The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldnt live without?

[lafatlife]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

I often wondered about all the "free stuff" they give with the "kits" and I am glad I didn't fall for it. I started with a simple screwdriver and then found this at Home Depot. It works great as it saws through the roots too.

 

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[yukonbob]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

I have that too! I think it was about $9 at Home Depot and I've seen people selling those as "metal detecting digging tool" on ebay for $25. The edge is really sharp as I have found out a couple times.

 

[lafatlife]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

It's a great little tool. It is curved so you can dig with it as well. I love it. It's sturdy and not that heavy either.

 

[dragon6banger]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

a bulls eye 120mm

 

[Sky Pilot]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

Well, I've gotta admit to falling for number 3, as I purchased a Hot-Shot 12.5" coil for my Spectrum XLT. The bitter truth is that the 5.3 Bullseye coil worked almost as well.( Within three-quarters of an inch! ) However, I have found the Wilson line of stainless steel diggers to be nearly indestructible. The only problem I've had was with the 12" heavy duty job, that being that the handle became loose after several years. Not a problem though, as a small amount of 3M weatherstrip adhesive fixed it right up! For those of you who want an incredible digging tool, the best thing I've seen to date is to get an old-fashion leaf spring, (like off a junkyard pickup-truck rear end,) either cut it yourself (Be Very Careful and please don't get cut/burned!) with a oxyacetylene torch or have your local machine shop cut it to your specified length, curve and weld on a pipe handle that suits your hand, purchase a bicycle grip from Wal-Mart, sharpen and use forever! This may sound like a lot of trouble, however, most salvage yards have those springs lying around everywhere and if they don't outright give it to you, then maybe 2 bucks? Get the top spring if possible as it is longer and you can make yourself a whole variety of tools from this one piece! The shop should have any size pipe needed and labor is next to nothing. (In East Tennessee, anyway.) Ditto on the bike handlebar grip. These things keep an edge forever and I've never seen on break! (After all, they are originally designed to carry at least a half ton!) Hope this helps someone and I really enjoyed reading everyones replies! Swimming shovels!!! LOL!

 

[X-Terra70_TreasureHunter]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

heres my Tool Arsenal

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,171448.msg1249407.html#msg1249407

just click the link

 

[mach2]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

#2. A set of coin probes. No need to dig a plug when you can probe the site with one tool and expertly extricate the coin with the other! Whoopee! Only problem is that I have probed dozens of sites and never found one coin yet! I can't tell a rock from a coin , or a bottle cap , or a 1942 Buick! Oh, and when you put it into your shirt pocket point up, don't look down. Yes it will poke you in the eye! And yes, if you put it into your pocket point down it will poke a hole in your pocket! Crappe!

I know what you mean about the coin probes. I just couldn't bring myself around to paying 10 bucks for a brass rod with a cabinet knob on it! Here's my homemade version, 5/32" brass rod for about a buck a foot and a cabinet knob from lowe's right around a dollar and a brass nut washer and finish washer. Total: just over 3 bucks

The brass cabinet knob was a buck and a half more.

The homemade coin popper a gasket scraper from harbor freight for 3.50.

 

[Bcat]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

Im laughing at the blue "True Temper" gardening trowl. I have used one of those for a long time until recently. They are tank tough, sharp as heck for a trowel and around $15 ?!? Pretty good. I did find they were a little thick and took a little more effort dig with and the fork tip loaded up with grass. If they were marketed and sold as a "MD" product they would cost $40.

Cheers

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?



I like the home-made probe. Mine is a 3 foot (approximately) BBQ fork that broke off one time a few years ago. Its got that wooden handle, with the leather string on it!

B

 

[bigwater]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

This thread is sort of funny to me... I've been chuckling reading the responses. I've not even considered specialized tools yet as I've only been in the hobby for a couple of months. I just dredged up an old construction toolbelt, that I never use for construction projects, which has enough pockets for trash and keepers. I hung a 24 inch oak closed handled garden spade that the wife uses to dig around her rose bushes off of the drill hanger. Stuck an old pick/hammer thingy that I found in my grand daddy's basement after he died in the hammer loop. I thought I was doing okay.

Of course, I'll probably start looking at backhoes come spring... you never know.

 

[olepossum]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

to the people that say LESCHE are no go well then i hope you set a cactus. i have the lesche hand trowel for 2 years it works great even on frozen ground you must have been trying to lift a boulder and i also have the LESCHE 48 inch model ground shark it eats frozen dirt like i eat pecan pie. the brass probe good for marking a spot so you can go find another spot 3 foot away. i use a garrett propointer best there is .i had a bounty hunter pinpointer worthless unless you have the target right on top of the dirt. i use a dfx 300 with super 12 inch coil good coil also have the eclipse5.3inch coil not to sure about that one. i have the ace 250 it is good for coins thats all and that garrett plastic trowel gave it to the kids to use in the sand box. the garett find bag is good i like it.

 

[Number9]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

OK... I've got this "problem". No tool is good enough. And if it is a good quality tool... well it cost to much! Heck, I can build one better.
Yeah, this "problem" I have has cost a lot of money and time, but a lot less headaches.
I got broke from sucking eggs about 30 years ago. I started Rockhounding, digging in the mountains of western NC and north GA
for corundum(ruby&sapphire). I bought several different folding shovels, and regular shovels, hand pick maddoxs, small pry bars.... didn't find any of them could swim or fly either... but, the owner still knew how to cuss like a salior. I broke many tools and many were first line tools!
All my digging tools that I use to metal detect, or rock hunt with, I made myself. I have a full size shovel that I've used for over 15 years and it has never failed. The handle is used for a walking stick until I need to use a shovel. Then the shovel head is removed from my pack(made it too) and screwed on the walking stick after the protective cap is removed. It will also convert to a full size rake.

My little pick maddox is used the most, I made it before the shovel. It's not uncommon to use it to crack a rock open with!

I've got to the point where I don't even look at tools to buy. Same way when we needed beach scoops... I just made them to fit our needs.

So, watch for the "Wild Man" out there!

All the above tools are made from titanium.

Yeah.. I have a "problem"! But it's not with the tools I use!

 

[Dedimus]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

OK... I've got this "problem". No tool is good enough. And if it is a good quality tool... well it cost to much! Heck, I can build one better.
Yeah, this "problem" I have has cost a lot of money and time, but a lot less headaches.
I got broke from sucking eggs about 30 years ago. I started Rockhounding, digging in the mountains of western NC and north GA
for corundum(ruby&sapphire). I bought several different folding shovels, and regular shovels, hand pick maddoxs, small pry bars.... didn't find any of them could swim or fly either... but, the owner still knew how to cuss like a salior. I broke many tools and many were first line tools!
All my digging tools that I use to metal detect, or rock hunt with, I made myself. I have a full size shovel that I've used for over 15 years and it has never failed. The handle is used for a walking stick until I need to use a shovel. Then the shovel head is removed from my pack(made it too) and screwed on the walking stick after the protective cap is removed. It will also convert to a full size rake.

My little pick maddox is used the most, I made it before the shovel. It's not uncommon to use it to crack a rock open with!

I've got to the point where I don't even look at tools to buy. Same way when we needed beach scoops... I just made them to fit our needs.

So, watch for the "Wild Man" out there!

All the above tools are made from titanium.

Yeah.. I have a "problem"! But it's not with the tools I use!

The last photo is disturbing.

 

[EDDE]

Re: The absolutely most worthless MDing gadget you just couldn't live without?

I like the home-made probe. Mine is a 3 foot (approximately) BBQ fork that broke off one time a few years ago. Its got that wooden handle, with the leather string on it!

B

I made one from a Hotdog roaster. I cut off and rounded the end with a dremel.

brass rod and a drilled out golf ball + JB WELD

 

[jeremy]

Sounds like the knife was the best deal lol

 

[maipenrai]

Sounds like im not the only one with tools that can fly, but not swim! But hey, just like in any hobby, nobody knows it all, and everyone tries to get by with what they got, or can get cheap.
On the other end of the scale, are those that go out and buy the best there is, spend thousands, and then find out they dont like this hobby.

 

[ironman]

I fell victim to an folding army shovel. It is no longer with us - or me - it broke.

Of course, I may have helped it break, after about the 5th time it came unscrewed and jammed my hand while I was digging and it was folding back up - fast.

Darn thing couldn't swim, either.

B

Sounds like me I saw some woods that needed my chainsaw worse than mainly when the Wally world saw threw a chain and it came up between my legs don't think my wife ever saw me so mad lol

 

[charlotte49er]

Im laughing at the blue "True Temper" gardening trowl. I have used one of those for a long time until recently. They are tank tough, sharp as heck for a trowel and around $15 ?!? Pretty good. I did find they were a little thick and took a little more effort dig with and the fork tip loaded up with grass. If they were marketed and sold as a "MD" product they would cost $40.

Cheers

Shhhhh! I sell the red handled one for $28 in at my place! It helps to have a sign; "As seen on TV with the Meteorite Men!"

 

[nsdq]

flea market digger cracked blade due to boulders in my yard but it stilll werks and stanley screw driver for a probe still werks thats i used

 

[Grizzly13]

I agree with Boogeyman, I make my own tools and they should pay us to advertise for them.