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Pickaxes are one of the most commonly used tools in the game, being required to mine all ores and many other types of blocks. Different qualities of pickaxe are required to successfully harvest certain ores and blocks. For example, while stone can be mined with any pickaxe, gold ore must be mined with an iron pickaxe or better, or else the player will harvest no ore. Different pickaxes also mine many materials at different speeds (see the Speed and Durability table below).

Uses

The Pickaxe is used in the game to mine blocks. A Pickaxe is the only tool required to go further in the game of Minecraft, all other tools only help you achieve your goals faster. Blocks minable by the Pickaxe include, but are not limited to:

Ore

Stone

The pickaxe does less damage to mobs compared to an axe or a sword.

Crafting

Pickaxes are crafted using 2 sticks and 3 units of a tool material:

Ingredients Input » Output Description
Sticks +
Wooden Planks or
Cobblestone or
Iron Ingots or
Gold Ingots or
Diamond Gems
Template:Grid/Crafting Table Required to mine stone-related blocks and ore.

Speed and Durability

The following table shows the time it takes to break each type of block. A block marked with a red background indicates that it cannot be harvested by that tool type. A green background indicates the quickest tool types for the corresponding block. Note that some blocks will not drop anything regardless of the tool used.

This page describes content that exists only in outdated versions of Minecraft. 
This feature used to be in the game but has since been removed.
Pickaxes Nothing Gold Wood Stone Iron Diamond
Durability 33 60 131 251 1563
Obsidian 250 secs 50 secs 50 secs 50 secs 50 secs 10 secs
Iron Door 25 secs 7.5 secs 7.5 secs 7.5 secs 7.5 secs 7.5 secs
Block of Diamond 25 secs 25 secs 25 secs 25 secs 1.25 secs 0.85 secs
Block of Iron 25 secs 25 secs 25 secs 2.5 secs 1.25 secs 0.95 secs
Monster Spawner 25 secs 7.5 secs 7.5 secs 7.5 secs 7.5 secs 7.5 secs
Dispenser 17.5 secs 5.25 secs 5.25 secs 5.25 secs 5.25 secs 5.25 secs
Furnace 17.5 secs 5.25 secs 5.25 secs 5.25 secs 5.25 secs 5.25 secs
Coal Ore 15 secs 0.4 secs 2.25 secs 1.15 secs 0.75 secs 0.6 secs
Diamond Ore 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 0.75 secs 0.6 secs
Gold Ore 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 0.75 secs 0.6 secs
Iron Ore 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 1.15 secs 0.75 secs 0.6 secs
Lapis Lazuli Ore 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 1.15 secs 0.75 secs 0.6 secs
Redstone Ore 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 0.75 secs 0.6 secs
Block of Gold 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 0.75 secs 0.6 secs
Lapis Lazuli Block 15 secs 15 secs 15 secs 1.15 secs 0.75 secs 0.6 secs
Brick 10 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs
Nether Brick 10 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs
Cobblestone 10 secs 0.25 secs 1.5 secs 0.75 secs 0.5 secs 0.4 secs
Moss Stone 10 secs 0.25 secs 1.5 secs 0.75 secs 0.5 secs 0.4 secs
Slab 10 secs 0.25 secs 1.5 secs 0.75 secs 0.5 secs 0.4 secs
Stone Stairs 10 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs
Stone 7.5 secs 0.2 secs 1.15 secs 0.6 secs 0.4 secs 0.3 secs
Sandstone 4 secs 0.1 secs 0.6 secs 0.3 secs 0.2 secs 0.15 secs
Ice 1 secs 0.1 secs 0.4 secs 0.2 secs 0.15 secs 0.1 secs
Pressure Plate 2.5 secs 0.75 secs 0.75 secs 0.75 secs 0.75 secs 0.75 secs
Netherrack 2 secs 0.05 secs 0.3 secs 0.15 secs 0.1 secs 0.1 secs
Glowstone 7.5 secs 0.2 secs 1.15 secs 0.6 secs 0.4 secs 0.3 secs
Block 97 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs 3 secs

Trivia

File:2011-10-10 19.26.58.png

Naturally occurring iron pickaxes can spawn in Abandoned Mineshafts.

  • Before Beta 1.2, the pickaxe had much less durability (usually half as much) and gold pickaxes acted like wooden ones.
  • The Pickaxe is featured in the "Time to Mine!" and the "Getting an Upgrade" achievements.
  • In Abandoned Mineshafts and NPC Villages, Iron Pickaxes can be found inside the chests.
  • As of Beta 1.9 Pre-release 6, obsidian is quicker to mine (from 15 to 10 seconds).
  • As of Minecraft 1.0, pickaxes and other tools make a sound when they break.
  • Most[citation needed] new players to Minecraft can mistake the Pickaxe for cutting down trees.

References


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