The APPELSPADE has several advantages as against the normal spade :

The footrest, 30 mm wide, somewhat above the blade, gives the foot a great stability, thus able to carry the full bodyweight, if necessary. With a normal spade the foot has to be placed on the corner (damaging foot and footwear) of the blade, thus pulled to one side. To keep the spade straight, a sideways counterpressure (bad for the spine) on the upper handle is needed. Not so with the APPELSPADE, that also keeps foot and footwear intact.

The horizontal upper handle is wide enough for both hands, making it easy to help push the blade into the soil and to pull back the handle for loosening the soil.

The halfcircular handle, somewhat above the footrest, is to be used when loosening and turning the soil. With a normal spade for that purpose the vertical handle is used, causing the wrist to bend sideways, and also to twist during turning of the soil, thus straining the wrist. With the APPELSPADE the wrist remains perfectly straight, even during turning of the soil. During that turning, the hand, first placed in the middle of the circular handle, slides towards one of the vertical handles, while the spade is tipped by the other hand (placed on the horizontal upper handle). The halfcircular handle has also the advantage that you don't have to bend down so deep (compared with a normal spade).

The APPELSPADE is somewhat heavier than a normal spade. The extra weight is in the upper part. (The centre of gravity lies 1 cm above the halfcircular handle), which gives the APPELSPADE a better balance : the weight is more evenly spread among both hands. In all actions the extra weight is an advantage, as tests have clearly shown. With a normal spade it is : the heavier the better. With the APPELSPADE (entirely made out of stainless steel) the extra weight can be considered as a sign of extra quality.

A spade is meant for spading, that is loosening and turning of the soil. Doing so the blade is pressed into the ground by foot. The odd small tree-root is cut through in the process. If tree-roots are too big, they are best left alone, or otherwise removed by pick-axe. Using a spade as a pick-axe (by making a cutting motion) or as a crowbar is not how a spade should be used, and can do serious damage to the spade. A cutting motion with a spade can also cause damage to the wrists and other joints, because these joints take the full blow, the arm(s) being in the same direction as the cutting direction (contrary to the pick-axe action). Using the APPELSPADE as a crowbar will damage the blade, because the two vertical handles are much stronger than a wooden handle, that gives warning by bending and creaking.