How to dig?

[alabamadan]

Ok, so I'm walking along with my MD and it sounds off. In the spirit of "dig everything" I drop down to my knees, pull out my digging tool and get to work. Well, I'm not to good at it yet and hope to get some advice.

First, it's all a little odd. I lay the MD down, take my earphones off. Does everyone do that? If so, when you stand up to repinpoint if you haven't found anything you have to put all that gear back on and then take it off. Or, I could unplug the earphones.... It's just not working for me.

I need a teacher!

 

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[omnicognic]

Speaking for myself, I keep my earphones on when I lay down my detector. I dig the plug and pass it in front of the coil (laying near the hole). If the target is not in the plug, then I dig handfulls of dirt and pass each in front of the coil until I get a signal or I think I may be off target. I then (while still kneeling) pass the coil over the hole to better pinpoint the target. Alot of times the target has fallen out between the hole and where the coil is resting. After I find the target, I fill my hole and then get up. Hope this helps! HH omnicognic 8)

 

[Joliet Jake]

I have even more basic questions than alabamadan, like:? What do you all dig with?? (I was thinking of a giant screwdriver or perhaps a narrow garden trowel)? How big in diameter is your "plug"?? (I hope that is not to personal of a question , but I was looking online and saw a picture someone posted of themselves and their MD, and the guy had dug a hole at least 8 inches in diameter)

Thanks in advance to you MD Pros out there.? Hope I don't offend with the newbie questions.

 

[stoney56]

joliet, there's no offense taken. That's how you learn. I just use a common kitchen knife for most digging, but it depends on where I'm hunting. The hole is rarely more than 2-3" across as that covers all coins and allows for an off center pinpoint. The knife allows for a depth of about 8" on 1st cut if necessary but it's rare to go more than 6" in most areas.
Keep askin' and keep learnin' and HH.

 

[Viking777]

Yea, I'm terrible at digging myself. I'm in FL and have not found the best tool for digging. I have a 6" gator troul that I bought at Kellyco that is not bad but it really isn't cutting it. I've tried the cut and peel back method but I generally end removing a lot of dirt. I'm not sure if my problem is technique or lack of tool. I'm somewhat new to MDing and could really use some help in this area.

E

 

[lilsorel]

I,m relatively new to the hobby, but what I do is to keep my earphones on and sweep the plug when I dig it. Take a few extra minutes to pinpoint the target as close as you can to avoid any excess digging. I bought a stanless steel MD trowel for $10 at a local show and it works great. It's very heavy duty. On coins, with my 250 there is no mistaking when you hit one, it dings like crazy when your right over top of it. Most coins are less than 4" down, but I have dug pennys and dimes at 6". Pulltabs sometimes register as nickles. The key word is pracitice!

 

[Floater]

Well I will Say it again and I really mean to sound off a little here. To answer some of these questions it would be helpfull to know the type of detector you use. Regardless of wether it is a question about digging a hole or pinpointing and the like.

An example being that a question about digging really needs to have a pinpointing qualification attached to it. If you have your pinpointing down to a science then the best tool to use is the smallest one to suite your soil and to do the least damage to the area and the coin or relic. However if you don't have your pinpointing down then a backhoe may not help you.? In order to get your pinpointing question answered by someone who knows then we need to know what equipment you own.This way people with the same equipment could help answer these questions. Please look at the bottom of my posts. it tells you what i own and is in your profile area under add a signature I believe.
Now Always try and leave your headphones on. If you cant set your machine down without the cord pulling on your head then you need a longer cord. If you are wearing something that gets in your way when you dig you need to stop wearing it. I will post a Pic of a Model MD outfit As soon as I find the time but like I said this question leads to many others but the truth is if you cant pinpoint your target then you need to practice some more. The tools you need will depend on the soil conditions. We cant use plug cutters in Florida for the most part because are soil is sandy The minute you pull it out of the ground all you have left is a clump of Bahia at the top and the soil is back in the hole. Also cutting our grass to get to the dirt is more important that what to dig with since its just about all loose sand. Are you digging Georgia Clay,In this case you need to get a jack Hammer. Just kidding. I try to carry a small garden spade My PP v2 and a screwdriver. My waist belt pouch and thats it. I carry a machine that weighs in at almost five pounds. I go no where without my hand held pinpointer and my little spade does all the rest.? I use the Home depot specials for 5.00dollars. When the break I have a spare but have only broken the aluminum one.(piece of Crap) I prefer the steel now and it bends once in a while but it bend right back. Good luck and experience is you best guide. HH

 

[omnicognic]

I have even more basic questions than alabamadan, like:? What do you all dig with?? (I was thinking of a giant screwdriver or perhaps a narrow garden trowel)? How big in diameter is your "plug"?? (I hope that is not to personal of a question? , but I was looking online and saw a picture someone posted of themselves and their MD, and the guy had dug a hole at least 8 inches in diameter)

Thanks in advance to you MD Pros out there.? Hope I don't offend with the newbie questions.

To answer your question, as you may have guessed already, tool selection is largely personal preference depending on your terrain. When I hunt land I have a kitchen gadget that in it's past life was used for cutting cheap meat into mock fillet minion. It looks like a serrated cookie cutter and it cuts a perfect 3" diameter plug. When this plug is replaced, it's very hard to find the spot where the hole ever was! I also have a garden shovel about 3" wide and has an 8" long blade and it fits into the hole made by the plug cutter with no trouble. When I work the beach, I use a pretty ordinary sand scoop. Hope this was helpfull! Happy Hunting! omnicognic? 8)

 

[flamzz]

Great questions all! I was about to post a similar question re: tools. I have been using a graden trowel and a weed puller, but am finding many times that my target is deeper than 3". I've only been MD'ing for a couple of weeks now, so any advice is good advice.?

 

[Hoser John]

I have a 30" screwdriver that means I don't have to do much bending.From feeling the size,pop top holes and feel I can just about tell whats down there without much ado. Trowel or knife but I cut a small square and remove a plug of lawn and find my treasure,put back as much dirt as possible and pop the plug in place and press down with your thumbs to reseat the lawn plug.I was born in the nursery biz and you'll leave a great lawn that way. Even a ugly city park I take care to try and leave it looking good.Makes it better for all of us.Tons a au 2 u 2-John

 

[omnicognic]

Here is the plug cutter I use, seems the thicker the grass the better it works(the roots hold the plug together better) Top pics the cutter and plug it takes. bottom pics are the hole and then the hole refilled. HH omnicognic ?8)

 

[surfrat96]

? How big in diameter is your "plug"?? (I hope that is not to personal of a question? ).

 

[surfrat96]

I"m not gonna touch this one. LOL

 

[surfrat96]

Omni, that little plug cutter looks like it does a pretty good job on the St. Augustine. Where did you purchase it? I've been using a bulb planter, but the diameter of the plug is only about 2" and is a pain to carry around. HH 8)

 

[rvbvetter]

Lesche Predator vs Hori Hori Knife
Homemade field test.

This seemed like a good post to announce it on.

A short while back ( due to the interest that was expressed, of which is best ) i said i would purchase and use both of these tools. And then post my findings as well a list of good and bad ( pros an cons ) of each. Most durable, strongest, best grip and so on. In hopes of ultimatily determining which is best. And since i had never owned or used either, it would be an unbiased report. Unless of course, one or both offered money. Well one did, but did i take it? Heck yeah!!
Just kiddin. I took the car instead. NO, not really.
Anyway the Hori Hori knife came in, and i used it yesterday for nearly 8 hours. It's well built, but has a couple of issues that i will list on the final post. The Predator hasn't shown yet, but when it does, i'll do a side by side, week long or so, in field test. And final results will be posted. HH

 

[Joliet Jake]

I went to the store, and found all the garden tools are on sale now. ?I picked up a couple plastic tools for 89 cents each. ?I figure they would damage coins less than aluminium or steel, and for 89 cents, it won't be a problem when they break. ?The longer aluminium tool (I thought it was steel, but nope), looks like a good tool to use, under $4 at Meijer's on sale. ?I like that many of the garden tools are stamped with depth in inches and cm. ?I need to wait to get the detector delivered before I try them out. ?I like the plug cutter you have, omnicognic, (although the handle could use some padding). ?It made me think of the tool they use to create the holes on golf course greens. ?I guess one of those would be the ultimate tool to dig with.

 

[omnicognic]

Omni, that little plug cutter looks like it does a pretty good job on the St. Augustine. Where did you purchase it? I've been using a bulb planter, but the diameter of the plug is only about 2" and is a pain to carry around. HH 8)

That was found in the kitchen section of a thrift store. It really does a great job, after all the times I have used it, it is still very sharp! Joliet Jake the handle is a little hard on the hand but wrapping it with masking tape makes abig difference. I thought also of using some pipe insulation and some wire ties perhaps later. HH omnicognic? 8)

UPDATE: I found the website for these things:http://www.kwik-kut.com/ HH omni

 

[quickfinder]

i use a bowee knife

 

[Floater]

Thanks Omni I am going to order one and try it. Actually im ordering two so I can use it in the kitchen too this is the one with the wood handle.

 

[stoney56]

Now that might be worth a plugged nickle.