Retrieval tool of choice

[CanisiusHistGrad]

I've seen plenty of digging tools advertised as specific to metal detecting, but have also seen plenty of garden variety tools being employed for digging plugs. What's your tool of choice and why?

 

[mudpuppy]

6" screwdriver with flat tip, comfortable handle and 1/4" shaft...for targets in the 5" to surface range of course, its the thing for hunting sports fields and grass areas where you don't want to dig...Its very fast and easy too...stab, grab and go! I also carry a folding serrated blade knife to cut through the sod and get the deeper targets. a small flap of sod, and then fish around under it for the target. Again, for all general appearances, you cannot be seen in a park or sportsfield with any kind of trowel or shovel. nobody should be carrying any kind of "digger" in a park or sportsfield!...I also carry a complement of shovels/trowels/sandscoops in my vehicle for those off site locations, I like a D handle tiling spade. Narrow blade, makes a handy quick deep hole.
Location and soil specific, the right tool for the job is IMPORTANT, the more targets retrieved per outing ups the odds for more and better finds. I will not leave home without a screwdriver, and carry a backup. What tool do you like?
Mud

 

[CopyTech99]

Wilcox #102 trowel.

Sampson 18" & 31"

 

[CanisiusHistGrad]

I can't say that I've gotten good enough pinpointing to be able to rely on a screwdriver for quick retrievals - been into the hobby for less than a month. So far, I like a garden knife as most of my retrievals are in parks and I like to leave as little evidence of my presence as possible. What are you going after when you're packing the shovels Mud?

 

[MarkCZ]

I can't say that I've gotten good enough pinpointing to be able to rely on a screwdriver for quick retrievals - been into the hobby for less than a month. So far, I like a garden knife as most of my retrievals are in parks and I like to leave as little evidence of my presence as possible. What are you going after when you're packing the shovels Mud?

Large shovels are for relics and or coins in open wooded areas or in areas where you can get permission, NOT PUBLIC AREAS, like parks or ball fields.

I use a soil knife that I got from Amazon, and a Garret Pro-Pointer.


Mark

 

[MarkCZ]

Here is some illustrations on proper coin recovery. The first one is what some call "Coin-Popping" for this I use a 7" long small shaft screwdriver with the tip cut off, then for the point I shaped it like a bullet, it works GREAT! my brother uses a wood handled ice pick. For me the ice pick isn't strong enough for actually popping the coins.

Mark

 

[hershey1]

Probe if you can if not I prefer the Predator model 31. HH

 

[TheOtherLeggoHead]

 

[Steve O]

LeggoHead, that's just for the xtra deepies, right? Oh, and does the warning siren come with that get up?

 

[mudpuppy]

CHG, you just practice a little with a driver, and you will find yourself not using the PP button on your detector at all!..just a little practice is all it takes...start out on surface to 3" targets...you will be stabbing coins like a madman in no time if you commit yourself to learn this method...a fellow does not even need to kneel down, just sort of stoop over like how a giraffe takes a drink, stab that signal, maybe drop to one knee if its over 4" deep...but really, it has to be the quickest and least invasive method of gunning through a park and coming out of there with a lot of money in a short time.
Mud

 

[CanisiusHistGrad]

I use a soil knife that I got from Amazon, and a Garret Pro-Pointer.

Mark

Almost identical design as my garden knife (my handle is green) and I use a Whites bullseye. I'll have to add a proper probe and get practicing.

 

[ken ward]

I still use my old army survival knife. You just can not break it. I also use a ground down screwdriver for popping shallow coins. ... KEN

 

[richbat]

Well for digging plugs i use a Wilcox #102 and for places i can't dig plugs i use a brass coin probe and a gasket scraper for popping.Now alot of guys swear by the Lesche digger but i for one like to have something other than my hand to scoop out the dirt,that's where a Wilcox comes in handy with it's shape of the blade.Now a screwdriver is quite good for popping but you have a limited contact surface as where a gasket scraper is much wider and allows you to get more contact surface under the object being popped.

 

[MarkCZ]

Here is how I use my probe to retrieve coins, keep in mind that if your in an area hunting for OLD coins you run a risk of scratching them. So, I'd say ist best to practice this on clad coin hunts.

First the target is located and pin-pointed with the detector,
Next I start pushing the probe into the ground in the pin-pointed area,
I start shallow making several probes in the area, then I go a little deeper,
When the tip touches the target in will have a metallic contact feel to it. If you don't care to scratch the coin, you can scrub the tip on the coin to tell if its a rock or the target your looking for, rocks are rough and gritty, coins are smother, you can also tell if its glass.

At this point you would lift the probe just off the target and then probe at an angle above the target and lever up some of the sod, do this as much as needed to be able to rest the probe back down on the target then I run my index finger down the shaft of the probe until I can touch the coin. Then with my finger in place I raise the probe up and start it back down just enough to pass the coin on the right side. Now your ready to POP the coin, with the probe lever the edge of the coin up against your finger and then like chop-stix pinch the coin between the tip of the probe and your finger and lift out the coin. Then what you have is a smaller torn hole that you just press back down and together to close it back up.

Quarters and nickels are the easiest to do, pennies are nest with Dimes being the worse. Dimes are so small that some times you can flip them around and get them lose in the hole and not even know it.

You will learn pretty quick about coins on their edge, in one swing direction they will sound off with a double beep, they will also pinpoint like two different targets, when this happens the coin will be in the middle of the two pinpoints. When digging plugs for these You'll end up with two empty holes and then end up taking a third plug out of the middle. Coins tilted are pretty common, but actually on edge doesn't normally happen that often. Tilted will throw off your pinpoint but not give a double beep.

Mark

 

[MarkCZ]

I use a soil knife that I got from Amazon, and a Garret Pro-Pointer.

Mark

Almost identical design as my garden knife (my handle is green) and I use a Whites bullseye. I'll have to add a proper probe and get practicing.

I gave my brother one with the green handle, I think they are the same knife with a different color handle.

Here is another one I got for slicing small roots if I get around some trees. This one comes from Tractor Supply for $9.00
My brother also has one of these and I think it has become his main digger. We did sharpen the "V" notch on the end, you can rest that notch on a root and bump the handle with the palm of the other hand and it cuts a root better than anything I've seen.

Here is a couple of pictures of the Tractor Supply Digger.

Mark

 

[CanisiusHistGrad]

Picked mine up at Home Depot for about $10 - Ames branded I believe. Works nice on the tough ground, and after a heavy rain like slicing through butter. Love those plugs when I get the depth just right and there's a nice shiny prize sitting in the hole when the plug pops out.