Post-hole diggers

[Mark -- The Penny King]

Do any of you use them in your treasure hunting / coin shootiing? I'm not sure if it was here or elsewhere that somebody mentioned using a "large" bulb planter to pull nice, neat sod/soil plugs with. The biggest bulb planter I've found locally is only 2.5" in diameter, though I've spotted them up to 3" on the web. Sometimes I can get my target in the first plug I pull with the little bulb planter, but I'm considering buying a post-hole digger -- even though it might be a bit clumsy to drag around while metal detecting -- as it might help me get more of my targets without pulling multiple plugs.

Thoughts? Comments? Experiences? TIA.

Shalom,
Mark

 

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[Pitch]

Coinshooter, I have to ask where you are that you can probe with a screwdriver and locate a coin. In my area the dirt is about 95% stone and the other 5% is gravel. I just cut a horseshoe plug with a trowel and any extra dirt I need to remove goes on a 2x2 section of plastic shower curtain.

 

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[lab rat]

The real test is not whether you can see the spot in the grass when you are done, but if you can see the spot in the grass a month later... cutting a plug and replacing it looks good until the grass dries out and dies in the center of that plug because all the roots were cut. A horseshoe might keep that from happening, but I think the screwdriver method works best. It took a few weeks of practice to get my recovery time from a half hour per target to under a few minutes, but I'm satistifed I'm not risking the future of the hobby to a disgruntled gardener.

Another option is to cut an 'X', with the center of the 'X' close, but not directly over the target. That way the roots are still able to stay alive.

A pinpointer is indispensible!

 

[renegade_7]

Post hole diggers? I don't know; I use a dull screwdriver to locate, then a Gater Digger (trowel) I bought in the 80's from Kellyco to cut the plug. Pin pointing 's the trick. Good luck though.

 

[Mark -- The Penny King]

I got a Lesche digger. MUCH better than a mere garden trowel. Raoul's tool looks easy enough to make, and it'd be handy on softer turf that has few stones under it. I got a Vibra-Probe for pinpointing, but still carry the Little Wizard II as a backup.

Shalom,
Mark

 

[warthog steve]

IT WOULD GET REAL OLD,REAL FAST,USING POST-HOLE DIGGERS TO DIG UP FINDS........I USED THEM A COUPLE WEEKS AGO FOR PLANTING SHRUBS;QUITE A JOB!!! 8)