Tool

Tools are items used by the player while held to perform actions faster and more efficiently, to gather materials not obtainable by hand, to gain information, or to perform completely new actions. With the exception of the clock, compass and bucket, tools do not stack in the inventory. Tools can be repaired; see Item Repair.

Best tools
See Digging.

Item durability
Some tools are not block-breaking tools: This includes hoes, bows, fishing rods, carrots on sticks, flint and steel and buckets. Such tools are no better than bare fists at breaking blocks, but they do not take damage from doing so—they only take damage by being used in their own various manners.

For block-breaking tools, a use is counted only if a player completely breaks apart one block or hits a mob. If a block is partially broken this is not counted as a full use.

Note that certain uses cause either no damage or extra damage to the tool:


 * 1) Axes, pickaxes, and shovels:
 * 2) * Breaking a block that breaks instantly counts as 0 uses.
 * 3) * Breaking other blocks counts as 1 use.
 * 4) * Hitting a mob (hostile, neutral or farm animal) counts as 2 uses.
 * 5) Hoes:
 * 6) * Tilling dirt or grass counts as 1 use.
 * 7) * Breaking a block counts as 0 uses.
 * 8) * Hitting a mob counts as 0 uses.
 * 9) Shears:
 * 10) * Shearing a sheep counts as 1 use.
 * 11) * Breaking cobweb, leaves, tall grass, tripwire, wool and vines counts as 1 use.
 * 12) * Breaking other blocks counts as 0 uses.
 * 13) * Hitting a mob counts as no uses.
 * 14) Swords:
 * 15) * Breaking a block that breaks instantly counts as 0 uses.
 * 16) * Breaking other blocks counts as two uses.
 * 17) * Hitting a mob counts as one use.
 * 18) Fishing Rods:
 * 19) * Breaking a block counts as 0 uses.
 * 20) * Casting the line and reeling it in empty, counts as 0 uses.
 * 21) * Reeling in an item counts as 1 use.
 * 22) * Catching the bobber/hook on a block, then reeling it in, counts as 2 uses.
 * 23) * Using the line to yank on a mob counts as 3 uses.
 * 24) Buckets have no durability.

Proper use of tools will maximize their durabilities. Assuming a player uses a tool appropriately, the following list shows the maximum durabilities for tools of each material type.


 * Gold - 33 uses
 * Wood - 60 uses
 * Stone - 132 uses
 * Iron - 251 uses
 * Diamond - 1562 uses


 * Fishing rods - 65 uses
 * Flint and steel - 65 uses
 * Carrot on a stick - 26 uses
 * Bow - 385 uses

Trivia

 * Using the /give command can give you tools with custom damage values. For example, /give diamond_pickaxe 1 1500 will give the player a diamond pickaxe with 62 uses left.
 * Although gold tools have the lowest durability, they make the fastest tools, and they have the best chances to get high level enchantments.
 * Minecraft 1.5.2 tools durability is 1 use less than normal. So gold = 32 uses, Wood = 59 uses, Stone = 131 uses, Iron = 250 uses and Diamonds = 1561 uses.