I will be the first to admit; I had no idea that specialized digging tools for metal detecting even existed when I was brand new to the hobby.
To this day, I can still remember what I happened when I went out metal detecting for the very first time. I had my brand new Garrett Ace 250 ready to go, I stopped in the garage on my way out the door, and picked up an ordinary garden trowel to take with me. The trowel broke within the first 2 hours of the hunt! So off I went to the hardware store to buy a better quality garden trowel. This one lasted for about a month before it broke. Frustrated, I did a search on the Internet and discovered that there was a variety of specialized metal detecting digging tools for me to choose from.
I ended up purchasing a Garrett Edge Digger as I was (and still am) a big fan of Garrett metal detecting equipment. The Garrett Edge Digger works extremely well for cutting plugs in grassy areas. The Garrett Edge Digger also works efficiently out in the woods, as well as in other locations with varying soil conditions. I still have my Garrett Edge Digger, but the sheath that it came with wore out in the first year that I owned it. This actually turned out to be a bit of a mixed blessing because I discovered that there were leather sheaths available, such as the one pictured below, that were not only incredibly sturdy, but could also hold a pinpointer in place.
Here’s a picture of my Garrett Edge Digger in its sheath with my Garrett Pro Pointer attached to it. I am using a lanyard to secure my pinpointer, not because it falls out of the sheath, but to ensure that I don’t leave it behind (which I’ve done) after I’m done digging.
Using a handheld digging tool that was specifically designed for metal detecting is by far better than using a garden trowel. There is however, an even better option! As someone who spends a lot of time metal detecting; I found that I was beginning to suffer from sore knees as well as achy shoulders and wrists. A friend of mine convinced me to try using a T-Handle shovel for metal detecting. I ended up purchasing the Lesche Sampson Pro-Series Shovel and haven’t looked back since. T-Handle shovels, such as the one that I purchased, drastically reduces the amount of time spent digging in order to recover a target. As such, I found myself digging iffy signals more often which resulted in me finding more obscure coins and relics such as the US 3 cent silver (trime), British farthings, and an assortment of flat buttons and jewelry. I quickly got used to carrying the shovel in my spare hand, and even found it to be convenient as I could use it as a walking stick when climbing steep hills.
Having a digging tool that is designed specifically for metal detecting is an absolute must. Personally, I find that it’s much more efficient to dig using a T-Handle shovel. The trade off is that it’s yet another piece of equipment that you need to purchase and carry with you. Even though I use my Lesche T-Handle shovel for most of my digging, I still bring my handheld digging tool with me in the event that I need to dig in tight spaces. A T-Handle shovel, combined with a hand held digging tool and leather sheath will go a long way towards making your next metal detecting treasure hunt more productive, and more fun!
Most popular handheld metal detector digging tools
Most popular T-Handle shovels