I'm looking for a new long/mid length handled shovel for working wooded areas and open farm fields. It needs to be able to cut roots, needs a wide foot pad (I often detect in my Crocs or sandals), to be strong enough to hold up to compacted clay soil and capable of lifting soft soil/mud from the hole. The Raven 25 is in the running right now, but the lack of a "D" handle is a bit of a disappointment. Before I spend the $80+ I was wondering if anyone had any first hand experience with this shovel?