Which spade?

[looking4gold]

I've been looking for a spade on flea bay, but not sure which to get. Pointy or flat edge? Cheap or more expensive? Are expensive tools likely to last longer?

One of these perhaps:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Detecnicks-Budget-Stainless-Steel-Metal-Detecting-Spade-/281018071737?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item416dfb7ab9

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METAL-DETECTING-TREASURE-HUNTING-FOSSIL-HUNTING-SPADE-STAINLESS-STEEL-BLACK-/181100125277?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item2a2a689c5d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Border-Spade-Stainless-Steel-New-D-Handle-Fibreglass-Shaft-/320965418163?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenEquipment_HandTools_SM&hash=item4abb079cb3

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STAINLESS-STEEL-BORDER-METAL-DETECTING-SPADE-950mm-long-/140924403678?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenEquipment_HandTools_SM&hash=item20cfbfbfde

Or can someone recommend another?

[Zeus (Joel)]

Just depends how good your back is. A lot of us diggers use something like http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-57569-Round-Point-Shovel-Fibreglass/dp/B0002GUME6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1363733409&sr=8-3

[Dryland]

As Joel said i'ts all down to personal preference, I've got
a cheaper version of the one Joel suggests, paid £6 for it
at my local ironmongers. So far it's lasted me 7 months and
 it's still going strong. I've also recently bought a larger flat blade spade,
but I still prefer my old one.

[looking4gold]

Thanks for the replies.

I should have mentioned, it's for beach use primarily... so I was thinking stainless steel. I just picked up one of the Drapers that Joel has for inland use, but since it's not stainless, I suspect it will fall apart after a few months of beach use.

I intend to drag it along behind me, so the weight shouldn't matter too much.

I suppose wight is the reason why all the detecting specific shovels that I've come across so far have pointed (less blade/weight) rather than flat blades, or is there another reason?

[looking4gold]

Decided to try one of each type. If one goes, I'll also have a backup 

[daimole]

I normally use a roughneck myself  but Just bought a border spade for the deep stuff on pasture was going foe a wooden handled stainless steel but opted for a Spear and Jackson E-SERIES :spade with stirrup style foot tread for easy  digging only cost me £22.50 in store the larger spade would be better suited to beach work grab yourself a bargain men

[Da Monkey]

Just avoid the Tesco stainless border spade, seen several of these break after hardly any use...

[looking4gold]

Thanks for the warning Da Monkey. Tesco avoided!

but opted for a Spear and Jackson E-SERIES :spade with stirrup style foot tread for easy  digging only cost me £22.50 in store

Pretty sure I saw these on flea bay for this price or slightly cheaper when I was looking yesterday. I wasn't sure if they were gimmicky or not, so I gave them a miss. Now I'm wishing I hadn't!

If anyone is interested, I went for the first and third links I posted. Both have already been dispatched.