Best pickaxe technique

Best pickaxe technique

This is a quick video, demonstrating proper technique with one of my favorite digging tools, the pickaxe. This tool is one of my top picks for trying to dig in the hard Arizona soils. If you have to dig by hand, you definitely want this handy tool in your arsenal.

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[KentVigilante]

Welcome back to Minecraft in real life Ultra HD Graphics Edition!

[adas.]

Thank you! That was so useful. I'm a massage therapist, also 4'11 and 100 pounds little lady that needs to do some heavy duty work on my backyard. As a massage therapist I can't afford to hurt my back or hands. This helped a lot! Thanks again.

[edcohen]

In the UK that tool is commonly known generically as a " Pick Axe" - but that head type is correctly called a "mattock pick" - the blade end is the "mattock" (similar to African Adze) it is intended as the primary digging part of the tool. The narrow "pick" end is only supposed to be used for breaking up or prying loose large rocks. I was using my pick-mattock in garden today to cut a pathway in hard ground. The mattock was used to dig earth - I only used the pick to pry a concrete pillar that was buried out. Try it - that's how it was intended to be used

[lovelana]

My #1 tool for removing old stumps and tree roots in our forest.👍

[bondpaz]

This is the way my Dad did his garage shed. Turned out great. Y’all are working hard! Keep up the good work. 😄

[Rayvn]

put your legs into it, in the initial shove upwards of the swing, and then if you can pull back a little right at the end and sort of 'whip' it into the soil, it really bites into the ground; course they you gotta fight it, so it is best not to bite too deep till you gotta good ledge to work with. Good video!

[crlrealty]

Great video. Simple and stright to the point!!!👍👍👍👍

[gameseeker]

Never used a pickaxe in my life, and ready for an upper body workout. Thanks!

[VerasakSahachaisaree]

Thank you so much for the technique. Yes very good workout. Much better than going to gym. The soil in my area is super hard but unfortunately it seem impossible to find a good pickaxe like yours. May be I have to wait until Covid is gone and go to buy it from your area :)

[UncleM]

Maan that dirt is solid asf 😲 Thanks for sharing brother. Much love from New zealand. 💯❤😎

[warningsystemsofohio]

I have a pickaxe and I didn't know how to use it when I got it and I watched this video thanks to you now I know what to do and how to use it properly thank you

[andrewblair]

Goid demonstration my general fisrt time going to use it 😮😊

[chrise]

Learned yesterday that there is an easier way:
1. Think of soil like cake with layers, there are hard layers then soft layers layered one over another.
2. You can slice easily rocky soil horizontally easier than hammering it at 90 degrees aka vertically. Think of woodgrain strength depending on orientation
3. The angle of the pickaxe should enter the soil as if you're scooping or drawing a circle with it. Think how excavators scoop at an angle.
4. Dig a small hole first then scoop under to slice through the layers, clean and repeat. Don't use the mattock pick as a Concrete Hammer its wrong.
5. You need about 1/3 of the force if you scoop vs if you hammer.
6. You'll notice naturally you'll form a "right angle triangle" between your legs and the axe entry point into soil. It shouldn't go too far.

All the best.

[wendigo]

I have been digging a trench with a shovel and it has been so much work due to it being in the Forrest one of my men sent me this video and we already completed the trench

[trollmcclure]

Beautiful. If I wanted the exact same pick axe for some reason, where would I get one?

[JRPagan]

Thank you for the video!

On a side note: for those correcting him, there's a difference in calling it a mattock only which is not what he has. Specifically, it is a pick mattock he's using. Pick axe is fine if you are using it generically since it covers all T-shaped tools.

[andrievbastichy]

the enthusiasm of a mortician...such a even tone voice..
makes me wonder - if i was going to hear...
"over there - is where i put that thief who tried to break in last week.. he got a nice christian burial."

im teasing.. thanks for the video!
its good see technique.. no one wants a wrecked back!

did some picking yesterday.. but i use more leg in it... and i realised when i was lifting when tired id use my hips as a pivot - im wondering im not sore at all today - but im wondering if i was just lucky? So i came to look up a video.

[believer]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. God bless you.

[gazza]

Good to see you guys cracking on with the next build. so what are your plans for the foundations? am guess that your laying a slab down, as your digging the whole footprint out.

[JamesCouch]

I'm guessing that there aren't that many videos on how to swing a pickaxe but I'm willing to bet that yours is hands down the best.