That time I snapped a trowel trying to dig around a root ball in Ohio

I was digging a test pit near a creek in Hamilton County last fall and hit what I thought was a rock. Turned out to be a buried tree root from a 50 year old oak, and my trowel snapped clean in half. Had to drive 30 minutes to the nearest hardware store and buy a $15 replacement just to finish the day. Anyone else break their best tool on something stupid in the field?

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lucas631mo ago

Man I felt that one. Snapped a digger on a buried fence post in Kentucky last month.

3

shane_moore871mo ago

Man I used to think breaking a trowel was just bad luck or cheap metal. Then I hit a buried chunk of sandstone in Georgia last spring and my favorite WHS snapped right at the handle neck. Had to finish digging with a screwdriver from my truck. That changed my mind real quick. Now I carry a backup and take it slower around anything that looks like roots.

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