Critterhunter
New member
[attachment 258782 IMG_2109.jpg][attachment 258783 IMG_2111.jpg]
I know many prefer the more knife like Lesche digger. I've used it but prefer the one that is probably the second most popular. The Lesche to me, while it slices through thick grass easier, is much more harder for me to work with when scooping loose dirt out of the bottom of the hole or getting another few inches out of the bottom. I like to be able to scoop it out and not have to fit my hand down in there when I can. Without a cupped blade, for me the Lesche doesn't lend it's self to that well.
This digger above, which I think is called a Sabertooth, I've owned off and on for years as detectors came and went and I sold off my old one with them. Every spring I sharpen the blade on my workbench grinder. If your not schooled in this, far as I know as with lawnmower blads, you only want to grind off metal on one side of it and not the other, otherwise the cutting edge gets worn down too quick.
Besides sharpening the blade, I figured this year I was finally going to do two things I always have put off and never did- First, I used the edge of the grinding wheel to make the sawtooth teeth a bit deeper, which would also make them more ragged at the edges for easier cutting through roots, because the stock ones were never all that sharp edged to begin with and kind'a tiny so they didn't have much bite to them. I didn't try to sharpen an edge of them, just the act of using the edge of the grinding wheel make a nice sharp edge pretty much at both sides of the digger. That should make quicker work of roots when I have to cut through them.
And, the other thing I've always been meaning to do and finally did, was to put grooves into the digger to mark the depth. The picture doesn't show it well on the blade, but the grind marks on the blade are pretty much like the ones you can see better on the black handle. It's just that they aren't quite as deep nor as sharp edged. They are there though, and easily seen and won't wear off, unlike prior depth markings I've done on my diggers that would quickly wear or wash away. This time I wanted something more permentant that should last the life of the digger without me having to re-do them every so often.
I marked the digger with a ruler and magic marker, and I'd say in less then about 6 minutes I had the blade sharpened and the sawtooth teeth re-cut, and then about another minute or so to quickly use the edge of the grinding wheel to put the depth hash marks onto it.
Happy I finally took a few minutes out of my life to get all those things done I've been meaning to do for years, and also happy I didn't forget to sharpen my blade in the first place like I try to remember to do every spring. Nothing's more misreable than cutting through tought grass and hard ground cursing yourself for not finally sharpening the blade again for the new season. A big time saver for sure and makes the hunt much more enjoyable.
If you don't have a tool harness like this.....
[attachment 258784 addon.jpg]
These are $10 up at Home Depot. Since the pic I cut a hole in the bottom of the Pro Pointer elastic pocket and one in the holder for the screwdriver so they both sit down all the way and are not sticking out being top heavy. The big pocket where the digger goes has another big pocket behind it, which is where I keep a target ID laminated card. The tiny pocket up front in the middle is where I keep an extra nylon bolt and nut for the coil and some washers. The dog chain deal I have since removed along with the flap over the pocket where the Pro Pointer goes. No need for either of them.
This tool harness sits on my left hip out of the way, and the quick release belt I picked up at Home Depot for it as well makes for fast and hassle free gearing up or gearing down before and after hunts. Can't tell you how many years I'd stick my digger in my apron and end up dropping it without noticing in the woods, having to waste time back tracking to find it. It also made for a messy day with mud stuck to it getting on my chest as I put it back in the apron or removed it. If you pick one of these up those two pocket cloth Home Depot aprons are only a $1. So cheap it's almost not worth washing them and just having a stack in the car for when one gets beyond dirty.
To complete my gear for a hunt, I now use a knee pad on my left knee to kneel on. Much more comfortable, and the plastic outer shell keeps my knee from getting wet. Never thought I'd like using one of these until a friend gave me one one day. Now I won't hunt without it.
In my truck, I also carry an extra 9V battery for the Pro Pointer, because I'm so spoiled by that thing that if the battery goes I quit for the day. Can't believe how many years I went without one, waving plugs over the back of the coil on the ground looking for the target. I had used a few other pin pointers back in the day, but by the time you tuned them you could have found the target already, and even when got the sensitivity tuned just right not to false they still didn't give me much depth to really make life easier.
Tried the on the shaft inline type probes but didn't like the extra weight on the shaft, the extra wiring, nor the fact that my shaft would get rather muddy using two hands to snap/unsnap it from it's holder. Even though I'm right handed, I can remove, use, or even super tune, and then put the Pro Pointer back all left handed, without needing to even drop the digger out of my right hand.
The other thing I carry in my vehicle is some zip lock and plastic shopping bags. The ziplock to cover my meter if it's raining, and the plastic shopping bag to cover the control box. I flip the shopping bag upside down and then over the control box/arm cup/shaft. Then I poke a hole in the bottom of the bag and fit my arm through the arm cup to grab the grip like normal. If you do it right, the hole in the bag only expands enough to allow your arm to fit and pretty much prevents rain from getting down inside.
All these little things make for a much more low hassle day, and also increase recovery time for more stuff dug in the given amount of time I have to hunt for the day.
Speaking of super tuning or de-tuning the Pro Pointer, I tried many methods but by far this one I did a little pictorial video on is the easiest and you can just use your thumb in the same hand your holding it to get the job done, and once set no need to hold it in place as you use the Pro Pointer to find the target...
http://youtu.be/3ozNtD-dKh8
I know many prefer the more knife like Lesche digger. I've used it but prefer the one that is probably the second most popular. The Lesche to me, while it slices through thick grass easier, is much more harder for me to work with when scooping loose dirt out of the bottom of the hole or getting another few inches out of the bottom. I like to be able to scoop it out and not have to fit my hand down in there when I can. Without a cupped blade, for me the Lesche doesn't lend it's self to that well.
This digger above, which I think is called a Sabertooth, I've owned off and on for years as detectors came and went and I sold off my old one with them. Every spring I sharpen the blade on my workbench grinder. If your not schooled in this, far as I know as with lawnmower blads, you only want to grind off metal on one side of it and not the other, otherwise the cutting edge gets worn down too quick.
Besides sharpening the blade, I figured this year I was finally going to do two things I always have put off and never did- First, I used the edge of the grinding wheel to make the sawtooth teeth a bit deeper, which would also make them more ragged at the edges for easier cutting through roots, because the stock ones were never all that sharp edged to begin with and kind'a tiny so they didn't have much bite to them. I didn't try to sharpen an edge of them, just the act of using the edge of the grinding wheel make a nice sharp edge pretty much at both sides of the digger. That should make quicker work of roots when I have to cut through them.
And, the other thing I've always been meaning to do and finally did, was to put grooves into the digger to mark the depth. The picture doesn't show it well on the blade, but the grind marks on the blade are pretty much like the ones you can see better on the black handle. It's just that they aren't quite as deep nor as sharp edged. They are there though, and easily seen and won't wear off, unlike prior depth markings I've done on my diggers that would quickly wear or wash away. This time I wanted something more permentant that should last the life of the digger without me having to re-do them every so often.
I marked the digger with a ruler and magic marker, and I'd say in less then about 6 minutes I had the blade sharpened and the sawtooth teeth re-cut, and then about another minute or so to quickly use the edge of the grinding wheel to put the depth hash marks onto it.
Happy I finally took a few minutes out of my life to get all those things done I've been meaning to do for years, and also happy I didn't forget to sharpen my blade in the first place like I try to remember to do every spring. Nothing's more misreable than cutting through tought grass and hard ground cursing yourself for not finally sharpening the blade again for the new season. A big time saver for sure and makes the hunt much more enjoyable.
If you don't have a tool harness like this.....
[attachment 258784 addon.jpg]
These are $10 up at Home Depot. Since the pic I cut a hole in the bottom of the Pro Pointer elastic pocket and one in the holder for the screwdriver so they both sit down all the way and are not sticking out being top heavy. The big pocket where the digger goes has another big pocket behind it, which is where I keep a target ID laminated card. The tiny pocket up front in the middle is where I keep an extra nylon bolt and nut for the coil and some washers. The dog chain deal I have since removed along with the flap over the pocket where the Pro Pointer goes. No need for either of them.
This tool harness sits on my left hip out of the way, and the quick release belt I picked up at Home Depot for it as well makes for fast and hassle free gearing up or gearing down before and after hunts. Can't tell you how many years I'd stick my digger in my apron and end up dropping it without noticing in the woods, having to waste time back tracking to find it. It also made for a messy day with mud stuck to it getting on my chest as I put it back in the apron or removed it. If you pick one of these up those two pocket cloth Home Depot aprons are only a $1. So cheap it's almost not worth washing them and just having a stack in the car for when one gets beyond dirty.
To complete my gear for a hunt, I now use a knee pad on my left knee to kneel on. Much more comfortable, and the plastic outer shell keeps my knee from getting wet. Never thought I'd like using one of these until a friend gave me one one day. Now I won't hunt without it.
In my truck, I also carry an extra 9V battery for the Pro Pointer, because I'm so spoiled by that thing that if the battery goes I quit for the day. Can't believe how many years I went without one, waving plugs over the back of the coil on the ground looking for the target. I had used a few other pin pointers back in the day, but by the time you tuned them you could have found the target already, and even when got the sensitivity tuned just right not to false they still didn't give me much depth to really make life easier.
Tried the on the shaft inline type probes but didn't like the extra weight on the shaft, the extra wiring, nor the fact that my shaft would get rather muddy using two hands to snap/unsnap it from it's holder. Even though I'm right handed, I can remove, use, or even super tune, and then put the Pro Pointer back all left handed, without needing to even drop the digger out of my right hand.
The other thing I carry in my vehicle is some zip lock and plastic shopping bags. The ziplock to cover my meter if it's raining, and the plastic shopping bag to cover the control box. I flip the shopping bag upside down and then over the control box/arm cup/shaft. Then I poke a hole in the bottom of the bag and fit my arm through the arm cup to grab the grip like normal. If you do it right, the hole in the bag only expands enough to allow your arm to fit and pretty much prevents rain from getting down inside.
All these little things make for a much more low hassle day, and also increase recovery time for more stuff dug in the given amount of time I have to hunt for the day.
Speaking of super tuning or de-tuning the Pro Pointer, I tried many methods but by far this one I did a little pictorial video on is the easiest and you can just use your thumb in the same hand your holding it to get the job done, and once set no need to hold it in place as you use the Pro Pointer to find the target...
http://youtu.be/3ozNtD-dKh8
Nice write up critter.