Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

[bellapoison]

Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

Had a fun (though not greatly productive) day swinging and digging in my own backyard yesterday (it's about an acre, so there's still a lot of area to cover!).

As many in this area (DFW/North Texas) know, we have that super-thick black gumbo soil. I did my best with a cheap garden trowel yesterday, but I can tell I'm going to need a better-quality digging tool soon.

I know some the ugly holes I made yesterday are just my inexperience, but does anyone want to share tips about your favorite trowel/knife/etc. for our sticky clay soils?

 

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[joelt]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

Easy, get a Lesche, I've tried a few, and its by far the best unless you get some hand made one that can match it. Some might be incredulous here, but its still bendable in our soil, but like I said its still the best. I thought those Gators or Fiskars would work... don't even try. The Lesche ain't cheap, but its worth the bucks.

I've heard the Lesche Raptor is good as well for pulling more soil up.

 

[bellapoison]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

joelt,

Are you talking about the Lesche long-handled shovels, or the Lesche digger/trowel?

At the club meeting I went to earlier this month, a guy was selling locally made shovels that are similar to the Lesche shovels.

 

[baylorhall]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

I will say that if you are in a park, it would be better to have the small Lesche digger, but on your own property you might prefer the larger shovel. Wish I had one!

 

[joelt]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

The digger/trowels is what I'm talking about. Those get most of what I find just fine. I've had deep stuff, but typically I'm at a place where I'm not about to whip out a shovel anyway, if you are hunting tilled fields fine, but at the park, no way. The Lesche "knife" is good for about 5", after that you want the raptor most likely because its harder to clear the dirt that falls into the whole with the "knife".

 

[pyledriver]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

I used a digger I bought from Lowe's-I think it was $12 or so. I saw a post on it awhile back, but it's blue-handled and has a split looking point, serrations on one side, sharpened on the other.. It's held up for about a year in the gumbo, and I've used it pretty roughly at times. If you're on a budget, give it a look!

 

[sqwaby]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

I use a trowel that I got at a hardware store. Welded metal handle shank runs all the way through it, I sharpened it on the bench grinder. I dig hard gumbo in the summer and thick clay in the winter. I like the fact that the blade is slightly concave for cutting plugs and removing soil from the deeper holes. Its 1 yr old this month, no probs yet, dug at least a couple thousand holes so far.

 

[bellapoison]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

Thanks for all the responses thus far. I went to Elliott's Hardware today to see if I could find a trowel I liked better than my current one, but no luck.

All the trowels I saw have the hanging hole in the end of the handle--and I learned from my current trowel that that little hole makes a sore spot on the heel of my hand. Maybe there's some other kind of grip tape I could wrap it with...but I'd really prefer something without that hole.

Search continues, until I talk myself into a Lesche!

 

[Tin Nugget]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

Bella, You may as well go ahead and get a Lesche. I have been using one for 7 years (the same one) and I have been digging in this stuff around here for the last 5 years since I moved here from Virginia. Now there are some other diggers you can use but when you have a blade full of black goo and leaning on that handle trying to pry a large rock or brick piece out with it, the Leshce is the only tool I have seen that can take that time and again with no problem. Oh, and I am talking about the smaller hand held digger, not the shovel. Toting a mean looking shovel around a park may get you the boot or have some uninformed concerned citizen complaining to the wrong person about you and the next thing you know. NO DETECTING ALLOWED. SHovels are great, they save your back and knees however I never use mine in a park for the reasons I stated.

http://predatortools.com/
These predator tools are pretty much the same as a Leshce. Actually Mr. Lesche owns Predator tools. Quality stuff. They are also also available from the sponsors of Tnet.

 

[Libralabsoldier]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

Bella, I will show you the one I got from Lowes. It works just fine.

 

[ThTx]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

I've got the same one as Pyledriver and Libralabsoldier. I think it is great and $12.00 is a real good price.

 

[DrGrip]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

I've got the same one as Pyledriver and Libralabsoldier. I think it is great and $12.00 is a real good price.

Me too!

Normally it works really well for me, yesterday was a fluke. I'd recommend the one from Lowe's and then upgrade later to the Lesche.

Grip

 

[bellapoison]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

Stumbled across this 1931 article about Dallas-area settlers. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who's had trouble digging up our local soil!

"Settlers poured into the black waxy belt as soon as the railroads were built, and by early in the 80's, this region was no longer a cattle range...[The farmers] needed a better plow than the Jefferson make, which took twelve yoke of oxen to pull it across a raw prairie..."

http://www.txgenweb5.org/txkaufman/transprt/dmn1931.htm

 

[DrGrip]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

Stumbled across this 1931 article about Dallas-area settlers. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who's had trouble digging up our local soil!

"Settlers poured into the black waxy belt as soon as the railroads were built, and by early in the 80's, this region was no longer a cattle range...[The farmers] needed a better plow than the Jefferson make, which took twelve yoke of oxen to pull it across a raw prairie..."

http://www.txgenweb5.org/txkaufman/transprt/dmn1931.htm

Bella,

I have 2 books on the history of Richardson (which is where I mostly hunt) and the things I am reading about the first settlers here say the same thing!

we need GOOD diggers for this soil!

Grip

 

[Libralabsoldier]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

I live right in Richardson (almost) that may be why I am not finding anything in the tot lots!

 

[DrGrip]

Re: Recs on tools for digging in "black gumbo"?

I live right in Richardson (almost) that may be why I am not finding anything in the tot lots!

HEHEHE!!!!

I only WISH it were true that I am cleaning out the tot lots!

The ones I frequent are closer to the Plano line than the Dallas line... Perhaps we should pool our efforts!

Grip