Spades Extension! is a vanilla-friendly forge mod, adding spade tools to your game and letting you dig ground 3x3x1 blocks (for example dirt, sand, or gravel)
Besides normal spades, there are also Enhanced Spades. The two most important aspects of normal spades is their durability, which is 10% better than shovels', regardless of each ore, and their efficiency, which is a bit worse (slower), compared to shovels.
Whereas Enhanced Spades' durability is 30% better than shovels' and also the efficiency is a bit higher (faster)! What's the catch with them? They are harder to craft, naturally, for example, you're gonna need an Enhanced Stick instead of a regular one. You'll find all the craftings below, however, I recommend JEI for that.
CRAFTINGS:
If you wish to use this in a modpack, feel free to do so and let me know if you do!
Also, check out my other similar mods:
Hammers: https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/hammers-extension
Double Axes: https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/double-axes-extension
All the tools in one: https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/tools-extension