store bought diggers

[wingman]

with very little rain lately the ground here is solid.in the past 2 weeks ive broke 2 knive type diggers that i got from meijers.
they both broke while flipping the plug over.
can anyone recommend any diggers i can go to the store today to buy.i want to go back out tomorrow.
thanks all
wing

 

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[PrizmIV]

Sounds like to me that you need a shovel!

 

[shm477]

ace hardware has small garden spade on sale this week. also have great luck with my small carpenter's prybar. ground is very dry in nw ohio this year

 

[jimbob]

I use a knife to cut open hole and use a small hand shovel that has shaft extend into the grip all the way up. We have not had rain here in a month and I am able to pull uot the dirt/clay . If you have any army surplus stores by you check them out. The army stuff is built to take abuse.
Jim

 

[Bulletboy]

Those Army Surplus stores sell some pretty stout tent stakes that can be modified into a decent digging tool too.

 

[wingman]

Army Surplus store near by....i'm gone!
thanks all
wing

 

[da Hobo]

Okay, as you can see, I'm reasonably new at MDing but I have been putting in time and from a digging stand point here's my few cents worth . . .

I'm located in northern Illinois and our ground this year is REALLY dry!! Dry and hard! For my "digger" I use a simple aluminum planter tool, about 11" long X 2" wide with a very comfortable cushioned handle. It has inches etched along the blade part and was bought at Home Depot for about $6-$7, I don't recall. If one breaks this I would suggest cutting back on the arm & hand exercises.

Because the ground is so dry and hard I assist my efforts by using a decent size screwdriver and I stick it in the ground around the target area and pry with it just enough to break the ground up a tad. Then I dig the rest (it's almost dust) out with the digger.

When the ground is a little bit wetter I use a not quite decent (Kellyco supplied free with my MD) knife and cut around three sides of the target area and then slightly pry with it (This knife WILL bend! ) and then remove the knife and dig the plug with my digger. Note to myself: Get a better knife!!

In moist soil I have stuck this digger in the ground as far as 3-4 inches on my first go at it and pried an unassisted (no screwdriver or knife) plug out of the ground without any bending at all and I just have to doubt that I could, under reasonable pressure, break this digger.

I suspect we all have our favorite tools as we do MD's but I think some of the specialty tools are a bit over priced for what you get and can be replaced with better, cheaper tools at local stores. Of course OMHO.

Hobo

 

[Gold Digger]

Wing,
never really understood why someone would go out and spend $30-$60 on a treasure hunter digger.? I have always used a common hand garden spade.? Look for a one piece unit, check it out, for 7 bucks you can get an outstanding digger, with saw edge, keep it sharp.

have a good un.............
SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS.

You obviously have easier digging up there in Illinois than we do towards the West and Southwest. LOL... I know the Texas dirt would eat those little garden spades for breakfast, I've bought the best ones they have in the stores and they will not hold up for any kind of digging... At least not around here... I've even used those fold up military shovels, and the ground has broken them.

Now I use a solid piece stainless steel digger made for metal detecting, and even it has been bent, I was able to straighten it out though. So far it's the only thing that comes close to being a good enough tool for this tough, dry, concrete type of dirt we have. My buddy uses an old Bayonet, real thick blade, and that works well also...