Question on Shovel & Plugger

[JM*StL]

Very new to the hobby here, have an XS and several small hand trowel type digging tools. I realized two things about the Ames trowel that I bought at Lowes. First, that on targets that are below 7" or so, the Ames is useless, or it seemd to me to be useless once the end of the handle was at the surface of the soil on a small hole. Second, the end of the handle on this tool will chew the skin off of your palm if you are not wearing gloves.

So, I am looking at shovels with longer handles and, preferably, one with a 12" or so spade. I have looked at the Lesche and Predator line and did one last search prior to purchasing and came up with the shovel that you will see by following the link below. Also, at the link below a plugger is offered by the same company on e-bay. Any feedback from users of these items or opinions in general will be appreciated. Thanks.

http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/scottmfg

 

[JM*StL]

n/t

 

[pennyfarmer]

My opinion is that is possibly not what you are after. At my metal detecting shop they have some shovels that will dig a 12" hole with no problems and they are around $10. If you are handy you can make a killer plugger out of a high end caulking gun and a tailpipe tip. I am sure you can find some that are made that way and possibly some free plans on the internet. I use my home made plugger quite regular when I am in a park or on a lawn. No one can tell you have ever been there if you use a plugger properly.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[BK]

the chance of damaging a coin? Unless you can perfectly pinpoint your target ever time and the target is shallow. That E-bay digger is just like the lesche ground shark which i own. The ground shark's blade is to narrow, it takes to long to dig wider holes for deeper targets, the blade is to curved which makes it harder to pull out of ground and clumps of dirt tend to stick to inside of blade when pulling out, foot peg behind the handle makes for a slightly awkward dig, i wish i had never bought the ground shark. Last year i bought a predator shovel, the 41 inch Mauler, I'm only 5-9 tall so i shortened the handle to my preferred length. The 31 inch mauler would've been a back breaker. I like the mauler.

 

[JM*StL]

Thanks for the replies.

After doing quite a bit of research I decided on the 41" Mauler - The 31" version would definitely be a problem for the back. In addition, I am going with the Raptor, also from Predator Tools. It is a serious hand held digging tool that gives you depth and leverage. Another digging tool that works really well is the Treasure Wise T-12 or T-14. They are very sturdy, sharp and have a bit of a curve to them which makes removal of dirt from the hole fairly easy.

Originally, I had purchased an Ames Planter Buddy and while it is extremely durable and inexpensive, it does not have a curve from the handle to the trowel, which makes it cumbersome to remove dirt from the hole. Also, the end of the handle is fairly sharp and, as mentioned above, is really good at removing skin.