BD Ltd. Mattock 5lb Head and 36” Solid Wooden Handle Digging Pick Adze Hoe

I'm amazed how effective this tool is at removing tree stumps and digging heavy clay/stony ground. After cutting down several trees and bushes in the jungle back garden of our new home I took to digging out the stumps using a spade. It didn't take long to realise a spade was the wrong tool for the job. A bit of research later and after asking a gardner friend - he told me I needed a mattock. A tool I'd never even heard of before.With its two blades it made what was looking like an impossible task perfectly doable. The hoe blade works very effectively as a digging tool. Unlike a spade which spent most of its time making little to no progress due to constantly hitting stones and/or roots, the hoe blade on the mattock simply smashed through the stones, tore them aside and cut through the thinner roots.While the hoe blade won't flinch at cutting through thin roots, any root over a few centimetres / half and inch warrants flipping the tool around to use the axe blade. A few swift blows from the axe will cut through thick roots with very little problem. I comfortably managed to cut through roots 4+ inches thick, with each blow taking out a healthy chunk of wood. The "axe" blade itself is not razor sharp like a conventional axe but is more a pointed wedge. It relies on the weight of the mattock to push its way through the roots rather than a true cutting action. This is a good thing as there's no edge to be sharpened and no performance drop off due to a blunt edge.I found it a very satisfying tool to use and while a good workout for a moderately unfit mid 30s male there's no getting away from it - this tool won't be suitable for everyone. The head is 40 cm (16 inches) wide and the mattock weighs in at 2.2kg / 4.8lb so this is closer to using a sledge hammer than a normal garden spade/hoe. If you're not comfortable swinging a sledge hammer overhead then this is probably not the tool for you. The tool does most of the work itself using its own weight but it is tiring if you're using it for long periods. You'll know you were using it the next day. :-)The axe head is heavy and comes seperate from the wooden handle. However, the taper of the head and the taper of the shaft are matched so after sliding the head on the handle they stick together. Each swing of the axe pushes the head more firmly onto the handle and after a couple of swings it's firmly locked in place. The handle is rock solid and there's never any sense that anything is going to break (other than whatever is being hit).It's by far the most effective digging tool I've used on unprepared ground and I've since used it for digging out the foundations for a large garden cabin in preference to a spade/shovel/pick axe - all of which now sit idle in the shed.Hopefully you find this review helpful :)

Amazing Tool - i stumbled across this item when looking for a pointed shovel to help with some groundwork i was doing in the garden (diggin foundation trenches for my summer house/man cave project) Along the line of the foundations were two plum trees - i had already cut down both trees and then spent about three weekends digging a massive hole to get out the first one with conventional garden tools (shovels, axe, saw and pick axe) and wasn't relishing the thought of getting out the second much larger stump. Anyway - saw this read some reviews and thought might as well give it a go - nothing to lose... Probably the best decision i could have made - this tool is incredible. Unlike my pick axe it has a very wide trowel type head on one side and a axe type head on the other. So i started by loosening the soil in a big circle about a foot and a half out from the stump and working my way in to the stump using a garden fork. then shoveled out a shallow trench around the stump about six inches out - then in came the mattock. So rather than having to keep digging down with a shovel and getting stuck when i got to thick roots underground and having to dig around them individually to expose and then cut through - i just simply went round the tree with the mattock. Using the wider edge i was able to dig down and sort of drag around the shallow trench i had create - i could then swing the mattock underneath the root (rather than having to dig down and around) to loosen the dirt and expose then simply turn the other side and smash through the root with the axe head. As mentioned previously although a standard pick axe helps, having to fight it free every time it got stuck under roots wasn't fun and it has nothing on the way this tool does the job.. Long story short i got the is massive stump out of the ground in about two hours and had a tiny circular ditch rather than a massive hole that i had to jump down into and climb out of. If ever you need to get a stump out or work through ground that has lots of roots in it i would HIGHLY recommend this item!!

Why don't I love it? Simply because I'm a wuss and it is hard work. BUT it did make it a lot easier digging up a (vicious) berberis! Bought essentially for this job but already realise that this is going to be used for digging out for some concrete pads too.Delivery was really quick and assembly - drop the head onto the handle and thump it down (some sites suggest putting a screw under the head to stop it falling off, but you shouldn't raise it above your head anyway!).Wear PROPER workboots though - there is a lot of momentum in this and when you miss, it WILL keep going!Nice bit of kit and didn't notice any vibration through the handle, don't think I can return it - the handle has gone a nice green colour (would have been a tree surgeon but couldn't stand the sight of sap - old joke).

I needed to excavate 2 x large camellias from the middle of a a series of other shrubs. The closeness of the other shrubs and a wall meant this was going to be a hella of a job. Thats why I bought the Mattock.The tool itself is ideal weight. Any lighter and it wouldn't dig so effectively. Any heavier and it would difficult to handle. I was aware that the handle is not fixed in the tool and can slip down the shaft. It didn't happen oftan but I'm not sure why it needs to happen at all.I was able to dig a trench around both plants and cut roots. Much less effort that with a spade. I was then able to use the Mattock to lever up the plant and get it out. I have done this previously on a similar plant with a spade and I would say this took me a quarter the time.I was able to dig the rest of the area with the Mattick and a spade ready for next planting. The Axe part was v good for cutting roots but it is not really for chopping a tree stump. I did find it extremely useful for following a line of bamboo root that I wanted to get out whole. I was able to dig a line along side the root and pull all 6 feet of it out.