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Stardew Valley is a fantastic and relaxing game that has just received a massive update. But, in the beginning, it can be difficult to manage your day without losing all of your energy. Each tool uses up a bit of your energy bar, typically leaving you exhausted before you can finish most tasks when you first start a new game. Luckily, you can upgrade most of your tools, making them much more efficient.
There are five tools — the pickaxe, watering can, hoe, trash can, and axe — that can be upgraded by visiting Clint at the blacksmith’s shop in town. Other tools, like the fishing rod and scythe, also have upgrades. Here’s how you can upgrade each of the Stardew Valley tools, and how the improvements will make your life a lot easier.
Main Tools
The main set of tools you need on your farm in Stardew Valley can all be upgraded four total times by visiting Clint, the local blacksmith. The axe, watering can, hoe, pickaxe, and the trash can on your inventory screen can all be upgraded to copper, then steel, then gold, and then finally to iridium. It’ll take a couple of days for him to finish your upgrades, so make sure you don’t need that particular tool for anything for a little while. For example, watch the weather channel and try to upgrade your watering can when it’s going to rain.
Each level requires five bars of the same metal. For example, to upgrade your axe to copper, you’ll need five copper bars; for steel, you’ll need five iron bars; and so on. Each level also requires a handful of cash. Copper levels require 2,000g, steel requires 5,000g, gold requires 10,000g, and iridium requires 25,000g. The exception here is the trash can, which needs half of these amounts for each level.
Copper ore, iron ore, and gold ore can all be found in the regular mines. After that, you’ll want to head to Skull Cavern for some iridium ore. However, there are some other, less-reliable sources for these metals.
Upgrade Effects
So, how do these upgrades help?
The watering can and hoe both cover larger areas of effect when upgraded by holding down the button when using, making life much easier. The watering can upgrades also make it hold more water before needing a refill.
The axe and pickaxe break their respective materials (wood and stone/minerals) in fewer hits, as well as allowing you to break larger and larger rocks and stumps/logs. Upgrading the pickaxe also allows you to break the rock blocking the dwarf’s room in the mines (at the steel level) and meteorites (at the gold level).
The trash can is a little more interesting. With each upgrade, you can reclaim some cash from each item you toss from your inventory, up to 60% of the sell value at iridium quality.
Fishing Rod
The fishing rod also has some upgrade levels that can make your life a bit easier. However, obtaining these upgrades is a bit easier than the main tools.
You start with the bamboo rod, given to you by Willy early in the game. If you need another, you can always buy it from his shop for 500g. Willy will also sell a training rod for 25g, which makes the fishing mini-game much easier, but only allows you to catch common fish.
Once you reach fishing skill level 2, you can grab a fiberglass rod from Willy’s shop for 1,800g. This allows you to use bait with your rod. Then, at fishing level 6, you can spend 7,500g on an iridium rod. This allows you to use both bait and a fishing tackle.
Scythe
The last tool that comes with an upgraded version is the scythe, which only received a new version in the previous 1.4 update. However, it’s a bit different than just visiting a local vendor. There is only one upgraded version of the scythe, and it’s the golden scythe, which has a larger radius of use and inflicts more damage when used as a weapon. It also harvests more hay from cutting grass than the regular scythe (a 50% chance at the regular level and 75% at the gold level).
To find the golden scythe, you’ll need to make it to the end of the quarry mine. This is found in a small cave doorway near the quarry. There are a handful of enemies in this unique mine area, all blocking the way to the end of the cavern. Once you reach it, though, you’ll see a Grim Reaper statue holding the golden scythe. Once you retrieve it, you’ll want to make sure you hang onto it, because you can’t get another one.
Follow these tips and you’ll have a full set of upgraded Stardew Valley tools. It’s worth noting that a few tools cannot be upgraded: the shears, the copper pan, and the milk pail.
