GOOD Digger for Cheap?

Capncrunch

Full Member
Mar 25, 2020
132
328
KCMO Area
Detector(s) used
White's Coinmaster 5000, Fisher F22, Quest X10, Nokta Makro Simplex+, Nokta Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have been using an old shovel and an 8" digger to unearth the treasures (or trash) I have detected, for long enough! The shovel is heeaavy and likely looks bad to property owners. Can anyone recommend a GOOD (compact enough to not scare land owners, short enough to carry, sharp enough for small tree roots, strong enough for moderate prying, etc.) detecting shovel that won't cost me as much as I paid for my Simplex?
Thanks in advance for any assistance!
John
 

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Clad2Silver

Bronze Member
Jul 17, 2018
2,052
5,648
Eastern Connecticut
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Max/ Garrett AT Pro/ Garrett Ace 400/ Garrett Pro Pointer 2 / Garrett Z-Lynk AT Propointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
White's Digmaster is very good. Available in many places on the internet.
 

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Capncrunch

Full Member
Mar 25, 2020
132
328
KCMO Area
Detector(s) used
White's Coinmaster 5000, Fisher F22, Quest X10, Nokta Makro Simplex+, Nokta Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
White's Digmaster is very good. Available in many places on the internet.

I appreciate that input, but already have an 8" digger. I'm looking for a shovel now. Mine is old and bulky.
 

GopherDaGold

Silver Member
Dec 12, 2009
2,817
3,356
St. Charles County, Missouri
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Tesoro Vaquero, Bounty Hunter Land Star, Teknetics Delta 4000, Minelab Equinox 600, Garrett Carrot
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Cheap diggers ain't good.
Good diggers ain't cheap.
I use the 32" Root Assassin and it works quite well.
 

Tom Slick

Sr. Member
Jul 21, 2012
428
337
Mesa AZ
Detector(s) used
XP Deus & Deus II, Makro Multi Kruzer, White's DFX w/18" Arrow Coil
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've used a Hori-Hori knife for years. They are made in carbon steel and stainless steel. The Stainless steel is softer and bends easily. I only use the regular carbon steel knives (indestructible). Available at many online gardening shops. The sheaths are junk but the knives are great.
 

gary lee

Jr. Member
Apr 13, 2020
21
15
atascadero, CA.
Detector(s) used
garret at max
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If you head over to your military surplus store they sell an item which is a small shovel which folds up and is contained in a pouch. This can then be held on your belt and when people see you it doesn't look like you are there to do a major excavation on the property.
Just a thought.
 

ticndig

Silver Member
Apr 17, 2009
3,137
7,329
Cumberland Va
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
T-2-SE
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've used a $15 WW-2 entrenching tool for 30 years . Cheap, effective , heavy duty.
If you buy one be sure it's real and not a cheap Chinese knockoff
images
 

Tom Slick

Sr. Member
Jul 21, 2012
428
337
Mesa AZ
Detector(s) used
XP Deus & Deus II, Makro Multi Kruzer, White's DFX w/18" Arrow Coil
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'd like to know where you get a "real" WW II entrenching shovel for $15.00. Apparently you haven't bought one in 30 years. Now they're more like $45.00 if you can even find one that isn't Chinese junk.
 

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Capncrunch

Full Member
Mar 25, 2020
132
328
KCMO Area
Detector(s) used
White's Coinmaster 5000, Fisher F22, Quest X10, Nokta Makro Simplex+, Nokta Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Cheap diggers ain't good.
Good diggers ain't cheap.
I use the 32" Root Assassin and it works quite well.

So, I stood in the shop today and looked at what they had for about 15 minutes. I finally bought the Radius Garden 22311 Root Slayer Nomad. I don't know if I'll like the 'fist' shaped handle, but it is short, light and has some wicked looking teeth on the small shovel blade. Figured I gotta pull the trigger today- it's 1 hour 15 minutes from my house and I went to trade-in the boy's Fisher F22, he HAD to have the Nokta Makro Simplex, like Dads! Not advertising and it is not my business, but Travis and Josh treated us very good at Great Plains Prospecting. I hope it's OK to say that?
Root Slayer Nomad I Bought 04-17-20.jpg
 

ticndig

Silver Member
Apr 17, 2009
3,137
7,329
Cumberland Va
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1
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T-2-SE
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All Treasure Hunting
I'd like to know where you get a "real" WW II entrenching shovel for $15.00. Apparently you haven't bought one in 30 years. Now they're more like $45.00 if you can even find one that isn't Chinese junk.

you've answered your own question .I have not bought one in 30 years. but I bet you could hunt one out at a flea market, even at 45 bucks and thats cheaper than a relic shovel. I found one in the woods a few years back and now have two
 

LawrencetheMDer

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
978
2,386
Ohio and Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Manticore, Minelab CTX3030 w 11" and 17" DD coils,
Minelab Excalibur II w 10" coil, Equinox 800 (4) w 11" and 15" coils,
Troy Shadow x2 w 7" coil, Pointers; Garrett Carrot, Pro Find 35,
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Have a 32" root slayer type digger the works great.
Worked a local park in Florida for 8 hrs, until they kicked me out, and used a regular dinner fort that worked surprisingly well for shallow targets in the soil/sand.
 

Alexis123

Greenie
Apr 17, 2020
14
12
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I recommend you try the Gerber E-Tool Folding Spade. It is super compact when folded (9.37 inches only).
 

pulltabfelix

Bronze Member
Jan 29, 2018
1,006
1,624
North Atlanta
Detector(s) used
Currently have CTX3030 and Vanquish 440.
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I have used both Lesche and Predators and both are still in top shape after 5 years of use. Sharpen the edges on a grinder every year. Not cheap, but I hunt in areas with roots and rocks. These are a must. Plus the 30" is a low profile that does not make you look like your are going to dig a 6 foot hole.
 

DeepseekerADS

Gold Member
Mar 3, 2013
14,880
21,725
SW, VA - Bull Mountain
Detector(s) used
CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
Primary Interest:
Other
I've used a Lesche digger for over 30 years, never bent or broke it, and I put some hard work on it.
 

CASPER-2

Gold Member
Jan 3, 2012
17,153
19,933
NEW ENGLAND
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1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
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Detector(s) used
WHITE'S XLT, PI PRO, GARRETT 2500, 3- FISHER CZ21s, JW FISHER 8X
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Peyton Manning

Gold Member
Dec 19, 2012
14,518
18,626
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
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Detector(s) used
MXT-PRO
Sandshark
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Metal Detecting
I use a $5 gardening trowel from Lowe’s
Serrated on one side
 

NapervilleDan

Jr. Member
Dec 29, 2019
38
61
Naperville, Illinois
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I bought the Root Slayer Nomad (I also use a Hori Hori knife).

I've seen a few videos of guys that drag their shovel behind them. Can anyone recommend that option? One of the reasons I decided to buy the Root Slayer was the small loop in the handle. WHAT DO YOU GUYS USE TO HOOK THAT ON YOUR BELT?

Dan
 

Loco-Digger

Gold Member
Jun 16, 2014
11,825
17,742
Northern O-H-I-O
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Detector(s) used
F75 LTD, 1280X Aquanaut, & a Patriot (back-up/loaner)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I hunted for a little over 2 years using shovels like this ($8-$10)

755625009180lg.jpg

I am a coin shooter and this is what I use now (Lesche Sampson)

$_12.jpg

I want to get one of these for field and wood (Predator)

Predator.jpg
 

dc.gronlund

Jr. Member
Jan 24, 2018
62
214
portsmouth, va
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Manticore
Minelabe Excalibur II
Minelab Equinox 800
Garrett AT Max
Garrett "Carrot"
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I've used a Hori-Hori knife for years. They are made in carbon steel and stainless steel. The Stainless steel is softer and bends easily. I only use the regular carbon steel knives (indestructible). Available at many online gardening shops. The sheaths are junk but the knives are great.

I second the hori-hori! Only $10, sharp, light, and neat. I've been using mine for years, bought here in Japan too, so it's 100% JDM, haha. I do have the stainless one, hasn't bent yet...
20200430_171941.jpg 20200430_171948.jpg
 

No gold in NY

Bronze Member
Mar 22, 2015
1,688
2,921
Detector(s) used
Whites Coin Master,
Whites Gold Master GMT, Whites MXSport
High banker/dredge,
DIY hand trommel,
DIY Miller table,
DIY fluidbed gold trap sluice,
Keene A-52 A-52s
2186 Wheaties
Primary Interest:
Other
I would not let a property manager or land owner see me with anything that looked like a shovel.
This is what I use. Digging Tool.jpg

I dug my first hole on 11/11/2014. Since then I have found enough clad to pay for my detector 3X. The gold and silver jewelry gets thrown into a cigar box. The deepest I have needed to go was 14 inches and then I was looking at the bottom of an aluminum can. This little tool has served me well.

But then, maybe I don't dig where you dig.
 

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