Scoop... buy one or make your own?

[ArmyDiver]

Hello there!
My Excal II has finally shipped. (I never thought the day would come!) Upon realization that I was indeed about to start this little hobby, I noticed that I was lacking some rather important equipment. I spent a lot of time reading on here and doing research on the detector. Suffice it to say, I have done almost zero on a scoop.

I could justify spending the obscene amount of money on quality detector because it was the most important part. I'm having an issue wrapping my head around the costs of a scoop. 120-160 dollars for a glorified shovel seems a bit extreme. Is it worth the money or would I be fine attempting to make something myself? If it is not worth the trade off in time and energy or it simply won't last long, then so be it. I'm just curious if anyone has plans for a cheap and effective DIY scoop.

I'm open to any and all suggestions from the experienced members of the forum. My search only returned one thread that turned into a pissing contest between a hot head and some other members. His ignorance bored me rather quickly and I stopped reading. I plan to use the detector in the water/surf/wet sand. Thanks in advance for your input!

 

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[digum smacks]

depends if you can weld? make your own. stainless is perferred,just copy the one you like. if not dont even bother,just buy one

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I noticed that I was lacking some rather important equipment. I spent a lot of time reading on here and doing research on the detector. Suffice it to say, I have done almost zero on a scoop.

I could justify spending the obscene amount of money on quality detector because it was the most important part. I'm having an issue wrapping my head around the costs of a scoop. 120-160 dollars for a glorified shovel seems a bit extreme.

Next to your detector the most important tool you need for water hunting is your scoop. If you can weld you can make your own, if not spend the bucks and buy a good one. Remember you can always sell it and get most of your money back if needed. When your chest deep in the water trying to recover a nice target in between waves, a good scoop is worth every penny you pay for it.

If you took up sky diving, would you skimp on the cost of your reserve chute......

 

[artyfacts]

Hello ArmyDiver, Necessity is the mother of all inventions. I was exactly where you are some years ago. I built my own ocean and land diggers. My beach and ocean diggers are made of aluminum. My land digger is both aluminum and stainless. We have clam shells galore and it has not worn enough to be even slightly alarmed, and its super light weight. Just my preference for my type of beach and sand. Welcome to the hobby. Arty

 

[Bobbie]

After spending good money on the best detector, why would you not want a good scoop. If you are handy and have all the necessary tools to make a high quality one, then go ahead. A water detector is worthless unless you have a good scoop......this is 1/2 of your equipment. We have good stainless steel scoops, one is 11 years old and the other is 6 years old and we dig in all types of sand, stone and shells, they hardly show any wear at all and are more than well worth the money we spent on them. That $10K diamond ring is out of your reach if you cannot retrive it because your scoop has failed you.

 

[Lookn4Seated]

I recommend the sunspot scoup. have the big one, and for water detecting...i love it. already paid itself back with my first ring find.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Beach Brute II is 5 pounds, and you can add the stainless steel lip to it like I did....

 

[rc2125]

At first I thought that spending over a hundred fifty bucks on a scoop was approaching insanity. However, the first time I used one in the water, I realized how much TIME and effort it was gonna save me. Got one, and a spare now, worth every penny, should last a very long time.
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/rc2125/moto_1378.jpg

 

[urdaboss]

DO NOT listen to thesr guys who say you need a scoop. save your time and money and just use your fingers. when your excal goes off in knee high surf just bend at the waste and lift your prize.
i have and excal and a good surf scoop and it has not helped me one bit!
good luck, urdaboss
p.s. i also hunt melbourne

 

[urdaboss]

sorry about that! listen to treasure_hunter. he would not steer you wrong

 

[47thelement]

Whatever scoop you decide is best for you, it is not complete without this....

http://www.prohandle.com/

 

[ArmyDiver]

DO NOT listen to thesr guys who say you need a scoop. save your time and money and just use your fingers. when your excal goes off in knee high surf just bend at the waste and lift your prize.
i have and excal and a good surf scoop and it has not helped me one bit!
good luck, urdaboss
p.s. i also hunt melbourne

Sounds like a plan! I've got big hands, I'll be fine!

Thanks for the heads up everyone. I did a little more searching and found that the savings in making my own scoop wouldn't be much greater than buying one (short of owning a metal shop) Looks like I'll take the plunge and spend the cash on a nice big scoop... don't want all those pull tabs I find to be hard on the back! Any suggestions on places to purchase them from? Again, thanks for the info and suggestions!

 

[spez401]

I've always looked at accessories for any hobby like I look at tools. Sure, I can go buy that cheapo saw from whereever for $39 bucks, and have to replace it 5 times when it wears out (39x5=$200)... or, I could just spend the money and buy the nice deWalt that is more expensive, but is going to do the job better, save me time, and never, ever wear out.

Just remember, you get what you pay for. If you make your own scoop, you still have to pay for the materials, then add in your time, and the stuff you need to complete the job. Figure out what your time is worth. If it is going to take you 4 hours to but something together, and you make $20 an hour... you just spend $80 plus materials... for a homemade scoop that is not going to function nearly as well as one of the "professionally" made scoops. And, the kicker... if you're serious about water hunting, you WILL, almost definitely, end up buying a big "professionally" made scoop. There is a reason that these scoops (RTG, Nutall, Pro-Scoops, Sunspot) are so expensive - They're all made with quality, and worth every penny.

There are always two sides of the argument. 1. buy it, or 2. make it. Personally, if something is going to make my life easier and my hobbies more enjoyable, I am all for it. The large scoops have definitely done that for me. Since I started detecting back in '96, I've had probalby 10-15 scoops... most were not memorable except in the fact that I got rid of them for something better. Currently, I use the same "tiny-square-holed" monster of a scoop that max uses. I also have a Sunspot stealth that I love. I had one of the big Nutall scoops that I ended up trading for the stealth (He liked mine, i liked his... worked out for both of us). That was my first "big, expensive" scoop, but, before I dropped the $150 for the nutall, I had a bunch of the long handled, mesh scoops, travel scoops, hand scoops... and none of them worked even 1/4 as well as the big ones. And the flimsy ones never stood up to the punishment of chest deep water and thick sand.

I'm heading to the carribean next week... and my second question was "which bag will fit the handle to my scoop"? (the first was can i bring my Excalibur to the Dominican Republic?). I won't even consider leaving it at home.

Well... that turned out longer than I expected. Learn from the mistakes of others, you can't live long enough to make them all yourself. Most of us have been where you are now. Bottom line - get a quality scoop. 1. It will make your life easier, 2. It will save you money in the long run.

As for suggestions... anything I mentioned, and check the forums here... tons of suggestions and links
steve

 

[rc2125]

Any suggestions on places to purchase them from?

As of a day ago, I noticed a few in-stock when I stopped by, both large and small sizes: http://stores.treasuresdownunder.com/-strse-314/Magnum-Water-Scoop/Detail.bok

 

[normdiver]

I just like to make my own, 1/8 inch aluminum,,,schedule 40 aluminum 1 inch pipe handel,,,proven strong by my 17 and 19 year old sons and myself.

 

[ArmyDiver]

Any suggestions on places to purchase them from?

As of a day ago, I noticed a few in-stock when I stopped by, both large and small sizes: http://stores.treasuresdownunder.com/-strse-314/Magnum-Water-Scoop/Detail.bok

Well be sure to let them know they owe you. I went ahead and bought this one. I went with the larger one. I couldn't decide between this or the sunspot and literally left it up to a coin toss. This one won the toss. My Excal showed up today so now I'm really itching. I didn't expect it to get here that fast! I have a pathetic excuse for a shovel/scoop that I may end up trying to use until this one shows up. I have a friend who's thinking about getting a detector too. I'll make him get the sunspot so I can try it Thanks again for all the help. Now I just have to get the batteries charged and see what this little investment will bring me!

 

[rc2125]

Good deal. Here is how I rigged mine, it was trial and error, but I think I got them setup in a way that's really efficient for me, maybe different for others, hope the info helps.
Works fine without, but I kinda like the slight angle the door shim provides, seems like it's easier to initiate scoops and seems to help slightly when digging to china! Picked up the replacement post hole digger handles at the local hardware place. If using the door shim, gotta go with 1 1/4" squre handle, if not, try to find a 1 1/2" square handle (snugger fit), either should work, just the 1 1/4" less the shim would have a little wiggle room I guess.

Plastic door shim inbetween handle and scoop: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/rc2125/Mobile Uploads/moto_1370.jpg
*skip the shim if taking scoop apart alot to travel with.
*before drilling crossbolt's hole, have everything assembled. Also found, it helps to drill the crosshole half-way in from each side, rather than trying to drill it all the way thru from one side. Drill crosshole closer to the bottom of the handle to prevent a possible fracture if it were higher.

Angle gained by using shim (level is plumb!): http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/rc2125/Mobile Uploads/moto_1380.jpg

Topside pic: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/rc2125/moto_1376.jpg
Painted the top foot or so white, then the black vertical line to know which way the point of the scoop is pointed (when you can't see it). Sometimes I drag the scoop with the bungee cord loop(in zombie mode, no targets), ...if targets are every other step, I keep ahold of the handle. Recently replaced my prototype find bags with these Frabill leech bags I found by accident, very tough, like them a whole lot! With the bag on the scoop, it's just grab the scoop, the detector and go. Scoop target, drop the scoop's working end in the water and the bag is then right there waiting for target to be put in it. Have yet to lose anything out of these, but I keep my rings on a mini caribiner tied around my neck anyhow, just in case!
Bag (frabill leech bag): http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k63/rc2125/moto_1377.jpg

 

[ArmyDiver]

Awesome tips! Really appreciate it. My Excal came with a decent little "finds" bag. Zippered spot for rings and such and two other compartments that you can velcro shut. I'll give that the test once the detector is all charged up. I like the leash and painting idea too. I might steal that one from ya. I'll give the shim trick a shot as well. The extra angle seems like it would probably be really helpful.

Thanks again for all the help and suggestions!

 

[BareBones]

I'm heading to the carribean next week... and my second question was "which bag will fit the handle to my scoop"? (the first was can i bring my Excalibur to the Dominican Republic?). I won't even consider leaving it at home.

My last trip to the Caribbean I put my Sunspot in an Army Duffle bag I had, also known as an "A" bag. It worked out very well for me. If you don't want to pack it separate. I take the head off and bring a 7/16" wrench with me and buy a handle at the hardware store where I am going if I'm going to be there for a week or so.

You will need either a saw or you can whittle one side of the handle flat where it attaches to the head.

The Sunspot is an excellent scoop, my only complaint is the hole sizes are larger then I would like and I do have small targets fall through the holes more then I would like. #1 tip, put a magnet in your scoop.

If the Sunspot had those small square cut holes like that $99 scoop that is similar with the square post hole handle. I don't think there would be a better scoop anywhere. I don't know if that $99 scoop flexes any with that many holes cut in it, but I can tell you the Sunspot is damn near bullet proof. I have put some serious pressure on that scoop and dug some deep holes. I've had so much pressure on the handle before I thought the wood was going to break, but it has not.

I've really grown to like the wood handle because it makes the scoop handle float straight up in the water. This makes it easy for a grab and go when you let go of the scoop.

The major problem I see with the $99 scoop is that square hole for the handle. Finding a square post hole digger handle is not that easy these days and I don't even think HomeDepot carry's them, at least not in the ones I've looked in. They carry the round post hole handles and nice thing about the round handles is if you can't find a post hole handle you can use a shovel handle or any other straight handle that is made for implements.

Just food for thought if you ever plan on doing any traveling. I've traveled with my Sunspot from the Caribbean Islands to Hawaii.

 

[spez401]

Barebones
I have both scoops... the sunspot stealth and the "square-holed-monster" as i call it. The square hole for the handle on the "$99" scoop is a hair under 1.5 inches. I found an oak handle that with just a little sanding, fits perfectly.

as for the travelling... i like the long handles... but they aren't condusive to sticking in a bag. I was looking last night in my pile of old tools... and saw one of the old tree pruners, with an extendable shaft. It's a fiberglass base, with an aluminum insert (slider). i pulled it out put a bunch of stress on it... and it seemed to be exceptionally strong. so... out came the sawzall... and the drill... and now i have the handle mounted to my scoop. It is cut to 29 inches, and it extends to 56 inches. I just need to grab some SS hardware (with some wing nuts) to attach it, and we'll see

I did a few test holes last night (soaked the kids sandbox and dug there), and i'm going to take it to the beach tomorrow to see how it holds up. I'll probably post a pic later tonite... and let you know how the new travel handle works.