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On 7/4/2021 at 3:18 PM, mh9162013 said:

This is my current set up.

20210704_140919.jpg

Thanks for the post!

Love that Lesche Sampson, I bring one to the RV parks because it fits in my gear bag41nZlZOmR5L._AC_SY780_.jpg.68235b28501807cbdc7dd163becd866f.jpg

(Yes - the Equinox fits 😀) and is probably the least intimidating of my other digging tools, a White's hand digger and a Predator Barracuda. I plan to get an even more scary shovel this year - the Predator Ranger. That monster can dig an 11" hole in seconds, even in roots.

Seems I'm not alone when it comes to the Fiskars composite trowel, on the beach it can't be beat. It's not great for roots or clay but in sand and salt it's perfect.

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11 minutes ago, F350Platinum said:

Seems I'm not alone when it comes to the Fiskars composite trowel, on the beach it can't be beat. It's not great for roots or clay but in sand and salt it's perfect.

It just happened to be the only plastic trowel I had laying around! But it works well in sand, ground up tires and wood chips. That trowel was one of the first things I noticed in your original post.

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Here's my winter rig:

20210704_173327.thumb.jpg.ff5412741288b33ef6fee826598c57fb.jpg

White's double serrated digger. This thing is a tank, glad I got one before they folded. Craftsman cut resistant insulated gloves, These are the warmest gloves I've found and I need 'em. They only come out around Christmas and sell out fast. Otis gun brush set, and FooFoo spray bottle, both in 9mm double stack mag pouches. I found silver in the winter 😀20210207_142204.thumb.jpg.dae93a3f44b64320aa613a56ba9e97eb.jpg

I use my Predator Barracuda for most of my digging, but in the field I used an Ames D handle spade most of the time. This winter it's gonna be a Ranger. I have an old Garrett pouch for finds and trash.

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2 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

I use my Predator Barracuda

What advantage do you see this shovel as having over the Sampson Lesche that I use? 

Seems like the Lesche Sampson was used by many people until somewhat recently. Now I see more people using other similar shovels, but am curious as to the reason why.

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10 hours ago, mh9162013 said:

What advantage do you see this shovel as having over the Sampson Lesche that I use? 

Seems like the Lesche Sampson was used by many people until somewhat recently. Now I see more people using other similar shovels, but am curious as to the reason why.

Good question! Because I have both, I'll try to make sense.

The Lesche Sampson is a great shovel, you may even be able to get it with single or dual serrations. It was the first shovel I bought for digging in my back yard. For that it is excellent, it's a great plugging shovel for turf. You can dig clean plugs and not leave a trace - exactly what I need on public grounds. It is light, compact, and strong. I have pried some large iron with it, but I don't recommend it.

The problem comes when you get in the woods or around old growth. The Sampson tends to "bounce off" roots, and more pushes apart the thicker stuff than cutting it. 

That's where a digging tool like the Barracuda comes in handy. It goes through smaller roots like they are butter, really rips. The larger ones can be cut with some effort, I also use it to "stab and split' even bigger roots. This is of course where I can. This type of shovel is less likely to be re-directed by more solid obstructions due to its more radical wedge shape. It is a noticeable advantage in the woods.

Remember too that Predator Tools is an offshoot of Lesche, I believe a family member or relative. It's a "better mousetrap" if you will. They're both strong and reliable.

The reason I want to get a Predator Ranger is that it has a longer/wider shovel span than the Barracuda - it is 5.75 x 11" where the Barracuda is 5x9. It also has a "D" handle which I think inherently offers more torque than a "T" handle shovel, and is a bit easier to hold. A lot of my targets are deeper than the Barracuda or the Sampson will dig, and digging is time. Accept nothing less!

HTH

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2 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

The Sampson tends to "bounce off" roots, and more pushes apart the thicker stuff than cutting it. 

I've definitely noticed that when digging around trees in my yard. It usually takes me hacking away like I'm stabbing the root with the tip of my shovel to get through the root. And most of the time, 4 out of every 5 hacks involve the shovel bouncing/slipping off the root.

I've considered getting some gardening shears/pruners to help with the roots that are 1" or less in diameter. Or maybe a Silky foldable saw? But those are such nice saws, I'd probably care more about that saw than my metal detector!

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9 hours ago, mh9162013 said:

I've considered getting some gardening shears/pruners to help with the roots that are 1" or less in diameter. Or maybe a Silky foldable saw? But those are such nice saws, I'd probably care more about that saw than my metal detector!

I have a pruner, sometimes I'll bring a lopper on the golf cart when I know I'm going to be digging in root areas or have something specific to dig. Most try to dig around roots to avoid damaging a tree or bush. Always remember on a permission what's there isn't really yours! 😀 The places I have permission to dig are poorly maintained, so sometimes I have to also get permission to maintain them. Mowing, trimming overgrowth for access, that sort of thing. Here there are laws regarding cutting brush near waterways.

Looked at that saw, it is really nice. 👍

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Here's my all year set up, The bag is an OmegaMill relic elite with my own belt, which is super light and very well made. (USA). The big shovel is a Grave digger Nemesis. The hand digger is made by our member Kac. This little digger is the best I have ever used. Gloves are Tractor Supply. And I run two garret pointer's oddly they perform different. I use one in dry soil and the other in wet soil. Other stuff is a tooth brush, bamboo chop stick, and some small storage containers for the good finds.

IMG_2216.jpg

IMG_2215.jpg

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12 minutes ago, dogodog said:

Here's my all year set upIMG_2215.jpg

Thanks for the post!

KAC's hand digger is unique for sure. I've considered it but want to get a Ranger first.

That Grave Digger shovel looks like a really tough one. It's important to have the strongest one you can get, when they break you are done, literally until you can get another. Cool!

I'm sure everyone who reads this will be interested in what the difference between the two pinpointers is? 🦆I also have 2 Carrots but only bring the second along in my gear bag on long trips as a backup. Mine both work the same, they didn't until I realized one was set to less sensitivity than the other. Learned recently via video how to adjust the Carrot in water.

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For the Pointer difference. One seems to false a lot in the damp or wet ground and chase things that are not in the hole. Works perfectly well in the dry. The other is oddly the opposite. Also the audio is less loud for one vs the other. 

My buddy uses a Ranger it's a pretty awesome shovel. At the time I wanted to get one but they were unavailable so the GD instead. It's just as good in my opinion. The only thing a shovel can't overcome is an old buried stone driveway. Invent one of those and I'm in.

 

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