There are so many shovels on the market it’s hard to choose one to do it all. Short, tall, Y grip handle, D grip, O grip, no grip, spade, round, square and on the choices go.

The most efficient shovel would ideally include a fiberglass or composite shaft, comfortable grip, strong blade that gets the job done right (digging easily and keeping the contents from spilling over), and would be lightweight overall. The Root Assassin One Shot Shovel checks all of these boxes.

PACKAGING

The packaging box that the Root Assassin One Shot shovel came in was well sealed for shipping yet was easy to open. The shovel came out of the packaging ready to be put to use.

The One Shot came well packaged and ready to use

The One Shot shovel is lightweight, weighing in at only 4.5 lbs. It’s 43” long with a steel blade, slightly rounded point, fiberglass shaft and comfortable D handle. My husband and I were excited to give this a shot (pun intended). As we continued to dig, it quickly became apparent that the One Shot is a workhorse that gets the job done quickly.

“D” RING HANDLE For a COMFORTABLE GRIP

The One Shot shovel is the perfect height for my 5’ 11” husband or myself and the easy grip D-handle is comfortable for us both. Due to some physical limitations, my husband does most of the heavy lifting and he is raving about this shovel!

The comfortable rubber-like grip on the D handle makes wearing gloves unnecessary – your hands won’t slip off either the grip or the fiberglass handle. But wearing gloves is still a good idea as it helps prevent blisters while shoveling and digging.

The shovel has a comfortable D-handle grip

THE DIRT STAYs WHERE IT’s SUPPOSED TO – ON THE SHOVEL

The steel blade has ‘wings’ or extended sides, not only to accommodate any size foot comfortably – which helps you get the job done much quicker by not slipping off – but to keep the load within the blade until it is transferred to the pile or wheelbarrow.

Many times with ordinary blades, the shovel either wobbles as you lift it, or the load slides out during the transfer. With the Root Assassin One Shot shovel the flanges on the sides keep the dirt securely in the shovel without making it wobbly and tipping like an ordinary shovel would do. It holds about the same amount as a normal shovel, but makes moving soil so much easier. You’re not leaving a trail of soil, so your work is much more efficient – soil stays within the confines of the side flanges and doesn’t fall out of the front either. We had complete confidence in lifting and moving the load.

The shovel’s “wings” step make for sure footing while digging

LIGHTWEIGHT AND SURE FOOTED

Although the One Shot shovel is lightweight in comparison to the other shovels that we own, it has a more durable feeling than the shovel made of wood and metal that we normally use. The lighter weight of the One Shot makes it ideal for longer work tasks.

One thing my husband particularly liked was that his foot never slipped off of the “wings” (steps on the side of the shovel). The “wings” on the One Shot are definitely much easier to stomp down on than ordinary shovels; there was actually a feeling of accomplishment by having a sturdy place to press down and it made it much easier to push the shovel into the ground.

The foot rest and “wings” combined to create excellent foot placement when digging

FASTER DIGGING

The One Shot shovel made the job at hand much easier given the lightweight yet sturdy shaft, the “wings” to ‘stomp’ down on and the sides to contain the load when moving it from one place to another. It will be our go-to shovel from now on.

Easy to Use

The One Shot shovel is easy to use and digs right into the ground, whether it’s sand, soil or – as we found – even clay. With a little effort, we were also able to move gravel and rocks.

QUALITY

So far we haven’t found any issues with the One Shot shovel either with workmanship or use. Everything about the shovel speaks of quality.

WARRANTY

Root Assassin offers a lifetime replacement policy for all items they sell. They won’t refund your purchase, but if you’re not happy with it (for any reason) they’ll replace it or exchange it for another product sold on their website.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Root Assassin LLC was started in 2014 for the express purpose of bringing unique and efficient garden tools to the public. The company conducts extensive research with industry professionals in the landscaping and irrigation industries, as well as home garden hobbyists and “ weekend warriors”. The focus of the products is on combining the precise amount of quality, durability, utility, style, ergonomics and affordability. The first product introduced in February 2014 was the 4’ Root Assassin shovel.

The shovel’s sides made for more dirt to be moved in one load

RECOMMENDATION

I highly recommend the Root Assassin One Shot shovel to anyone wanting a sharp point to dig right in, wings to hold your payload better that also give you “the ability to put more power into stomping the shovel into the ground,” (as my husband said), and a perfect height with a comfortable easy grip handle. The One Shot shovel will store like any other shovel in your garage or shed and with the bright red handle, it will be the first one you reach for.

WHERE TO BUY

The Root Assassin One Shot shovel can be  purchased from Amazon Prime for $39.99 . It’s also available on the Root Assassin website for $39.99 (free shipping).

Root Assassin One Shot shovel

The Root Assassin One Shot shovel’s sharp point digs right in, the wings hold the payload in place and give you additional leverage for stomping the shovel into the ground. The 43” length is ideal for most gardeners and the comfortable D-grip handle doesn’t get slippery. For most digging tasks, this will be the first shovel you reach for.

$46.48

See it on Amazon