NEWS – Rotoshovel to the rescue! No more back-breaking arduous digging with a shovel in the backyard to plant your garden. This innovative digging tool was created by Rick Goren and is a cordless electric handheld shovel and auger in one. It uses a rechargeable 12-volt lithium-ion battery that will run for 1.5 hours and the auger and shovel are made of metal. This wonder tool digs holes 3″ in diameter and up to 7″ deep. As a safety measure, the auger will automatically turn off if the thumb trigger is released or it encounters roots or rocks. I’m not sure that this would work for me since we have a lot of rocks in our “dirt”, but if you don’t have this problem, then it may make quick work of your gardening. The Rotoshovel Electric Handheld Shovel and Auger is available from Amazon for $134.99.
Check it out!
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I agree with you that this would probably not be good if there are a lot of rocks, but if the soil is rock-free, then a shovel would make quick work of digging a hole 🙂
Either way, this seems super overkill for most gardeners…with the exception of those who may be up there in age, but still want to be active in the garden.
I’ve been using an auger I bought years ago and which fits any cordless drill. Works perfectly, is indestructible, accomplishes the same thing, and only cost 8 bucks!
Tom – I didn’t realize that they made auger drill bits that large. That’s definitely a cheaper option! Thanks for the info!
Thank you for your comment. Your comparison to a lone auger is important! The Rotoshovel is a dramatic improvement from a drill with auger for the following reasons:
(1) The Rotoshovel’s linear design is ergonomic. Your hands feel naturally placed while digging, and there’s no risk of twisting your wrists.
(2) The automatic safety shutoff is not present in a drill. Drills are diverse — some are too weak and some are so powerful that they’re dangerous, but none of them shut off when hitting an obstacle. The Rotoshovel is tailored to the task of digging.
(3) The shovel backing directs debris away from the user and allows you to remove dirt as you are digging.
The $140 price point is not set against manual garden shovels or a lone auger — it is priced against other complete, quality power tool products.
I hope this information is helpful!
Alexander Perry – Team Rotoshovel
Rainydayinterns – Good observation! 🙂
I’m finding that they are steadily becoming more and more popular. On a personal note, I’ve been using one this past weekend as I set up new plants for the fall growing season. In the flower beds it’s been very easy to use as they are old and well-established beds.
Thanks for the article!
Trish – Power Equipment Warehouse