by Gadgetgeek » Fri 08 Jul, 2016 7:40 am
First off, thanks to everyone who threw in ideas on this one, with more time and thought, I would have been able to put some of them into play perhaps, but time was not on my side this time.
Just hit bunnings to take a closer look, and found three options:
Cheapest/smallest is their d-handle 4x4 shovel. Might be suited for a large child's beach toy, but too small to be useful as a 4x4 shovel, and didn't really look all that tough. The leverage gained for the weight didn't seem to be worth it.
Middle option, and still pretty cheap was the Cyclone courtyard shovel. Timber handle, smallish blade, and to be honest would make a good choice. probably could cut down the handle a bit as well, and still have a very good shovel. The only reason I didn't go for it, the handles didn't seem that great, and its a bit of a risk considering where I'm going. With a little work it would make a great group digger.
Next up, and the big-bad of the lot is the fiskars light series shovel. Only a little heavier than the cyclone, although hard to tell without the scale how much exactly. Larger blade, tougher looking, with an aluminum handle, and plastic D. Ultimately I went with this one even though its twice the cost of the cyclone, and four times the 4x4 shovel, simply due to its feel of improved durability. It will also serve as my truck shovel, so its not like it won't see any other use, and I felt it was a good compromise. Would I carry this on a multi-day walk? probably not, in that case a chopped cyclone would be useful as part of a groups walking kit. In this case its a balance of carry weight, vs. energy expended while actually digging.