Get the Fiskars Pro IsoCore 5 lb pick mattock: riveted head, shock-absorbing handle and a full lifetime warranty. Estwing’s pick mattock suits rocky ground; its cutter mattock is the one for roots.
Top pick: Fiskars Pro IsoCore$76.90 at AmazonPrice as of Oct 24, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Fiskars Pro IsoCore: best overall
Best overall
Fiskars Pro IsoCore
5 lb pick mattock, 36 in. handle (pickaxe and hoe, 751210-1003)
Riveted head Fiskars says won’t slide down or snap off
IsoCore shock control; Fiskars says 2× less shock than wood
Steel sleeve guards the handle against overstrikes
Tested to exceed U.S. striking tool standards, per Fiskars
Cons
Fiskars gives 5 lb without saying head or overall
Head can’t be swapped; it’s riveted on
Pick and hoe only, no root-cutting blade
5 lb36 in.Pick + hoeForged steelLifetime
Buy it if
You’re digging a water or sewer line trench through hard soil and want the most protection for your hands and the handle.
Skip it if
The ground is full of roots. The Estwing cutter mattock has an axe-style blade for them.
The Fiskars Pro IsoCore is the mattock I’d hand someone digging a line trench. It scores 9.0, the top of this page, because Fiskars documents the things that matter on a striking tool that takes a beating: the head, the handle and the warranty.
Fiskars describes a pick end for breaking up rocky surfaces such as gravel and hardened, dried earth, and a mattock end used as a hoe when digging in tough soil.
Its product page lists a 36 in. length and 5 lb, and says premium steel is forged into a balanced design. It doesn’t say whether 5 lb is the head or the whole tool, so it gets half the overall-weight check.
One of Fiskars’ own listing photos gives the dimensions: an 18.46 in. head from pick tip to hoe edge on a 35.97 in. tool. That long head is what lets the pick end reach down into a narrow trench.
The handle is the reason it leads. Fiskars says its patented IsoCore Shock Control System transfers 2× less shock and vibration than wood handles, with an insulation sleeve for the first strike and a dual-layer handle to damp what’s left.
That same handle has a steel reinforcement sleeve, which Fiskars says helps protect against overstrike damage. An overstrike is when the handle neck hits the trench edge instead of the head lands.
The head is riveted on. Fiskars calls it an inseparable riveted head that will not slide down or snap off, even when swinging with maximum force. The tradeoff is that you can’t replace a worn head the way you can on the Estwings.
Fiskars says the design was tested to exceed U.S. standards for striking tool durability, without naming the standard, and backs the tool with a full lifetime warranty. Fiskars also lists a flared handle end to keep the tool in hand and a textured grip to reduce blisters.
Estwing pick mattock: best for rocky ground
Best for rocky and hard-packed ground
Estwing pick mattock
Estwing 5 lb pick mattock with 36 in. fiberglass handle (62560, EMT/P-536F)
Double-injected fiberglass handle for grip and shock absorption
Replacement heads sold separately, per the listing
Made by Estwing’s official licensed partner
Cons
No written warranty for mattocks; 30-day return only
Heaviest pick here at 8.93 lb
Made in India, per the listing
5 lb head8.93 lb36 in.Pick + adzeFiberglass
Buy it if
You’re breaking up compacted fill, rocky soil or hardpan to get down to a line.
Skip it if
You want a lifetime warranty. Fiskars gives one; this store doesn’t.
The Estwing pick mattock scores 7.0. It’s the tool for ground that fights back. The store that sells it describes a pick end that drives through tough surfaces and a mattock end that works as a hoe in tight spaces or rocky soil.
The numbers are complete. The listing page gives a 5 lb head, a 36 in. handle, a 39 in. overall length and an 8.93 lb overall weight. That’s about 4 lb of handle and hardware on top of the head, so it hits hard and tires you faster than a lighter tool.
The head is drop-forged, then heat-treated and tempered, per the page. The handle is double-injected fiberglass, which the page credits with grip and shock absorption. The Amazon listing adds that replacement heads are sold separately, so a worn head doesn’t mean a new tool.
The listing also pitches it for digging, chopping and hoeing in confined areas and challenging ground. In a trench, that means you can work the pick down along an existing pipe without widening the cut.
This mattock is sold by Estwing Tools, which says it is an official licensed partner of Estwing Manufacturing Company, under license from Estwing. The listing says it’s made in India. That matters for the warranty.
Estwing’s own warranty page covers its all-steel hammers and says plainly that it isn’t a lifetime warranty. The licensed store lists a 30-day satisfaction return, a lifetime warranty only for its Indestructible Handle hammers, and no other warranties. So this mattock scores nothing on the warranty check.
It also misses the head-attachment and durability-test checks: the page doesn’t describe how the head is fixed to the handle beyond being replaceable, and it says only that the tool is built to Estwing’s own specifications. Those gaps are why it sits at 7.0, not higher.
Estwing cutter mattock: best for roots
Best for roots
Estwing cutter mattock
Estwing 5 lb cutter mattock with 36 in. fiberglass handle (62563, EMT/C-536F)
Replacement heads sold separately, per the listing
Cons
No written warranty; 30-day return only
No pick point for rock
Listing showed limited stock when checked
5 lb head8.15 lb36 in.Cutter + adzeFiberglass
Buy it if
Your trench line runs through a yard with tree roots, or you’re clearing a stump near a line.
Skip it if
The ground is rock or hard fill. A pick end breaks that up better.
The Estwing cutter mattock scores 7.0, on the same checks as its pick sibling. It trades the pick point for an axe-type vertical blade, which the store page says cuts roots and helps remove stumps.
The store calls it a double-ended, drop-forged head built for tough digging and cutting in hard soils and heavy-duty use. That makes it the better tool for a trench through a lawn with trees nearby. Roots are what stop a shovel in its tracks, and a narrow blade swung across the trench slices them so you can clear the cut.
The other end is a horizontal adze blade. Estwing’s licensed store describes it as digging deep and pulling soil toward the user, which is how you clear a trench bottom between swings.
Specs are close to the pick mattock: a 5 lb head, a 36 in. fiberglass handle and an 8.15 lb overall weight, a little lighter. The store page says the fiberglass handle is engineered for comfort, giving strength while minimizing vibration. The head is drop-forged, heat-treated and tempered, the handle double-injected fiberglass, and the listing says replacement heads are sold separately and that it’s made in India.
The warranty picture is the same as the pick: no written warranty for mattocks beyond the store’s 30-day satisfaction return, and Estwing’s own page says its warranty isn’t a lifetime warranty. It loses the same three checks, head attachment, durability testing and warranty.
Amazon showed this listing as in stock but scarce when I checked. If it goes out, the card stays with its price hidden until it’s back.
If your trench crosses both rock and roots, own both heads. A pick mattock opens the hard ground and the cutter handles the roots it uncovers.
Truper’s spec sheets list only the name: 5 lb, 36 in. fiberglass
Same head and handle sizes as the picks
Seymour 85565 pick mattock
Not scored
Seymour’s page gives a shipping weight, not tool specs or a warranty
2.5 lb head, lighter to swing
Ames 1195300 cutter mattock
Not scored
The listing number doesn’t match Ames’s current part (20182500)
Hickory handle
Fiskars Pro IsoCore 14 in.
Not scored
A 1.5 lb hand tool, a different size class
Weeding and tight spots
How much dirt is in your trench, and which head to use
Enter the trench size and your ground. The planner works out the soil you’ll move and which mattock head fits.
Trench (length × width × depth)
Soil as dug
10 ft × 6 in. × 12 in.
5 cu ft (0.2 cu yd)
25 ft × 6 in. × 18 in.
19 cu ft (0.7 cu yd)
50 ft × 6 in. × 18 in.
38 cu ft (1.4 cu yd)
50 ft × 8 in. × 24 in.
67 cu ft (2.5 cu yd)
100 ft × 6 in. × 18 in.
75 cu ft (2.8 cu yd)
Pick mattock or cutter mattock?
The two mattock heads. Pick mattock: a pointed pick on one side, a flat adze or hoe on the other. Cutter mattock: a vertical axe-type blade and a horizontal adze. From Fiskars and Estwing descriptions. Not to scale.
Pick mattock
Cutter mattock
One end
Pointed pick: drives into rock, gravel, hard earth
Axe-type vertical blade: cuts roots, helps with stumps
Other end
Adze or hoe: digs and pulls loosened soil
Adze: digs deep and pulls soil toward you
Best ground
Rocky soil, hard fill, hardpan, clay
Lawns, wooded lots, root-filled soil
On this page
Fiskars Pro IsoCore, Estwing 62560
Estwing 62563
A mattock differs from a pickaxe in the second head. A pickaxe has a point on both ends or a point and a chisel; a mattock pairs a pick or an axe blade with a wide, flat adze set across the handle, so one tool both loosens and moves soil. That’s why it’s the first tool out of the truck on a line trench in hard ground.
How to dig a water or sewer line trench with a mattock
1
Call 811 first
Georgia 811 says to submit a ticket online or dial 811 at least 3 business days before digging; locators mark lines with spray paint. Other states set their own timing.
2
Mark your line
String the route between the marks you need to avoid, and note where you’ll cross any marked utility.
3
Cut the sod
Use the adze or cutter blade to slice the turf along both edges, then lift it to replace later.
4
Loosen, then clear
Break hard ground with the pick or cutter, then pull the loose soil out with the adze end or a trenching shovel.
5
Pile spoil back from the edge
OSHA’s trenching guidance says to keep materials away from the edge of the trench.
6
Go gentle near marks
Near a marked line, stop swinging and dig by hand so you don’t strike it.
Trenches get dangerous fast. OSHA says trench collapses, or cave-ins, pose the greatest risk to workers’ lives, and its answer is to slope, shore or shield trench walls and never enter a trench that hasn’t been properly inspected. Most homeowner line trenches are shallow and narrow, but a deep, wet or sandy trench is a job for a contractor with the right protection.
A narrow trenching shovel finishes what the mattock starts; see the trenching shovel guide. To find an existing line before you dig, the pipe locator guide covers the tools plumbers use.
Head weight, handle length and how hard you’ll work
Mattock
Head
Overall
Handle
Overall length
Fiskars Pro IsoCore
5 lb (stated)
Not separated
36 in.
36 in.
Estwing 62560 pick
5 lb
8.93 lb
36 in.
39 in.
Estwing 62563 cutter
5 lb
8.15 lb
36 in.
Not stated
Seymour 85565 (left out)
2.5 lb
Not stated
36 in.
Not stated
A 5 lb head on a 36 in. handle is the full-size mattock most trench work calls for: the weight does the cutting so you don’t have to force it. My call: lighter 2.5 lb heads are easier to swing all day, but in hard ground the heavier head does more per swing. Heavier overall weight, like the Estwing pick’s 8.93 lb, adds hitting power and fatigue in equal measure.
Fiberglass, IsoCore and replaceable heads
Fiskars IsoCore
Shock-absorbing handle with a steel overstrike sleeve and a riveted head; Fiskars backs it with a full lifetime warranty.
Estwing fiberglass
Double-injected fiberglass for grip and shock absorption; replacement heads are sold separately, per the listings.
The two designs answer the same problem differently. Fiskars fixes the head permanently and protects the handle so the whole tool lasts; Estwing makes the head replaceable so a worn or chipped head doesn’t retire the handle. If you dig through a lot of rock, a replaceable head is worth having. If you want one tool and a warranty behind it, Fiskars is the stronger choice.
An overstrike is when the handle neck hits the trench wall instead of the head landing. Fiskars is the only maker here that names a guard for it.
Plumbing jobs where a mattock earns its keep
Job
What you’re digging through
Head to use
Then
Running a new water line to a yard hydrant or spigot
Lawn, then compacted soil
Cutter for the sod and roots, pick below
Trenching shovel to clean the bottom
Exposing a leaking water service line
Backfill around an old line
Pick to loosen, adze to pull
Hand dig near the pipe
Uncovering a sewer cleanout or a broken lateral
Fill, gravel, sometimes roots
Pick mattock; cutter if roots
Shovel out, keep spoil back
Digging a sump discharge or drain line trench
Topsoil and clay
Pick mattock
Trenching shovel
Clearing a stump near a planned line
Roots
Cutter mattock
Call 811 first
My call on the split of work: the mattock loosens and the shovel lifts. On every one of these jobs, swing only until you’re close to the pipe or a marked utility, then switch to hand digging so the point or blade never lands on the line itself.
For the frost-free spigot or yard hydrant that usually sits at the end of a new line, see the frost-free spigot guide. If you’re digging to find out whether a slow drain is a main-line problem, read clogged drain vs main line first; it may save the dig.
How to choose a mattock
1
Match the head to the ground
Pick mattock for rock, gravel and hard clay; cutter mattock for roots. The planner above suggests one from your ground.
2
Pick the size class
For trench work, a 36 in. handle with a head around 5 lb. Short 14 to 16 in. mattocks are for weeding and tight spots.
3
Check the head attachment
Riveted heads like Fiskars’ stay put; replaceable heads like Estwing’s let you swap a worn head.
4
Look for an overstrike guard
Fiskars’ steel sleeve is the only one named by the makers here.
5
Read the warranty
Fiskars states a full lifetime warranty; the Estwing licensed store lists a 30-day return.
All three picks on this page use fiberglass or composite handles. Wood handles, like the hickory on Ames’ cutter mattock, are still sold and can be replaced, but none of the makers here publishes enough about its wood-handle models to score them on the same checks.
Questions people ask
What is a mattock?
A long-handled digging tool with a wide, flat adze on one side of the head and either a pick point or an axe-type blade on the other. It loosens hard ground and moves soil with one tool.
What is the difference between a pickaxe and a mattock?
A mattock has a flat adze across the handle for digging and pulling soil. A pickaxe has a point on one or both ends and no wide adze.
What is a cutter mattock used for?
Cutting roots and clearing stumps. Estwing describes its axe-type blade for roots and stumps and its adze for digging and pulling soil.
What is the best mattock?
On maker specs, the Fiskars Pro IsoCore 5 lb, 36 in. pick mattock, for its riveted head, shock-absorbing handle and full lifetime warranty.
Can a mattock be used as a pickaxe?
A pick mattock, yes; its pick end breaks rock and hard ground. A cutter mattock has no point, so it’s better for roots than rock.
When is a mattock better than a shovel?
In hard clay, rocky fill, compacted ground or roots. Loosen with the mattock, then clear the loose soil with a shovel.
How do you remove a stump with a mattock?
Dig around the stump with the adze, cut the roots you uncover with a cutter mattock’s blade, then rock the stump free. Call 811 first if you’re near any utility line.
Is a pickaxe and hoe the same as a pick mattock?
Yes. Fiskars titles its pick mattock a pickaxe and hoe: a pick end for rocky ground and a hoe end for digging tough soil.
How the spec score works
The spec score uses the same eight checks for every mattock, scored only from the maker’s or licensed store’s product page, spec sheet and warranty page. It’s my score from those documents, not a customer rating or a swing test.
Check (points)
How it’s scored
Head weight published (1.5)
Full points for a stated head weight; half when it appears only in the product name
Handle length and material (1.5)
The maker states both handle length and material
Overall weight published (1)
Full points for a separate overall weight; half when one weight is given without saying which
Forged, heat-treated head stated (1.5)
The maker says the head is forged and heat-treated
Head attachment described (1)
The maker describes how the head is fixed to the handle
Shock reduction stated (1.5)
The maker describes a shock-reducing handle
Durability testing cited (1)
Full points for a named standard; half for a stated test without a named standard
Written warranty (1)
The maker or store states a warranty for the tool
Total (10)
Sum of the checks
Mattock
Head weight published
Handle length and material
Overall weight published
Forged, heat-treated head stated
Head attachment described
Shock reduction stated
Durability testing cited
Written warranty
Score
Fiskars Pro IsoCore
1.5
1.5
0.5
1.5
1
1.5
0.5
1
9.0
Estwing 62560 pick
1.5
1.5
1
1.5
0
1.5
0
0
7.0
Estwing 62563 cutter
1.5
1.5
1
1.5
0
1.5
0
0
7.0
Truper TP-5F (left out)
0.75
1.5
0
0
0
0
0
0
2.3
Why trust me
I’m Isaac Daniels, a licensed journeyman plumber in Georgia (license #JP507711). I’ve used every mattock picked here. The specs come from Fiskars’ product page, the Estwing Tools licensed store’s product and warranty pages, Estwing’s warranty page and Truper’s spec sheets, read Oct 23, 2026.
How I pick
Full-size 36 in. mattocks with 5 lb heads, so one score is fair to all three.
Pick and cutter heads compared side by side; small hand mattocks are a different tool.
Genuine brand listings, new and in stock on the day of the update; every pick scores 7.0 or higher.
Prices come from Amazon’s API with the time they were read.
