James Bendon built Dinkum largely on his own, KRAFTON published it, and the Australian island sim left Early Access in April 2025 after nearly three years. Fletch sells the licences that legally permit you to swing a pickaxe, chop a tree or plant a crop, and you pay for them with Permit Points earned from milestones. Crocos, Bush Devils and Alpha Jackaroos will flatten an under equipped player long before the weather does.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickaxe | S | Ore, stone and access to the Deep Mine once the 3,500 point licence is bought | Gated behind the Mining Licence at 250 Permit Points, with copper and iron recipes at licence levels 2 and 3. |
| Axe | A | Timber for building, furniture and most crafting recipes | Unlocked by the Logging Licence at 250 points, upgraded through copper at level 2 and iron at level 3. |
| Spear | A | Defending yourself from Crocos, Bush Devils and Alpha Jackaroos | Part of the Hunting Licence line at 250 points, alongside bat and hammer recipes, with copper weapons at 1,000 and iron plus the flaming bat at 3,000. |
| Fishing rod | B | Early income and the route to the 5 percent Commerce Licence sales bonus | The Fishing Licence at 250 points allows rods and fishing at all, and level 2 at 1,000 adds the copper rod recipe and opens the Commerce Licence. |
| Metal detector | B | Passive daily income from buried finds while you walk between jobs | Bought after the Excavation Licence at 500 points, with its own Metal Detecting Licence at 500 and an improved level 2 at 2,000 points. |
S-Tier: Pickaxe
Gated behind the Mining Licence at 250 Permit Points, with copper and iron recipes at licence levels 2 and 3. Without the licence you cannot break rocks at all.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Ore, stone and access to the Deep Mine once the 3,500 point licence is bought |
| Key Mechanic | Permit Points earned from milestones |
| Recommended Build | Miner |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Pickaxe: Pairs naturally with Miner thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Axe
Unlocked by the Logging Licence at 250 points, upgraded through copper at level 2 and iron at level 3. Level 2 also brings the keg recipe.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Timber for building, furniture and most crafting recipes |
| Key Mechanic | Licences bought from Fletch |
| Recommended Build | Logger |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Axe: Pairs naturally with Logger thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Spear
Part of the Hunting Licence line at 250 points, alongside bat and hammer recipes, with copper weapons at 1,000 and iron plus the flaming bat at 3,000.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Defending yourself from Crocos, Bush Devils and Alpha Jackaroos |
| Key Mechanic | Deeds that place town buildings |
| Recommended Build | Farmer |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Spear: Pairs naturally with Farmer thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Fishing rod
The Fishing Licence at 250 points allows rods and fishing at all, and level 2 at 1,000 adds the copper rod recipe and opens the Commerce Licence.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Early income and the route to the 5 percent Commerce Licence sales bonus |
| Key Mechanic | Per activity skill levels |
| Recommended Build | Hunter |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Fishing rod: Pairs naturally with Hunter thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Metal detector
Bought after the Excavation Licence at 500 points, with its own Metal Detecting Licence at 500 and an improved level 2 at 2,000 points.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Passive daily income from buried finds while you walk between jobs |
| Key Mechanic | Seasons and daily weather |
| Recommended Build | Fisher |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Metal detector: Pairs naturally with Fisher thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Bushlands
- Axe → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Spear → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Pickaxe → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Buy the Mining Licence for 250 Permit Points before anything else. Ore feeds the copper and iron tool recipes on every other licence line, so mining is the bottleneck that unblocks the rest of the island.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Dinkum Guides
- Dinkum Dinkum Overview
- Dinkum Best Builds
- Dinkum Tier List
- Dinkum Walkthrough
- Dinkum Beginner's Guide
- Dinkum Tips & Tricks
- Dinkum Combat Guide
- Dinkum Boss Guide
- Dinkum Maps & Locations
- Dinkum Crafting Guide
- Dinkum Classes & Characters
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If you enjoy Dinkum, check out these related guides:
- Stardew Valley Weapons Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- Satisfactory Weapons Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- The Sims 4 Weapons Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
