Minecraft Tools Guide – Tool Crafting Materials Ranked From Worst to Best

Gold isn’t worth its weight in gold, it turns out.

Note: This guide focuses on the Bedrock version of Minecraft, available on Windows 10, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and mobile.

When Minecraft first launched, players had to experiment with material combinations and crafting patterns through trial and error. The modern game simplifies this process significantly with built-in recipe systems, yet strategic knowledge remains essential for progressing beyond initial survival phases. Understanding which tools excel at specific tasks and what materials to craft them from can dramatically impact your mining efficiency and resource acquisition. For optimal mining locations, remember that standard surface level sits at Y=62, while underground operations typically occur at Y=61 and below. This comprehensive ranking examines Minecraft’s tool crafting materials from least to most effective.

Where to find it: Between Layers 5 and 76.

While Minecraft doesn’t prioritize realism, gold tools accurately reflect their real-world impracticality for heavy work. The concept of golden implements seems appealing, but the execution proves disappointing for practical use. Gold serves numerous valuable functions throughout Minecraft, but tool construction isn’t among them. These implements possess the absolute lowest durability ratings of all tool materials. Even when acquiring golden tools from defeated mobs, you’ll find greater value in extracting enchantments for experience points via Grindstone or smelting them into gold nuggets rather than attempting to utilize the tools themselves.

Gold tools do have one redeeming quality: their exceptional enchantability. They receive higher-level enchantments more frequently than other materials, making them useful for enchantment table manipulation strategies. However, their rapid deterioration—often breaking after minimal use—makes them impractical for sustained mining or combat activities. Advanced players sometimes craft golden tools specifically for enchanting before disenchanting them to transfer valuable enchantments to more durable tools.

Where to find it: Almost everywhere!

Wood represents the fundamental entry point for Minecraft tool progression. This resource appears abundantly throughout most biomes, remains completely renewable through tree farming, and offers nearly double the durability of gold implements. While you shouldn’t plan long-term reliance on wooden tools, they provide crucial stepping stones that efficiently bridge the gap to stone tool capabilities.

The strategic approach involves crafting only essential wooden tools—typically a pickaxe and axe—to immediately begin gathering cobblestone for upgrades. Avoid investing time in wooden swords or shovels unless absolutely necessary, as these provide minimal advantage over bare-handed alternatives. Most experienced players transition to stone tools within their first Minecraft day, using wooden tools solely as temporary solutions until better materials become available.

Where to find it: Almost everywhere!

Stone resources surpass even wood in abundance while delivering another near-doubling of tool durability. This material tier introduces tangible benefits through both extended tool lifespan and noticeably improved mining speeds compared to wooden counterparts.

Where to find it: Between layers 5 and 61.

The mining speed advantage becomes particularly evident when harvesting common blocks like cobblestone, where stone pickaxes operate approximately 30% faster than wooden versions. This efficiency gain translates to more resources collected per mining session and reduced time spent on basic material gathering. Stone tools represent the first tier capable of efficiently mining iron ore, making them essential for progression toward mid-game materials. Focus on creating a complete set of stone tools before venturing into deeper mining operations, as this ensures you can handle whatever resources you encounter.

Iron tools strike an optimal balance between durability, mining speed, and enchantment compatibility. They last approximately 250 uses—significantly longer than stone’s 132 uses—while mining most blocks 25-30% faster than stone equivalents. This combination makes iron the most cost-effective material for extended mining sessions and general gameplay activities.

The ideal mining depth for iron ore ranges between Y=5 and Y=56, with highest concentrations around Y=15. This positions iron as the logical upgrade after establishing basic stone tool capabilities and constructing your first furnace. Iron tools maintain strong enchantability while offering practical durability, unlike gold’s specialized but fragile nature.

When managing your iron resources, prioritize crafting a pickaxe first, followed by a sword for mob defense, then additional tools based on your current projects. Remember that iron implements can mine all ores except diamond and netherite, making them versatile companions throughout most gameplay stages. For comprehensive equipment strategies, consult our BF6 Weapons Unlock guide for parallel progression principles.

Diamond tools represent substantial long-term investments that reward players with exceptional durability and the fastest mining speeds available before netherite upgrades. A diamond pickaxe withstands 1,561 uses—more than six times iron’s durability—while operating approximately 20% faster than iron tools on most blocks.

The primary advantage of diamond tools lies in their ability to mine obsidian, which is essential for constructing nether portals and enchantment tables. This capability, combined with their impressive longevity, makes diamond tools worth the significant resource investment required for their creation.

Diamond ore generates most frequently between Y=5 and Y=12, with Y=11 often recommended as the optimal mining level to maximize discoveries while avoiding lava lakes commonly found at lower elevations. Diamond tools also maintain excellent enchantability, allowing players to apply powerful enhancements that further extend their usefulness. For advanced gameplay tactics similar to those in Battlefield 6 Complete Guide, strategic diamond tool investment pays dividends throughout extended gameplay.

Netherite tools stand as the pinnacle of Minecraft tool craftsmanship, offering superior durability, mining speed, and unique properties unavailable elsewhere. The crafting process involves upgrading diamond tools using netherite ingots at a smithing table, preserving all existing enchantments during the transformation.

Beyond their exceptional statistics—netherite tools possess approximately 1.5 times the durability of diamond equivalents—they introduce game-changing defensive properties. Netherite items float in lava, preventing accidental loss of your most valuable tools, while also providing knockback resistance during combat situations.

The upgrade path requires venturing into the Nether to collect ancient debris, which smelts into netherite scraps. Combining four netherite scraps with four gold ingots creates one netherite ingot, which then upgrades a single diamond tool. This complex process justifies itself through the unparalleled performance and security netherite tools provide. For character specialization approaches comparable to those in our BF6 Class Selection Guide, netherite represents the ultimate tool material for dedicated players. These tools maintain the same mining speed as diamond but gain additional durability and the crucial lava-flotation property that protects your investment.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Minecraft Tools Guide – Tool Crafting Materials Ranked From Worst to Best Master Minecraft tool materials from worst to best with expert mining strategies and efficiency tips