Sand/Water Scoops

[Gemini420]

Hi there,

I am trying to step up my game and get a proper sand/water scoop, but I am totally shocked at the prices. The market for these scoops is soooooo overpriced considering what they are made of.

A product of similar size and materials (like a nice shovel or sledge hammer, etc.) are $20 - $40 at most hardware stores. Even a carbon fiber and titanium golf club can be found for less money than a steel welded water scoop!

So, I went searching for a reasonably priced sand/water scoop. I figure *someone* out there must be selling these for what they are worth. These things are not high tech construction or anything! A local body shop could custom make one of these for about the same $180 retail price.

Anyways, does anyone know where to find a durable long handle sand/water scoop for a reasonable price? I will happily pay what it is worth, but refuse to buy one for $180 on principal alone. Even the used ones seem to be going for highly inflated prices.

I searched and searched online, but seem to keep finding the same overpriced products.

Maybe there is an existing digging product (for another purpose), called by another name?

Thanks in advance,
Shane


P.S. I ran into a guy detecting on the beach last week. He was swinging a Whites BeachHunter ID. We chatted about sand/surf detecting, and the interference issues in the water. He mentioned that he was not out detecting much anymore and that he had a second Whites BeachHunter ID at home that he was trying to sell online (with no buyers.) I took him up on the offer and bought the Whites BeachHunter ID, plus two used hand scoops for $200. I'm feeling like this was a great deal. The detector works and everything. Realistically, me buying a second detector was a little premature on my part. I'm new to all of this, but I didn't want to pass up the opportunity. The same model, albeit old is still for sale at a local store for $1000.) Testing it out, the BeachHunter ID definitely cuts through the interference issues in the water and wet sand, and it seems to have much better discrimination/identification than my Bounty Hunter. So far I'm very happy. I've heard that Whites will upgrade this unit to the BeachHunter 300 model by swapping out some parts? Anyone have any experience with this? Is that worth the effort? Costs?

 

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[littlebill31]

Oh I know it's not made to dig 100 holes, I never said it was. I was simply showing my little homade scooper. I just uses it to scratch at shallow water finds. I've got a Sunspot.

'81 Yamaha XS650, hardtailed (TIG welded by me), sporty tank, stock rake, forward controls, 100% rebuilt, rephased, and done by me, twin Mikuni BS34's (stock). It shares a garage with 2 BSA's, 2 Triumph's, and a BMW.

 

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[kc10bull]

Take it from someone that has built his own scoop, mine has broke several times during research / testing and use, when it breaks at the beach your day is over period. Unless you have a hand scoop to work the beach. The scoop you see in my Avitar is ScoopZilla it's big strong and will move a ton and a half of sand, I don't think there is a bigger scoop out there. It took me two years to get it where I'm comfortable with the final design. I did all the work by hand, all the bending drilling cutting. The welding was done at a welding shop that cost $$$$. For all my time, effort, money for materials, redesign, my next scoop will be from one of the guys that makes the best scoop out there. I know what it takes to build one, its the love of this great hobby, and the desire to build a great scoop that will take a beating and not fail. Oh my scoop is not for sell it's absolutely a one off design, plus there are few people out there that would be able to handle ScoopZilla in the water, much less pull her off the bottom when it's full of sand and shell matrix.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

Like someone else brought up every 60 days these type question come up. Instead of reading about the great finds read about the equipment people are using. Then get out and find some for yourself. If you have poor quality equipment then your finds are also poor. If your out there with a cheaply made scoop then you not going come away with piles of coins. Example if it takes 3 minutes to recover your target and you find 100 hundred today that's 300 minutes, recovery time 5hrs of your day. This is the simple reason why you see others posting 160 targets in a 5 hr hunt. It takes them 15 to 30 seconds to recover a targets on average! That's why you see guys with 10 different scoops at 150 to 250 dollars each, time is money! Each scoop has its place in the water or on the beach or different States. The scoop is the most important part of detecting, any machine can beep at metal but if you can recover it it does matter if its a 1500 dollar detector or 99 dollar detector! Someone else pointed out one ring can buy a scoop. So in a week of hunting everyday you should buy 6 scoops in a week. I gave you one day to not get a gold ring! I know it sounds arrogant its suppose too! But too often these post come up its getting silly! Next week someone will post there too much competition. Because I go out every Sunday morning and find 60 cents in clad everyone else found the good stuff, too many people. No that's not it the others are hunting 6hrs a day everyday and went you sleeping, there out in the water at O Dark 30 NOT Sleeping! More time equates to more finds. And NO I am not the great hunter I put my time in and get my rewards. It took me 38 years before I found a great ring. I found hundreds in between that paid for every detector and scoop though!

 

[Montauk3]

Like someone else brought up every 60 days these type question come up. Instead of reading about the great finds read about the equipment people are using. Then get out and find some for yourself. If you have poor quality equipment then your finds are also poor. If your out there with a cheaply made scoop then you not going come away with piles of coins. Example if it takes 3 minutes to recover your target and you find 100 hundred today that's 300 minutes, recovery time 5hrs of your day. This is the simple reason why you see others posting 160 targets in a 5 hr hunt. It takes them 15 to 30 seconds to recover a targets on average! That's why you see guys with 10 different scoops at 150 to 250 dollars each, time is money! Each scoop has its place in the water or on the beach or different States. The scoop is the most important part of detecting, any machine can beep at metal but if you can recover it it does matter if its a 1500 dollar detector or 99 dollar detector! Someone else pointed out one ring can buy a scoop. So in a week of hunting everyday you should buy 6 scoops in a week. I gave you one day to not get a gold ring! I know it sounds arrogant its suppose too! But too often these post come up its getting silly! Next week someone will post there too much competition. Because I go out every Sunday morning and find 60 cents in clad everyone else found the good stuff, too many people. No that's not it the others are hunting 6hrs a day everyday and went you sleeping, there out in the water at O Dark 30 NOT Sleeping! More time equates to more finds. And NO I am not the great hunter I put my time in and get my rewards. It took me 38 years before I found a great ring. I found hundreds in between that paid for every detector and scoop though!

Well said, well said indeed!

 

[Number9]

Hey OldeBeechnut...

So, you're getting two titanium scoops!?
Are you thinking about making them for sale in the future?
4 pounds ain't bad at all, you must have made them with a little thicker metal than I did?
Can't wait to see them!!!!
Sell price would depend on many things.
I don't have the right equipment to build and sell them. It takes to many hours to work titanium by hand!
The cost of the metal is the only thing to prevent a titanium scoop being the only choice over both stainless and aluminum scoops for anyone!

 

[Gemini420]

Thanks for the plethora of replies!

So, the answer is no?

I feel like I may have hit a collective nerve while venting about the cost of a good scoop. These replies seem unanimously for sturdy scoops being worth $150 - $180.

I already see the need for a good sturdy scoop. I definitely agree that it is a necessary tool. That is why I am looking to get one.

That said, you can buy an adult sized bicycle for about $100. Not a nice bike, but a bike with a sturdy welded steel frame, two wheels and a bunch of other parts. That's what I am thinking of. It is a good example in my mind, because the frame materials, construction and sturdiness are somewhat comparable. The bike has many more parts too.

It sounds like these scoops are not really mass-produced like a common bike is. If these are all made individually, I can see why they have a higher production cost.

Even so, $150 - $180 is a bit high for some punched sheet metal welded to a 5 ft steel handle.

It can be a necessary tool and still be overpriced.

I get that titanium alloy or aircraft aluminum construction would be more expensive, etc. I guess that's my point. I'm surprised that there isn't *some* outlet selling a basic sturdy steel product at more moderate prices ... It doesn't have to have a patented scoop angle or a titanium shaft.

I guess I will have to succeed with a good (real) find using my small hand scoop, then maybe I can justify it.

Thanks again,
Shane

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Thanks for the plethora of replies!

So, the answer is no?

I feel like I may have hit a collective nerve while venting about the cost of a good scoop. These replies seem unanimously for sturdy scoops being worth $150 - $180.

I already see the need for a good sturdy scoop. I definitely agree that it is a necessary tool. That is why I am looking to get one.

That said, you can buy an adult sized bicycle for about $100. Not a nice bike, but a bike with a sturdy welded steel frame, two wheels and a bunch of other parts. That's what I am thinking of. It is a good example in my mind, because the frame materials, construction and sturdiness are somewhat comparable. The bike has many more parts too.

It sounds like these scoops are not really mass-produced like a common bike is. If these are all made individually, I can see why they have a higher production cost.

Even so, $150 - $180 is a bit high for some punched sheet metal welded to a 5 ft steel handle.

It can be a necessary tool and still be overpriced.

I get that titanium alloy or aircraft aluminum construction would be more expensive, etc. I guess that's my point. I'm surprised that there isn't *some* outlet selling a basic sturdy steel product at more moderate prices ... It doesn't have to have a patented scoop angle or a titanium shaft.

I guess I will have to succeed with a good (real) find using my small hand scoop, then maybe I can justify it.

Thanks again,
Shane

Plain steel scoop is going to weigh more and be more susceptible to rust than aluminum, titanium or stainless steel, I don't know of any that have a titanium shaft, just the bucket is titanium, stainless scoops are usually sold with out the handle and you purchase a wooden or fiber handle, aluminum scoops come with the aluminum handle.... Mine weighs little over 5 lbs now, I would hate to think what it would weigh if it was steel.....Even a couple pounds more adds up when your carrying it for hours on end in the water or on the beach....

Again the cost of your scoop is not gone, the money is still there in your hand. I bought my first Beachbrute scoop used for $100, sold it several years later for $75, and that doesnt take into consideration all the finds with it......My Beachbrute II cost me $200 with tax, I guarantee I could sell it and get $150 for it, and I have owned it for close to 3 years now...... It isn't like a car where it keeps depreciating till it isn't worth anything, it only loses so much of its value....

My first scoop I bought for $60, I was told to not waste my money on a cheap scoop and to buy the good ones, but I thought "come on $60 is a lot of money it has to be a good scoop right". I broke it the first month I had it..... I learned by my mistake and bought a good scoop then......

As Sandman says, life is too short to waste time in this hobby......I want a scoop that enables me to recover my target before the next swell rolls in on me...... The secret to success is to recover your targets as quick as possible and move on to the next target, if it takes you 5 mins to recover a target that is 10 inches deep with your hand scoop and it takes me a minute or less to recover the same target with my scoop, how much more beach can I cover and how many more targets will I be able to recover over the same 4 hour hunt than you?? Your going to have to dig so many holes before you get your gold, the more area you cover and the more targets you dig, the sooner that gold comes......

Good luck with the handscoop, hope you make some good finds, although not sure how well your going to be recovering those targets waist to chest deep in the surf with your hand scoop unless your using a snorkle.......

 

[OBN]

littlebill31

'81 Yamaha XS650, hardtailed (TIG welded by me), sporty tank, stock rake, forward controls, 100% rebuilt, rephased, and done by me, twin Mikuni BS34's (stock). It shares a garage with 2 BSA's, 2 Triumph's, and a BMW.

Done a few of the custom frame up's cars n bikes 25 years ago....got out of it cause of the harm it does to your Lungs.......Now, I'm a Gold loving Pirate customizing the excaliburs now....


Number9, check out 7075 T6 Aluminum..that's the trick stuff..strenght comparable to many steels, and Ti..and much lighter

 

[Number9]

"Number9, check out 7075 T6 Aluminum..that's the trick stuff..strenght comparable to many steels, and Ti..and much lighter."

Are you sure?

7075-T6 isn't considered a weldable aluminum with arc welding.
The completed weld joint can appear to be of excellent quality immediately after welding. However, changes which occur within the base material adjacent to the weld during the welding process, can produce a metallurgical condition within these materials which can result in intergranular micro cracking, which may be susceptible to propagation and eventual failure of the welded component. The probability of failure can be high, and the time to failure is generally unpredictable and dependent on variables such as tensile stress applied to the joint, environmental conditions, and the period of time which the component is subjected to these variables.

Many different grades of both aluminum and titanium. You need to match the grade to the application for the best results.
My scoops are made from grade 5(6-4) titanium. Grade 5 has a tensile strength near 140,000 psi.
7075-t6 has an ultimate tensile strength of 74,000 - 78,000 psi.

 

[OBN]

Are you sure?

7075, yep, 304 SS
NO Welds allowing multiple metals to be used in different critical structured areas as needed....hence ...Patent............................ti used, looks like the same..special order grain running long ways. Not drilled or punched due to chance of stress fracturing of the metal..waterjetted, 260 for 2 sheets. No production on the Ti scoop, just for testing over the next few months. Then special orders possibly next year. I used the 7075 for a day last May, fell in love with it.....Hope after spending the cash I like the ti as much. Got a 304 SS in this model, just under 5 lbs..to heavy after using the aluminum..getting to old for that heavy stuff.

 

[Number9]

Just remember that 7075-T6 doesn't have a good resistance to corrosion like many of the other grades of aluminum.
When assembled with stainless you will setup galvanic corrosion. It will become a battery in saltwater and the aluminum will become the sacrificial anode.

 

[GOLD1960]

SO MUCH INFORMATION__________________THANKS 2 ALL

 

[Sandman]

The point is we must use the best tool for the job that we can afford or we waste time which nobody knows when theirs is going to run out. What is the best scoop for me might not be the best for you depending on the type bottom you are digging in. Maybe you've got arms like Popeye, remember him? I don't anymore so I use the smaller Sunspot Stealth. There is also the handle to think about. Whether you have a straight handle or a bent one you need to get use to the one that suits you best. I prefer a straight handle but wish sometimes I had a looped one like the Old Miller scoop so I wouldn't have to bend over so far, but this adds weight also.

Time is the only thing we never get back so why waste it using a scoop that isn't up to the task?

 

[OBN]

Sandman
The point is we must use the best tool for the job that we can afford or we waste time which nobody knows when theirs is going to run out. What is the best scoop for me might not be the best for you depending on the type bottom you are digging in.

Thanks Number9, Got the bases covered on that...

 

[aingill24k]

Here is my scoop. 8inches wide, 16 inches deep stainless steel. Gets Target out of the hole on first scoop 95% of the time even on whispers.. I had it custom made after losing some sweet sounding targets in soupy wet sand with another scoop. Cost me more than my Sea Hunter and I would do it again. So yes Oldbeechnut, I think there is a market for higher end scoops.
HH, Todd

 

[Number9]

" So yes Oldbeechnut, I think there is a market for higher end scoops."
...and I agree!!

For those who demand the best., and know the difference!

 

[OBN]

That is One bad axx scoop buddy

That is one nice looking scoop, lots of detail..like the T handle...16 inch would not miss much for sure..I like the idea of long and wide!!!!..I had a reileys longnose SS, think it was like 14 long and 5 wide...If I could PP it well enough I could nail the target....the whole Idea behind Diablo was just your scoop. Hit hard and hit deep, we had to balance out the weight issue because I know most hunters are in the 50 to 70 years of age and lite was my other concern, and the fact of once you get it filled with sand, how do you lift it. For this Greg worked out several hole patterns thur some intense testing on a JiG, at center pulling back 7 inch's, then going forward 14, 7 forward from center, thur hours of testing he got a final design that allowed the Maximum amount of holes without giving up durability. Plus Giving the best drainage of any scoop I have seen, including the wire basket type for dry sand.

Some things I get silly over, Use to be women, then Harley's, then Chevy's...now scoops
A Kewl issue about your scoop, when I hunt the ruff, I find a target...nail the scoop in the deep sand for bracing of the waves, a few feet away from the target...then once I get a dead bead on the target, I watch the waves..as soon as one passes, I pull the scoop out and go for the target...your scoop would be perfect, the weight, the T handle..and you got it on the first scoop....I like it....thanks for sharing

 

[h2ojunkie]

Guess I'll go back to grinding cams and rephasing parallel twins for a living. The MD'ing didn't work out.

The scoop would be hard to use but the bike looks like some good work..hardtail? or rigid? sportster tank, look almost like a BSA but with the Mikuni Carb, a rice rocket with a hardtail? Not alot of rake in that front end...




Number9, Titanium soon, just got the skins back from the vendors..should be couple weeks..looks like they will weigh in more then yours, around 4 pounds. The size is 7.5 wide/tall..13 inch's long...cost so far...460 for two, should come in around 245 each at cost. So how much do sell a scoop that cost you 245 to make? How much would someone pay for a Ti scoop?

$300 + shipping?

 

[Number9]

Hey OldeBeechnut...

Joe, in the picture up the thread some, you showed a sheet of titanium...
"Gauge .071 Timet... 6-4". that one sheet looks to be about 15"x20" + or -.
Could you tell us what that one piece of metal cost you to get to your door?
I'm sure it was cheap... after all, it was a drop piece some company had left over and it would be just above scrap price
... Right!?

 

[lookindown]

Here is my scoop. 8inches wide, 16 inches deep stainless steel. Gets Target out of the hole on first scoop 95% of the time even on whispers.. I had it custom made after losing some sweet sounding targets in soupy wet sand with another scoop. Cost me more than my Sea Hunter and I would do it again. So yes Oldbeechnut, I think there is a market for higher end scoops.
HH, Todd

Nice looking scoop. How much does it weigh?