Steel probes for digging out

[Luckee legs 527]

17 hours ago, Borr said:

Support your local fab shop lol. Probably knock one up in minutes from scrap lying about..I made these some with a bulb which was a small piece of pipe (15mm) slid up about 60mm welded and shaped into a bulb.

Nice job on this, unfortunately I'm in Cambridgeshire and postage would kill it but we do have a blacksmith who fabricates in the next village 

[Luckee legs 527]

Thanks to everyone for these replies, I've gone from WTF am I going to do next season for a probe, to having a lot of choices to get me sorted. Great thread 

My personal experience years ago with a straight bar on a cut down soil sampler and then later getting a garage to weld on a bulb , is the bulb really makes a difference in use. We have a variety of soils here with some having chalk or gravel layers in places that can be deceptive to probe if you are not directly over the middle of the tunnel.

With a bulb there's an idiot proof definite change in pressure on breaking into a tunnel. I also filed it to get a more narrower profile on the tip of the bulb which helps where soils are compacted.

The one problem no-one can help with is now I'm semi retired, even though I'm fit, the strength needed to dig deep or into hedge roots is not what it once was

[Luckee legs 527]

23 hours ago, jok said:

Typically, what size would a probe be? I have never used one relying on my finder? Jok.

Needs to be about 3ft to save your back but 2ft ok. Thick enough rod to not bend when pushing and a t bar handle to push with. Seriously they are a massive help IMO

[Luckee legs 527]

On 15/03/2025 at 06:23, big napper said:

We use a road pin, just flatten the piont on the end,

Put some tape, hosepipe or sponge on the handle and your sound,

Handy to tie the dog up aswell,

Get them at any builder merchant for a few bob

Definitely also doubles as a dog securing stake

[comanche 3,259]

On 16/03/2025 at 09:03, Luckee legs said:

Nice job on this, unfortunately I'm in Cambridgeshire and postage would kill it but we do have a blacksmith who fabricates in the next village 

You can do the preparation yourself with a hacksaw. 

Get a road spike ,cut a bit off for the T handle.  Then jam a couple  of big nuts or a bit of hollow tube on the pointy end and take it to the blacksmith or a mate with a welder . It's only a minute or two's work to weld everything  in place.

Then  file or grind the nuts into the taper you want

 

[jok 3,441]

Just a thought. Why lug a great lump of steel about when you could make a very

lighweight rod out of, either, something like cane or a chimney rod. Easy as heck to make. Jok.

[Bangersanmash 4,845]

22 minutes ago, jok said:

Just a thought. Why lug a great lump of steel about when you could make a very

lighweight rod out of, either, something like cane or a chimney rod. Easy as heck to make. Jok.

Won't a nice bit of doweling do sharpen end up dowelings light. 

[Luckee legs 527]

On 17/03/2025 at 19:44, comanche said:

You can do the preparation yourself with a hacksaw. 

Get a road spike ,cut a bit off for the T handle.  Then jam a couple  of big nuts or a bit of hollow tube on the pointy end and take it to the blacksmith or a mate with a welder . It's only a minute or two's work to weld everything  in place.

Then  file or grind the nuts into the taper you want

 

Nice, for someone like me who's not that practical it's genius