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Hey folks, I'm always trying to small down my kit and I've been successful in stuffing all my gear(detector etc.) into a nice compact light weight backpack for back country/far from the road excursions, with the exception of my digging tool, I'm looking for something that is strong enough not to break on me when I'm 3miles from the truck that fits in my pack. A take down shovel of some sort would be great. I've tried mil surp. trenching tools and they don't agree with me. If anyone has suggestions and experience with any particular model I would love to hear them before I start having a tool custom built for me which will be expensive and take time. If this post is in the wrong spot please move to the appropriate group! Thanks

When getting close to the target, I lay the pick aside and start digging with the scoop, to avoid any possibility of marking the prospective nugget with the pick. I think it's time to finally retire my scoop, though. 😞

Want to get a sand scoop for the beach. Search did not come up with a good discussion here. Looking for suggestions. Use 2-3 times a year, salt water, wet and dry use. A travel type scoop would be nice for travel and storage. Not wanting to spend $300 on high end since it won’t see the heavy use in the near term. I like the RTGs but there are so many options! Length, scoop size, material/weight. The travel scoop with 2 piece handle seems nice but I have read it has a crappy connection with a sheet metal type screw? Scoopal and the Nokta scoops are tempting but I could see breaking these. Thoughts?

The handle on my trusty old stainless steel scoop finally broke. The scoop is fine, but the handle is a custom curved 7/8" aluminum tube. I made a trip to Home Depot - nothing like that in stock. Looked at a piece on Amazon - shipping is killer on stuff 40" long. It was going to be like $50 delivered. I figured I could find something locally for less, but did not want to bother with it at the moment. I decided that I had $50 I might want to spend on a new scoop instead. Has to be stainless steel, and my new criteria is that I want to be able to bolt any straight handle on it that I want - wood, metal, fiberglass, whatever. I've looked at highly recommended scoops like the Stealth 720, but I have to admit $250 seems a bit much for a scoop to me. A bit of Googling and I saw one that looked fine, and the price was more to my liking. The $99.95 Scoopal Sand Scoop. I had a 10% off coupon from Serious Detecting, and after free shipping this scoop showed up in two days for $89.95, U-bolts included. I like that! It is well built, looks plenty stout enough to me. I happened to have an old wood handle already in my pile of pick parts, and so I bolted it on. The scoop has been on two outings so far, and I am quite happy with it. The holes are a little smaller than my old scoop, so it gathers more gravel, but is also way easier to recover tiny stuff like .22 shell casings that slipped through the old scoop. Anyway, if you are looking for a scoop without spending the big bucks this scoop is worth a look. I have zero regrets on this purchase.

NEW FROM NOKTA MAKRO STAINLESS STEEL PREMIUM SHOVEL WITH COLLAPSIBLE T-HANDLE! • Laser Print Ruler • Wide Footrest • Double-Sided Bottle Opener • Collapsible Shaft 80.5 - 97 cm (31.5" - 38") • 24 cm (9.4") Blade with Teeth on Each Side • 16 cm (6.3") Handle

First proto, I will be testing. 4 1/4" x 10" blade, 40" overall. 2.15 lbs. Integrated foot peg so it doesn't hang up, couple root cutters to reduce side kick. Thoughts?

Joe Beechnut OBN inspired this post and I hope he puts a copy of his other post on this thread. Thanks Joe! I have several scoops but my favorite by far is a heavy duty stainless steel model with 3/8" square holes that has held up very well in rocky material. It works just fine for rings. However, the 3/8" holes are a little large for when I get into places where there are lots of smaller targets. Many times I know the targets are no good, like .22 shell casings, but for areas I will hunt a lot I hate to leave them and then find them again. I got pretty good at retrieving them on the lip of my scoop, but that only works in calm water where I can clearly see what I am doing. I decided a floating sieve would be more efficient. I used to sell mining gear and have lots of the stuff myself. Keene came up with a line of deep sieves in various sizes that I really liked, though there are now other people making them also. The stainless models range from 1/2" to 100 mesh plus an all plastic model with 3/4" to 1/4" sizes. They measure about 4" deep from rim to screen. They are 14" at the top and 11" at the bottom, designed to sit in the top of a standard 5 gallon plastic pail. Very handy items to have around for multiple uses. I went with 1/8" for chasing micro jewelry and so far have been very happy with that choice, though some may think it a little too small. It depends on the beach - 1/8" works great in finer sand locations. I found tossing stuff in a floating sieve to be so handy though I also have a 3/8" plastic sieve I can mount for coarser material. The sieve mounts handily in the middle of a standard trailer tire tube, and I just tie it to my waders and float it around behind me as I hunt. I use the same scoop but employ it more as a shovel, and have even used duct tape to close the holes off temporarily, which worked surprisingly well. Anyway, this is one option. I really liked Joe's also, since it uses dense foam for the float, so no inflation issues, plus a little wider and lower profile. If anyone else has ideas or options please post away. Floating inner tube with 1/8" screen and 3/8" alternative

Kept snapping the wood handle I had for my sand scoop so I snagged a snow rake extension that has spring clips and insert for around $15. Now I can take the handle off so it fits in my car easier and should hold up well. It seems very sturdy with the ribbed walls. Overall length is cut to 48" including the scoop.

Although we own Minelabs-Equinox, GP's & other detectors, more and more often my brother Jim and I are using the Gold Bug 2. We've discovered that when we find a patch and after the small nuggets are found, tiny pieces still remain. At the end stage, we can get even more pieces by raking the area. Jim made me this collapsible rake, from a tiny collapsible four tine rake and a welded-on eight tine piece. I can carry it in my backpack and it looks like just the tool for those tiny pieces.

As a relatively newcomer to the Probe & Pop world, I'm getting better at it but I still manage to scratch at least one coin every hunt using my basic brass probe. I recently found a different probe made by Fossicker that has replaceable hard plastic tips (it comes with 5 tips) and took it out for a try this week. It's a little thicker than my regular brass probe so it's a little harder to push into the ground now which is getting dryer and harder from the colder weather. The plastic tip hasn't scratched anything but it makes it harder to feel the metal click when I touch the target, so it's another learning curve I guess. I use my pinpointer to find the exact target location and the probe to find the depth to pop and was curious what kind of probe others are using.

https://www.diveblu3.com/product/nemo/, There is also a unit sold by Air Buddy. 25 years ago I built my own hookah unit , using a 5hp gas motor, Thomas diaphragm compressor, wash tub, and all set in a big innertube. The dive blu3 unit only weighs 10 lbs. which is doable for me, as I approach retirement. Would love to dunk the Simplex in the shallows, looking for fresh drops. Our lakes here are all rock bottoms. If you have used these electrics, I'd love to hear your comments. While Im considering it, one of those propulsion units would be fun too! The only difference between the men and the boys, is the price of their toys! 😁

I can't figure out a reliable way to re-mount this pick handle. This is a small pick (USA quarter on left, Australia 1943 penny on right, for scale). You can see what I tried -- wooden wedge in the long direction and steel wedge in the short direction. This didn't hold worth a nickel. Given that this design has been in use for well over a century there must be a solution. I can't be the first person to have this issue. (I looked online without success.) Any advice is appreciated.

I would like to introduce to you my new favorite hand digger. After about three weeks of detecting, I have come to love this new digger I have come across. It's small, light weight (about 10 1/2 oz.) and super strong. The handle design is not your typical T handle, It is reversed and angled for better leverage while digging. Great for some of us with bad hands and It's made from heat treated Chromoly steel. The edges are serrated and the tip is perfectly designed and sharp. The handle has a bed liner type grip and 3/4 inch tubing. The blade is 2 1/4 inches wide and 6 inches long. The overall length is about 12 1/2 inches at its longest measurement. This guy has figured out what diggers are supposed to be. I added a custom paint job and paracord /carabiner clip, The paint job is holding up better than I thought and In my opinion this is one of the best diggers I have ever used. Well where do you get one????? Lucky for you members here, It's made Here in the USA by one of our great members Kac. He makes them on a limited basis and Quantity so be aware that there are only so many to be had at a given time. Kac will give you all the details on pricing and shipping if you PM him.

On 9 August, I posted my initial impression of Steve Goss’ latest offering---carbon fiber scoop handles for the T-Rex, Stealth and X-treme series of sand scoops. I’ve been using his product exclusively now for over a month and thought I’d submit a few follow up thoughts. Bottom line up front: Does his handle still impress me as it did when I first got it? ABSOLUTELY. A few descriptive words/phrases come to mind when evaluating this handle after many beach outings: Stout: This handle is indeed worthy of the term. It leaves no doubt that what you have in your hand is a very stout piece of carbon fiber. There isn’t one hint of flex or weakness in this thing. Reliable: I’m more than certain Steve’s handle will serve me well for years to come. Professional construction: Steve’s handle is not your big box store, mass produced item. This man takes pride in what he makes and each one reflects his strict attention to detail. Conclusion: I’m even more impressed now than I was when I first posted my initial report. If you decide you’d like a top notch carbon fiber handle, you can buy this with the utmost confidence that you’re getting the best I’ve seen since I bought my first detector in 1970. Again, I have no financial interest in Steve’s business. I’m just passing along my personal opinion.

I made this video a few years ago as I always had people wanting to know about prospecting and what to use. So here it is.

Old magnetron magnets good holding shopping list on fridge and keeping rare iron in the bottom of your scoop for easy retrieval.... Happy Trails jimpugh

Earlier this week I had my car 'pilfered' of some loose items in it. It was probably done sometime early Sunday morning. Nothing was broken on the car but who knows how they got in without setting off the alarm or perhaps it was just left open in the carport on an alley that gets a lot of scavengers walking through. It has happened before. The police have been notified. There was some change and sunglasses, reading glasses taken along with some keys (which have no value to them) which included a disc lock on a garage door I rent. I'll have to cut or grind it off somehow. The door is aluminum and I can't cut the attachment off. I guess I will follow this advice: https://www.selfstoragetalk.com/forum/general-self-storage-forums/general-storage-chat/10594-cutting-disc-locks So much for the first 'view' of things and then I was going detecting and noticed that my Lesche 'knife' the 2"x7" kind was missing from the back with a few tools. Also my beach jacket ... so now I have an opportunity to buy replacements. I'll use some of my beach coins to buy the stuff. Is that still the best tool for a park? I like the root sawing edge but the hole digging part with just the hands is a pain. I still have a larger version but that would be too big for a nice park. The 'pilfering' could have been worse. It could have been major. They didn't have a way to walk down the alley with a couple of metal detectors and I had taken my cell phone and wallet inside but I sometimes forget it when I get back late at night. We all need to think about replacements for things 'forgotten' so please learn from my recent experience. Mitchel

New scoop from RTG. Anyone using one yet?

I’ve had a lot of questions regarding my Sun Spot water scoop so I thought I’d do a quick video. Thanks! Aaron

I got my hands on a new product from Steve’s Detector Rods--a scoop handle for my Stealth 920! As we all know, Steve has a well earned and most deserved reputation for giving us top quality shafts for a variety of metal detectors and now he’s dedicated that same level of attention to producing carbon fiber handles for the Stealth, X-treme and T-Rex scoops. It really is a great day for the detecting world. As soon as I opened the box, that professional manufacturing and precise attention to detail was clearly evident. You can just tell it’s first class when you see and hold it. The feel of this handle immediately tells you it’s ready for anything you can throw at it. The look of it tells you this is a professional piece of equipment...it’s simply a great looking handle. I took it to New Smyrna Beach, Florida for its 3 day maiden voyage and the bottom line: It proved itself to be a real beast...but a very light beast! There was absolutely no flex in this handle even when pulling out a 920 scoop full of very wet sand. This handle felt and performed like the extremely substantial shaft that it was designed to be and there were no exceptions regardless of the various conditions under which I used it. Fit, finish and texture: Like all his other shafts, Steve’s scoop handle is a work of art. The carbon fiber is top quality and the finish is truly professional in every way. The top cap is a perfect fit with no sign of twisting...no matter how hard I tried and the handle at the business end slipped perfectly into the 920s tube. It has a shark skin texture that ensures a firm solid grip regardless of how wet it was. Specifications: Overall length is right at 46.5 inches; the wall thickness is an impressive 2.5mm; the diameter of the handle is 35mm except at the point it slides into the scoop tube where it’s shaved down to 34.7mm. The weight is a scant 23.73 ozs (1.48 lbs). Even the bolt washer Steve uses to attach the end of the handle to the scoop is larger and thicker than others I’ve used measuring 1.25 inches by 0.050 inches! Simply put, Steve has built this thing for the long haul and the tough going with no detail being overlooked. Wet sand or dry, shells or surf, I found it’s all the same to this handle...tough as steel yet light as anything. It makes your scoop sing and a real pleasure to use. My “go to” set up is now 100% Steve Goss--both of my EQX shafts and 920 scoop handle are his creations. In summary, I’m convinced that I have the best of the best. Finally, rest assured that I have absolutely no financial interest in Steve’s business. My sole purpose is to simply share my views on what I consider great equipment. Another superb job by Steve Goss. Note: The two vertical grips shown in the photos are not part of Steve’s handle--I added those. www.stevesdetectorrods.com www.facebook.com/stevesdetectorrods

I got my scoop today. I shouldve done more research before buying one but wanted to get out asap and this one shipped fast. I'll try it out tomorrow or friday. After watching some YouTube videos it seems the guys have scoops with much bigger mouths and more holes drilled. This is mine: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LX79QFT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yesterday I went to the lake to try out my new "treasure" rake in the water. I pulled it for almost 3 hours and found a very thin silver chain after which I switched to the Nox 800 for the remainder of the hunt. Couple of things I learned about the rake: It did not dig as deep as I expected or wanted it to. It had a tendency to ride on top and took a lot of work to even force it down an inch or two. I may try and add some lead weights to the head to help drive it a little deeper next time. Pulling the rake wasn't as strenuous as I had anticipated but then again it wasn't going very deep. With the detector I managed to find a small silver ring and a hollow gold earring that tests out as 14K. My buddy used his detector the entire hunt and found a nice 5 gram 14K ring so maybe I would have been better off metal detecting the whole time but still, I am encouraged by this first test of the rake and will try again next hunt. It does test one's patience though even more than detecting does. In this last picture you can see how thin this chain is compared to the thickness of a dime. If the rake can find this small sized silver chain it should be able to grab a bigger gold one as well. GL&HH!

Hi, I'm baffled by choice. There are so many digging trowels on the market that I cannot choose what the best is. I have cut the options down to a handful. My choices are Garrat, Whites digmaster and the evolution extreme blade(with serrated edges). I intend using it to cut neater holes if possible on some of my pasture permissions where a larger dig may be frowned upon. Regards Ed

Hello, I am looking for a beach rake like the one in this video but will consider other designs. Thanks! Added by Steve H, previous threads: https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/2544-coolest-rake-ever/ https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/11582-raking-for-gold-on-the-beach-and-in-the-water/

Hi Guys, Has any members got or used the Radius Root Slayer coin hunting. Have noticed they have a very narrow one which tapers in which would give you a small hole. Regards .