The best shovels, compared.
Top pick: Roughneck ROU68044 serrated shovel Best value: Roughneck ROU68044 serrated shovel – Highest value score, 84, at about £19.34: a 1,460 mm serrated blade for a tall user on roots or compacted ground, 4.8 from 477 reviews. Updated October 2026.
A shovel is the scooped blade you use to lift and throw loose material such as soil, sand, gravel and spoil. A spade is the flatter blade you press in when you need to cut ground. People on amazon.co.uk buy a shovel for a drive, a bulk bag, a barrow mix, or a shaft that has already snapped. The mouth has to match the job, the length has to match your height, and the head should be forged or welded rather than a loose riveted pressing. A taper or a round mouth enters denser ground. A micro around 690–710 mm is for kneeling, not for standing work. Mouth and length are set out in the [shovel buying guide](/hub/digging-tools/shovel/sub/shovel-buying-guide).
A shovel is the scooped blade you use to lift and throw loose material such as soil, sand, gravel and spoil. A spade is the flatter blade you press in when you need to cut ground.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you shifting?
The Roughneck ROU68044 is a long fibreglass-shaft shovel, listed at 1,460 mm and 2.3 kg, with a 300 × 225 mm serrated carbon-steel blade, foot treads and a power-ring connection with a steel reinforced plug. At £19.34 it is the best value in this set if you are tall, the ground is compacted or full of ordinary roots, and you want a standing dig rather than a square scoop. Reviewers say the length lets taller users and people with back pain stoop less, and that the edge slices roots and compacted ground, including after they stood on the blade in brick-filled soil. It has also been used to open bulk bags and to work a deep trench. Shorter reviewers say it is larger and heavier than they expected, and some buyers wanted the same shovel without serrations. Wrist-thick roots still needed a reciprocating saw, and the long pole is a different technique if you are used to a D-grip. Across 477 ratings at 4.8 out of 5, the first 40 UK reviews do not repeat a snap or a bend, though one reviewer says the edge needs sharpening after hard root work.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Tall users digging compacted ground, ordinary roots or a deep trench
Less suitable: Shorter users, a flat scoop for gravel, or anyone who wants a plain edge
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the Roughneck serrated shovel?
The listing length is 1,460 mm, with a carbon-steel blade of 300 mm by 225 mm, foot treads, and a fibreglass shaft. Listed weight is 2.3 kg.
Will the serrated edge replace a saw on thick roots?
Reviewers say the edge slices ordinary roots and compacted ground. One reviewer still used a reciprocating saw on wrist-thick roots. The listing does not claim it cuts every root.
Who finds the length awkward?
Taller reviewers and people with back pain praise the upright stance. Shorter reviewers say the shovel is larger than they expected.
The Spear & Jackson 2000WORK is a No. 2 taper-mouth shovel with a carbon-steel head and socket forged in one piece, rotary welded to a tubular metal shaft and a metal MYD grip. The listing weight is 2.3 kg, the item dimensions are 98.5 × 23 × 16.5 cm, and the price is £19.90. Reviewers describe it as rigid in heavy, waterlogged clay and for trenching, and they have used it for soil, compost, woodchip, sand and cement. They contrast the welded tubular shaft with a wooden shaft that had already broken on the same sort of work. The handle is short for some buyers, the sides have little lip compared with a deeper scoop, and the powder coat has arrived marked or chipped. One review describes a rough weld and a sharp piece of metal at the grip, treated as a possible future failure, though the UK reviews read do not report a snapped shaft. With 72 ratings at 4.8 out of 5 the sample is smaller than the Roughneck listings, and this listing does not name a BS 3388 pass.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Trenching and firm or waterlogged clay when you want a taper and a forged join
Less suitable: Deep scooping of loose gravel, or anyone who needs a named BS 3388 line on the listing
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a square shovel?
No. The listing calls it a No. 2 taper-mouth tubular shovel. The head and socket are described as forged from one piece, with a metal MYD handle.
How heavy is it?
The listing weight is 2.3 kg, and the item dimensions are 98.5 cm by 23 cm by 16.5 cm. Reviewers describe it as heavy on purpose and rigid in clay.
Does the listing say it passed BS 3388?
The bullets in this listing do not name BS 3388. A Spear & Jackson trade sheet for the tubular contractors’ range says those tools exceed the BS 3388 load test. That range claim is not the same as a certificate printed on this ASIN.
The Roughneck ROU68146 is the top pick here when the job is shifting sand, gravel, cement or earth from a standing position. It is a square shovel with a deep scoop and foot treads, a heat-treated pressed-steel head, and a fibreglass shaft with a double-injected D-grip, listed at 1,070 mm and £22.59. Reviewers report moving large amounts of gravel and stone, one of them about 10 tonnes, and holding up in heavy clay where cheaper shovels bent or rusted. The fibreglass shaft is described as lighter than an all-steel shovel, and the deep sides kept small stones on the blade, with the boot ledges used for digging as well as scooping. One reviewer over about 5 ft 10 in found it short, and others mention raised rivets and a raised joint on the shaft. The catalogue figure of 220 g is not a credible measured weight for a shovel of this length. Across 613 ratings at 4.7 out of 5, the first 40 UK reviews do not repeat a break, though one reviewer still says not to leave it in the rain.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Standing work shifting gravel, stone, sand, cement and trench fill
Less suitable: Users over about 5 ft 10 in who need a longer shaft, or a pointed blade for roots
Specifications
Common questions
What mouth shape is the ROU68146?
It is a square shovel with a deep scoop and foot treads, on a fibreglass shaft with a double-injected D-grip. The listed length is 1,070 mm.
Is the listed weight of 220 g right?
The listing prints an item weight of 220 g. A 220 g figure is not credible for a shovel of this length. Other full-size shovels in this set are listed around 2.1–2.3 kg. Use 220 g only as the catalogue figure, not as a measured weight.
Can it dig as well as scoop?
The listing calls it a general-purpose shovel for sand, gravel, cement and earth, and for filling trenches, and it has foot treads. It is still a square mouth, so it is the shifting tool rather than a pointed digging blade.
The Roughneck ROU68005 is a 690 mm serrated micro shovel, listed at 1.04 kg, with a carbon-steel blade, foot treads, a fibreglass soft-grip D-handle and a power-ring reinforced socket, at £19.99. The listing points it at confined spaces, roots, compacted ground and opening bags, and UK reviews add metal detecting, kneeling, allotment nets and borders. Reviewers call it strong for the size in dry ground and rocky detecting holes, and say the serrated edge cuts roots and brambles. Rivet heads on the grip dig into the hand, and some buyers wanted about a foot more length. One reviewer says it started to bend in hard ground, and another says it began to come apart after the first few days. Across 141 ratings at 4.7 out of 5, most describe it as strong for the size, and it is not a standing builders’ shovel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Kneeling work, borders, detecting holes and opening bags
Less suitable: A day’s standing shifting, or anyone who expected a cheap hiking shovel to throw away
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the Gorilla micro shovel?
The listing length is 690 mm and the weight is 1.04 kg. The shaft is fibreglass with a soft-grip D-handle, and the blade is serrated carbon steel with foot treads.
What is it for?
The listing points to confined spaces, roots, compacted ground and opening bags. UK reviews add metal detecting, kneeling, allotment nets and borders. It is not a standing builders’ shovel.
What do reviewers complain about?
Rivet heads on the grip dig into the hand. One buyer says it started to bend in hard ground. Another says it began to come apart after a few days. Most of the 141 ratings (4.7 out of 5) describe it as strong for the size.
The ADTSADDTO KST028 is a folding entrenching shovel, listed at 998 g with a high-carbon steel blade, a plastic handle and a folded item size of 16.5 × 6.5 × 25 cm, at £12.99. Reviewers keep it in a pouch in the car boot and use it for snow, mud and a small hole, and at least one dug stony ground. The lock is described as easy to set at an angle, including a pick position. The handle is too short for ordinary garden beds, one reviewer calls the serrated edge almost useless, and it is heavy if you mean to hike with it. One locking washer bent on the first day, and the blade rusted after a night in a river. Across 1,811 ratings at 4.6 out of 5, the score is for compact emergency use, and the listing does not describe it as an insulated tool for cable work.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A compact boot or camping shovel for snow, mud and a small hole
Less suitable: A day’s garden shifting, hiking light, or exposing an electric cable
Specifications
Common questions
Does this folding shovel replace a builders’ shovel?
No. It is a folding entrenching tool, listed at 998 g with a plastic handle and a high-carbon blade. The listing gives a blade length of 8.2 inches. Reviewers keep it in a car boot and say the handle is too short for garden beds.
What failed in UK reviews?
One locking washer bent on the first day. The blade rusted after a night in a river. The serrated edge is called almost useless by one reviewer. The listing has 1,811 ratings at 4.6 out of 5, mostly for compact emergency use.
Is it insulated for cable work?
The listing does not describe it as an insulated tool. HSG47 still calls for insulated tools and a careful spade or shovel when you expose an electric cable.
The Draper 31391 is a pressed square-mouth builders’ shovel with a 240 × 310 mm alloy-steel blade, a hardwood Y-dee shaft and a listed length of 940 mm, at 2.3 kg and £16.99. Reviewers have used it for hardcore, cement mixing and decorative stone into a barrow, and some report shifting bulk bags of sand and gravel plus several tonnes of stone chippings. A reviewer around 5 ft 2 in found that length comfortable and still called it sturdy, while reviewers over about 6 ft have called the shaft short. At least one buyer found the blade angle uncomfortable, and some thought it too light for heavy daily site work. Across 627 ratings at 4.5 out of 5, the recurring fault is the joint: a slack fit where the handle meets the shaft, rivets that move, and wooden shafts that snapped while moving sand or clearing garden waste. It is a low-priced branded square shovel for occasional shifting, and the riveted hardwood join is the limit if you lever the blade or put the shaft away wet.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Occasional shifting of sand, gravel and hardcore if you are nearer 5 ft 2 in than 6 ft
Less suitable: Daily site work, using the shaft as a lever, or users over about 6 ft
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the Draper 31391 shaft?
The listing gives an overall length of 940 mm and a hardwood shaft with a Y-dee handle. Reviewers around 5 ft 2 in have found that length comfortable. Reviewers over about 6 ft have called it short.
Is the head forged?
The listing describes a pressed blade, 240 mm by 310 mm, in alloy steel. It does not describe a forged one-piece head.
What do UK reviews say fails?
Across the listing’s 627 ratings (4.5 out of 5), reviewers report a slack handle joint, loose rivets, and wooden shafts that snapped while moving sand or clearing garden waste. Others report shifting tonnes of stone without a break.
The JCB JCBYS01 is a square open-socket yard shovel with a forged, hardened and tempered carbon-steel head, a blade of 250 × 320 mm, a metal handle, item dimensions of 99 × 30 × 20 cm and a listed weight of 2.1 kg, at £24.99. Reviewers who have not broken it call it solid and a fair weight for site and garden shifting, which is the quality they say they expect from the brand. The listing says it is British Standard load tested and does not give the standard number, so that line is not a named BS 3388 certificate. The star line is 4.5 out of 5 from 39 ratings, and the saved listing contains eight UK review texts. One of those says the shovel broke while digging a hole, and the others call it solid. With so few written reviews, both the praise and the single break are a thin sample for the highest price in this set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Square-mouth shifting if you want a forged open-socket head and can accept a small review sample
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a named British Standard on the listing, or a long record of written reviews
Specifications
Common questions
What kind of shovel is the JCB yard shovel?
A square open-socket yard shovel. The listing gives a forged carbon-steel head, a blade of 250 mm by 320 mm, a metal handle, item dimensions of 99 cm by 30 cm by 20 cm, and a weight of 2.1 kg.
Which British Standard does it name?
The listing says it is British Standard load tested and does not give the standard number. Do not read that line as a named BS 3388 certificate.
How many written reviews are in the saved listing?
The star line is 4.5 out of 5 from 39 ratings. The saved listing contains eight UK review texts. One of them says the shovel broke while digging a hole. The others call it solid.
The Spear & Jackson MICROSQUARE is a square-mouth micro shovel listed at 710 mm and 1.15 kg, with a 210 × 160 mm carbon-steel blade and a fibreglass shaft with a soft-feel hilt, at £12.35. Buyers use it in drains, ditches and bag mouths, and one adult reviewer moved a large amount of gravel with the short handle, while another kept it in a car boot for snow. It feels stronger than a pressed hand coal shovel to at least one buyer, including for a coal bunker, though other gardeners found it too like a coal shovel for border work. Some buyers expected a full shovel and found it tiny, and one older review says there is timber in the shaft rather than solid fibreglass. One reviewer says it bent on the first day, and another says it was rusty after a few days, while a further review said the polyester powder coat was still intact after gravel work. Across 413 ratings at 4.4 out of 5, the 710 mm length is the measurement to read before you order.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Tight holes, drains, bag mouths and a square scoop you can keep in the boot
Less suitable: Standing builders’ work, or a border tool if you wanted more than a coal-shovel scale
Specifications
Common questions
What size is the MICROSQUARE?
Overall length is listed at 710 mm. The carbon-steel blade is 210 mm by 160 mm. Listed weight is 1.15 kg, on a fibreglass shaft with a soft-feel hilt.
Is it only for children?
Some buyers expected a full shovel and found it tiny. Others use it in ditches, drains and bag mouths, and one adult reviewer moved a large amount of gravel with the short handle. Read 710 mm before you order.
Does it rust?
The listing says a clear polyester powder coat helps against rust. One UK review says the shovel was rusty after a few days. Another said the coating was still intact after gravel work.
The Draper 15073 is a square-mouth mini shovel, not a standing builders’ shovel: the listing dimensions are 70 × 15 × 6 cm and the weight is 700 g, with a pressed mild-steel blade, a wood shaft and a plastic Y-dee, at £11.61. Reviewers use it for cement and compost bags and for mixing in a barrow, and shorter adults use it for light work in tight spaces. A reviewer about 6 ft tall said the handle reached just below the knee and sent it back, and those buyers dispute the “long handled” wording in the title. Sharp edges on metal parts, rusty screws or surface rust on arrival, and split wood in one review sit against the listing’s one-year manufacturer warranty. One blade snapped after two days around roots, and another rusted and then broke after a few months. Across 429 ratings at 4.2 out of 5, the lowest star line in this set, it earns its keep only when the reach really is below the knee.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Filling bags, mixing in a barrow, and light work where a short reach is the point
Less suitable: Standing digging, roots, or anyone around 6 ft who expected a long handle
Specifications
Common questions
Is the Draper mini a full-size shovel?
No. The listing dimensions are 70 cm by 15 cm by 6 cm, and the weight is 700 g. It is a square-mouth mini with a wood shaft and a plastic Y-dee, described for restricted areas.
Why do reviews say it is too small?
A reviewer about 6 ft tall said the handle reached just below the knee and sent it back. Other reviewers who are short, or who only fill bags and barrows, wanted that length.
What broke in the reviews?
One blade snapped after two days around roots. Another rusted and broke after a few months. One arrived with split wood. The listing states a one-year manufacturer warranty.
Scores use the nine amazon.co.uk listings in this set and the review notes already stored for those ASINs. There is no lab test. A British Standard load-test sentence is not scored as a named BS 3388 pass unless that listing prints the number. None of these nine does. The highest score is the top pick. The highest value score is the best value, and it can sit below the top pick. The weights below sum to 100.
Amazon evidence
30%Stars contribute from the amazon.co.uk rating, then the size of the sample adds points. Points come off for a repeated snap or a loose joint, for a single break, or for a catalogue line that cannot be a real weight. The amazon.co.uk star line is the rating used.
Listing fit
40%Mouth, length and join are scored for the job the listing claims. A forged or welded head scores higher than a pressed blade on riveted wood. Foot treads, a stated grip and a credible kilogramme line add points. A 690–710 mm micro is scored as a short tool. A folding shovel loses points because an open standing length is not listed and the handle is too short for a garden bed.
Value
30%Shelf price in GBP against a shovel UK reviews actually used for loose material, or for the short job printed on the listing. A low price does not win this block when the shaft snaps on ordinary sand or the tool is the wrong length for standing work.
Choose the mouth before the brand. A square mouth shifts and levels sand, gravel, hardcore and cement. A taper or a serrated blade enters denser ground. Length is the second decision: match the millimetres to your height, and do not treat a 700 mm mini as a standing shovel. The head join is the third. A forged or welded socket resists loads that snap a pressed blade on riveted hardwood.
A shovel in UK use is the scooped blade for lifting and throwing loose material such as soil, sand, gravel and spoil. A spade is the flatter blade you press in to cut ground. People buy a shovel on amazon.co.uk when they are laying a drive, emptying bulk bags, mixing in a barrow, or replacing a shaft that snapped. Quality shows in the mouth matching the job, the length matching your height, and a forged or welded join rather than a loose riveted pressing.
A square shovel that skates on clay is the wrong shape. A taper or a serrated blade enters denser ground. A clean cut still wants a spade. Changing brand does not fix the mouth.
A 700 mm mini reaches just below the knee for a reviewer about 6 ft tall. The Roughneck ROU68146 catalogue line of 220 g is not a credible weight for a shovel listed at 1,070 mm. Full-size tools here are listed around 2.1–2.3 kg.
Reviewers of the Draper 31391 report wooden shafts that snapped while moving sand or clearing garden waste, and rivets that move. Hardwood fails if it lives outside or if you use the shaft as a lever. A shovel is not a pry bar.
The mouth has to match the material you are moving. A square mouth, with a flat edge and raised sides, is the shovel for sand, gravel, hardcore, cement and levelling. A taper mouth is narrower at the edge and enters gravel and firm ground. A round or serrated blade is for roots and compacted soil, and it is a poor tool for a flat scoop. A square shovel that skates on clay is the wrong shape. A spade is the tool when you need a clean cut. Length is the next decision.
How the head is fixed decides whether ordinary sand snaps the shaft. A forged head and socket, or a rotary-welded tubular shaft, resists the loads that break a pressed blade on a riveted hardwood shaft. Fibreglass does not rot. Hardwood can be replaced, and it fails if it lives outside or if you use the shaft as a lever. Tubular steel fails at a bad weld. The Spear & Jackson 2000WORK listing describes a forged one-piece head and socket. It does not name BS 3388.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You need a square mouth long enough to use standing up, for sand, gravel, cement and trench fill. The Roughneck ROU68146 is that shovel in this set: 1,070 mm, foot treads, 4.7 from 613 reviews, at about £22.59. One reviewer over about 5 ft 10 in found it short, and the 220 g catalogue weight is not a measured weight.
Allotment ground that is compacted or full of ordinary roots needs a serrated blade or a taper, and often a spade as well. The Roughneck ROU68044 is the best value here if you are tall: 1,460 mm, foot treads, about £19.34. Wrist-thick roots still needed a saw, and it is not a flat scoop.
A day’s standing shift is the wrong job for a tool around 700 mm. The Roughneck ROU68005 is a 690 mm serrated micro for kneeling, borders, detecting holes and bags, at about £19.99. Rivet heads dig into the hand. A folding shovel is the boot tool, and it is too short for a garden bed.
The Roughneck ROU68146 scores 86, the highest in this set. It is a square shovel with a deep scoop and foot treads, a heat-treated pressed-steel head and a fibreglass D-grip, listed at 1,070 mm and about £22.59, with 4.7 from 613 reviews. That is the top pick for standing work shifting sand, gravel, cement or earth. The catalogue weight of 220 g is not a credible measured weight, and one reviewer over about 5 ft 10 in found it short. The Roughneck ROU68044 scores 84 at about £19.34, with 4.8 from 477 reviews, a 1,460 mm fibreglass shaft and a serrated blade. That is the best value if you are tall and the ground is compacted or full of ordinary roots. It is a digging blade, not a flat scoop. None of this is a lab test.
Roughneck ROU68044 serrated shovel
Highest value score, 84, at about £19.34: a 1,460 mm serrated blade for a tall user on roots or compacted ground, 4.8 from 477 reviews.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines used for this comparison, retrieved 19 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk with the tag pcuk26-21. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listing lines used for this comparison. We did not run a lab test.
