ROOT ASSASSIN 32" Mini Garden Shovel/Saw

After digging up about 50 Xmas tree stumps with a normal pick and shovel and knowing that I had another 60 or so to go, I went looking for a better tool. And I found it! The "Root Assassin" (I know strange name) looked like what I needed, but I was a bit skeptical. So I bought it hoping it would make digging the stumps out easier AND hold up in the process. It has more than achieved both of these goals. The 48" model has a nice long blade that really gets down to the roots under the stump without having to dig a big hole. The teeth cut through all but the largest roots (those I cut with lopers). I was concerned that the blade would bend when prying the root ball up, but this wasn't the case. The blade is welded in two places and VERY strong. You're looking at the shovel after digging up those 60 or so stumps - like new, just a bit dirty. I also like how light it is, so you're not having to do heavier lifting just to move the shovel around. And, I also found it's great at digging out blackberry roots and thistles. Of course, it's important to work with dirt that is softened by rain, if the ground is rock hard, no tool even this one, will work very well. If you need to dig up roots & small stumps, this is the ticket! I felt I needed to update this review after using the shovel to dig up a few more bushes. I noticed that the handle seemed to be bending and sure enough it was. You can see from the pictures I’ve added how the paint is chipping were the shaft is bending. The other photo shows how the extent of the bend so far. Based on this I’m returning the shovel to Amazon with a small restocking fee. The manufacturer lists a lifetime warranty on the shovel however you need to pay for shipping of the replacement shovel, which I think will have the same problem. Based on this I’m changing my rating to a 1 star. I really liked this shovel up until it failed, sad it’s not made of stronger metal.