I did. I learned the hard way.
I live on what I euphemistically call a rock farm. I don't intentionaly farm anything, but every Spring, after the Winter frosts have gone wherever Winter frosts go for the summer, I have a new crop of rocks that have poked up just high enough above the surface to wreak havoc on the mower blades. I found a number of the new crop while mowing on Saturday, so this afternoon I set out to apply the usual correction: beat it into submission with a sledge hammer.
That usually breaks off a big enough chunk at the top that I'm good for several more years. Today I encountered a rock that didn't want to cooperate. The sledge hammer just bounced off it. (I'm not certain, but I'm fairly sure I could hear the rock laughing at me.)
So I reverted to Plan B: dig it up. That, too, was an abject failure. After getting the sides pretty well excavated, I tried using the shovel to pry the rock up. Ummm ... no. Not gonna happen.
On to Plan C: dig a larger and deeper hole adjacent, tip the rock into the deeper hole, and cover it up. That worked ... but my almost new Lowe's shovel is no longer almost new. In fact, it almost isn't a shovel. The little bit of prying I did against THE ROCK bent the tip so that it looks a lot like the pour spout of a measuring cup. I'll try beating it back into shape, but I suspect it's a lost cause.
Not a happy camper. Time to head to an Ace or True value store to buy a
real shovel, one you can actually do work with.
Do not buy this shovel from Lowe's:
