a pointed tip.
Generally, spades will have a shorter handle because they’re primarily used for digging planting holes.
The edges of the head should always be kept sharp to make digging easier. Many gardeners use a bench grinder to ensure that the spade’s edges are always sharp.
Mattock
A mattock is a heavy-duty digging tool that allows you to break up hard and compacted soil. The head is usually double-sided with one side having an axe blade while the other side has a cutting blade.
Mattocks usually have a long handle for extra leverage when breaking up hard ground. They’re also handy for cutting through tree roots.
Pick
Picks have a very narrow two-sided head with chiselled tips. These tools are generally used for breaking up the soil and digging trenches.
Thanks to the pointed tips on the head, picks can even break through rocks and roots.
Tools to remove grass
To remove grass to make room for a new garden bed, you should use either a normal spade or even a square shovel.
Both of these tools will allow you to cut through the top of the thatch and then get underneath the roots of the grass to lift out single squares of grass at a time.
Trench digging tools
To dig nice even trenches, you want to use a trenching shovel. The long, narrow head with its square sides will allow you to cut precise trenches that are uniform.
If the ground is quite hard, you might need to use a mattock or pick first to break up the compacted soil.
Power tools for digging soil
The most common power tools for digging soil are earth augers and powered cultivators.
Earth Augers
These power tools are primarily used for digging post holes for either fence posts or for digging planting holes for large trees and shrubs.
Many powered earth augers or post-hole diggers have petrol engines but you can get a few that are battery-operated.
Cultivators
Many powered cultivators are multi-purpose tools. They allow you to cultivate the soil in garden beds where you want to plant vegetables and flowers. Some also come with separate attachments that you can use to aerate and edge your lawn.
You can even get cultivator heads that you can attach to a lawn power tool that you already have such as the Makita multi-tool system.
Tools for post digging
The type of tool you use to dig post holes will depend on the type of soil you have.
Post hole pincer
A post-hole pincer is a manual tool that is comprised of two narrow shovels that are connected by a hinge.
This tool is ideal for digging post holes in loose and friable soil and it can also be used for planting bulbs.
Auger
For heavier ground or more compacted soil, an auger is the perfect tool for digging post holes. It has a long drill head that digs into the ground and throws out the soil at the same time.
Many augers are powered, but you can also get manual augers that you twist and turn by hand to dig the post holes.
Other digging tools
There are a variety of other digging tools that are useful to have in the garden shed.
Garden fork
A garden fork is useful for breaking up soil in your vegetable plot or flower garden in between plantings. It can also be used to incorporate compost and other organic matter into the soil.
Hoe
A garden hoe is generally used on loose soil for cultivating, removing weeds, and breaking up large clumps. A hoe is also useful for creating drills for planting seeds or bulbs.
Crowbar
Crowbars are generally used to break up rocks and concrete when you’re in the process of creating a new garden bed. Their sharp tip allows you to break up hard material in the soil fairly easily.
Trowels
Trowels are small, short-handled tools that are used for digging planting holes for seedlings and small shrubs.