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Let's go over how many times you can use each tool, as well as how to get Golden tools.

Animal Crossing New Horizons: Tool Durability & How to Get Golden Tools

Let's go over how many times you can use each tool, as well as how to get Golden tools.
This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

Once you’ve played Animal Crossing: New Horizons enough, you start to wonder just how long your tools really last and when you can get access to Golden tools to make island life a little less tedious.

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Every primary tool type has a set amount of durability, meaning it can only be used a certain amount of times before it breaks and you have to replace it. Golden varieties of these tools last a significantly longer amount of time, at the cost of your time to craft them, as well as a Gold Nugget.

In this guide, we’re going to list out the durability (uses) for each tool’s variants, as well as how you can obtain the recipe for the coveted Golden version. As you might expect, getting your hands on these recipes is a time-intensive effort and you will likely be trying to get some of them for months.

It’s worth noting that the Ladder and Vaulting Pole, two very important tools to have on-hand, will last forever and never break. Just don’t throw them away, lest you get stuck and have to craft new ones!

Animal Crossing New Horizons: Tool Durability & How to Get Golden Tools

Tool Variants

Once Nook’s Cranny gets its first upgrade, you are able to buy tools that are equal in durability to the basic upgraded tools. So an Outdoorsy Shovel or Outdoorsy Net will last the same amount of time as a regular Shovel or Net.

Worth keeping in mind, though they are a bit pricey at 2,500 Bells.

New Horizons Shovels
  • Flimsy Shovel — 40 uses
  • Golden Shovel — 200 uses
  • All other Shovels — 100 uses

How to Get the Golden Shovel

You can get the Golden Shovel recipe by helping Gulliver 30 times, after which the recipe will be mailed to you. It requires a Shovel and 1 Gold Nugget to craft.

New Horizons Fishing Rods
  • Flimsy Fishing Rod — 10 uses
  • Gold Fishing Rod — 90 uses
  • All other Fishing Rods — 30 uses

How to Get the Golden Fishing Rod

You can get the Golden Fishing Rod recipe by catching every type of fish, after which the recipe will be mailed to you. It requires a Fishing Rod and 1 Gold Nugget to craft.

New Horizons Nets
  • Flimsy Net — 10 uses
  • Golden Net  — 90 uses
  • All other Nets — 30 uses

How to Get the Golden Net

You can get the Golden Net recipe by catching every type of bug, after which the recipe will be mailed to you. It requires a Net and 1 Gold Nugget to craft.

New Horizons Axes
  • Flimsy Axe — 40 uses
  • Golden Axe — 200 uses
  • Stone Axe — 100 uses
  • Axe — 100 uses

How to Get the Golden Axe

You can get the Golden Axe recipe by breaking a total of 100 Axes, after which the recipe will be mailed to you. It requires an Axe and 1 Gold Nugget to craft.

The Golden Axe functions like the Axe and not the Stone Axe, meaning it will chop down trees after three hits.

New Horizons Watering Cans
  • Flimsy Watering Can — 20 uses
  • Golden Watering Can — 180 uses
  • All other Watering Cans — 60 uses

How to Get the Golden Watering Can

You can get the Golden Watering Can by receiving a 5-star rating for your island at Isabelle. It requires a Watering Can and 1 Gold Nugget to craft.

New Horizons Slingshots
  • Slingshot 20 uses
  • Golden Slingshot — 60 uses
  • All other Slingshots — 20 uses

How to get the Golden Slingshot

You can get the Golden Slingshot recipe by popping 300 balloons, after which a golden balloon will spawn. Pop it, and it will drop the recipe. It requires a Slingshot and 1 Gold Nugget to craft.

Check out our other Animal Crossing: New Horizons guides and other content. You won’t regret it!


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Image of Ashley Shankle
Ashley Shankle
Ashley's been with GameSkinny since the start, and is a certified loot goblin. Has a crippling Darktide problem, 500 hours on only Ogryn (hidden level over 300). Currently playing Darktide, GTFO, RoRR, Palworld, and Immortal Life.