Description
The shovel is arguably the most-used gardening and landscaping tool. But it’s also used for the toughest jobs, which means its construction and design are vitally important. The garden tool you use the most should become a familiar and trusty friend, but most are made with thin steel and weak joints and last a few years at most. The Round Point Shovel by Bully Tools is built to last your lifetime, with a thick steel blade that can pry against rock with no flex or tip splitting, the blade neck is reinforced so the handle connection doesn’t shift, and the handle is strong even when levering thick roots. Its cutting edge is pointed at an angle to easily penetrate tough soil, dry or wet! It’s lightweight but still substantial enough to power through lawn, rocks, and roots. Constructed from 14-gauge 100% Made In The USA steel, the Round Point Shovel is up to 30% more durable against foreign competitors. It boasts a variety of handles made from high quality fiberglass that are coated in a polyester veil to prevent splintering and increase strength, or the choice of true American hardwood. The extended neck length provides additional support and reinforcement along the handle, with strong rivets to secure the connection. It also features the option of a D-shaped polypropylene grip with a no-slip texture, designed to increase leverage while wide enough to accommodate work gloves, or a rubber grip to provide maximum comfort and to decrease hand fatigue through extended use.
The Bully Tools 14-Gauge Round Point Shovel comes with a limited lifetime warranty that protects against defects in material and workmanship.
NOTE: We would like to thank the fantastic writers of these organizations for featuring our Round Point Shovel: The Spruce – “Best Shovel”, Wirecutter: A New York Times Company – “The Best Shovel”, and Country Living for featuring the Round Point Shovel in their article!
Founded in 1994. Bully Tools manufactures 100% made in the USA gardening and farm tools, shingle removers, floor scrapers, forestry and other specialty tools. With an unprecedented history of quality, Bully Tools is committed to applying the same reliability to our business practices. Bully Tools continues to grow and adapt to meet the ever changing needs of the economy and their consumers.
xreadx –
I feel like I have finally found ‘THE ONE’. After purchasing the most espensive kobalt shovel at Lowes and breaking a cheaper shovel from Home Depot, I read reviews online and this thing feels great for light shovel work. *Spreading dirt, digging and planting plants..
Debbie –
Shovels come and go. Nothing super different about this shovel. However it is made to last longer than most on the market today. Handle is made of fiberglass. Will not dry rot or rust. Shovel has an 1/8 inch thickness to the blade built for tough and rugged jobs. Attaching pin is thick and built to last. Best part is it’s MADE IN AMERICA any they display it proudly.
Greg Lutz –
People underestimate the value of a good shovel, and this is a SUPERIOR shovel.
I take soil samples, and this is part of my arsenal to get my job done. That thick steel blade can pry against rock with no flex or tip splitting! Thinner steel blades leave a lot to be desired.
Small details like the welded gusset on the head to handle junction give added pry power and strength.
If I was going into a bar fight, I’d leave the baseball bat and take this instead.
Added points, “MADE IN THE USA”
Steve –
SHAFT The shaft is made of fiberglass, and quite tough. It was able to handle a good 200 lbs with a bit of a bounce. I’m not sure if there are any strength benefits or weight savings to using fiberglass versus wood, but at least you won’t get splinters! BLADE The blade is made with 14 gauge tempered steel. It is quite sturdy, and cuts through both wet soil and bone dry dirt with ease. The cutting edge is pointed at a good angle giving you leverage with the egress into each cut. The neck of the blade, a usual weak spot, is reinforced with an extra perpendicular metal weld for strength. The shoulder of the blade is wide enough for a good amount of force application via boot. SUMMARY A solid, well built, American Made shovel. Great all around.
Breynold –
A quality shovel made in the USA. The fiberglass handle is really strong and there is no “wiggle” where the shovel connects to the handle (I hate when you have weight on a shovel and it wiggles!). The handle is straighter than I’m used to, but that adds to its strength when prying or stomping it into the ground. I have really big hands and feet, so I would have preferred if the shovel had a slightly thicker handle and bigger foot stomp, but most folks won’t have my issues. Overall I’m still pleased with the shovel’s performance and strength. I read a review where someone had removed the sticker on the shovel and it took off some of the powder coat — that can lead to premature rusting. In my experience, you shouldn’t remove stickers on tools and let them wear away while you work. Anyway, I dig this shovel because I doubt I’ll be able to break it …and it’s made here in the USA!
Greg Hadaller –
I like this shovel. Just pick it up and look at it and you can tell it is a quality tool. Very sturdy and lots of well-designed details. I’ve spent about 3 hours digging out stumps with it so far. It is so much easier to get real work done with this shovel than any of the others I have available. I broke my 30+ year old Sears Best Craftsmen and they replaced it the best one that had, but it is a real clunker; bought this one to replace the ‘replacement’ and am I real happy I did. I light the weight of the shovel — not too heavy, but still enough heft to power through a root. The handle flexes a little more than I’m used to (using all-wood handles), but when it starts to bend that is probably a good indicator that maybe I’m using a little too much force and should ease up a bit on the prying. I wish it was sharper right out of the box, but that can be fixed easily enough with a flat file and 10 minutes of spare time.
G. Poirier –
Love this shovel. I’ve dug a few holes in very rocky soil and it has acquitted itself nicely. Firm, stiff, and balanced. It’s my new favorite shovel. I read a review that complained about the shank, or connection between the shaft and the head of the shovel, that it hurt their hand one something. I didn’t have that experience. I’m entirely satisfied and recommend it without hesitation. I really like the steel head. It really does a great job.
Norman Umbringer –
Great so far, just got this, but I’ve already dug up quite a few small trees that starting growing in my rock mulch. My other shovel had broken so it wouldn’t do the trick anymore, but I’d gotten a shovel from my husband and his wouldn’t even move the rocks in order for me to dig; it actually bent! Not this Bully Tool though. This one moves the rocks aside to dig the dirt and has helped me greatly.
Melissa Mackey –
I love this shovel! It is heavier than my other shovel but it is nice and pointy to split plants and I can tell this will probably last my lifetime!
Mixdownman –
Tough shovel and digs well. It has some weight to it and feels beefy. The edge comes blunt but if you take a grinder or a power file to it you can get whatever edge you want, then it will dig and chop right through roots. I’ve broken every tru-temper spade shovel I have used right right next to the ferrel. This one has a welded gusset and much thicker spade. It’s a little pricier but it’s made in the USA and Ill update this again after a season of heavy digging.
electechJake –
I dig this shovel. I’m 6’1, 230lb, it fits me well. I have dug a lot of holes professionally, plumbing and underground electrical work. This is a good shovel. USA made I like. I did read some reviews about the sticker pulling the powder coating off. I did powder coating for four years, it should only come off if the steel peels with it. But I really don’t care about the finish, this is a shovel…not a motorcycle frame.
Stephen –
This shovel has performed very well moving rocks and trenching for gardening. The design minimizes weight and maximizes durability creating a compromise that exceeds need for the vast majority of cases.
I was worried about levering large, buried rocks, because it made the shaft flex, but I wouldn’t want the shovel heavier or more expensive. I think Bully made a good call.
Denny –
would buy again
fanny hamsteak –
Impressive. I will pass this shovel to my family in my will. Very well built and very heavy for a shovel. After breaking two shovels in 10 minutes trying to dig up a broken fence post, I splurged and ordered this shovel and a digging bar. Both worked to remove two rotted posts sunk in concrete in half the time I expected. Still wasn’t fun, but much faster.
Wwiii –
VERY DURABLE…. I’ve stood on this to dislodge rocks and debris and otherwise abused the …t out of it, but it comes back for more. Has a nice flat footboard so you can stomp on the blade hard as needed without damaging your boot soles. Very light for the strength – impressive.
King Quadder –
Bully Tools are great. Dime for dime, I haven’t encountered a better line of garden tools readily available to the DIYer. This is my sixth bully shovel – I insist on having the right tool for the job at hand. This model has proven to be the choice for unloading landscape rock from my truck. The short handle and wide, comfortable D-grip are just right for the job. The head has a shallower curve than other round point shovels that let’s it more easily slide into the rock pile and carries the right amount of heavy material in each scoop. Overall construction features and build quality are consistent with the rest of my Bully tools – which is very good. The working ends are all built like Sherman tanks and the handles are sturdier than necessary.
B. Anderson –
Excellent tool. Built like a tank, but doesn’t feel like one in the hand. It’s not super light, but I actually prefer its bit of heft. Feels super sturdy stomping it into the ground, and it cuts through roots and hard dirt efficiently. I used it to cut up the root seen here, then applied a lot of torque to lever it up out of the ground, and it felt very reliable.
WAYNE W. –
LOVE MY SHOVEL, HEAVY DUTY, WELL BUILT, WILL OUTLAST ME. AND IF YOUR CONCERNED ABOUT PAINT COMING OFF THE BLADE DURING USE, YOU SHOULD NOT OWN A SHOVEL YOU SHOULD HIRE A LANDSCAPER AND GET BACK ON THE COUCH WHERE YOU BELONG.
N.D. –
According to The Wirecutter, this is basically the best shovel on the market. So far, I’m very happy with everything about it except the weight, which seems pretty standard. I’m still on the lookout for a slightly lighter-weight durable shovel, but this is definitely a solid product that seems to well balanced with outstanding durability.
James England –
Well having seen previous reviews I checked for sharp edges or bad welds and found no issues. I put an edge on it with my grinder and started digging to set some concrete squares and this thing went through 4 inch tree roots like butter. I didn’t even notice the one inch roots that i had gone through until I was raking out the pile latter. Yes it really is well built and worth spending a few extra bucks, I’m only going to buy Bully from now on. Oh it held an edge really well.
Randy Grenier –
The color faded really fast, now it is a light pink. Although it didn’t really come in a red color, just a dark pink. It works fantastic though!
Benjamin –
Really love the shovel. Heavy duty and durable. Gets a 3 star rating because the grip tore and broke in the first hour of use digging a ditch. Vert disappointed in that.
Joshua –
An honest 3-star review.
I bought this tool specifically to support domestic manufacturing but it, unfortunately, has not lived up to the quality of even a cheap craftsman shovel.
Pros:
The spade is heavy gauge steel. Durable point.
Fiberglass handle is tough.
Rubber grip is nice and thick.
Cons:
The rivets are weak. Really weak. I have owned the tool for about 3 weeks now and the top rivet is already coming loose.
I know that is only 1 con to 3 pros, but it is a problem. The gap where the head meets the handle flexes open every time I apply leverage, which happens all the time when shoveling. I will undoubtedly need to drill out the rivets (or await a more sudden and possibly destructive failure) and replace them with threaded hardware as I do not have a rivet gun. Disappointed, really. I wanted to give it 5 stars but it doesn’t deserve it.
Tony Hartman –
Crap Sticker on shovel.
Sticker fell off after digging out the 2nd 30yr old burning bush. Shovel however is awesome. The wide foot pad on top of the head is really nice, no more sore feet after stopping. Fiberglass handled all my weight when ripping out roots. Neoprene cover was comfortable to use, see how it lasts thru the weather extremes. Finally a shovel can finally be happy to grab and use.