shovel advice?

[jenca]

First off want to say I got a nail apron and love it it works much better then my plastic bag on a key clip attached to a belt loop or backpack strap.

Now I'm trying to figure out a decent shovel.

I have been using a small hand trowel which size wise seems to be perfect, but I'm having trouble with the blade bending I think it was a cheap hand trowel I got just to get me started but to be honest in hard packed soil it kind of sucks for lack of a better description.

I've been looking online and at one point was considering a military surplus trifold e-tool like what soldiers would carry on a belt or in a pack for the purpose of digging a foxhole, but most of them are around 23 inches or so and I'm wondering if it would be an overkill size wise.

The size of my little hand trowel seems to work nicely for me so far, but it's the constant bending that drives me nuts so I've shifted my thinking from looking for an e-tool to looking for something similar size to my litrtle hand trowel but attempting to find something that won't bend as easily.

Is there such a thing and if so what's a good place to find such an item not to mention how will I be able to tell if it is going to hold up good or not with out being able to test it out in the dirt?

Lots of questions I know, but I never really shopped for shovels in my adult life and don't want to waste a lot of cash on trial and error if I can avoid it.

 

[Dano505]

jenca,I bought this at Ace Hardware for 5 bucks,its 27 inchs long with a 6" by 8" blade,and its not heavy.

 

[bigsquid55]

Get a solid knife... (Bowie?)... appx. 5" blade. 90% of your digging finds will B found w/ this! Mine are! If your targets R deeper than that..... get your shovel! Chat w/ ya ltr.... Bigsquid55

 

[GoGoGopher]

Go to Lowes or Home Depot in the garden section and find a Fiskars digger...I personally use a Lesche Digger, expensive, but built to last...

 

[Aces High 333]

The Lesche Digger is popular. A good tool is worth paying for it. Broke an inexpensive digger the other week. Interrupted a good hunt. Some times the Marine come out and I want to bring the Ka-Bar. My advise don't go cheep.
HHing

 

[dave5710]

jenca, I don't think you want to be seen at a park or school with a D handled shovel. Triple G got it right, find a Fiskars lawn knife in the lawn and garden department of a home center. They have a great warranty, so save your receipt.

 

[bigsquid55]

jenca, Dave's right, too! The sight of a shovel tends to make folks frown at our hobbie! My 5" Bowie works just fine & I carry it in a holster on my belt. When curious ones approach me while I'm out, they see my machine.... not my digging tool. Have made a few friends along the way!! Have even gotten some new turf hunting permission! Now... If I would have been carrying a shovel?????????? Good Luck! Bigsquid

 

[kschae4]

I'm with the Gopher...Checking Fiskars website - a few good choices there, like the Big Grip Multi-purpose Planting Tool.
Unless you upgrade to the Leshe or a Sawtooth that I'm currently using.

http://www2.fiskars.com/Products/Yard-and-Garden/Cultivating-Tools/Cultivating-Hand-Tools/Big-Grip-Multi-purpose-Planting-Tool

 

[Dano505]

Well first of all Jenca asked about a shovel,so I showed her what I use ,that being said,thats not the only thing I use.I have a serated 6 inch blade knife and a 5 inch straight edge gardening tool.
I only hunt parks after dark when theres no kids around so yes I'll carry my shovel then,and yes I have permission to do so.Never had a problem or even a comment about my shovel from the very few people that have seen me.
Yeah its kinda cheap but I'll bet my plugs look as good as any other. JMO.

Dano.

 

[draphty]

Wal-Mart, in the gardening section, a small hand trowel, made of black fiber, the cost....$1.00. Yep, that's right, $1.00. I bought one thinking it wouldn't last 5 minutes. I was wrong. I've been using it and using it hard. Hasn't broken and protects whatever you're digging up. For larger, or tougher holes, old military tri-fold.

 

[edjcox]

Use a Lesche and foun a neat SS garden shovel with long handle for tougher deeper digs. Only use and cary shovel in non-public areas. Shovel is definitel a no no as far as giving the public a non intrusive impression of our hobby.

 

[jenca]

I looked at the link someone included to the multipurpose planting tool and it looks like it is about the same size as what I'm using and after checking with my city I am allowed to dig no more then 3 inches in the parks, but if I get permission from private property owners I can dig as deep as I want. I also have to fill my holes in which I've been doing, and I'm not allowed to dig inside the play area of any of the baseball fields, but the bleacher area where peple sit to watch is ok also the giurl sound like she was just about doing backflips when I told her I also try to pick up any garbage I find in general laying around while I use my detector, so I think I scored points with that one. My Mom has said I could dig in her yard as long as I fill in my holes as well so it's another site I'm looking at checking out as well.

I really like the planting tool though it looks like something I saw in a video smeplace online that someone was using for digging purposes and it was impressive to see it used, but I had thought it was a custom made tool so I'm pleased to find out it is something that can be store bought.

The military style tri-fold shovel is something I was consdering as well, becaue it would be easy to carry, but in light of the city's limitations I think the planting tool will be perfect. I try to aim for discrete when I do something that is unusual even if it is somethng I have permission to do, may still get the tri-fold shovel though for places like my Mom's yard, because there is a time capsule burried somewhere in her yard she tinks would be neat if I could find so I may need something bigger for that. I'm just not sure what the lifespan of a coffee can is when it is buried in the ground, so I may not fnd it. my Sister buried it when she was about 7 or 8 and she's 32 now so it's been awhile and she isn't sure where she burrid it just that it's in the back yard.

Thanks for all the tips about digging tools and things like discreteness, always good to be reminded of things like that from time to time. Nobody has said anything to me about me doing this in the park, but I had see comments on here abot some places not allowing it at all, so I thought it would be wise to check.

 

[Liz]

Lesche is the best! Worth every dime!

 

[jenca]

Thanks, will look for lesche

 

[kschae4]

Good luck searching for the time capsule. It will interesting to know what your sister thought what was important to be buried at the time.

 

[fayt]

The best digger I've used and is low cost, is True Temper garden shovel. It's light weight, and doesn't bend, you can pry up anything and it won't ever bend, most amazing tool with teeth on one side, sharp blade on the other, twine cutter, prying tip, inch measurement, etc. Here is a picture of what one looks like,

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31nTVmRFbAL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

You can get it at Lowes for about $14.

 

[wasp]

I agree with Fayt....great digger for the price. I've had one for quite a while now and love it. They (Lowes) also sell a generic all purpose garden tool sheath that fits it very well. The sheath has a metal clip on the back that fits over my leather belt securely.

 

[jenca]

Lesche was a tad beyond what I could afford, and the places I looked locally were out of the Fiskars brand multi-purpose planter, so I ended up getting a 7-in-1 True Temper thing similar to the fiskars almost identical to the one a couple posts up by fayt. I had a really busy week last week and spent the first half of this week recovering from last weeks stuff, but went out for a bit today with my detector for the firt time since I got my new digger, and I loved it, I didn't feel like I was constantly trying to prevent or correct bends in my digger like I had been with my dollar store hand trowel. I was able to poke around roots with a LOT easier time, and in general it felt like I spent less time digging for each item then I had been spending with my cheaper tool. Not a single bend in my new tool after about an hour and multiple digs, so time will tell if I hit on something that works for me or not, but my first impresssion is that I'm in love with my new digger.

Here's a link to what I got .....

http://www.lowes.com/pd_248710-48340-2500800_0_?newSearch=true&catalogId=10051&productId=3028004&Ntt=7+in+1+true+temper&N=0&langId=-1&Ns=p_product_price%7C1&storeId=10151&Ntk=i_products&ddkey=http:SearchCatalogDisplay

(nightmare of a link for which I appollogize.)

I haven't looked closely at my finds yet just got home a bit ago, but going from memory in about an hour, I found about 12 cents, a pull tab, and I'm not sure if it's called a hair pin or a cotter pin. Will take a pic of my finds once I get them rinsed off and post a link to where I put the pic.

 

[kschae4]

Looks like you've made a wise choice . May it recover many goodies for you

 

[Digums]

I also use that Lowes tool, its strong, easy to cut the sod with and you can pry all you want. I also have in my backpack my old military E-Tool for when you get into gravel or for areas its ok to dig with a shovel in. Its also nice to have if you're in a high crime area, that shovel can trump anything but a gun!

Digs