When it comes to trenches, trenching shovels goes a long way; they save time, effort, and work with precision on making the right trench for you so in this article we’re going to be reviewing the best options for you depending on your needs

• Quick recommendation

Best overall: Seymour S702 

Most diverse choices & long hundle: Truper 33437 Tru Pro California Trenching Shovel

The Longest handle: Bully Tools 92720

wood handle: Corona SS 64104

Box style trenching shovel: Bully Tools 92731 

Long Drain spade or “trenching spade”: Nupla SS14L-E Ergo

What to look for to get the best of a Trenching Shovel?

If you find out that the trenching shovel is the one for you and meets your needs, then try looking for the one that has a tight design and feature perfectly straight sides (to keep the edges of your trench nice and straight) and many aspects to be looking for that we list here: 

The blades:

they are the main differences that you should look up for at any shovel that you choose (the defining factor that determines the best use of a shovel), and there are three types of them :

• Pointed end: the easiest to go into the ground but less efficient at scooping 
• Rounded end: can be easy to go into the ground and at scooping up loose soil
• Square end: makes scooping more considerable amounts of soil easier but isn’t easy to cut into the soil

The material of the blade:

you can find different types of materials, from steel to aluminum, even plastic; always choose steel (tempered or forged is better). It is the most durable that is going to stick in the long run.

Handle:

they could be fiberglass or wood (Ash or Hickory), and they are both reliable and do the same thing (choose depending on personal preference).

The collar:

one of the parts you should get right; cheap ones come with the handle being trimmed to fit tightly into the collar fixed by a screw or a nail. This could be problematic after repetitive use because the screw or nail could fall out and make it a pain in the head to fix it. Stick with the ones that run through the handle for maximum durability and a better experience.

The step:

the top of the blade where you can push with your foot to cut into the soil, two different shovels exist the ones that have a large one like (digging shovel, cutting…) and ones that have a small one like the trenching shovel.
It could be problematic to have one that doesn’t have a step, especially if you have hard soil, preferably go with the one that has it.

Weight:

Consider it carefully and go for the lightest.

Products in-depth review

Seymour S702 

The tallest handle that is perfectly designed for deep trenches, created with an exceptional solidity that doesn’t seem to break and last for years (from customer reviews).

Features

-Dimensions : 57.5 x 6.38 x 5.25 inches 

-Materials: Fiberglass solid Handle 4 Pounds

-A cushion grip

-Rear rolled steps that can be used for light digging as well as clean-out

-Front turn step head style

-Perma Grip collar

-The shovel blade is steel.

-The 5″ blade will hold a lot of dirt for its size.

-The thickness of the blade is good.

Truper 33437 Tru Pro California Trenching Shovel

Has a large variety of products you can find what fits for your specific needs (you can choose from: material, size, length… if you have a very specific need we advise you to check this brand. 

features:

For the materials: you can choose the Fiberglass, Alloy Steel 3.33 Pounds or the wooden handle

The blade is flat, at the end it has a step that changes depending on the model

48-inch pro grade fiberglass handle with soft cushion grip for balance and control

Heavy-duty 14 gauge steel blade for maximum toughness

Reinforced resin feet in the handle provides 400 lbs of handle strength

Rivetless, crimped-steel collar ring, solidly connects the neck and handle

A thick fiberglass handle with a protective sleeve prevents splintering

pros

-Lightweight

-Good quality/price ratio.

-large variety to choose from

cons

-the blade is too thin and could potentially break in some cases (heavy use) or flex

Bully Tools 92720

This tool is made to be long to help you go deeper into the trenches that any other shovel, and weight almost 2 pounds which makes it the tallest lightest weight shovel although it seems to work good in loose soil, it has some problems and could potentially break it your soil is hard to go through. 

Features

It is made of Fiberglass and Alloy Steel blade

The dimensions of it are: 56.25 x 3 x 6 inches

With the weight of 2.29 pounds which is exceptionally lightweight

pros

-tallest tool you can get

-lightweight

-good design.

-work well in soft loamy soil.

cons

Seems to break sometimes.

Corona SS 64104

An ideal tool for a variety of digging applications, that provides a woody handle for your preferance

Features

Has a V-angled head that effectively penetrates into a variety of different soils

1-inch sides to pick up and retain more dirt with each shovel stroke and 4-foot hardwood ash handle for added durability and leverage

Bully Tools 92731 

This is a special trenching shovel that has a Box style that makes it one of its kind it is especially good at bringing up a good amount of soil from the trench. 

Features

Weights between 4.85 pounds and its dimensions are 55.5 x 6.25 x 7.25 inches which makes it a long one 

pros

-higher sides than others, it can hold more dirt

-tall handle

Nupla SS14L-E Ergo

This is another type of shovels, it is called drain spade or “trenching spade” which has a round slim blade it is commonly used by women 

Features

• Made of 48″ handle with a fiberglass and polystyrene core surrounded by a polypropylene sleeve for strength, durability, and chemical and weather resistance and Alloy Steel blade.
• It has a Narrow drain spade with a rounded tip for digging in precise locations.
• Heavy 16-gauge steel blade for strength and durability with a hollow back and a forward-turned step for secure foot placement.
• Handle with an oversized end for control and gripping ease.

pros

-long handle. 

-solid and doesn’t break

What Is the Trenching Shovel made for?

It is a type of gardening shovels that is oftentimes referred to as “clean out” shovels or trenching shovels, due to its narrow design which is the perfect shape to help you scoop up and reach a deep level of the soil, use it to clean your trench after it has been cut.

This tool is not created to cut down into the dirt. By looking into it, you can see that the blade is not wide enough to put your foot into it and put downward pressure, so preferably use it in loose soil. 

Choose another type of shovels if you intend to cut into the soil and dig into hard ground, consider purchasing the trenching shovel if you are going to do a fair amount of trenches or if you will be using it to frame and reach lower layers of the soil otherwise we propose you see our guide on how to choose the right shovel for you. 

Maintaining your shovel

Taking care of your shovel is the only way you are going to keep them long term, you could buy the most solid one out there but if you’re not maintaining it, it’s not going to stick around for long.

First, make sure you are wiping out any dirt from your shovel each time you use it. This will ensure that it stays clean.

To keep the blade from rusting make sure you store it in a bucket full of sand with reused oil mixed with it.

If the handle is wooden take a piece of cloth and soak it into linseed oil then wipe the surface of it each time you store it or at the end of the season

Make sure to sharpen your shovel after extensive work to give it another life, for more infomations about maintaining all types of shovels check this article