
Spear Head Spade 40" with D‑grip Model SHFD3
Over 600,000 sold
- Backed by our family. If you are not satisfied, we will do whatever we can to make you happy.
- Ships in 1 to 2 business days. Flat $18 shipping in the contiguous US, however many spades you add. Orders with the Long Handle ship for a flat $25.
- Cuts through clay, roots, and rocky ground. The spearhead blade is sharpened tip to tail, so it slices through what a flat shovel bounces off.
- Up to 80% less effort than a standard shovel. The blade geometry does the levering, so your back does less of the work.
- Arrives sharpened, ready to dig. A 35 degree bevel runs down both curved edges, straight out of the box.
- Built to outlast a wood-handled shovel. The steel-reinforced fiberglass handle resists rotting, splintering, and cracking.
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See it at work
A quick tour of what this tool does in a real garden.

A spade that finds the crack, not the wall
A flat garden spade meets hard ground and stops. This one meets it at a point. The spearhead tip drives into the single seam in packed clay or around a buried rock, and the outward-curved edges, sharpened tip to tail, keep cutting as you rock the blade down. That is why it slices through fibrous roots a flat blade would only bruise.

Built to outlast the shovel you are replacing
The blade is hardened high carbon manganese steel, 33 percent thicker and 25 percent harder than standard shovel stock, then epoxy powder-coated so a fresh edge stays under the surface as it wears. The handle is steel-reinforced fiberglass: lighter than wood, and it resists rotting, splintering, and cracking when you lean your weight into it. It is weather resistant and low maintenance.
Which Spear Head spade is right for you
Three sizes, same blade design. The 40-inch is a popular starting point. Pick by your height and the job.
The lightest in the family. Bulbs, small containers, raised beds, and close work. A good fit for shorter gardeners and anyone who wants the least weight.
The all-rounder for gardeners roughly 5 foot 6 to 6 foot. Transplanting shrubs, dividing perennials, and precise digging. A popular first spade.
How it compares to a standard spade
| Spear Head Spade | Standard spade | |
|---|---|---|
| Blade edge | Pointed, sharpened tip to tail | Straight and unsharpened |
| Cuts roots | Yes, slices through root mats | A flat, unsharpened blade tends to bruise roots rather than slice them |
| Hard, rocky, clay soil | Built for it | Bogs down; best in loose, worked soil |
| Handle | Steel-reinforced fiberglass | Usually wood, can splinter |
| Recognition | Best Shovel/Spade, Better Homes and Gardens 2025 | None |
What owners say
Gardeners like you
Clay soil. Owners digging in clay. 8 of their reviews, in their words.
I live in the land of clay, rocks, and roots. Today I used this shovel for the first time and almost wept with joy, digging a hole for my new tree. I've never seen anything like it, on this property. For 40 years I've used a shovel I bought used at a yard sale and never thought about how it might be valuable to upgrade my tools--not too bright, I know. I recommend this for young people who are just starting out in the garden--a life changer! And I recommend this for older people who might just need a new and better tool. I have now purchased a second one to give to my son.
My gardens are clay and rocks. This shovel makes me excited to garden! No more jumping on the shovel!
Saw a recommendation from Ann Powers ( a garden consultant) I was so pleased to find that this shovel truly worked to dig thru our clay. I usually have to ask my husband to dig holes. This shovel allowed me to get the job done myself. I highly recommend this shovel!
A shovel like no other that goes through clay better than any other!
This spade slices right through the clay soil and lets me dig bigger holes with less effort. It really works!
Cannot imagine how I survived before I purchased this product. My soil is heavy clay with rocks. Purchases even items for my friend.
Great tool: compact, strong, and one of the few shovels that doesn't fail in our heavy, stone-infested clay soil. Excellent product!
Turns out to be better than expected It digs in packed clay soil with ease
Roots. Owners cutting through roots. 8 of their reviews, in their words.
Over the years I have bought a few of these for myself, and gifted them to at least 4 family members. We just call them our "magic spades" as they allow you to shift everything! Deep roots, heavy stones, all light work with this amazing tool. Also, great packaging, ensures the spades don't get knocked in transit.
Must have garden tool!. Read other reviews after seeing recommendation on Beyond Behnke’s. I wanted to remove a bed of pachysandra and my other shovels were not working well. The spear head spade cut right through the layers of roots including embedded Virginia creeper roots and made the task much much easier. So glad I found this spade.
The Spear Head is shaped to cut through just about any kind of soil or sod. Great for digging plant holes, root pruning, and edging. Well made and tough, yet light weight enough for most gardeners to use without becoming fatigued. And it comes in several fun colors! Highly recommended.
I love the Spearhead Spade! It is great for getting through rough areas like sod and root balls. It’s also the perfect size for getting in tight spaces in established gardens. My mom and sister loved it so much, I bought one for each of them. They are also incredibly durable, even in harsh coastal climates.
Ideal for removing roots from an ornamental tree I cut two days ago.
This is the second one that we own. My wife bought one when you lunched them and I took it. It is great for almost everything. I use it to move volunteer plants around the garden. But I specially like it to dig out raspberry plants in very gravelly soil. (Hard packed) The pointed tip makes it makes it easy to penetrate the rocky soil deep enough to get thee roots. GREAT TOOL!
Perfect spade for me in rocky New England and in garden beds under trees among the roots. Also useful for the over eighty crowd like me.
Thank - you for a great design
I bought these shovels over 5 years ago and they are holding up! The crew loved them so much that I needed to buy a couple more. I highly recommend this tool! Great for breaking up tough ground, roots, and getting the job done.
Rocky ground. Owners working rocky soil. 8 of their reviews, in their words.
My wife and I both have one. I misplaced mine and and couldn’t do without it !
We have a lot of gravel in our soil and they are the only spade that works!
This is my second spearhead spade and I have had the first one for ten years and it is still going strong. If you are farming/gardening in rocky soil, you need this shovel. I have broken every shovel I ever owned prying rocks out of the soil, but the spearhead spade simply bends and flexes, but never breaks.
I used this spade to break through compact lawn that was growing around stepping stones. Of all the tools we tried, it worked the best!
If I'm in my garden, my Spear Head Spade is in my hands. This ingenious tool moved to the head of the line of my collection of shovels after one use. There's no other shovel like it for spearing into hard rocky clay like it's butter. It's just great :)
I have owned the smaller model, actually two of them for 15 years, not sure a long time. I live on an ancient riverbed and the soil is rocky. I use this shovel to dig holes for trees and to remove weeds. My last one broke from exposure to the sun and weather. I love this shovel and so does anyone else that uses it! I liked it so much I purchased the long handled one and the short handled one.
This shovel is amazing, it goes through rock. Added the long handle, have the short.
Nothing has changed. These are easily the best shovels ever for breaking up rocky or heavy clay sails. I’ve worn out two already planting over 100 trees and shrubs in some of the toughest soil I’ve ever worked, and the change from a standard spade to these was incredible.
We bought the first shovel off of home shopping a couple years ago. It has worked so well that we ordered all three from the site. We live in southern Arizona and it's literally all rock. You can't put a shovel in the ground more than an inch because there's so much rock. We have used the previous shovel for several years, LITERALLY digging up rocks from the ground and the shovel has had ZERO damage. NONE. ZERO ZIP ZILCH. These shovels have been an absolute god send for us and has made trying to have a nice yard so much easier. I can't recommend these highly enough!!!!
Bad back or knees. Owners who dig with a sore back, hips or knees. 7 of their reviews, in their words.
Excellent product. My soil is very rocky and difficult to shovel. I was very surprised at how much easier it was to dig a hole to plant new bushes. I highly recommend this product! It made the work enjoyable instead of tedious!
I recently bought the spearhead spade for my husband who is an avid gardener. He is 76 with some hip problems and he loves the spade! He said it makes digging so much easier for him!
Love my new shovel. I m 70 years old and have rods in my back. This is the only shovel I have found that lets me get my gardening done. Cuts through the roots with ease if necessary and allows me to dig without damaging nearby plants or landscaping. Excellent garden spade.
No Gardener should be without this amazing tool! Makes digging and transplanting so much easier while protecting your back. Worth the investment!
The spade is so well made. It is very helpful in planting...so much better than the small hand spades. It really saves your back.
Very well made, as described and advertised!
LOVE the length..., saving my back!
I am a 70 year old female, slightly overweight, beginner gardener.
I love the ease of digging some holes, with my new 30"spear head spade, to prepare for the planting of some individual plants.
The spade design saves "wear and tear" on my back and knees.
Many kudos to the gentleman gardener who invented this tool design when he was 84 years old!
Over 60. Owners who mention their age. 8 of their reviews, in their words.
As an older gardener, this new shovel is quickly becoming my favorite. Makes digging out perennials and separating them quick and easy! Would definitely recommend.
I love this shovel! I am an older gardener and wanted something easy to handle. This is lightweight, short and because of the shape digs great holes!
I actually bought this for me to use. I'm 60 yrs old and have heavy clay soil. I jokingly told my 74yr old husband that I had bought him a new shovel when it arrived. I haven't been able to get it away from him since. lol. He loves how much easier it makes digging.
I got it for my 89 year old mom who still gardens. It’s easier to handle than a regular round nosed shovel. Well made!
I have two already and purchased one for my friend, who loved mine when she came to help me plant. Its a gift for her birthday and I can't hardly wait to give it to her. It sure makes digging - of all kinds - easier. I'm 74 now and not as strong as I once was but with my Spear Head, I feel 60 again!!!!
goes through roots like butter ! even gets through rocky soil ! friend showed me theirs and i got one, lent it to another friend and they are ordering one. am 67 years old and it really keeps me gardening ! thanks for inventing this great spade !
The Spear Head Spade was recommended to me by someone 10 years older than me and I figured if she could use this shovel I certainly could (I just turned 60). I was amazed that I was able to use this shovel so easily. I could never get a shovel in our clay soil. I always had to wait for my husband to help me with gardening that required a shovel. No more! I was able to dig up my Cannas for the fall and dig holes for my daffodils. I LOVE the Spear Head Spade! So glad I purchased this! Thank You for inventing this!
Quick shipping, got it in two or three days. Excellent quality. It's perfect for edging a bed, or digging a new bed--gotten a lot of use for both purposes over the last week. Cuts through turf with no effort, even for an old guy like me. Extremely happy and have already recommended it to several gardening friends. I have over 40 years (now retired) in the garden center/nursery business, and I think this is a superior quality, very useful tool.
Dividing perennials. Owners dividing and transplanting. 8 of their reviews, in their words.
I cannot believe how easily I can dig a hole, dig out a plant to divide or even a tough weed!!!
There is no tool in my shed that I use more then the spear head spade. The sharp edges and smaller blade are perfect for digging and dividing perennials and shrubs. The metal frame allows me to apply leverage to pop out even the toughest root.
I have just started using this and so far every task has been made easier. It slices through soil and root balls with ease. I am looking forward to digging ip and dividing daylilies with it.
Shovel works as described awesome for planting new plants and digging up rooted perennials to transplant. Excellent shovel.
Already used to dig up and transplant a medium sized sapling and extract other plants in tight spots. Very effective for cutting through roots and resistant clumps.
Every gardener should have this tool. I used it for the first time yesterday all day to remove an old rose bush and transplant extra large lily plants. It made the job so much easier.
My sister-in-law has one of these and I used it when I helped her transplant a shrub. Had to have one of my own. It’s pretty special that it comes in purple, but no matter the color it works like a charm. I used it to remove part of a daylily cluster that I had already broken one tool on. It was in too tight of space for a larger shovel, but I doubt any of my other shovels would have been able to cut through the tightly matted roots and bulbs the way this did. Best garden purchase of the year!
I just received the Spear Head Spade Model SHLF2, and I already have used it to transplant a 7 foot Serviceberry tree that has been in the ground for a number of years. The Spearhead worked great to cut roots and to get under the Serviceberry with ease -- much better than my regular spade. The Spear Head clearly is a higher quality, more rugged product than any box store shovel. It clearly is built to stand up to the most demanding tasks and to last. Also, I would be remiss not to give a shoutout to Hugh at Spear Head who was super helpful when I purchased the spade a;nd who takes customer service seriously.
Bought as a gift. Owners who gave one, or got one. 8 of their reviews, in their words.
I bought this for my husband as a gift and it is unbelievable- easy to manage, easy even for me to dig and the weight of it isn’t too much but you can tell it’s extremely well-made-everyone needs this!
After my son used my shovel for a number of jobs and mentioning a few times how useful it was, I bought my son the same shovel for his birthday. They are great for gardening and many other projects!
The best digging tool made! Cuts through the hardest packed soil with ease. I bought the small one this time for my container beds and a regular size one for a gift because I love mine so much!
Loved them so much they have become my go-to gift for gardening friends!
Bought for a gardening neighbor for her 78th birthday. She loved it!
I bought the shovel for my granddaughter. She just purchased a new home. I have had mine for over 5 years.
Makes digging so much easier. Easy for elderly or young person to use.
My neighbor showed me his and I loved the shape. I’m giving it to my son for his birthday
I received one of these as a gift and loved it so much that I have sent others to gardening friends as well.
I am in love with my new shovel. I never thought I would be able to get through the hard packed, filled with weeds, dirt so easily. I have told everyone I know about my new favorite gardening tool, and those that are gardeners understood my enthusiasm. Thank you again
I am a 5’7” woman who struggles to have enough body weight to actually dig with a shovel. this allowed me to dig a large hole by myself and gave me independence in the garden. even my dad tried it and said it was smooth like butter.
I love this spade. #1 it’s super sturdy; you can use the shovel’s leverage and will not have to worry about snapping the handle or bending the head. And the slim face cuts through dirt/grass like butter. So glad I found this.
I have tons of burdock weeds to remove. This spade makes it so much easier to cut into the soil to go after those huge, deep taproots.
I love my new spearhead shovel. Was great for digging out old plants and planting new ones! I had a question about the shovel and contacted the company and the President actually called me back about it!! That is fabulous customer service!! Love working with small businesses that have a passion about their products!!
Purchased two. One as a gift and one for myself. The handle and height are comfortable to use. Blade goes right thru the soil with plenty of room on the foot ledge for assistance. Being able to choose different colors was a bonus as I could order my gift in their favorite color, purple. Very sturdy product, would buy again.
I recently bought the spearhead spade for my husband who is an avid gardener. He is 76 with some hip problems and he loves the spade! He said it makes digging so much easier for him!
Specifications
| Model | SHFD3 |
|---|---|
| Overall length | 40 in |
| Handle length | about 31 in |
| Blade size | 9 in wide by 11 in long |
| Blade shape | Spearhead, outward-curved edges, open-back scoop with forward-bent foot rests |
| Blade material | High carbon manganese steel, epoxy powder-coated |
| Handle material | Steel-reinforced fiberglass with a cushioned poly D-grip |
| Foot rests | Yes, forward-bent on both sides |
| Edge | Sharpened bevel, 35 degrees, tip to tail |
| Weight | about 3.5 lb |
| Colors | Red, Lavender, Teal |
| Care | Rinse and dry after use and store out of standing water. The blade never needs sharpening; digging keeps exposing the factory edge. |
Questions gardeners ask
Will it cut through roots and divide tough perennials?
Yes. The Spear Head Spade divides even iris, hosta, and daylily clumps, and slices the fibrous root mats a flat spade just skates over. The pointed tip does the cutting, so you are not sawing at it.
Is it good for rocky, compacted, or heavy clay soil?
Yes. The Spear Head Spade has a pointed, spearhead blade that finds the path of least resistance and works into rocky, compacted, and clay soil with less strain than a flat-edged shovel. It is built for the hard ground a standard shovel bounces off.
How much does the 40-inch spade weigh, and is it light enough for an older gardener?
The 40-inch Spear Head Spade SHFD3 weighs about 3.5 lb. It is light enough for gardeners in their 60s and beyond, and the blade geometry does the levering to reduce back and shoulder strain.
Is the handle fiberglass or wood?
The Spear Head Spade SHFD3 has a steel-reinforced fiberglass handle with a cushioned, UV-resistant D-grip sized for gloved hands. The fiberglass resists rotting, splintering, and cracking, and it is weather resistant and low maintenance.
Which size should I choose, the 40-inch D-handle, the 58-inch long handle, or the 30-inch mini?
The 40-inch D-grip suits most gardeners, roughly 5 foot 6 to 6 foot, for transplanting and dividing. The 58-inch long handle gives taller gardeners over about 6 foot more reach and leverage with less bending. The 30-inch mini is the lightest, made for bulbs, small containers, raised beds, and close work.
Does it come sharpened, and how do I keep the edge sharp?
Yes, and you should never need to sharpen it. The 40-inch Spear Head Spade SHFD3 arrives pre-sharpened at the factory to a 35 degree bevel along the entire edge, tip to tail. The powder coating wears away gradually at the edge as you dig, continually exposing that factory edge, so the more you use it, the sharper it gets. The steel is tempered carbon manganese, 33 percent thicker and 25 percent harder than standard shovel stock. A regular file or grinder will not touch it, and it should never be needed.
What colors does it come in?
The Spear Head Spade SHFD3 comes in three colors: Red, Lavender and Teal. All three are the same spade at the same price. Yellow is sold out on this site.
Backed by a limited lifetime warranty, a one-time replacement if your tool ever breaks.
- Covers
- Breakage and defects in material or workmanship, under normal residential use.
- Does not cover
- The powder coat wearing away, commercial use, or willful abuse.
- Who and where
- The original purchaser, in the United States. If you bought outside the US, the retailer you bought from handles the claim.
- How it works
- Send us a photo that clearly shows where the tool is broken. We replace it directly at no cost to you, apart from shipping and handling. One replacement per tool purchased.
Need to make a claim? Contact us.
Hugh and Harry
Our promise to you
If you are not satisfied, contact us and we will do whatever we can to make you happy.
No forms, no runaround. Every order comes from our family business in New Jersey and ships in 1 to 2 business days.
The Spear Head Spade family
Questions before you dig in? Contact us.


