Folding Shovels Buying Guide

Digging at campsites, gardening, hiking on any terrain, folding shovels will cater to all your needs. These multi-functional tools can be used for several purposes and can save you from unnecessary hassle.

With several options available in the market, there are several questions that will come to your mind. What should be the adequate length and weight? What about the construction material? Is the shovel sturdy or not? What is the proper blade size?

Being stressed at this point is natural. But don't worry. We have prepared a comprehensive buying guide to answer all these questions. We have laid out all the aspects of the product in a well-detailed manner.

You will find every detail regarding the shovel in this guide with which you can quickly funnel down the best one from the different options. So, without any further ado, let us dive into this extensive guide to pinpoint a great shovel.

A little about Folding Shovels, and why should you buy them?

When you think of shovels, you might picture a pointed or square shovel stiffly attached to a handle. Right?

Traditional shovels are precisely like that. They come with a stiff, tight handle. But with the changing time, there are folding shovels available in the market, which are way more convenient than having the one with a one-meter stiff rod.

Folding shovels are quite helpful and best for adventure freaks and all kinds of outdoor adventure, especially whether for hiking, camping, or gardening.

A lot of people don't add a survival shovel or e-tool to their bug-out bags. It is because they don't understand the importance of a shovel until they require one.

Shovels are tools that are used to dig and move loose from one place to another. And having an excellent compatible shovel as a part of your gear will make your camping more enjoyable and easier.

These foldable shovels also come with additional tools and features that will help you with your adventure activities, gardening, or any other outdoor activity.

They can serve to dig fire pits or burying leftover meals while camping, or digging trenches for redirecting rainwater.

Dissection of the shovel

Shovels are made up of different parts. Let's talk about the edge part first; the edge is possibly made up of strong steel or iron materials that join the handle.

Other substances utilized by the makers who built shovels incorporate hard plastic and materials like aluminum and iron.

If we talk about the handles, then they are usually made with wood or fiberglass. But they use fiberglass material rarely and give preference to wood.

Occasionally, a combination of two materials is used and makes folding shovels stronger and sturdy.

If you want to choose the wooden handle rather than the aluminum, you should know that the wood stays in good condition in winter, and it won't dent and chip at all, especially if you do not use it amid spring.

If you want a shovel for gardening purposes, you should know that the smaller the shovel is, the better it can perform in the garden. But if you want something else, you should go with the multipurpose instruments you can use as part of the garden in the round point shovel.

Things to deem about while selecting appropriate Folding Shovels

Size and Weight

The most important feature in choosing the solver is its weight, length, handle type and blade shape and size. So before considering a shovel, you need to be clear about your requirements first.

For what purpose you are purchasing a shovel because they come in different types and different designs.

Some shovels are used for gardening, some come for digging, and some are just for outdoor activities. And all these come in different sizes and weights. All you need to do is check out your requirements and select the one that suits your needs.

If purchasing a solvent to enjoy the outdoor activity, we suggest you go with a folding shovel. Because they are compatible, and can easily fit in your bag, and can easily be handled by anyone.

Whether you are going to buy it for any outdoor activity or another requirement, you still need to be careful about its weight and size so that you can get a hassle-free experience.

Build

Before choosing a folding solution, you must check out their building material. You need to know what material the manufacturers use to build particular shelves and their durability.

But it is a fact that considering a folding Folding Shovels is the ideal choice you can make. Because it is light, durable, easily affordable, provides you a good grip, and features high-quality construction.

If, because of any reason, you get stuck in heavy snowfall or need to dig hard and deep, you need a fine quality of blade to deal with these kinds of unexpected things.

So before choosing a solvent, make sure the shovel's blade must be anti-corrosive and consist of 1 solid piece and not different sheets.

If we talk about the handle, then it ought to be composed of a highly durable material because without a strong grip, you can never make any use of the shovel; it will remain useless.

Ease of Use

If you choose a folding shovel for your personal use, make sure to select the one that can be easily handled by anyone and is easy to choose.

Certain features come in the folding shovel, which makes it easy to operate and handle. It is a fact that a shovel's weakness is a spade's strength.

Having a precise shape than the clunky shovel, spades are the best for more specialized purposes.

Taking care of the grip of the shovel is an important thing which you should not avoid. Make sure to choose the shovels with a T or D shape grip because they give you excellent support with a refined design of the handle.

Adaptable shovel handles provide ease to your work and prevent you from bending down more. You must check a plethora of features that would enhance your shovel's ease of use.

Durability

Whatever or whenever we purchase a product, durability is the first thing that comes to every person's mind. The same goes for the folding shovels, the folding shovels are best, but it is also true that they do a lot of hard work.

For that reason, searching for a durable and quality design is tremendously essential. Your shovel is not the thing that you can use only one time and then throw it away.

It is a long-time investment and lasts you throughout multiple trips while delivering high performance, so it must be chosen carefully.

If you leave your shovel out somewhere in the garden, you surely don't want it to be rusting or the handle wrapping.

If you're scared of rusting your shovel, you should consider weatherproof options with coated steel frames.

Shovels that come with the fiberglass handles are lightweight, very easy to use, and provide an adequate weather resistance level.

Other features like magnesium alloy coating reduce friction at the time of usage and protect the steel from corrosion.

The materials involved with the construction and design of your folding shovel makes a big difference in its performance and durability.

Multipurpose

Finding the best survival shovel is tougher than it looks. Because they all look the same, there is a big difference in their quality; you need to know the quality and some small details before choosing the one for you.

Having the right tool in your bag can make a big difference when you are out for some adventure or wilderness.

The best shovels need to be compact, versatile, and worth, and you need to get a unit that will serve you better.

If you are looking for a multi-faceted shovel, you must check a shovel that can also serve as an ax and a saw.

Many of the folding shovels come with the feature ability to cut or saw through various materials; thus, you may even take fewer tools. Moreover, a shovel may help you ignite a fire; you can quickly start the fire by digging a hole.

Materials

To get high performance and increase endurance, you need to search for a shovel designed with high-quality material.

Most shovels are tools that comprise a wide blade affixed on a handle of the medium. These blades are quite strong and compose of hard plastics or steel sheets.

Handles have a composition of glass-reinforced plastic or wood. Most of the shovel metal is coated with black oxide paint, which is excellent for preventing corrosion.

It is just a basic description of handmade shovels, but if you want to go with the folding shovels, you need to know such things about the shovels' material.

Like the unit of the shovel should be made by using high-carbon steel that is powder-coated.

For the handle, it must be made up of using high impact polymer materials or aluminum alloy for better performance and stability. If you purchase a shovel with such a combination of materials, it will serve you longer and better.

Design

Material and durability, size, or weight also need to be considered while making shovels design vital.

Because it is designed for the shovel that provides you ease to work with. If we talk about traditional and handmade designs, then it comes with two handles design. One is D, and the other one is T, depending on your choices.

There is no right or wrong handle design; it is all about buying the best tool for the job that feels good in hands. But folding shovels are different from the traditional one. Three designs are famous for folding shovels.

1. Two-piece

The first is a two-piece folding shovel. It is also known as the compact design. In this design, the shovel has one hinge from where it can be folded and packed for traveling.

2. Tri-fold

Here there is a facility to fold the shovel from the blade and grip. This is the regular design of most of the shovels

3. Telescopic

This design is the most space-saving design. In these shovels, the handle collapses, which makes it the best fit for traveling.

Portability

The next thing you should consider before choosing a shovel is to check the portability. You need to have a look if the selected shovel is portable enough to fulfill your needs.

Especially when you are making up your mind about buying an excellent folding shovel, the most portable folding shovels need to be lightweight, compact, and durable.

It is kind of hard to get a shovel armed with all these features. You need to make some efforts to search hard to get the one for you.

The more portable and durable your shovel is, the more quickly you can handle and use it during your outdoor activity. Potable things are easy to carry and can be moved anywhere.

Handle

When it comes to handles of shovels, you need to be extra careful. Because if your grip is not firm enough, then how you can use a shovel.

Folding shovels need to do a lot of hard work. It is the reason you should give a proper check on the handles of shovels.

Finding a durable design is equally essential as features. You are going to use a shovel for quite a long time so getting the pre-eminent is quite crucial. The best shovel will last you with multiple trips while delivering a high-class performance. If you find a folding shovel that you can comfortably hold, you should consider the one with an ergonomic handle. It is non-slip soft and prevents the hands from slipping off.

Brand and Warranties

It is one of the essential parts you need to give focus on before buying folding shovels. When it comes to getting the best, durable, and pocket-friendly, brand and warranties matter a lot.

You should never go for a bride which you have barely heard about. Always consider the popular one and know the market because of its quality products.

But in any case, if you are ever going for a standard shovel with the fixed blade on it, then examine the tool's coating, and construction material as it is essential than the brand.

If you are going to fold shovels or the other shovels with the moving parts or accessories, you should look for premium branded tools.

Warranties are also essential in shovels that feature telescopic shafts, locks, and moving parts. Many of the brands offer great warranties on shovels and.

Some are even providing you a money-back guarantee. If, in any case, your shovel got damaged during the time of warranties. So it is good to consider the brand that gives you surety of the product as well as warranty satisfaction.

Shape of Shovel

Shovels come in different shapes and sizes. In an actual sense, the shape of the shovel depends on the person who is buying it. Let's have a quick look at it.

1. If you are looking for a shovel for removing snow off the driveways or from your rooftop, then large shovels with flat noses would be an ideal option for you. The size needs to be known by the stocky ice or thick layers when it moves.
2. For rocky or heavy soils, you will require a thick blade. Also, you need to make sure that the blade is heavy and can withstand the high force and pressure.
3. If you are going to use the tool for general things, then the round nose shape will be the best shape. You can opt for 10 to 12-inch long blade with a width of 8 inches.

Additional Features

There is some additional feature about folding shovels, which you need to know and consider purchasing. For instance, the folding shovel's blades have serrated teeth at one side of it.

This formation kind displays extra-sawing operations to dig on the ground. They also have a compass that comes with a connected feature on their handles.

Although every additional feature is quite impressive and beneficial, you should use them whenever you need them. It is because all of them have different features and can affect the shovel's price.

Steps To Maintain the Shovel

Maintenance is the key feature to increase the durability of the product. Buying new things is always fun, but if you ignore their supervision, they might last longer. The same thing goes with the folding shovels; buy a great one, but you should also need to maintain them. Here are some of the steps which you can consider to maintain shovels.

1. You need to clean the debris from the folding shovel after completing it because debris calls moisture, which causes rust. For prevention, you can coat oil on the blade after every use.
2. Adding wooden handles in shovels to store for an extended time, many people add a prevention agent such as oil on it.
3. If you use a shovel for gardening, then you must check the blades after some years. The constant digging will cause regular wear and tear, which will deteriorate the blade thickness. If the blade becomes too thin, then you have to replace it with a new one.
4. If you use the shovel to dig the dirt, you need to keep it sharpened. Also, you must ensure that the shovel's blade is fixed correctly.

FAQs

1. How can I use the shovel in the best way?

Widen your feet and take a stance in which your front foot is close to the shovel blade. Also, move your body over the handle. Then push the blade into the surface by applying the force through your foot.

Keep in mind that you keep the shovel close to your body so that you maintain the balance properly. If the shovel is far away, your foot can easily fall off the blade, and you can injure your body.

2. How can I avoid the rusting on my shovel?

Water and moisture in the air cause rust on your shovel. Some brands are fabricating the shovel with materials that rust-proof, but mostly this disease ruins the functioning of the tool. To avoid rusting, always dry your shovel after washing it.

Never store your tool in a moist area. Oil the hinges of the shovel as the site is most prone to rust. There are some anti-rust coatings and paints available in the market, which you can use on the tool.

3. Can I resharpen the blade of my shovel?

Yes, when the blade becomes dull, you have to resharpen the tool. But if you are not familiar with the process, then do not try it yourself. There are proper tools involved in the process. If you are new to this, then you can even injure your hands. So, take your tool to a profession and get it done.

Wrap Up

With the ability to fold, folding shovels are the practical option to carry when going in the wilderness to camp. Price is never the main factor. You have to pick the tool that you can maneuver easily without any unnecessary hassle.

To pick the best tool for yourself, you need to be familiar with all its elements. In this guide, we have gathered all the details on different characteristics.

From using the shovel in the best way to selecting the best material and length, we have covered it all. Hopefully, you will get answers to all your questions and queries. Go through the pointers and pin down an elite tool for your toolset.