Advise needed

[crapshooter]

Like I said in earlier post I'm a real newbie...but could someone tell me what do you take to dig when you find something? I was thinking maybe a small shovel like the military used or something.

 

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[hollowpointred]

usually a small trowel or a knife like a k bar or a survival knife. if you are digging in a corn field or an otherwise un manicured area like deep in the woods, then i would use a shovel. in a park, it looks real bad when a detectorist is walking around with a big shovel. it sends a message to other people that you are about to tear the hell out of the place. in those areas use a small trowel.

 

[Fatboy]

try a garden trowel or long flat tip screwdriver.

 

[red]

I use a folding military shovel with the serrated edge , they work great but you need to dig a hole the size of your coil with the target center or you might hit it and even then be very careful using a shovel. You will still always need to carry a trowl,Fisk makes a very strong plastic one that you can get at Wal-Mart and after some use its strong enough to be sharpened.
But like it's already been said shovels are great for field work and you need something a little more inconspicuous in a park.
And as far as the shovel goes do get a real military shovel, they are made much better and stronger then any aftermarket one I have broken after a couple times out.
HH good luck
red

 

[Sandman]

As was said, shovels give the wrong message in a park. They are OK in the boonies if you still fill in your holes. Some of the dealers here offer great digging tools made for metal detecting. I sometimes probe with a flat screwdriver or a bayonet. I like the bayonet because of the width of the blade wedges in the pull tabs and gold/silver rings where a screwdriver or other probe pokes inside and out a few times.

At the sands of a dry beach a sturdy screen scoop is fast an efficient while wet wading calls for a real heavy duty scoop. If your like most of us you'll end up with different types for diff. locations. It's false economy to scrimp on quality tools.

HH,
Sandman

 

[neilo]

In manicured parks, I use a simple metal probe to locate the coin. Then carefully grab the coin with a pair of extra long nosed pliers.It takes some practice but you only leave a very small hole in the ground, which you can step on when finished and nobody would know you have been there.If the coin cant be located by the probe because of depth leave it where it is, it is better than digging deep holes, causing damage and getting thrown off of the park never to be allowed back there ever again.

In normal lawned areas cut the grass out in a C shape flip it back and retreive coin by using small trowel or shovel, dig dirt and put it on a small sheet of plastic until you find your coin then refill your hole with the dirt them flip the lawn back into place stepping on it to flatten the ground and leave it as tidy as possible.

The main thing is to do as little damage as posssible. good luck seeya Neilo

 

[Natman]

If you're just getting started and you're going out to the schoolyard or park to coinshoot, a large flat screwdriver works well, I've been using one for years and never had any trouble..it's also small and does minimal damage to the ground.

Nat

 

[crapshooter]

I will probably start out in the country where I know there were houses 40-50 years ago but they have been gone for so many years no one even knows they were there...same for an old country school site and a general store site.

I hardly ever see anyone in this part of the state with metal detector so there should be a lot of good places.