Thank you for posting, I'm a newbie to MD and this video really helped me understand pro/cons of the shovels.

This video reminded me of one of my most common comment gripes where they say you should have used this, that, or something else. It can't be easy to be prepared for every situation on every adventure. We're all human (maybe) and get distracted, excited, forgetful, and sometimes just plain "dumb". I think you do a great job, especially sharing your "Shoulda Coulda Wouldas". As always, thanks for my continuing education.

after seeing this video about two years ago I bought that Lowe's shovel, 5" wide blade. Still using only it.

Thanks Mr. Chigger for this video!! I had been having a problem with my back hurting after digging a few holes. After watching this video I went to Lowes and bought the trench digger and haven't had any more back trouble and I don't get tired as fast as I used to digging with the short diggers.

Interesting Beau! I have the same shovel and it's also my favorite! I take it everywhere I go hunting. The best!

Thanks Beau, I love your informative/instructional videos. I think that trenching shovel looks awesome, I need one now!

Quick & dirty! Just the way I like it! Thanks Beau!

Life is amazing, You learn something new every day. Keep on diggin.

Very good information on the shovels that's a good shovel I have one of these you are so right about this

I use a lesche in parks, but other places, it is a good old fashioned shovel. Great video!

Loved seeing your cats in this one, Beau!

Cool video. Thank for sharing. Lots of great points!

Thank you sir, you and nuggetnoggin have been very good sources for getting back into metal detecting.

Beau, took your advice and carried a trenching shovel ever since. Appreciate your advice and posts. DIV was much nicer with the long handled shovel. Thanks again... Doc

Excellent video and comments..!! Thanks, for sharing..!!

Thanks! I needed that. I was thinking about buying or making one of those straight spades, but I always had a thing for old shovels, and I like the trench shovel too. You are right about the ease of plug removal. Also great cats!

You are so right ! The right type of shovel does save wear and tear on the old back and knees ! Lord knows I've dug enought holes on my knees ! Thanks for the info

Great Channel! You pin-pointed it! I started just as you said, with that little orange detecting trowel.

Great info on digging tools!

Your video brought back memories of a 3 legged cat I had for years. Loved that cat, besides 3 legs, it had no teeth on its right side. Thanks, love your videos.

Picked up one of those shovels at Lowes today. Can't wait till it gets warm of enough to do some digging.

Great run down of the diggers. I do like the looks of that trenching tool you use in your videos. GL&HH

Thanks for sharing why you like or dislike certain tools. Educational as usual.

Beau, I have that same Yellow Handled shovel from Lowes but I found some shredded big wheel tire scrap on the side of the road with thick tread and I cut two chunks off (which wasn't easy) and glued them to the place on either side near/on spade where you put your boots at to push it into the ground to dig. This has saved alot of wear and tear on my boots.

@adventuresunknown1013

9 жыл бұрын

Thank you

That answered my previously posted question! Thanks!

Great video for a beginner like me. Thank you!

Thank you...just the type of info I've been looking for.

I actually had an imported collapsible military shovel similar to the one you described in the video, minus the pick axe. The key is "had"...it broke last week. Pretty spot on with that prediction. Thanks for the insight!

Great video. Very helpful for deciding which bigger shovel to use. I am gonna get one like that from Lowes for when I go relic hunting in wooded areas. I haven't quite gotten to relic hunt yet. Right now I have the Lesche Sampson shovel which is awesome for parks and yards. Thanks Brother. GL+HH TTYL

Thanks, I wanted information about the shovel you use. I will be heading to Lowe's very soon.

Good man for looking out for the cats, I have 2 as well, have to keep my eyes on her polydactyl non retracting claws

My town made that shovel! The Ames shovel shop has been in my town since the 1800's. Just two years ago they closed it down and turned it into section 8 housing. They wouldn't let me detect the factories before they destroyed them, but just in digging with the backhoes they pulled out tons of cool relics. I always get excited when I see an Ames shovel

@clintonhausman4474

10 жыл бұрын

I believe the company is still around, just not in my town anymore.

I used to use my angle grinder to cut a sharp edge on my little shovel to slice grass or tree roots when digging.

Thanks for the information, really will help. Have an awesome day. Karla

I've been using a shovel similar to the wide blade one you showed, but with a short handle. I tried using one of my mom's gardening trowels and bent the poor thing. I wish I had some easier way to carry the shovel and anything I find though. Got any suggestions, like a backpack or something? Thanks for another useful video.

Excellent vid. I went to Wallymart and bought a small garden spade and cut the outside edges to form a "V". I haven't tried it yet but I'm sure it will do for me, a beginner.

Thanks! LOL! My cat usually lays on my desk in front of the monitor, he happened to look up when your cats were on and really was interested, it was real funny...

Great video, quiet helpful. One shovel I was looking at but didn't see in your choices was a #1 shovel which is the same as the one laying on the ground (#2) at the end of the video but with a smaller blade.

I have to agree with everything you said exept the trenching shovel seems a bit heavyer than the regular spade. I use a spade with a D handle and i've modified to to be better. I use a small digger once I have the plug open and I think I'm close to the target but not quite at it, i'll dig with the small one to find it. Great explanation Beau, love the video.

I use muh bare hands to dig! My brother bought one of those 1/2 circle edging tools. 1st thing we did was bend it trying to use it. Any idea what I can do with all the sub par shovels and rakes we have?

I used to dig in the Northern Virginia area in the mid 80s and used my "Arkansas Toothpick" for digging. I used a White's Coinmaster and never came home empty handed....except for once. It got left out in the field and never found it. Probably somewhere around Middletown or Winchester, Va.

well lowes no longer sells that shovel found it at home depot . thanks for the info great shovel

Thanks so much for this information. I've spent the better part of the last day shopping online for shovels and was getting a little overwhelmed. You've helped to narrow down the possibilities.

@gorp7476

9 жыл бұрын

***** Relatively brand new to the hobby. Looking forward to it!

I've got a "Chigger digger" and you are right, the shape and angle with the long handle equals leverage making it easy to pop a plug. Found the shovel head on the ground near a burnt homeless camp. Put it in the electrolysis tank, and put a good hickory handle on it from a old shovel.

I use a cold steel spetsnaz shovel, i find its just the right size, that and a small plastic trowel for scooping

beau, what are your thoughts on the garret atx pulse, it will be used in the arizona desert looking for gold

I also find that sharping the end slightly makes a huge difference when digging. Cuts through easier. Just my experience.

Love the cats !!!

this is some ground breaking stuff..... heh.

Coincidently, I was going to ask you about shovels last week, so thanks for this video.

@john3Lee

10 жыл бұрын

Thank you.. :)

do you ever use a wheel barrel to help transport things to and from your dig site ?

very odd...I also have a 3 legged cat, about the trenching tool...I had an incident with my 5 year old where the handle slipped out of my hand and whacked her when she was behind me. switched to a garden shovel soon after poor girl.

very helpfull! gonna save me some money too

Good info on digging tools. That's an impressive block of wood. What type and how did you get it flattened off on top?

Were did you get the Ames shovel I have seen them on eBay but not with the pick would love to get one

Would the Lowe's brand that hes referring too be the Kobalt? Kobalt Long-Handle Fiberglass Trenching Spade?

+Aquachigger Very good video. What's the exact Model Number of your Lowe's trenching tool? Is it made by Nupla Corp.? Thanks for your help. Y75

Great instruction/ Tips video. Great work Beau. Do LEO's really hassle people over that small hand shovel? Is a marine Knife not a good tool then? Aren't screwdrivers burglary tools to the LEO's if you carry it around? Just curious, I am so conscience of letting my tools be seen by others.

I also have a collection of diggers.... I recently bought one like yours from Lowes, but it is broke. It never dug up any bullets.....

Thanks Beau, I agree with you. I have one just like the one you think is the best to use. I like mine, because it saves me from bending over as much, and saves on the back. Thanks again.

I use a steel/aluminum army entrenching tool, very easy to transport, sharp digging edges, not heavy and quite cheap. Also indestructible.

Thanks for posting this ! My AT Pro comes on wednesday, I have been meeting with Diane (alwaysdetecting) We did some vids and I gave you some shouts in them. You all have a fantastic community! I will take your advice on that shovel, However I will mod mine to work in conjunction with a motorcycle! I can't wait to get started!!

@navythomas8

10 жыл бұрын

***** Give me a couple weeks and I will have a fix bro!! Trust me on that!!

@spaghettibeans

10 жыл бұрын

***** , We must see this motorcycle detecting rig!

Fortunately I'm a welder come fabricator what I have a tendency to do is go to reclamation yard ! Pick up old spades for a quid that's a dollar I then chop n desighn to my spec and copy some others that are on the market ! I can chop a spade up and make 3 small digging trowels ,I make em for mates as everymate I introduce into the hobby are skint so I end up making gear for them ha ! Be carefull what you start ! .as always love your vids ant from Wales UK HH

@indianatone218

4 жыл бұрын

@Speedstar you can see a sheath i made out of wellingtons on my you tube channel that was a good job .

Ty!

I use a Jackson J-250 Trenching shovel (5 inch wide) Best metal detecting shovel I've ever used!

Hi, what’s the width of the trenching shovel? 4 or 5 inch?

Do you have any recommendations for tick defense?

You seem to know right where to dig so you can use a narrow shovel....is this the way it has always been...or did you originally have to use a full size shovel and dig wider holes. Also out of curiosity...let's say you are detecting an average sight for like three hours....how many holes do you actually end up digging? Another detector (nice young guy) named nugget noggin......sometimes will dig four-five hours and show you the interesting relics...might be a dozen...then he'll pan to the scrap iron pile where there could be 40-50 things. Is a day spent detecting like a day digging a ditch? Hey...love your stuff!

ha ha ha hay good video ,i ask you befor what kind of shovel you where using and still on my mind to buy one :) , trenching shovel digs a neat tidy hole without all bending over

The better question is how much stuff do you carry and how do you carry it? One shovel? A trowel too? Extra batteries? Markers? A snake bite kit? In a side bag or backpack?

I use the cold steel shovel it's really light weight and sturdy you can also use it as a hatchet + it's cheap

I digg this video.

love your minion helpers

Hiya Beau can I get the long handled spade you favour in the uk

For a cat who's mostly blind, he seems to get around very well. I think the cat is fibbing about his blindness.

The US trenching tools are by far the best, mine's from '66 and has been in my camping gear since the 80's.

Thanks, I've been considering one of the detector shovels but had also looked at the trenching ones as well. Do you sharpen the sides and end of your shovels?

@wzukr

10 жыл бұрын

I for my part would at least clean that spade with the T-handle. Digging with dirty equipment isn´t fun and makes the task a lot harder. I understand sharpening the end of the blade, SilverBinder, but why one will sharpen the side of the blade? I guess Beau isn´t preparing for a trench fight ;-)

@wzukr

10 жыл бұрын

From my experience (digging over my parents garden [8000 ft²] for decades) it´s not of any profit to sharpen also the long sides of the spade. But maybe that depents of the model?

5 inch trenching spade frome lowes kobalt brand with fiberglass handle, Best $27 ive spent on a digging implement. Plus its gauranteed for life. Beau knows!

I can dig it 👍

Hi, just getting into this and enjoying your videos. Can you tell me your preferred footwear for stream hunting? I live near creek with very slippery, algae covered rocks and just wondering what's the best choice for river walking?

@n8trsho

10 жыл бұрын

***** Got it! Thanks. Fantastic.

I went to Lowe's today and I saw two shovels, a 4" and a 5" I couldn't decide which one was better. The one in this video appears to have a shorter blade tho...? Did you get it offline or in-store?

@RustyHaloMetalDetecting

9 жыл бұрын

***** the one you use looks like the 4" blade, is it?

@RustyHaloMetalDetecting

9 жыл бұрын

***** ok Ty sir!

@RustyHaloMetalDetecting

9 жыл бұрын

***** alright! I almost got the 4" but I thought I might see which one you thought would work better. I can't get up and down all day bc I'm disabled so a long handled shovel is what I need! Thanks again!

I take the wwmfg stuff over all but i have a different purpose formthe tool than you have the only thing i dont like is that they become slippery in wet/rainy conditions

I CAN DIG IT.. Just take a look at my last video . I think you will find my intro funny. I also only show the really good stuff I find so there's some really old cool stuff I think you would be interested in . By the way you are right.... I started off with a small hand digging tool and worked my way up to $140 predator tool shovel lol...

thanks for the info on shovels. helpful! nice of you to keep those cats, so may folks would just dismiss them, or have them put down..........

What a beautiful bloke

6:06 xD hilarious

I feel it is my civic duty to relieve you of that well made relic digging shovel that you dislike so,,,,,, Seriously though ( oh I'll seriously take it off your hands ),,,,,, I did purchase a trenching shovel like the last one after watching your videos. It does work well. I keep it in the truck just in case the trowel isn't cutting it.

I use the "Poor man's Lesche" A fiskar's walmart garden knife, in parks. The local permitting office has on the permits "No Shovels of any kinds. Only small digging tools permitted" (smh). I use a harbor freight short fiberglass t handled spade when in the woods or on private property.

@spaghettibeans

10 жыл бұрын

The trouble with the "garden knife" in Florida, is the ground is mostly sand. you cannot get a clean plug or hole with it. The short shovel at least picks up enough and keeps it together to neatly fill the hole once done. I tried to explain this to the parks and rec dept that issues the permits here...it fell on deaf ears.

@SkynyrdTim

10 жыл бұрын

I use the Fiskar's garden knife as well. Great for cutting small plugs at parks and baseball fields.

I use a predator spade, I never thought of the angle of the shaft... I absolutely killed a late 1800s brooch with crystals in it last week. Pinpointed it off I guess. I normally have problems with targets that are silver dollar size and bigger. I always either nick em with the spade, or cut straight through them. Or god forbid I'm using the bunks pick, I'll be digging and after one misplaced swing, the target is stuck on the end of the pick. Shit happens. Lol

what metal detector do you suggest and where to buy? is it a buy once cry once situation

@chevyforlife1972NOVA

10 жыл бұрын

I would not be going in the water and I would want to be looking for coins sir

@chevyforlife1972NOVA

10 жыл бұрын

Thank you for all the info and where should I buy one?

You prolly just saved me bout 50 bux!! Thanks!!

Great informational video. GL/HH

Beau use a hoof pick!

Good info. I had a silver detecting place in collected from in the 70's. I used a screw driver just to poke the ground to find the coin. Before you cringe too much, I had a buyer that didn't care about the condition, he was melting everything (so he said). He gave us 7 times face value for any coin. I made a lot of money that summer and kept the best condition coins. So weird to see you with long hair. (2020)

What a cute cats.

What's best for hard soil?

@dodgyaz

8 жыл бұрын

+carter A prospecting pick or a regular pick if money is tight.

Thanks for your video. And don't dismiss your opinion as just an opinion. "Opinions from people with experience is called Wisdom"

I always carry a ww2 era pilots knife when I insulator hunt or bottle hunt.

@ronrenfros4757

2 жыл бұрын

sometimes I find old Bosch bottles in northern michigan by the lake sticking out of the beach surrounded by rocks and surviving the ice, crazy, any pointers on looking for glass bottles? Mine say Bosch Lake Linden michigan registered

Great video I am a big fan. Picked up lots of tips from you, thanks Beau. No one tool for this job for sure. I dig mostly in city parks and schools and agree with you that people may freak out about shovels and spades. Even though they are the best tools for saving your back and digging sharp plugs fast. You just don't want them to call the cops and destroy your hunt. I am buying Fiskars Exact Edging and Planting Spade medium size after all considered because of size and looks (orange goes with my TRX too :), which I plan to attach to spade handle for ease of use and to save time). Got a new hand tool in the meantime that looks promising for increasing my recovery speed. It is called Soil Scoop from Garden Works. Check out my vid for more details. Greetings and HH.

We call it a sharp shooter