Need help picking a shovel

Mrgrady

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May 23, 2017
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I just can't decide if I would like the new whites ground hawg or if I want one of those lesche sampson shovels. Any tips, advice or all around buy this one type info would be greatly appreciated.
 
Lesche and Sampson are two different things. Lesche is a plug cutter and Sampson is a shovel. I recommend them both.
 
I just can't decide if I would like the new whites ground hawg or if I want one of those lesche sampson shovels. Any tips, advice or all around buy this one type info would be greatly appreciated.

I have the Lesche hand digger and a 31" Sampson...use them both and can't hunt without them in my clay and rock filled dirt especially in the dry times.
Don't know what the Whites co. does about breaking or bending that happens with their tools, (2 year warranty in their info), but WW mfg. has a lifetime warranty on theirs.
If anything ever happens you send it in and they send you back a new one no questions asked...on all of their tools.
These tools are tough but not indestructible especially if you pry way too much like I do.
I broke two hand diggers way beyond two years use, one got bent prying up big iron in concrete like drought hardened dirt, the other trying to pry up ice in the winter which weakened them and then eventually broke them, others have bent or broke their Sampsons after pushing them too far and getting caught on unbreakable roots or huge rocks and we all sent ours in and got new ones within a week.
A lifetime warranty is like money in the bank to me, tough as I am on my tools, and I would choose a company that has one over one that doesn't every time.

Buy once, buy forever...just don't mod them because it kills the warranty.
 
I don't have any experience with the Hawg. All I can say is that I've used the Lesche digger and the 31' Sampson T handle for years. At least for me, it's exactly the right combination. Couldn't be more convenient or effective.
 
Lesche Sampson 31" T handle

I have the Lesche Samson 31" T handle digger and love it! Cuts much neater plugs than a smaller hand digger, but is much less conspicuous.

My buddy uses the Lesche Sampson 18" T handle and he really likes it too.

We both also carry the Garrett hand digger, and it's just "OK".

I sharpen both mine once or twice a year and it helps.
 
I got my Lesche 31" Samson about a month ago after messing around with inadequate other types of shovels, and at first I was a little skeptical as it seemed dull. It is self sharpening though and now I love the thing, it cuts very nice plugs even in Bermuda grass. I would not hunt without it when I'm not in a city park situation. I use the Lesche hand digger for those sites.
 
The Whites looks interesng if you're woods or agri fields hunter. The things I immediately dislike is it's length and that bright color.

I own the 18" Sampson, 31" Sampson, 28" Ground Shark. The 31" is my favorite, but the 18" Mini is nice for those times where the lowest profile is wise. I hunt a lot of parks.

I could get interested in the Whites if they offered it in a length less than 36". The blade dimensions are intriguing.
 
Being used to seeing the large shovels in parks, it was several years before I broke down and bought one. I got a 31" Sampson but it kept banging against my leg while I was walking. Next I bought an 18" Sampson which I still use most of the time. Unlike most people I carry it with the handle down and no, I am not going to fall and stab myself. This way it doesn't swing while you walk giving you better balance and it is hardly noticeable. I have carried it this way now for several years without any problems. I made a cheap carrier as you can see in the picture. I can also use it with my 31" and even carry it with the handle in the carrier if I want. For deeper coins I can cut a better plug with it than I can a digger.
Hanger.jpg
Hanger2.jpg
Hanger3.jpg
 
Wow! You guys do some serious digging. I'm fortunate that my area coin hunting doesn't require anything larger than my Gator and I seldom use that. Mainly a probe and tweezers or sometimes a hunting knife and large spoon.
Marvin
PS, I also realize that use of the Deep Seeking machines may require larger diggers.
 
It depends on where you are going to hunt.

City parks and urban areas, especially in large cities, you better stick with a hand digger (Leshe digging tool, the Hori Hori knife, and the Predator Tools Raptor are favorites) and/or the itty bitty Sampsons. For your own property and rural areas, you can go bigger, and choose a real shovel, something like Predator Tools's Raven or Piranha. :grin:
 
Wow! You guys do some serious digging. I'm fortunate that my area coin hunting doesn't require anything larger than my Gator and I seldom use that. Mainly a probe and tweezers or sometimes a hunting knife and large spoon.
Marvin
PS, I also realize that use of the Deep Seeking machines may require larger diggers.

Marvin,what machine do YOU use?
 
i Have both the lesh 31 t handle and my new whites hawg just got tested out yesterday. i actually really really like the new whites shovel. I'm 5'11" and the 31 was to short for me, the hawg is just perfect for my back. Also that v-shaped shovel seems to just dig nice plugs, even though it looks like it will be useless in a yard it actually did well. I cant wait to get it into the woods and see how it tears it up. Also I bent my sampson, looking at this thing, it's burlier and it will be much harder to bend.
 
I finally found a problem with carrying my 18" Sampson with the handle down. The other day I was hunting and the temperature here was 106. I need to detect. I got my wrist against the shovel and ended up burning it.
Hanger2.jpg
 
Yep, it gets hot in Wichita and here in Dallas. I'm a noob and try to get up super early and hunt in the dark. I'm just going to the local parks until I learn my machine. For me, the little hand diggers are hard to use on this hard soil so I ordered the 31" Sampson T handle and kind of wish I had gotten the 18". We'll see how this goes.
 
Yep, it gets hot in Wichita and here in Dallas. I'm a noob and try to get up super early and hunt in the dark. I'm just going to the local parks until I learn my machine. For me, the little hand diggers are hard to use on this hard soil so I ordered the 31" Sampson T handle and kind of wish I had gotten the 18". We'll see how this goes.

I hear what your sayin' about Dallas digging. I am a committed shovel user in this area clay in the DFW region.
 
Marvin,what machine do YOU use?
Bounty Hunter Land Ranger Pro
Fisher 1265X
and Fisher Gold Bug-2.
That's for hunting parks--out in the woods I may use entrenching tool and hatchet.:lol:
Marvin
 
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Bounty Hunter Land Ranger Pro
Fisher 1265X
and Fisher Gold Bug-2.
That's for hunting parks--out in the woods I may use entrenching tool and hatchet.:lol:
Marvin

I was just curious if maybe whatever you were using wasn't allowing you to get adequate depth but all of those will get you WAY past the "tweezers"...:lol:
Carry on...
 
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