We Tested the Rotoshovel and Here's Our Honest Opinion

I’ve always heard that you shouldn’t put a $10 plant in a ten-cent hole, and it's true. Even the best plant can't thrive in a hole that isn’t big enough for its root system. Roots need water, nutrients and oxygen. When the roots have filled up the original hole, they'll stretch out into the surrounding soil, but if that soil is too hard to penetrate, the roots will grow around each other in snarls and tangles. At best, the plant keeps growing, but it’s stunted. At worst, it dies.

As a Georgia gardener, I’m used to digging in hard, dry clay — or trying to dig in it. When the water in clay soil evaporates, the particles move closer together, making the clay dense and rock-hard. It's good for making bricks, but sometimes I've had to use a pick-axe to break up the clay in my yard.

On the other hand, clay that's saturated with water becomes sticky and heavy and forms clumps when you dig. When they eventually dry out, they get hard again. Clay is probably one of the worst garden soils to dig in, so I was eager to try this battery-operated shovel/auger.

Tested by Lynn Coulter

What is the Rotoshovel?

QVC's Rotoshovel Handheld Battery-Powered Shovel With an Auger has a rotating shovel head and auger. It's ergonomically designed, so it's lightweight and comfortable to hold. The auger measures 3" x 7" and the entire unit measures 23" x 3" x 3". The tool worked best when I used it with both hands. It felt solid and well-made, but it's not heavy.

Assembly + Set-Up

The Rotoshovel came with a 2AH, 12V rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a charger, an operation manual and an Allen wrench. The plastic packaging also had a QR code to scan for information and instructions.

To assemble it, I loosened the safety screw on the handle with the Allen wrench. To attach the shovel, I lined up the notches on the shovel with the ones on the unit, made sure the screw holes were aligned, re-inserted the safety screw and tightened it. Next, I put the auger into the chuck and turned it until it clicked; the instructions tell you to be sure the auger is secure and can't be pulled out before you use it. It was easy to assemble.

I kept the battery on the charger for 90 minutes before using it and then put it on the end of the unit. The battery has tabs you squeeze and release to put it on and off. The shovel has a one-year warranty for the original owner from the date of purchase.

A green LED indicates the battery is ready; it runs for one to two hours on a single charge. If you want to use the Rotoshovel longer at one time, you can buy a spare battery, keep it charged and switch when the first one runs down. Other than the battery, the Rotoshovel has no replaceable parts.

When you're ready to use it, turn the switch on the shovel to "F" for forward before putting it in the soil. Keep it running when you lift it out of the soil, and then turn it off. Use "R," for reverse, only if the shovel gets stuck in the ground.

How the Rotoshovel Works

Operating the Rotoshovel is easy; just press the tip of the auger against the soil and turn it on. It digs holes up to 10 inches deep and 3 inches wide. The back of the shovel is marked in inches, so it's easy to tell how deep you're digging. For holes wider than 3 inches, dig multiple holes close together.

The size of the planting hole you'll need to make depends on what kind of plant you have and the size of its root ball. For most plants, a good rule of thumb is to make your hole two to three times wider than the root ball and slightly deeper.

The Rotoshovel is great for bulbs that don’t need holes more than 10 inches deep. It's also good for planting herbs, vegetables and flowers with small to medium-sized roots in sandy, silty, loamy or loose, amended soils. It’s advertised for use with small shrubs, too, but I found it easier to use a shovel to plant a small raspberry bush; I could've dug several holes to get the width I needed, but the Rotoshovel wouldn't go deep enough in my clay-like, rocky, root-laced soil.

The shovel did cut through soft and thin roots in my yard but struggled when it hit big, thick ones. It worked with small rocks, but it has an automatic shut-off and stops if it hits something it can't rip through, like a big rock or root. That’s a good feature because it prevents kickback and keeps the motor from burning out.

How Fast is the Rotoshovel?

Rick Goren, inventor of the Rotoshovel, gave me an estimate of how long the shovel takes to dig a hole 3 inches deep in different kinds of soils that have never been used as garden beds.

• In dry, hard soil: 3 to 4 seconds
• In clay: 10 seconds
• In sandy or loamy soils: 2 seconds
• In rocky soil: 5 to 10 seconds

In my yard, a 3-inch deep hole in soil that has never been used as a garden bed took 24 seconds in dry, hard soil and 30 seconds in clay and rocky soils. My results were the same as Rick's in sandy and loamy soils. I wasn't surprised by these differences, since the time can vary by the amount of moisture in the soil and its composition. For example, even sandy soils can have roots and small rocks.

To dig a hole 6 inches deep in soils that have never been used as garden beds, Rick reported:

• In dry, hard soil: 4 to 8 seconds
• In clay: 20 seconds
• In sandy and loamy soils: 4 seconds
• In rocky soil: 10 to 20 seconds

In my yard, a 6-inch deep hole took 30 seconds in dry, hard soil, 34 in clay, and 25 in rocky soil. My results were the same as Rick's in sandy and loamy soils never used as a garden bed.

As I expected, the Rotoshovel worked even faster in amended soil that has been used as a garden bed. In mine, a 3-inch hole took 2 seconds, and a 6-inch hole took 4.

Who Should Use the Rotoshovel?

This tool works like a drill for your dirt. Gardeners and landscapers can use the Rotoshovel, which worked best for me in garden beds with loose, amended soil and in parts of my yard with little to no clay, rocks and roots. You can turn it sideways and use it to trench or aerate the soil, although you have to stay bent over while you're using it.

It's good for gardeners who aren't physically able to use a shovel, although again, you have to bend over or sit down to use it. The manual warns you not to step on it or use it around buried utilities; it's made for use only by adults aged 18 and over. Read the manual for complete safety information.

Last, but hardly least: the Rotoshovel is great for planting bulbs, especially small bulbs that can be tucked just into an inch or two of soil. My sister has already asked to borrow it.

What I Liked and Didn't Like About the Rotoshovel

The Rotoshovel is easy to use.

The shovel has a collar to help prevent your hand from slipping down into the auger and it has a back shield that moves the dirt away as you dig. That kept the dirt away from my shoes and clothes.

Clean-up is easy; the Rotoshovel is water-resistant, so you can wipe it off with a dry or damp cloth. My soil was moist, not wet, when I tested it, but it didn't get clogged up with dirt or mud.

While the Rotoshovel is not supposed to twist your wrists as you dig, I did experience some twisting in hard, rocky, root-heavy soils. It might not twist if it had a handle so you could use one hand to keep it steady.

This isn't a big deal, but I wish the shovel had a storage case or at least a handle or hook so you could hang it when you put it away.