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Any thoughts on the best pick axe to use for heavy work. Durability & weight is a consideration.

I have been wanting a Walco pick for the last 12 years now and have had a hell of a time getting my hands on one. Last month I contacted Lucky Strike Gold Prospecting in Geelong Australia ? and to my surprise, Justin said yes we will ship to the United States. He had the Solid Swinger handle and he had the Walco heavy duty pick with a 29" handle. It has taken a month for them to get here. This pick has a very well balanced pick head with plenty of length on the hoe blade to sink deep along the edges of a hole to widen it as you have to go deeper. I my opinion, and this is just my opinion but Apex picks just don't have the details figured out. They told me they refuse to lengthen the hoe blade. I told them then I won't buy an Apex pick. This Waco pick is light weight but still feels like it has enough weight to sink the pick deeply into the ground. Pick end and the hoe end. I'm impressed with this pick for sure. The Solid Swinger handle is awesome as well. Now I don't have to worry about breaking a handle when I am swinging that big 25" NF DDX coil. Hahaha ?. Justin with Lucky Strike provided great customer service. I would highly recommend them. Can't say I am too impressed with both the USPS and Australia Post on the shipping end of a month long.

KAC started a thread to show a new and awesome looking pouch from Garrett. It quickly got hijacked by folks showing their pouches and F350Platinum suggested someone start a new Pouch Comparison thread... well I'm your Huckleberry! Let's see what you got. Pouch preferences preferred. ? Here are some of mine... I know... I have a problem... ?

This may save some of our mates in Australia some time in shipping. Finders Keepers Gold in Kalgoorlie Australia is carrying my GSpot Scoops and also the cover for the GPX6000. Ring them up if you need either of these items. Metal Detectors - Metal Detectors For Sale - Buy Metal Detectors Online (finderskeepersgold.com) Address: 80b Hannan Street KALGOORLIE WA 6430 Phone: (08) 9021 7207 Email: info@finderskeepersgold.com Thank you, Doc

Looks like Garrett has a higher end pouch with pretty much the features I was looking for. Wore out my others, velcro on one does diddly and zipper broke on my old Garrett pouch. Was some talk on one of the threads a little bit ago on pouches but can't find it. I was almost tempted to get some made up but this one looks promising so got one on the way. https://garrett.com/accessories/recovery-tools/garrett-all-terrain-dig-pouch All Terrain Dig Pouch from Garrett Metal Detectors on Vimeo.

I'm always looking for new stuff to try out on a limited budget, and think I may have found an interesting new item. I like the Calces365 waterproof beach bag, I've been using it for everything for quite a while, but my last coin shooting trip to the campground took the zippers out on the bag, the dirt and sand ate them up. I trashed the finds pocket by zipping it more than 300 times in 4 days. However, for $13 they are easily replaceable if not sold out. Recently I was looking for a replacement, the beach bag belt belt is too thin to hold my pinpointer and Doc's shovel bag well, it does but it isn't great. I came across the above rig, apparently new from Calces365. It's only $19.99. It comes in camo and black. It has two pouches Velcro-attached to a very comfortable and tough belt. One has 3 pockets, front, large inside, and Velcro-closure mesh inside. The other is a large trash bag with a mesh bottom and a drawstring that can fold up small. Velcro doesn't wear out too fast if you brush the dirt out of it from time to time. They should probably use self-repairing zippers but that would drive the cost up. It has a 52" belt that has one drawback, if you have to make it small the bags almost go to your back to attach to the inside Velcro. I'm tall but not "big". If they sewed Velcro to the first 8" of the outside that would fix it. You can slide the pouch under the outside if you want to, but you'd lose some hold. The belt can easily hold a pinpointer loop (wish it had one) and whatever else you want to attach. I know some don't like mesh in a bag, so you could throw a small towel in the bottom to keep sand from falling out, I have no problem with the trash bag getting lighter but it never seems to. ? It's about as large as I would want it to be as well. It can be found here and probably on eBay: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08ZSWF8N2

Check out our new accessory packages! The accessory packages will provide you with all the necessary accessories that you can use with Nokta Makro detectors at unbeatable prices! Makes a great gift for the upcoming holiday season as well! https://www.noktadetectors.com/accessory-packages/

I picked this up on Ebay for my updcoming trip west: I like the lightweight, compact design. The overall quality is quite good, with the aluminum parts appearing to be anodized. Shown in the photo is the central magnet assembly removed from the hexagonal tube. Here are a couple concerns I have: 1) Particularly when installed, the effect of the magnets seems weak. I think the ad says 13 1/2 lb pickup force (however that is measured) but given the distance of the magnets from the outside of the hex extrusion when fully installed, it doesn't seem to have much strength. 2) The magnet frame assembly weighs almost half of the entire unit -- 408 g vs. 430 g for everything else. That's not so bad, but for hiking and backpacking, every ounce saved helps. 3) The magnet assembly (when installed) rotates 360 degrees without any stop/lock to hold it in a desired position. My guess is that bumping either end on a rock or vegetation (think of the black plastic ends as knobs) could cause it to rotate to an undesirable position. The design is clever in that in order to clear the rake after filling with iron trash you just rotate the magnet assmbly until the fork tines push off the nails, wire, etc. -- a type of easy self-cleaning. However, I might be willing to dispense with that feature to mod it for stronger pull. So here's some advice I'm seeking: Do I replace these alnico magnetics with neodymium ones? If so, how many and how strong? Should I stay with the magnets on the inside or just attach them outside, and if the latter, where? I should have included a ruler for scale. The width of the rake is 10.5 inches (267 mm) and the tines are 1 inch long and 7/8 inch separation. Each hexagonal face is 3/4 inch across.

Does anyone know a way to dip in grass without the grass dying. When digging in my yard, I try to not kill the grass. But the circle of grass in dig always turns brown/yellow. I was wondering if there was a way to prevent this, or is this something that just happens. Thanks!

I like carrying my small Apex pick but it’s always left me wanting a bit more when digging the blade is a narrow scraping down on a target but I’ve put up with it because it’s lightweight and digs OK. A couple months ago the bracket welded onto the rear bumper holding my spare tire and aux fuel tank cracked and was starting to flop around held mostly in place by the large bolt the swing out arm pivots on. The bumper actually works well with the exception it’s breaking and a new setup would run me $1500 to $2000 so I decided to teach myself to weld on YouTube and bought myself a little mig/tig welder, fixing the bumper has gone well so far and I’ve branched out to other projects modifying my picks and a few other things. On my small apex pick I add two small wings with 1/4 weldable steel one to each side widening the pick from 3” to 5” and creating a scoop out of the blade, I also slimmed down the pointed side to compensate for the added weight of the blade and shaped the point better for getting down into and between the desert rocks. If this works well I’ll modify the Apex Tallon next.

I just bought this magnet off of brute magnetic's For magnet fishing and I hope I find some neat finds i will keep you guys informed on how it goes and if i find anything! https://brutemagnetics.com/collections/top-mount/products/brute-box-500-lb-magnet-fishing-bundle-2-95-magnet-rope-carabiner-threadlocker

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 $85 Scoopal Sand Scoop, 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 (edit - and still no regrets 5 years later).

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?

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.