The top 3 recommendations and buying guides

Our recommendations

This is just as cheap as it is of high quality Hand excavator, which is the only model to date that has safety handles that minimize the risk of slipping and also make it easier to insert and remove the device. With this hand excavator you can shovel holes with a diameter of up to 30 centimeters - larger if necessary, if you cut off the soil at the side of the hole edges. The tubular steel handle is 170 centimeters long, but can be extended to a length of 190 centimeters. The manufacturer recommends using the device primarily in loose soil and first with a compacted soil spade to loosen up something.

This Excavator from the brand manufacturer Silverline digs holes up to 15 centimeters wide for fence posts or plantings with its punched and hardened, oval-shaped steel blades. The device creates narrow and deep holes with pinpoint accuracy, so that you save filler concrete when inserting the posts later. The sturdy hardwood handle is 120 centimeters long and has a pleasant soft grip for a better grip. The customers are positive in their Amazon reviews and describe the hand excavator as robust. It could even be used to make holes out of gravel or gravel. Use split without causing damage.

A little more expensive than other models, but according to the various Amazon reviews, this high-performance hand excavator from the manufacturer Roughneck is well worth the money. The very hard-wearing device lasts a long time even with regular use, as the robust shovel blades are made of industrial steel. The high, PVC-clad handles also ensure uncomplicated work with the excavator.

This hand excavator has a double hinge mechanism that allows you to make even deeper holes with can dig with a narrow diameter - thanks to the additional hinge, the spade heads can be digged join together. If necessary, you can open this again and you can also carry out larger excavations.

Purchase criteria

material

The shovel blades on most hand excavators are made of (often painted) steel. However, not all steel is the same; there are considerable differences in quality. The different types of steel have different degrees of robustness, which is why you should attach importance to high-quality industrial steel. The blades are usually screwed to wooden handles, with some models made entirely of solid steel. While these are heavy and less comfortable, they are also less likely to break.

Stem length

Hand excavators are available with longer and shorter handles. Basically, the rule applies that a longer handle also provides a longer lever and thus reduces the effort required when using the device. In addition, long-handled hand excavators enable back-friendly work while standing, which proves to be much more comfortable, especially for longer operations. Shorter stems, on the other hand, make sense if the Hole spade For example, it is used for digging plant holes or very precise excavations.

Handles

Some hand excavator models have handles that are intended to make work easier. Make sure that these handles are coated with PVC or some other plastic to minimize the risk of slipping. However, you should not use hand excavators without sturdy work gloves anyway to avoid abrasions, bruises and the like. ä. to avoid.

Shovels

Furthermore, the various hand excavators also dig differently sized holes in the ground. So think carefully about the purpose for which you want to use the device and how wide the desired excavations should be. Before buying, pay attention to the details of the possible hole diameters, which also depend on the respective design and the width of the spade blades. If you want to dig holes for fence posts, we recommend narrow, long and pointed shovel blades.

Safety chain

With many hand excavators, the distances between the two spade blades are fixed and cannot be changed. On the other hand, some models have safety chains with which you can variably define the hole diameter within certain parameters. These hand excavators can be used more flexibly, but are also less stable than models without a chain.

weight

Hand excavators are heavy devices and weigh between five and eight kilograms, depending on the material and manufacturer. This high weight can make work difficult, as it is easy to tire. However, it also has an advantage: the heavier the hand excavator, the easier it can be driven into the ground - the weight basically works with it. When buying, however, make sure to buy a device that is suitable for your stature and strength. After all, you have to be able to handle it well.

frequently asked Questions

What is a hand excavator?

Hand excavators or hole spades, as they are also called, are tools with a tong-like structure that are ideal for digging holes in the ground. Depending on the size and shape of the hole - both of which are determined by the blades - you can use it for Fence posts, for setting foundations or for planting perennials, woody plants or flower bulbs use.

How does a hand excavator work?

Hand excavators work like pliers: a spade shovel is attached to each handle. These are parallel to each other, the distance between them can be opened and closed again with the help of the handles. You open the tongs, drive the spade into the ground at the desired distance between the shovels, and press the handles together again and then lift out the soil between the shovels - the hole of the desired size is ready.

What does a hand excavator cost?

How much you actually spend on a hand excavator depends on the manufacturer (brand or no-name product?), The materials and the dealer. You can get hand excavators of satisfactory to good quality from a price of 30 to 40 EUR, there are no upper limits. In the higher price ranges, the devices often have special features. For example, they are high-performance hand excavators, as they are also used in the professional sector, or they are hand-forged from a particularly robust material.

Where can I buy hand excavators?

Hand excavators are available both online and in brick-and-mortar stores - DIY stores or gardeners. Of course, the selection on the Internet is greater, here you have the choice between the large Internet department stores such as Amazon and Ebay as well as the online shops of the well-known DIY stores and specialist stores as well as the respective online shops Manufacturer. Price comparisons are possible here with just a few clicks, so that you can choose the best offer. Anyone who prefers stationary retail and would like to pick up the device and check it before buying it is guaranteed to find it in the hardware store.

Which famous brands make hand excavators?

Well-known manufacturers of hand excavators are u. a. Fiskars, Silverline, Freund Victoria or the British company Roughneck. In addition, there are a large number of rather unknown brands at Amazon that are cheaper - but often deliver satisfactory or even good quality.

What alternatives are there to the hand excavator?

You can also make pinpoint holes - e.g. for planting - with a Hand auger drill. These devices, also known as plant drills, do not have to be pricked into the ground, which means that you have to use less force. Instead, use a lever to drill the twisted auger into the earth. Hand auger are easier to use, but also a bit more expensive than classic hand excavators.

equipment

Spirit level

When setting posts, it is important that they stand straight. After digging the hole in the ground, drive the pile into the ground and measure whether it is really "perpendicular" before anchoring it. With a spirit level like this practical, all-round readable model with a magnet system from the brand manufacturer Bosch Professional, you can do this in no time at all.