Thanks for the vid and the review.
I've been on the fence about getting a digger made exclusively for metal detecting not only because of the price but also the fact that I really like a tool with a thin blade. They all look pretty nice but after trying a few lawn & garden type diggers early that worked okay but not as well as I had hoped, I discovered the Fiskar's Big Grip digger. It ain't no Lesche tool but it works surprisingly well for the money and it's great for a newbie.
I bought 4 of these from Walmart for around 8 bucks each before I took a few kids out on a hunt last year and found that not only did I like it, I actually LOVE this tool. The blade is pretty thin and it cuts PERFECT plugs that go back in the ground without even wilting the grass.
The SHARP, serrated edge cuts right through roots like a mini saw. It's also WAY better than similar tools I have tried due to the longer, thin yet strong blade.
The only drawback I found is that my first one did weaken and break right where the handle and blade meet after maybe 4 months of really heavy, daily use. I took a close look at it after it broke and came up with a simple solution to that single weakness. Since I actually enjoy doing mods I decided to try it out.
I had a buddy weld up and strengthen the weak spot (on both sides) on the next one and really stiffened it up good. I'm still using it and it's as strong as ever with no sign of weakening whatsoever. I also sharpened the non serrated side on a grinder and it cuts extremely well; even better than the factory edge (which also worked very well). Then I ground the forked tip down on one of them to see if that would be an improvement. It works fine but I honestly didn't notice any dramatic difference either way.
I may get a "real" digger at some point and if I do I'll probably go with the Deteknix based on the fact that I bought an XPointer and really LOVE the thing.
But if anyone needs a digger that works really well for less than 10 bucks, you definitely can't go wrong with the Fiskars. At that price not only does it not matter if it eventually breaks because you're not out any money; they're also great to have around if you take kids hunting like I sometimes do. You can also get one on Amazon with a sheath for around 12 bucks. The ones I got off the shelf at Walmart only came with a pretty cheesy clear plastic snap on cover with no belt loop.
But if that's not your thing, the Diamond Digger looks pretty darn nice as well. If it's as great as their pinpointers it should be a great tool at a great price.
I am happy about this!
