Anyone use the Gator digger?

[Silver Slayer]

I use a gator and love it! I reinforced the handle with a 7/8 wooden dowel and had no problems with it bending and I pry with it a lot! I also sharpen mine with a belt sander with coarse sandpaper.

Hope this helps.

 

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[watercolor]

I bought a Fiscars digger out in MT when visiting my daughter (had to leave the Lesche at home due to plane regulations). . . after the third plug, the tip was bent. I can't say enough about the Lesche. . . well worth the price.

 

[Keppy]

I got my gator digger from Kellco with a detector i bought from them about 1982.....That makes it about 30 yerars old.... And i still use it a lot........ I never thought you could hurt them ..... And i have used mine hard.. They must not make the new ones as well as the old ones ........ I also have my Lesche digger... but i still use that Gator .. And like Silver Slayer i sharpen my gator every now and then......... All i can say the Gator digger i got about 30 years ago.... IS .."INDESTRUCTIBLE" = THAT MEANS "IMPOSSIBLE TO DESTROY" MY GATOR IS GREAT.....

 

[Diggit]

I'll have to take a video of me bending mine by pushing it against the floor with one hand then,because I can do it.
So you guys are right, they must have made them better in the past. I got one for free a few years ago and it is garbage.

 

[Bubba65]

I too have a Gator Digger mine is 20 years old and still going real strong. I think the old saying "They don't make them like the use too" may be so true on the Gator. Love mine the only problem I have is I have lost it a few times while detecting and I had to use my detector to find it again. LOL

Bubba65

 

[Diggit]

They end up like THIS. (The one on the bottom wasn't used yet)

 

[Hendrix]

I bought a Gator in the late 80's and it has been great. I've never used one of the newer ones.

 

[jharhed]

Mine bent right under the handle on the handguard, i straightened it, welded a piece of metal across the handguard replaced the garbage handgrip and installed a prenolic ball on the end for pushing, hasnt thought about bending again

 

[fistfulladirt]

I cried the day I lost my Lesche...bought a Gator, bent the first time out. UM, I then noticed the big "CHINA" on the blade. Explains it all. I just keep bending it back every few hunts.

 

[Coinstriking Michigan]

I bought the new minelab digger. It was not as expensive as the others and it has done a good job so far. I put some pressure on it today digging out some rock and it held up well. I don't use the serrated edge much. I carry a set of small branch clippers and they solve any cutting problems I have.

I also have the Minelab digger, it worked awesome until I dug one deep plug in hard ground and it bent a little...now it bends almost every hole. Oh well, I'll have to make due...can't afford a Lesche at this time.

 

[Keppy]

I also have the Minelab digger, it worked awesome until I dug one deep plug in hard ground and it bent a little...now it bends almost every hole. Oh well, I'll have to make due...can't afford a Lesche at this time.

I have noticed that everyone that makes a copy of the Lesche Digger ..... Kellyco , Minelab , Ect and others ..... They are cheap made junk......... I have my gator digger for 30 years and no problem ..And i have a real Lesche digger for for over 10 years and no problems............All the new Gator diggers are junk............. And all the copies of the lesche digger are junk no matter who puts there logo on them............

 

[ivan salis]

i too got a "freebie" gator - with a detector -- it bent --called and got a replacement one sent to me --the replacement seems to be a of a bit harder metal-- it too bent a tiny bit but then settled down and has held up -- got a blue handled type 7 in 1 ames tool -- tough as nails --no problem -- however i do not dig in cement type ground here in florida too much.

 

[bearbqd]

Man, you guys are tough on diggers. I've had mine for about 5 months and have had no problems with it. I love it.

 

[FCCDFEd]

I have had three gator diggers, the first was a stainless steel and I still use it off and on, but I have worn the length and point down (about and inch) so much that I had to keep filing the point, but never bent it. So i bought another gator digger, the black metal one they now sell. Did not like it at all mud stuck to it, did not make clean edged holes and just did not feel like a gator, never bent it but only used it a couple of months. Sold it and bought a almost new used stainless steel digger and love it, and have never bent it. Have been detecting about 5 years and love the gator digger (stainless steel) ones. Kelly Co go back to the old style shiny metal (stainless steel) gator.

 

[DetectorRay]

I bought a Fiscars digger out in MT when visiting my daughter (had to leave the Lesche at home due to plane regulations). . . after the third plug, the tip was bent. I can't say enough about the Lesche. . . well worth the price.

I just bought a Fiskars BigGrip digger, it looks less threating than the bowie knife i been diggin' with!! I haven't got it dirty yet but I hope I get more than three plugs... keeping the receipt on this one.

 

[Lownslow]

I bought one of those just in case one of my grand kids needed a digger, but it bent the first few times I used it. I finally gave it to a digging buddy who bought a detector from me. He threw the digger away and kept the sheath for another digger he had. I use a Leche that I bought about 12 years ago and have never had any problems with it.

 

[kronos1962]

I had a Gator digger back around 1990. I don’t see how I could have bent it if I had tried.

The newer ones must be cheaply made in China.

 

[kronos1962]

They end up like THIS. (The one on the bottom wasn't used yet)

View attachment 632651

The Gator I had didn’t look like that one.

It was straight with the metal folded like a V and serrated teeth on one side.

It was shinny and I believe top grade stainless steel.

I misplaced it but I’m looking for it.

I just checked out KCo and it’s called the Original Gator Series digger. Looking at the their picture I can tell its much thinner metal and not silver shinny stainless.