Digging tool decisions? Help me decide...

[drsilver]

Some good stuff here. I love my Phirana shovel and lesche knife, would be fun without them.

[pocketspill]

My hunting got at lot easier when I found a small shovel. I still use a hand digger but have stopped sawing plugs. I now cut the plug with the shovel and then transition to hand work afterward. No more wrecked wrists after a 10 hour hunt!

I decided to write this post comparing all of the Lesche shovels I'd tried - as well as make a recommendation for my absolute favorite.

http://pocketspill.com/2012/04/27/be...-blade-shovel/

[Curbdog]

Originally Posted by pocketspill

My hunting got at lot easier when I found a small shovel. I still use a hand digger but have stopped sawing plugs. I now cut the plug with the shovel and then transition to hand work afterward. No more wrecked wrists after a 10 hour hunt!

I decided to write this post comparing all of the Lesche shovels I'd tried - as well as make a recommendation for my absolute favorite.

http://pocketspill.com/2012/04/27/be...-blade-shovel/

I knew I recognized that face when researching shovels! Good review! My local detector store is out of the Sampson so I'm considering the Lesche 38D for woods hunting, and the Lesche "Hut" model a distant 2nd.

I've been doing so much woods hunting lately that there's no worry on appearance. I wouldn't bring anything like that into a park. Any feedback on the 38D would be welcome indeed.

[SoKyHunter]

I posted this up in another thread, but if you looking for a small digger, this one is nearly indestructible. I've had mine since I was a little kid. I got in to metal detecting for a bit when I was young, and I used mine for everything from digging to busting rock. Army shovel/pick combo. It's not the best for hard dirt unless you carry a soft hammer for beating it in, but it is nearly indestructible. Twenty+ years and all the abuse a kid can do and still holding up strong.

http://www.fatiguesarmynavy.com/store/item/FA2408/Mini_Pick___Shovel

[Silversmith45]

Originally Posted by Mozhoven

We've got several surplus stores around here. Maybe I'll hit them up. If that doesn't work, my brother's still in the Army, maybe he can hook me up...

Just because it's sold in a surplus store doesn't mean that's it's a genuine military tool. Anymore most of them carry a lot of cheap knock-off items that aren't the same. Make sure that you are getting the real thing.

[Dark Chameleon]

Originally Posted by Surf Master

Here is the best,2 out of 4 in the pick,you can get them from New England detector's http://newenglanddetectors.com/ happy hunting Earl 35yrs of detecting Land

By the looks of it the second from the left offers the best as its the most worn, mine is the second from the right and still doing 6" searching so the lesche hand digger is my choice for now but when it comes tim to go into the woods the lesche 38 is goner get a real work out, i got mine from whites in framingham, the owner is a member of my club so you know hes a doer and not a talker

[Dark Chameleon]

Originally Posted by johnson

I think its more about the image it gives people.
Its a psycological thing.
if your seen with a shovel in a park then people are just going to assume your digging larg holes.
And thats all some people need to cause problems.
Pluse if someone els messes the place up with a shovel and there not seen, then guess who will get the blame...
Im not saying dont use a sampson in a park just think it through.
Some people seem to do ok with one while others seem to wind up with unwanted attention.

For park digging id go for the lesche hand digger and a long reach hand digger for when the hand protector of the lesche stops the easy extention of the hole, the thing that works best though is experience, if they see youve been digging again and again and not potholes anywhere and the grass is still growing then they should be more tursting when you show up with a shovel

[Dark Chameleon]

Originally Posted by Lerenfort

I also mainly use an Ex-Army folding shovel, but also carry a full size spade with a nice sharp digging blade in the car. If you are walking a long distance away from your vehicle over rough terrain then it's good to keep hands as free as possible.

I'm thinking if you get a strap fixed at the top and a couple of inches from the footpegs you can throw it over your shoulder like a guitar and if you have a cover you protect your head incase you fall over, i know the razor can come with a cover for the blade, the piranha would be a great shovel but not going to make a small hole with that one or not as good as a razor or t bar sampson or lesche

[Dark Chameleon]

Originally Posted by Mozhoven

Maybe it's the rocky soil I usually dig, or how I cut plugs, but I've haven't been able to get good plug with the Lesche standard digger. It usually mauls the ground and the plug collapses. With my old trowel, which was wider than the Lesche and of the "scooped" design, I could cut nice plugs by plunge 'n pulling around the perimeter. The plunge severs roots, locates rocks, and gives me nice clean plugs. I might keep my Lesche standard, but I'm looking forward the the Raptor.

Just did a long hunt in the park and the lesche dug the plugs easily, i find its more difficult in the trees with the roots, even the serrated edge isnt going to work with 1" roots unless your into sawing, but for plugs/flaps its great on the nice park grass and my plugs all stayed nicely together, the problem then becomes when you dig a 3/4" hole and then find you have to go down a couple more inches it becomes harder with the pointed tip, then its nice to have a flatter longer hand digger like the ones you get from kellyco.

[Pochucker]

Im fan of the US ARMY folding shovel. My daughter is selling them on E-Bay for twenty bucks. I know there real because she had to pick them up at Army base. Only bad thing is it doesent come with the traveling bag. How ever you can get that at Surplus store for another 5/6 bucks.

[Dark Chameleon]

Originally Posted by Ace350

About the Kelly Co Razor Edge Gator Digger to replace the Lesche.
I had about an hours worth of detecting and digging
(maybe 15-20 plugs) on this before I brought it out to this weeks hunt with the Tri State hunters. This is what happened after about a 3 hr. hunt. The grip handle wore through and gave me a blister about the size of a dime through my gloves! The ground was dry and mostly hard pack with very few rocks or stones.



Luckily, at the end of the hunt I won a new Lesche model 75 in the club raffle. Comparing the two:
When the Gator was my first and only digging tool, I thought the Gator was a pretty good digger that cut through small roots and dug a hole fairly easily.
Now that I have the Lesche, I know the Gator isn't as good as I thought. The Lesche cuts plugs like a hot knife goes through butter!

Maybe it would work for you in your area if you carry both and use your Lesche to cut the initial plug and use the Gator or a hardware store digger to remove any more dirt and rock from the hole. I can say that the Gator is strong and you can put a lot of leverage on it without it breaking.

If you go with the Gator I would suggest when you first get it to remove the grip and put some kind of pipe cap (like a thin copper one) over the end of the handle then slide the grip back on so the grip doesn't wear through like it did mine.

Always hate those hand blisters, they take so long to heal and you get to look forward to the breakaway and sore palm for days, i found with all the extra digging when i worked with stone id take a paper towel and duct tape it to my palm then it would stop the blisters, the other way with the diggers it make a smaller round end with duct tape to stop the edge getting you, perhaps get a ping pong ball and cut a hole big enough to fit over the end then duct tape that one, make your own ball end

[ramer]

Originally Posted by Dark Chameleon

For park digging id go for the lesche hand digger and a long reach hand digger for when the hand protector of the lesche stops the easy extention of the hole, the thing that works best though is experience, if they see youve been digging again and again and not potholes anywhere and the grass is still growing then they should be more tursting when you show up with a shovel

Using a shovel in a park is just not a good idea. It is bad for the hobby and just gives a bad impression in general. I think if the park rangers or those in charge of parks see you digging up the parks with a shovel, they will kick you out first and ask questions later.

[ramer]

Originally Posted by Pochucker

Im fan of the US ARMY folding shovel. My daughter is selling them on E-Bay for twenty bucks. I know there real because she had to pick them up at Army base. Only bad thing is it doesent come with the traveling bag. How ever you can get that at Surplus store for another 5/6 bucks.

20 bucks is an excellent price for the genuine article. It will say "Made In USA" if it is the real deal.

[Dark Chameleon]

Originally Posted by ramer

Using a shovel in a park is just not a good idea. It is bad for the hobby and just gives a bad impression in general. I think if the park rangers or those in charge of parks see you digging up the parks with a shovel, they will kick you out first and ask questions later.

I'd think it pointless anyways, most of the parks are leveled out often so the top is new or tends to be here, and youd have top dig through the topsoil then the hardcore/subbase then to the old soil, some of those long reach hand diggers can go down a fair ways.

Now the woods are different, there you could use a shovel as large as you can carry and with the bear id carry one so damn big id need two people to carry it

[jburn57]

Originally Posted by johnson

I dont see why it wouldnt, as long as you like to keep your holes small. But i never use it in public places as it draws to much attention. but i do carry it in the trunk of my car when i go out detecting. Cause i never know where i may end up at.

this is what i carry most of the time


found here
I got mine at Lowes but i think they may have changed to the newer style which i dont like.

Just bought the same one at Lowe's also. You are right they did change it but just the handle, removed the large top part of the handle. I like the many serations and how sharp they are. I have 3, all are different widths and switch them according to ground conditions.