In article , Elliot Richmond
wrote:


Although this does not address your problem, Home Depot will either
replace the tools or issue a strore credit.

Elliot Richmond
Freelance Science Writer and Editor


Thanks everybody for the input. It looks like what I want may not be easy
to find.

Just to drag this out a wee bit further I learnt some interesting stuff on
garden tools. I was at Half priced books and they had a 20% sale. Saw a
book on garden tools by Smith and Hawkins and picked it up because of the
sale. The book generally confirms what you guys say (no indestructible
stuff exists). They say wood is better than metal for the shaft because
supposedly it absorbs more of the shock of impact and thus easier on the
user. Metal is also heavier. Fiberglass is only 20-50% stronger than
wood (at least in the formulation of garden tools) and so is not really
indestructible either. According to them a good tool may bend but should
be able to be straightened without a penalty in strength. Lastly, they
seem to think replacing handles is no big deal and should be expected. I
still have a problem accepting this: For example a cheapish shovel at HD
is $12. A replacement handle is $8. So being lazy, obviously I am simply
going to buy a new shovel. Something in me militates against treating
everything as disposable. The Don Quixote in me really would like to find
one shovel that lasts a lifetime for say $50-100 rather than buy 5 shovels
for $50-100 over a lifetime. Unfortunately, it looks like I am going to
have to find some other windmill to tilt with.

Roland