2013 - Volume #37, Issue #5, Page #27
Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue  | Print this story ]

    «Previous    Next»
Shovel Design Makes Digging Easier
You can do a lot more work with less back strain using these new ergonomic shovels from inventor Stephen Walden.
  The 23-year-old man has won awards for his ergonomic designs and recently formed a company, Bosse Tools, to market them. So far, he has designed an ergonomic snow shovel, scoop shovel, and spade. All the tools are made from a lightweight composite material and all will be manufactured in the U.S.
  “I grew up around farming and years of using shovels, rakes, brooms, and pitchforks led me to believe these tools could use some innovation,” says Walden. “Our tools are designed to reduce stress on your back and also provide more leverage for digging,” says Walden. “They let you work in a more upright position.”
  The tools are equipped with a rotating, spring-loaded center handle that turns 360 degrees, allowing you to adjust the handle to the most desirable position for ease of use. The perimeter of the ring has a series of notches in it. By depressing a button you can rotate the handle until it clicks into place at the desired notch.
  The ability to hold the handle at a different angle may seem like a small adjustment, but it makes a big difference in reducing the strain on backs, says Walden. “Rotating the handle lets you pick up the material and dump it in the same motion. For example, you can set the handle to scoop dirt and dump it into a wheelbarrow in one fell swoop, instead of having to step toward the wheelbarrow.”
  The new spade is also equipped with an enlarged, U-shaped foot pad designed to provide maximum digging power. “It allows you to drive your weight through the middle of the blade, which is much more efficient,” says Walden.  
  Walden says he expects the tools to be on the market soon and that they will be priced in the upper range of the current shovels and spades on market.  
  “We plan to offer everything from specialized construction tools to gardening equipment, all benefitting from our ergonomic designs. All the tools will eventually be available with both rotational and stationary handles,” he notes.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Stephen Walden, Bosse Tools, 217 Moonstone St., Manhattan Beach, Calif. 90266 (ph 602 206-5190; Stephen@bossetools.com; www.BosseTools.com).


  Click here to download page story appeared in.



To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.
Order the Issue Containing This Story
2013 - Volume #37, Issue #5