Beach, Park, Relic hunting Shovels / Spades - information and questions

[reefer]

DetectingSA.hOW YER GOI'N MATE ! Mate... in the long run, you pick the shovel that works for you best! ...but!...there are lots of choices!...and that's where you can come unstuck! I have, over the near 50years of my working life used a whole range of shovels and picks...each one designed with a specific task in mind.So you might say I would be the bloke to put you on the right track! ] ...but! it has taken me many years to settle on what I feel is the ideal combo.Heres a bit of a list for yer.!
1 A round nose 'plumbers shovel'..for general topsoil removal and
'post hole' like excavating....as in your Detecting... and the absolute best for working the gravels if you turn to Highbanking or river sluicing.
2, Picks...ROCK PICK! I have not yet been able to find one to purchase lately ..but if you can purchase a 'rock pick'...these instruments are made specifically for splitting rock and so have a specially reinforced handle incorporating a rubber 'rib' like arrangement that drastically reduces the shock of contact and preserves the overall integrity of the pick....unlike the common..'garden ' pick which is more for soft sandstone gibbers and compacted soils.These Rock picks are smaller than the ordinary type but looked after and not over-used(READ ABUSED)will serve you well in much of your prospecting pursuits.I also recommend you carry a No.2 round mouth shovel(so-called) that have actually got a point on them...If it gets regular use over time the 'point' rounds itself off a little...and that's where it becomes a very handy 'high banking type tool'..you can also have the sides heated to form a 'cup' like shape good for digging directly at the river gravels.Now I know only to well there may well be a lot of suggestions put to you about this subject and that's only to your benefit...but trust me..The above will one day, be your 'weapons of choice'.I also would point out that I carry an ex-army shovel-pick combo.. for detecting and crevicing!... ] So I hope that along with other advise you have received you will make a good choice and soon be out there...trying your best to blunt all of 'em...hehe! ] I'll see yer at the diggins!

 

[Dron]

Pelican Pick is good for wet work.

 

[Keitzy]

Old miners pick, can't bend em, can't break em. Best steel.! .. prob a bit heavy if ur just detecting tho, go the pelican if u are.

 

[pete165]

Yes a rock pick is the go. Get the best one you can.

 

[Hunting the yellow]

I just got the go ahead on a work mates private property, he says he doesn't mind about holes. Even though I'll obviously fill them back in.

What's the shovel of choice? I see there are a ton of different shovels on the bunnings website.

Pointed edge, flat edge etc etc

What's my best bet in powering through some likely tough soil?

pointed round mouth with a steel handle I've broken that many fibre glass and wooden handles I now use steel but I still manage to bend a few of them too lol

spades are only good in gardens to flat won't hold any stones and when digging in a creek all your dirt falls strait off

 

[Hunting the yellow]

Old miners pick, can't bend em, can't break em. Best steel.! .. prob a bit heavy if ur just detecting tho, go the pelican if u are.

yeah ive got 3 a big one a smaller one and one about the size of a normal day east wing pick but gee they work good strait is the way they dig into the ground better than a curved pick also mine are a little different they have a flat hammering spot on one end and the pick is on the other end so if your in hard rock and want to easily chip that quartz reef out find a small crack in it and get a malt hammer the end of your pick and leaver a bit of stone out. also great for getting into those rock crevices In creeks but if you have a big enough crack in the crevice not much beats the good old crow bar there.

 

[Magilla]

I like a long handled post hole shovel, pay a bit extra and get an Australian spotted gum handle.

 

[brendomac]

Reminds me of when I was choosing to buy my shovel a year or two ago. I think it was one of my longest visits to bunnings. Hold this shovel/that shovel. Think about this scenario/that scenario. It was busting my brain in the end!!

I ended up with something similar to what GoldenOldie said. It has done me quite well. One thing I didn't think about at the time was the weight. I've carried that bugger of a shovel a long way a few times. It served me well to scare off a snake by clanging it against the rocks as I walked down the creek bed (that could have been bad).

Anyway, I'm with GoldenOldie. But I also did buy a half size pointy shovel, which I use on occasion too.

 

[DetectingSA]

Thanks so much for the advice guys, who knew buying a shovel would be complicated :lol:

 

[DrDuck]

It's nice to sit and talk to someone about shovels (go to 19:21)...

[video=480,360]https://youtu.be/YYpsz2eAKOs?t=1161[/video]

 

[Keitzy]

Old miners pick, can't bend em, can't break em. Best steel.! .. prob a bit heavy if ur just detecting tho, go the pelican if u are.

yeah ive got 3 a big one a smaller one and one about the size of a normal day east wing pick but gee they work good strait is the way they dig into the ground better than a curved pick also mine are a little different they have a flat hammering spot on one end and the pick is on the other end so if your in hard rock and want to easily chip that quartz reef out find a small crack in it and get a malt hammer the end of your pick and leaver a bit of stone out. also great for getting into those rock crevices In creeks but if you have a big enough crack in the crevice not much beats the good old crow bar there.

Yup, I have 2 similar...

 

[madtuna]

I'd forget the shovel for detecting (gold) and just go a good pick.

On various forums not sure about this one look for a bloke named Davsgold. He make and supplies picks to a few differet prospecting shops.
Can't recall how many different picks I've used and gone through but Daves picks would undoubtedly be the best pick I've ever used by a country mile.

 

[DetectingSA]

I'm mainly infor coins and relics, something like that pelican pick would do me fantastic me thinks.
She's abit pricy though, $93 at bunnings

 

[brendomac]

I should clarify, i knew nothing about shovels then and i know nothing about them now. ...

 

[Skexis]

Hey. What are peoples preferred spade/shovel? I need one but they all seem quite small, 80cm being the longest I've found so far. Or is that the standard size for these things?

 

[CreviceSucker]

Go to a farmers co-op or maybe burnings

6- 7 foot fiberglass handles are my favorite

 

[Northeast]

Are you using it for digging for gold or for the garden?

In typical gold country you are probably better off with a pick. The hard, gravelly, compacted ground is not really suited to a shovel. If really hard ground then maybe take along a little crowbar of some sort to crack through it.

A spade for the garden are often sold as square mouthed, short types.

Same as crevice sucker, I refer a long handled shovel. Then you have post hole shovels, wide mouthed shovels for transferring lots of material, etc, etc.

Bunnings or Mitre 10 should have more different types than you can poke a shovel at

 

[Skexis]

Ah, should have been more specific. I'm thinking of one of those serrated plug cutter spades, something like a Lesche. Was wondering what people here use. Have since found Greenhornet's post in the DIY section so I might have a go at that rather than buy one.

 

[MegsyB007]

There was another thread recently on this same topic, search "Diggers" that has a lot of info on them there.

 

[1968falconxt]

There is some on ebay with 700mm long handles