Am I stronger than i think i am. This tool bends like a wet noodle.

[Ammoman]

Am I stronger than i think i am? This tool bends like a wet noodle.

Thank Goodness i didn't pay for this hand digger. It appears to be made of soft metal and bends every time i use it. I just bend it back over my knee and keep on truckin. I was thinking of going with a Lesche. Looks like they have different models. Is any one model better than the other?

 

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[jadocs]

What kind of a digger is that?

 

[digger460]

I've got one just like that. Freebie when I bought the AT. Bent the first time I used it. Your bend is much better looking then mine. (Piece a junk)

 

[digger460]

What kind of a digger is that?

It's a Gator.

 

[Tradertom]

Also a bent Gator

I have one that I bent the first day out. It too was a Gator. I bought a Lesche. Really my brother had an extra he gave me. No comparison!

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Get any Lesche that fits your style of detecting you wont be disappointed.

 

[Ammoman]

Yep its a Gator. I see these things selling on E-bay for around 40 to 50 bucks. I guess you don't always get what you pay for. This one was included with my Detector. Heck...i bought a digger from wal-mart for $3.50 that does a better job. Still, i'm looking at Lesche. Just trying to figure out which one to get.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Yep its a Gator. I see these things selling on E-bay for around 40 to 50 bucks. I guess you don't always get what you pay for. This one was included with my Detector. Heck...i bought a digger from wal-mart for $3.50 that does a better job. Still, i'm looking at Lesche. Just trying to figure out which one to get.

These are my thoughts if you dig parks and permissions go with the small hand held digger it is less intimidating to see a small tool for public, If you went to a park with a shovel, some looky loo's might think you are going to leave holes everywhere and call park employee's or police.If you are a relic hunter doing fields and farms and the woods then get the shovel as it probably helps to have the extra length if a deeper than normal target.JMO Like I said the one that suits your type of detecting.I myself have the hand held my only issue was the one I got had the serrated teeth on the wrong side for my orientation when digging but I just retrained myself to dig opposite way.The only reason I would get the long handled (shovel) one would be if I had problems with my knees and would use it to help to stand then I would see using in parks and permissions although some permissions might see you pulling out a shovel and assume it will destroy the grass.In that case you could dig a plug off site like the strip by curb and show how you leave no trace.

 

[Nitric]

Just a plain screwdriver works awesome in the situations mention by Backof the boat. You can palm it and it doesn't look like a "digging" tool! They also work great after a rain when the ground id damp, most stuff at parks or in public view is closer to the surface. Not always! But most of the time! I almost always just use a screwdriver. Always have. gently poke around, locate target, pop it up. But I'm way behind in detecting! I don't even have a pinpointer! Just a harbor F. cheapy I played with a few times...

I just learned by doing that in yards, and it looks a lot cleaner to the homeowners or anyone that might be a potential "permission" too. You found stuff and you didn't even "dig" in their yard!Parks and ball fields to, Because your not "digging" and looky loos just don't seem to get upset as easily. Then there will be the one that is just upset anyhow!

 

[jadocs]

Screw drivers are great for targets just under or near the surface...or for digging a sidewall in an exposed plug. None of my targets would have been retrievable just using s screwdriver.

 

[Hughie]

My question would be, why is Kellyco still selling them? Why do they cost so much when they are cheep? The reviews on there own website say junk don't buy it. I still believe in reputation and selling crap is not going to help, just my thoughts.

 

[Ammoman]

My question would be, why is Kellyco still selling them? Why do they cost so much when they are cheep? The reviews on there own website say junk don't buy it. I still believe in reputation and selling crap is not going to help, just my thoughts.

I agree that its junk. I picked up the new whites digger and it blows this thing away! I did however use the sheath as a holder for my Nokta pinpointer. Works awesome!

 

[DannyB.]

I have a gator and it is extremely durable; I've never bent it. Had it for a couple years now. I wonder if they changed the steel? Only problem is the rubber grip; had to re glue it and the grip end is cut from pushing on it with the palm.

 

[G.I.B.]

I bought this one after bending my Gator, then bending, and I forget the name of a couple more from Ace Hardware and Home Depot...

And finally bought the Lesch from Predator Tools.

It was expensive, but I don't have to buy anymore. The handle is superb to the rubber bicycle grip type handle.

I'm willing to pay a bit more so I don't get a knock off and get original quality.

The only bad thing is the sheath. The serrated teeth like to grab the cloth. I made my own sheath out of PVC pipe and it's the perfect set now.

 

[BigWaveDave]

I got the Gator digger from Kellyco, when I first got my 350... and I never had a problem.
So I decided to upgrade....got the AT Pro from Bart, he includes the Garrett Digger.....
So I sell my original gear to a friend, it's all good...
Until my first hunt...I found the Garrett digger to be garbage, bent just like yours....
Couldn't order a Lesche fast enough, glad I did...no problem since.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Hello Ammoman,

In the past, I've used both the Gator and Garrett diggers, but found them not as user friendly (bending, angle of tool...etc.) as the one below *.

I currently use the Model 31C Raptor* (hand digger) and for big jobs the Model 35 Piranha both from Predator tools. A bit pricey, but have worked flawlessly for many hours in the field. The 31C is fantastic at cutting a clean plug (flap) for perfect replacement and built like a tank!

I have used a probe to retrieve very shallow targets, mostly at sensitive historical areas. These places require proper target extraction techniques, so the probe and 31C aid in meeting these regulations.

GL & HH

 

[rogueaviation]

Lots of folks use really expensive tools, but I've been using a Wilcox stainless trowel for a while now. It was like twenty bucks, it dogs nice plugs, cuts through roots, scrapes, shovels and all for less than half of what a lot of tools are costing. I like it. My digging is predominantly sandy, so I need something that scoops more often than cuts.

I think if I was in clay or really rooted soil, a knife style digger might work, but for the sandy loam I got in the yards and woods up here, the long trowel works great.

 

[bill_wabo]

Bought a Gardena brand, similar design than the lesche but only 10$. Sharpened it a few times and been having it for 4 years now.

 

[marjam]

I love my lesche. I think I could pry up a car with it If I had to....had it for years, need a new sheath but the digger is the best out there....

Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk

 

[Mifarmer]

I've got a whites and love it, wish I bought it sooner and I wouldn't have wasted money on the 5 cheapo diggers I broke