Choosing the Right Shovel Type
Round Point Shovels
The standard digging shovel for landscaping and horticulture crews. The tapered blade concentrates force at the tip, making it effective in compacted, clay-heavy, or root-dense soil. Use round point shovels for planting, transplanting, general excavation, and breaking new ground. Available in open-back and closed-back configurations; closed-back is the better choice for daily commercial use.
Square Point Shovels
Flat-bladed and designed for loading, spreading, and transferring loose material rather than cutting into soil. The straight edge is more efficient when moving gravel, compost, or soil from a pile into a wheelbarrow or truck bed. Square point shovels are also used for mixing materials and scraping flat surfaces. A.M. Leonard stocks 17 square point SKUs including open-back, closed-back, and contractor-grade options.
Scoop Shovels
Wide, curved blades with raised side walls built to move bulk materials efficiently — mulch, grain, sand, fertilizer, compost, and snow. Scoop shovels are not designed for soil penetration; use them for transfer and spreading tasks. Available in poly, aluminum, and steel blade materials. Poly and ABS scoops are non-marring on concrete and wood, and hold up in extreme cold without becoming brittle — the preferred choice for nursery bench work and finished hardscapes.
Trenching Shovels
Narrow blades — typically 4 inches wide — designed to cut a clean trench for drain tile, irrigation line, underground wire, or sprinkler heads with minimum soil disturbance. The narrow profile drops into a slot without widening the trench unnecessarily, making trenching shovels the right tool when working near existing root systems or in tight spaces. Six trenching shovel options are available in this category.
Caprock and Sharpshooter Shovels
A longer, narrower blade — roughly 6 inches wide and 12 to 14 inches long — built to penetrate hardpan, rocky soil, and heavily compacted subsoil where a standard round point deflects or fails to seat. Also used for pulling and transplanting deep-rooted shrubs and perennials without disturbing surrounding plants. A staple for tree installation crews working in the Midwest and Southwest where caliche and hardpan are common.
Blade Material: Steel, Aluminum, or Poly
Steel blades are heavier and more resistant to warping under lateral load — the right choice for prying against roots, rocks, or hardpan, and the professional standard for digging and heavy field work. Aluminum blades are approximately 30% lighter than steel equivalents, naturally rust-proof, and well-suited for moving dry or granular materials such as sand, fertilizer, mulch, and grain. The Leonard #12 aluminum scoop uses a 10-gauge tempered blade with a ribbed design that outperforms most aluminum scoop competitors on blade thickness while keeping weight low.
Poly and ABS scoops are the lightest option and non-marring on concrete and deck surfaces. They will not rust or crack in extreme temperature swings, making them the preferred choice for greenhouse cleanup, nursery bench work, feed and seed handling, and any application on finished hardscapes.
Open Back vs Closed Back Construction
Open-back shovels are lighter and adequate for most digging and planting tasks. Closed-back shovels have a continuous steel back that prevents soil from packing between the blade and handle collar, and reinforces the blade neck against flexing and separation under heavy use. For crew-scale digging in heavy soils, transplanting large-caliper stock, or sustained daily use in landscaping and tree installation, the closed-back design holds up substantially longer. Leonard contractor-grade shovels feature closed-back construction as standard. When ordering for a crew, closed-back is the more cost-effective specification over a full season.
Handle Selection and Bulk Pack Ordering
Ash wood handles flex under shock loads rather than shattering, absorb vibration well, and are easy to replace in the field. Composite and fiberglass handles resist cracking and splintering in wet conditions and UV exposure and do not rot when stored outdoors. All-steel handles — found on Leonard all-steel round point and caprock models — are the most durable option for the heaviest commercial applications and eliminate the handle failure point entirely. D-grip handles provide additional leverage for planting and extraction; straight handles are standard for soil transfer and general digging.
Key shovel models are available in packs of 3 and 6 — a purchasing structure built for landscape crews and nursery operations that need to stock a tool fleet without placing multiple small orders. For large seasonal stocking orders or custom volume pricing, Get a Quote or contact our team directly.
Scoops and Shovels FAQ
What is the difference between a shovel and a spade?
A shovel has a rounded or pointed blade with a lifted angle designed for digging, scooping, and moving loose material. A spade has a flat, straight-edged blade designed for slicing, edging, dividing plants, and cutting through sod or roots. The terms are often used interchangeably, but in a professional tool context they are distinct blade geometries for different tasks. A.M. Leonard stocks spades separately in the Spades category.
What is a scoop shovel used for?
Scoop shovels move loose bulk materials — mulch, compost, grain, sand, gravel, fertilizer, and snow — from pile to wheelbarrow, truck bed, or application area. The wide blade and raised side walls contain material during the lift and reduce spillage. They are not designed for soil penetration. For digging, use a round point or square point shovel instead.
When should I use a trenching shovel instead of a round point?
Use a trenching shovel when you need a narrow, deep cut with minimal soil disturbance — laying irrigation pipe, drain tile, or conduit, or working in tight spaces near tree roots. The narrow blade (typically 4 inches wide) drops into a slot without widening the trench unnecessarily. A round point is better when you need to dig a wider planting hole, move more volume per stroke, or work in varied soil conditions.
What is a caprock or sharpshooter shovel?
A caprock shovel (also called a sharpshooter or tile spade) has a long, narrow blade — roughly 6 inches wide and 12 to 14 inches long — built to penetrate hardpan, rocky soil, and heavily compacted subsoil where a standard round point deflects. The narrow profile also makes it ideal for transplanting deep-rooted shrubs and perennials without disturbing surrounding plants. It is a staple in tree installation crews working in regions with caliche or hardpan subsoil.
What gauge steel should I look for in a professional shovel?
Lower gauge numbers mean thicker, heavier steel. Most consumer-grade shovels use 16-gauge steel. Professional and contractor-grade tools are typically 14-gauge or 12-gauge. Leonard contractor-grade and all-steel models use 14-gauge minimum. For heavy applications — rocky or caliche soil, sustained digging in clay, caprock penetration — a 12-gauge closed-back blade is the appropriate specification.
Do A.M. Leonard shovels come with a warranty?
Most Leonard-brand shovels carry a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship under normal commercial use. Individual product pages confirm the specific warranty for each SKU. Some third-party brands on this page carry manufacturer warranties that vary by product. See the A.M. Leonard lifetime warranty terms for full details.
Can I order shovels in bulk for a landscaping crew?
Yes. A.M. Leonard stocks round point, square point, and scoop shovel models in packs of 3 and 6 for crew-scale purchasing. For larger fleet orders or seasonal stocking requirements, the quote tool allows you to build a custom order for pricing review before checkout. Account managers are available for contractors who need recurring tool supply agreements on specific SKUs.
