Minecraft Tools Guide - Tool Crafting Materials Ranked From Worst to Best
Note: This guide focuses on the Bedrock version of Minecraft, available on Windows 10, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and mobile.
When Minecraft first debuted, you had to figure out what materials and arrangements you needed to use to build tools. These days, it’s a lot simpler–the recipes are built right into the game! But you still need a little bit of knowledge to get beyond those first few days. What tools to use for what tasks, of course, but also what you can build them out of. For best mining locations, standard “ground level” is 62, and underground is typically 61 and below. With all that out of the way, here are Minecraft’s tool crafting materials, ranked from worst to best.
Gold
Where to find it: Between Layers 5 and 76.
Minecraft is hardly the place to go for realism, but in this case, it’s a pretty good match. Like in real life, the idea of a golden shovel is a lot cooler than the reality. There are plenty of uses for gold in minecraft, but when it comes to tools, you should skip gold entirely. It’s literally the least durable of tool materials. Even if you should happen to pick up a golden tool off of a mob you’ve killed, it’s likely going to be more useful to turn any enchantments into XP with a Grindstone smelt down into a gold scrap than to try to actually use the tool.
Wood
Where to find it: Almost everywhere!
Wood is the true starting point for Minecraft tools. It’s plentiful, renewable, and almost twice as durable as gold. You won’t want to stick with wooden tools for long, but it’s a great starting point and will quickly get you to stone tools.
