NEW TOOL IN MY ARSENAL

Gday gents, just wanted to post this about the newest tool in my detecting toolkit. I got this hoe at Bunnings for around $30  for the purposes of scraping but I have inadvertently found it is brilliant to have around for digging deeper targets. WAY BETTER , faster and more efficient than your regular prospecting pick or even shovel,(which I sometimes used to use ), especially in hard packed gravel or clay.
This is how I analyse it: because your angle of attack is from more of a standing position ,and the greater the leverage, weight and momentum you can impart into the swing, rather than digging the target for a stooped position with the normal  ( and lighter)pick, and because of the inertia of the weight of the hoe head itself, you can excise a deep target in less time and less effort.
A a lot of people may say well that's not really that practical lugging this big heavy hoe around with you, but I have realised that many of the nuggets I have found have been mostly in eyeshot of my car. So rather than lugging it around, I take it out haul it 10 or 20ms or so and just leave it where I start detecting. Usually when and if I need it, it is a short distance to retrieve it and start hacking away at the hole.
The worst thing about it is trying to remember not to drive away without it, which I found out is easy to do.But a bit of mental memory discipline will fix that.
After a which, once you start using it like this, you almost feel naked without it.
I have to say, it is one of the best ideas I have come up with in quite a while. Totally recommend one.
Its worth its weight in gold ! So to speak.

If it works well, then the extra weight isn't a problem. cheers Pete

Since you may leave your new tool at the last dig and retrieve it at the next dig it may be wise to tie some bright ribbon to the handle because it is amazing how far we go and looking back all bush looks the same but the ribbons help to visually locate the tool. I never lost anoither pick after using ribbons.. Or as I saw back in 1980,, one detectorist had his wife carry the pick which was a road navvies model..( dunno how long their friendship lasted)..Dundiggin

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I have lost 2 picks in the past . Nearly lost my pinpointer also a few weeks back, so you always have to be on your guard and try to foster memory discipline and sort of go through a mental checklist every time I move on.
Usually, I just leave the hoe lying upright against a tree and with the colour of the handle it tends to stand out from the greys of the old trees.
But I tell you what, the hoe is just brilliant in digging deep targets quickly. What I didn't mention in my original posting is that it is brilliant in the situation where you have lots of tree and plant roots. Cuts through them like butter. But keep your hoe sharp.
The other brilliant thing with it is if you want to do clearing or scraping of an area of interest, there is nothing to match it in speed and efficiency.
Who would have thought a simple hand hoe could be such an effective tool.
Cheers and thanks for your feedback.

Don't think your hoe would be any good on the calcrete in the West.00

Cheers

Doug

That's a rather unfortunate choice of words for a topic title.

Goldendream "..The worst thing about it is trying to remember not to drive away without it, which I found out is easy to do.But a bit of mental memory discipline will fix that..."

You might try this to give you one less thing to worry about when you're packing up. If you get a bit of bright twine, orange = yellow) make a loop to fit loosely over the handle of the hoe. When you take out the hoe remove the loop and place it on your steering wheel hub. At the end of the day if you have forgotten the hoe, when you get int to drive away the loop will catch your eye for you to get out and find it. Then put it  back on the handle until next time. If you tend to be a bit absent minded you could make different coloured loops for other tools.

Pebbles wrote:That's a rather unfortunate choice of words for a topic title.

Thats one way of not losing it

Thanks for the suggestion harryopal .

hit the handle tip with flouro paint.

[quoteThat's a rather unfortunate choice of words for a topic title. What a Face lol!][/quote]

Might be a good way of carrying it too........... for some.

Rob.

May i suggest tying a Pink Helium Balloon to the handle with 1.5mt of string - then you will never forget it

Good idea, but there is a risk my hoe may end up in the clouds.