Sand Scoops for less $$$

[dale3fan28]

First of all, sorry if someone else has already posted something on this....Ok, I decided to tinker today, going to try em out this afternoon I guess. I went to my local feed store after I looked all over Lowe's & Wallyworld. I found some 3qt plastic feed scoops and drilled some holes. Still sturdy and look good. They were only $5.95. They also make a galvanized version(I'm going to try the 4qt) It. should be easy to attach a 48' piece of conduit or shur-line paint handle extension on the rear for use in the water, cover the handle hole and voila! another scoop for less than $20 total! I just found these same iems on the tractor supply website as well....cheaper than mine were, but it don't hurt to pay a lil extra to help out the local mom & pops.
Here is the link to the site.... Tractor Supply Online Store - Enjoy browsing:Livestock

 

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[Jason in Enid]

Keep them in the dray sand and you'll probably be ok. Wet sand is much to heavy and requires too much torque. These will fail very quickly in the water or even wet sand.

 

[dale3fan28]

Keep them in the dray sand and you'll probably be ok. Wet sand is much to heavy and requires too much torque. These will fail very quickly in the water or even wet sand.

Yessir!! What about the galvanized one after i put holes in it and attach a handle? That one should be fine for the heavier stuff?

 

[Sir Gala Clad]

Dale your plastic feed scoop looks close to plastic/composit hand scoops sold for metal detecting for approximately four times the amount you paid. I suspect that these more expensive scoops are made of a heavier grade material.

I have noticed that only the bottom and back of the professionally made scoop are drilled to retain strength.
Your second row appears to be the right distance from the tip. Your first row may be too close and buckle.

You should use a staggered pattern to retain strength, if you have enough width the first row should be six 1/2" holes
Then next row should be offset with five 1/2 ' holes forming what looks to be a sixty degree angle triangles . Repeat the six hole row then offset five hole row pattern till you get to the back of the scoop. It looks like you ended the right distance from the end.

They make special bits which drill a cleaner hole. You should smooth/ream the jagged holes so hat it will sift better, however, the beach sand will do this for you after a few uses.

For shallow targets I use a composit garden hand scoop on its side and pull the sand into the sifter.
For deeper targets, I dig with the composit garden hand scoop and dump the sand into the sifter standing on end.
You should avoid digging with your home made scoop, which does not dig easily with its blunt tip and to take the load off of it
Also using the garden spade minimizes cuts as you do not have to put your hand in the hole.

As both the garden scoop and the feed scoop are plastic, it is especially easy to determine when the target is in the sifter.

On shallow coin drops, or where there is a lot of shallow trash which needs to be cleared, I love to prone out and use side of a Garret Pro Pin Pointer to find targets rather than the metal detector. This way I only have to get up and down once, plus there is a small blade on the side of the wand which you can use to to pull the loosely packed dry sand into your modified feed scoop. However, you have to be carefull not to put too much pressure on the wand or you will destroy the pin pointer (sigh). I later observed that Chicago Ron does the same,IIRC from a drop knee bend over position.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Yessir!! What about the galvanized one after i put holes in it and attach a handle? That one should be fine for the heavier stuff?

No, it's much too thin and flexible. When you put a handle on it and pull back, you are putting a huge amount of torque on it. There is a reason the SS and Alum ones are so thick.

 

[MBbeachrat]

Get a real scope best investment for water hunting.

 

[lookindown]

No, it's much too thin and flexible. When you put a handle on it and pull back, you are putting a huge amount of torque on it. There is a reason the SS and Alum ones are so thick.

Yeah, Im afraid Im going to break my RTG and Stealth sometimes and they are built incredibly strong...digging in wet sand puts a tremendous strain on a scoop...you will never regret buying a quality scoop.

 

[Sandman]

Lookindown is right in the use of a quality scoop. I've used those plastic ones when I was a newbie +30 years ago. I have used many and the ones that hold up in the wet sand and in the water is the Sunspot Stealth. They cost a little more but you only need to buy one and it will last you for many years. Stealth beach scoop

 

[Minrelica]

I haven't used a scoop much but I knew when I bought one that it HAD to be sturdy. There are some nice, well made, less expensive than brand named ones on ebay.

 

[war-digs-it]

Yessir!! What about the galvanized one after i put holes in it and attach a handle? That one should be fine for the heavier stuff?

I used that exact same model and made a very usable scoop for light duty use in freshwater that worked great...
Then I went to florida and used it on 3 targets before it was crushed and worthless.
They work well for scooping fresh, shallow drops and not for serious digging.

 

[dale3fan28]

Tried it out today, worked GREAT!! although I was in dry to damp sand...didn't go near the water...im going to post my finds and problems on a new thread...

 

[nutsdad]

First of all, sorry if someone else has already posted something on this....Ok, I decided to tinker today, going to try em out this afternoon I guess. I went to my local feed store after I looked all over Lowe's & Wallyworld. I found some 3qt plastic feed scoops and drilled some holes. Still sturdy and look good. They were only $5.95. They also make a galvanized version(I'm going to try the 4qt) It. should be easy to attach a 48' piece of conduit or shur-line paint handle extension on the rear for use in the water, cover the handle hole and voila! another scoop for less than $20 total! I just found these same iems on the tractor supply website as well....cheaper than mine were, but it don't hurt to pay a lil extra to help out the local mom & pops.
Here is the link to the site.... Tractor Supply Online Store - Enjoy browsing:Livestock

Try this worked really good for me in wet and dry sand still have as a back up. $25 in the whole thing. Hope this helps. Nutsdad

 

[ron lord]

First of all, sorry if someone else has already posted something on this....Ok, I decided to tinker today, going to try em out this afternoon I guess. I went to my local feed store after I looked all over Lowe's & Wallyworld. I found some 3qt plastic feed scoops and drilled some holes. Still sturdy and look good. They were only $5.95. They also make a galvanized version(I'm going to try the 4qt) It. should be easy to attach a 48' piece of conduit or shur-line paint handle extension on the rear for use in the water, cover the handle hole and voila! another scoop for less than $20 total! I just found these same iems on the tractor supply website as well....cheaper than mine were, but it don't hurt to pay a lil extra to help out the local mom & pops.
Here is the link to the site.... Tractor Supply Online Store - Enjoy browsing:Livestock

Try using those in 5 foot of water. HAHA

 

[OneEyedBandito]

This is my version

 

[mnruxpin]

cool man

This is my version

 

[dale3fan28]

The ones i made work great in dry sand, but when i got my new at pro i got a travel scoop as well. Just got home aftef 5 hours in the water. That thing is amazing!!

 

[LifeNRA]

I used the plastic ones yesterday, did pretty well. I am sure the metal ones will certainly work much better. But I only get down here once a year, so the plastic ones work good enough. I dug down to 10 inches and it held up pretty darn good. Although the damp sand would not sift that great. But then, that's why I have the Pro Pointer too!

 

[lookindown]

This is my version

And if you hurt your foot...flip it over and keep getting it.

 

[Potts]

Lookindown is right in the use of a quality scoop. I've used those plastic ones when I was a newbie +30 years ago. I have used many and the ones that hold up in the wet sand and in the water is the Sunspot Stealth. They cost a little more but you only need to buy one and it will last you for many years. Stealth beach scoop
View attachment 832317

I agree with Sandman, but I went with the Stealth Classic instead and couldn't be more happier, If you keeping checking the site that Sandman provided they sometimes have sales.