What are the Different Types of Shovel?

A shovel is a long-handled tool with a scooping blade. It is used to dig and move material. There are several types of shovels, each designed for a specific task or tasks. Some shovels that are used for digging earth have "foot treads" on the top of the blade, flattened areas on which to rest one's foot to add extra force. Shovels are also available with a variety of handle lengths and handles.

Barn Shovel. A big, industrial-strength shovel for moving grain or snow or doing clean up is sometimes called a barn shovel. These shovels usually have a flat leading edge and are notably deep, with high sides to steady the load.

Coal Shovel. A coal shovel is used to move piles of coal or to move coal from storage to a hod or other coal carrier. It has a wide flat edge and its blade is flat in the center and curved sharply at the sides. Coal shovels are available with shorter or longer handles.

Garden Shovel. Garden shovels differ from spades in both construction and purpose. The blade of a spade extends nearly straight down from the handle, suiting it for working the soil, but not for lifting and moving it. Shovels, with the curved attachment -- called a lift -- between the blade and the handle, allow the user to lever the load.

Standard garden shovels are round-point shovels with a blade that is about 8 inches wide and 12 long (20 x 30 cm.). It is somewhat curved at the edge to help maintain the load. Floral shovels are made to move a bit more delicately within a flower bed, and so are smaller. Square-point shovels, which have a flat bottom edge, are designed for collecting and lifting already loosened material, not for digging.

Snow Shovel. Snow shovels may have blades of metal or plastic, and the blades often have ridges. Some snow shovel blades are quite flat, while others have more of a curve from bottom to top. There are handle variations, such as tee-shaped handles and handles with curves meant to make them ergonomically sounder, and snow shovels designed to push snow as well as dig and lift it. Some of these latter shovel types have and u-shaped handles that one holds with both hands.