Sand Scoop Opinions

How many of you would purchase a sand scoop at this price ?



Up to my ____ in Pulltabs, Grant

A similar discussion came up on a UK forum ( about a small batch run of dedicated river scoops ).
The high manufacturing cost was largely due to the laser-cutting of the holes, something like 900 of them, requiring about 60 minutes of continuous cutting. Then add in the bending, the hand-welding, the cleaning, polishing etc, and the manufacturing costs get very high. Then there's the design process and CAD file creation, the cost of which needs to be reclaimed from the sale of a fairly limited annual production.
So it's unsurprising it's going to retail at a serious price ... but as regards 'who will buy' , only those with productive beaches, with long time-frame usage plans, I imagine.

When i saw the price i was like 'wow, ha', but then i saw 2# and went 'Hmmmmm...'
Even if it never paid for itself, it could be worth it to older/disabled hunters on that point alone.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2021 01:11PM by Champ Ferguson.

Then there are those who prefer (among other reasons), to buy once, cry once. I know why I got one and doubt it will ever pay for itself based on my experience and beaches I hunt. But then, it’s not what I had in mind when I bought it. It’s very light, it’s very strong. and yes it can be broken, but with a ten year warranty, oh well.
Add in a a carbon fiber break down travel handle as depicted in this ad, ($70 more than the 46” carbon fiber handle) the material the scoop is made of, (titanium) as well as the skill required to weld that particular material, the price of a CNC machine, overhead, and I doubt the gentleman is making money hand over fist on these.
I spoke to the owner, and he is very customer satisfaction oriented, which speaks for itself. Lastly, I’m all for supporting American small business, especially those who provide an excellent product, and stand behind their product. Think I paid about $620 or so for mine a couple years ago, have owned it long enough that the price is long forgotten, and the quality that remains still makes me smile.

I did....I've had 4 stainless steel scoops and only 1 from overseas has been up to the task of handling my beach hunting. The other 3 stainless scoops all made in USA couldn't last without numerous welding repairs. The overseas stainless scoop is now my heavy backup and the Extreme Titanium is my go to scoop for digging those deep Tarsacci targets. Just got tired of welding repairs and it was worth it to me.
I purposely didn't name the other scoops.
Cliff

That's a nice scoop. As my dad use to say, "we can't afford to buy cheap".

And to think I still have a 140.00 RTG scoop.

LIKE X10 on the RTG!

goodmore Wrote:
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> And to think I still have a 140.00 RTG scoop.


Yep, I've had my RTG for years 15 years or so.

It's not laser cut titanium built on a CNC machine.
Unfortunately, mine was hand fabricated by a skilled craftsman.
It works better than any over priced $690 sucker scoop.

Up to my ____ in Pulltabs, Grant



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2021 03:25AM by Up to my ____ in Pulltabs, Grant.

I am very happy with the $89 Dune Kraken scoop I got on Amazon. I added a fiberglass handle off a rake from Lowe's. I think the whole thing weighs about 3 pounds. Strong and light. [www.amazon.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/2021 02:07PM by Badger in NH.

Up to my ____ in Pulltabs, Grant Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------
> Yep, I've had my RTG for years 15 years or so.
>
> It's not laser cut titanium built on a CNC machine
> .
> Unfortunately, mine was hand fabricated by a skill
> ed craftsman.
> It works better than any over priced $670 sucker s
> coop.

No, it doesn’t. You made me laugh out loud! How so? Lighter? Bigger scoop? Longer handle and angle provide better leverage? Fine scoop mesh at the back of scoop doesn’t lose small objects? Handle floats when you let go of it in the water, or sinks like the boat anchor it feels like by dusk? Carbon fiber handle has a sharkskin texture reducing slippage when your hands are wet or sweaty? Aluminum/stainless steel is more resistant to wear than titanium after thousands of dug holes? The handcrafted skill it took to make it, is better than the engineering, materials, equipment and skilled labor that went into the Xtreme?

The OP asked for opinions of the Xtreme scoop and to a degree whether the price is justified. It wasn’t a request for comparisons.. Not knocking the RTG. I’m saying any comparisons between it and the Xtreme stop at digging holes. After that, there is no comparison, whether it’s durability, ergonomics, efficiency, superior materials, light weight, skill to build, and hands down quality of craftsmanship.

No need to try and shame. What you consider a sucker’s scoop, I, and dare I say most who own one, consider it, hands down the best scoop in the industry, and yes, worth every penny. YouTube it.

I have 2 StarvR scoops ($140 each) with nylon shovel handles ($15) that ive had at least 10 years. Those who buy that also buys the CF handle... whats the cost of that $400? Ill spend the money on a machine ..... other things are cheaper to replace.

Dependability and effectiveness are what I need. I have both of those things from a few different scoops including the RTG. Scoops that are much cheaper. But heh if you need the Cadillac then more power to you. Any problem I have ever had with a scoop was with the handle. Of course I don't dig in rocks. Just sand.

I have $450.00 USD in my Stealth 920iX.....with a carbon-fiber handle. It has taken the usage/tuition/education (of a few years) to realize...... it's worth its weight in gold. It is a extremely efficient time-saver......that should last a lifetime. It has (more than) cut my time in half...... for each target I recover. (((Before the Stealth............. I was replacing a digger...about every two years........ and: at the most inconvenient time))). Sooooooooooo......... I could conceivably see spending $700-USD for a Titanium scoop.

REMEMBER:
* Tomorrow may never come.
* There may never be a tomorrow.
* Do it right the first time.
* Life is not a dress-rehearsal /// dry-run.
* The "TIME" for/of your life is a VERY finite resource. (((ONLY to be epiphany-discovered..... in your very last few moments of life))).

* Efficientize your TIME

Tom I have the 720i. A great scoop. I'm not sure what I invested in it. It has been a few years. Probably close to what you mentioned. I admit my beach hunting has tapered off since the pandemic. So the scoops have not been wet in quite a while. I often think back to the questions....Do you want it? Or.....Do you need it? If you dig in rocks I can see needing it. Soft sand? Not so much.

I do miss the grab handle on carbon fiber shafts. One reason I use the RTG once in a while. Plus during those off season months sifting sand is done more efficiently with a scoop designed for it.

Definitely! I have the 920iX as well, with carbon fiber rod. Single handedly, probably the best piece of detecting equipment I own. I don't even currently have a detector but won't part with that scoop. Stuff like that seems high but if it's something that will probably outlast you, then it's worth it.

I own a stealth and an extreme scoop....both with cf handles....I'm set....no regrets!