Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Shovel in Minecraft: Tiers, Damage and Uses
A shovel digs dirt, sand, gravel, snow, clay and similar blocks quickly. It can also make dirt paths, put out campfires and, on Bedrock, collect snowballs from snow layers. Each block dug costs 1 durability, and instant-break blocks cost nothing.
What is a shovel used for?
- Digging dirt, grass, sand, gravel, clay and soul sand
- Making dirt paths from grass, dirt and similar blocks
- Putting out campfires and soul campfires
- Collecting snow blocks and snowballs
How do the shovel tiers compare?
| Tier | Damage (Java) | Damage (Bedrock) | Uses (Java) | Uses (Bedrock) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | 2.5 | 2 | 59 | 60 |
| Gold | 2.5 | 2 | 32 | 33 |
| Stone | 3.5 | 3 | 131 | 132 |
| Copper | 3.5 | 3 | 190 | 191 |
| Iron | 4.5 | 4 | 250 | 251 |
| Diamond | 5.5 | 5 | 1561 | 1562 |
| Netherite | 6.5 | 6 | 2031 | 2032 |
Shovels attack once per second on Java. A shovel with Silk Touch picks up grass blocks, mycelium and podzol whole, and Efficiency makes digging sand and gravel almost instant at higher tiers.
How do you craft one?
Craft it with 1 unit of the tier's material above 2 sticks. Wood uses planks, stone uses cobblestone, cobbled deepslate or blackstone, and copper, iron, gold and diamond use ingots or gems. Every tool comes in seven tiers. Higher tiers last longer and work faster, and gold is the odd one out: very fast and easy to enchant, but it breaks after 32 uses on Java (33 on Bedrock). Netherite tools are not crafted; you upgrade diamond ones at a smithing table with a netherite ingot and an upgrade template. Repair any tool in an anvil with its tier's material, where each unit restores 25% of its durability, or combine two damaged tools of the same kind. Mending repairs them with experience.
Related pages
See all tool tiers and dirt types.
Does ArtemisPvP have its own gear?
Frequently asked questions
What does a shovel do on grass?
Using it turns the grass into a dirt path.
What is the best shovel?
Netherite: it lasts 2,031 uses on Java and mines faster than every tier except gold.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.