OX Tools Spades & Shovels
OX shovels are for shifting muck, ballast and spoil all day without bending or snapping when the ground's hard and the barrow's waiting.
When you're digging out, backfilling, or clearing up after a wet week, a decent OX shovel saves your back and stops wasted time fighting a flimsy blade. Pick the right head shape for the material, and you'll move more with fewer loads.
What Are OX Shovels Used For?
- Shifting spoil, soil, and clay off a dig when you need a blade that bites in and doesn't fold when you hit stones and roots.
- Loading ballast, sand, and aggregate into barrows or mixers with a scoop that carries properly, so you are not doing twice the trips.
- Backfilling trenches and service runs where you want quick, controlled throws without the handle twisting in your hands.
- Site clear-ups and muck-away days when you need a shovel that takes knocks off kerbs, concrete edges, and wagon sides without the socket loosening up.
Choosing the Right OX Shovel
Match the shovel to what you are shifting, because the wrong head shape turns an easy day into a slow one.
1. Square mouth vs round point
If you are loading loose material like sand, ballast, or gravel, a square mouth shifts more per scoop and scrapes up cleaner off hardstanding. If you are breaking into soil, clay, or rough ground, go round point so it bites in without you stamping on it all day.
2. Handle length and grip
If you are working in trenches, around fencing, or in tight gardens, a shorter handle is easier to control and less likely to catch on everything. If you are loading wagons or doing full-day muck shifting, a longer handle saves your back and gives you better leverage.
3. Blade and socket build
If you are regularly levering out stones or working compacted ground, prioritise a strong socket and a blade that does not flex, because that is where cheap shovels fail first. For lighter duties like sand and topsoil, you can go lighter, but it still needs to feel tight with no wobble at the head.
Who Uses OX Shovels on Site?
- Groundworkers and landscapers digging out, levelling, and backfilling all day, because a solid shovel is faster than fighting a soft blade.
- Brickies and labourers loading mortar sand, shifting muck, and keeping barrows moving, especially when the site is tight and time is short.
- Drainage and utility gangs working trenches and reinstatement, where you need a handle and socket that will not loosen after a week of hard graft.
Shovel Accessories That Make Site Work Easier
A couple of simple add-ons keep your shovel working and take the sting out of long shifts on rough ground.
1. Work gloves
Use decent gloves when you are loading all day, because they stop blisters and give you control when the handle is wet, muddy, or covered in dust.
2. Wheelbarrow
Pair the right shovel with a solid barrow and you stop wasting energy on extra trips, especially on muck-away days when you are moving material from the back of the plot to the skip.
3. Site rake
A rake finishes what the shovel starts, so you can level topsoil, spread aggregate, and leave a tidy surface without going back over it with the shovel edge.
Shop OX Shovels at ITS
Whether you need an OX shovel for digging in, a square mouth for loading out, or a spare to keep in the van, we stock the full range in our own warehouse. It is all in stock and ready for next day delivery, so you can get the right shovel on site when the job cannot wait.
OX Shovel FAQs
Which OX shovel head should I pick for site work?
For loose materials like sand, ballast, and gravel, go square mouth because it carries more and scrapes up clean. For digging into soil, clay, and rough ground, go round point because it bites in properly and saves your legs.
Will an OX shovel stand up to levering out stones and compacted ground?
They are built for proper site use, but be straight about it, any shovel can be abused. If you are constantly levering big stones, keep the load close to the blade and avoid twisting the head sideways, because that is what loosens sockets over time.
Is a longer handle always better?
No. A longer handle helps for full-day loading and saves your back, but it is a pain in tight spaces like trenches, small gardens, and between scaff legs. If you are working in confined areas, shorter and more controllable usually wins.
What is the quickest way to stop a shovel rusting and sticking to wet clay?
Do not leave it buried in wet spoil overnight, and give the blade a quick rinse and dry at the end of the day. If you are on heavy clay, keeping the blade clean between loads stops it building up and doubling the weight you are lifting.
Do I need one shovel or a couple for different jobs?
If you are doing mixed work, two is the sensible setup, a round point for digging and a square mouth for loading and scraping. It is quicker than trying to make one shape do everything, and you are less likely to wreck the blade using it for the wrong task.
