Equipment in Ultimate Mining Tycoon
Pickaxes, backpacks, and explosives — full gear reference.
Equipment determines how fast and deep you mine in Ultimate Mining Tycoon. Three categories — pickaxes, backpacks, and explosives — are sold at Generico Mining Gear (pickaxes/backpacks) and Madattak’s Dynamite Shack (explosives). Vehicles are covered separately on Vehicle Logistics, Vehicles Reference, and Vehicles Tier List.
Pickaxes (11 tiers)
Purchased from Happy Pickaxe Man at Generico Mining Gear. Pickaxe strength gates which ores and gems break; mining speed approaches a 0.08s minimum with high tiers and prestige Pickaxe Speed (+10%/level) upgrades.
| Pickaxe | Cost | Strength | Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rusty Pickaxe | Free | 7 | Tutorial starter |
| Copper Pickaxe | $40 | 12 | First cash upgrade |
| Iron Pickaxe | $500 | 20 | Silver access |
| Steel Pickaxe | $5,000 | 35 | Bedrock standard |
| Platinum Pickaxe | $25,000 | 60 | Deep Caverns entry |
| Titanium Pickaxe | $100,000 | 100 | High-depth ores |
| Infernum Pickaxe | $1,000,000 | 200 | Pre-Diamond option |
| Diamond Pickaxe | $2,500,000 | 400 | First pickaxe for ALL ores and gems |
| Mithril Pickaxe | $5,000,000 | 600 | Underworld speed |
| Adamantium Pickaxe | $10,000,000 | 800 | Near-maximum power |
| Unobtainium Pickaxe | $25,000,000 | 1000 | Maximum strength |
Rankings and skip paths: Pickaxes Tier List. Depth gates: Mine Layers and Ores.
Pickaxe speed mechanics (v0.5.x)
Strength and speed are independent multipliers. Higher pickaxe tiers reduce mining time toward 0.2s, further reducible toward 0.08s with prestige Pickaxe Speed. Drill vehicles scale drill stats as a percentage of equipped pickaxe — Vehicles Reference.
Key pickaxe milestones
- Steel ($5K, 35) — comfortable Bedrock farming.
- Platinum ($25K, 60) — bridges to Deep Caverns without skipping tiers.
- Diamond ($2.5M, 400) — first tool that mines every ore and gem; save for this before vanity purchases.
- Adamantium ($10M, 800) — optional between Diamond and Unobtainium for Underworld pace.
- Unobtainium ($25M, 1000) — endgame maximum; pair with Prestige and Medals Pickaxe Strength upgrades.
Backpacks (6 tiers)
Purchased from Backpack Man at Generico Mining Gear. Full capacity reference, prestige rules, and XXL Robux analysis: Backpacks Reference.
| Backpack | Cost | Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micro Backpack | Free | 8 | Starter — upgrade ASAP |
| Small Backpack | $100 | 12 | Best early value |
| Medium Backpack | $5,000 | 16 | Pair with Iron/Steel pickaxe |
| Large Backpack | $100,000 | 24 | Mid Bedrock hauls |
| XL Backpack | $1,500,000 | 36 | Pre-vehicle bridge |
| XXL Backpack | 399 Robux | 64 | Permanent — kept after Prestige |
Cash backpacks reset on Prestige; only XXL (Robux) persists. Upgrade backpack before vanity explosives. Vehicle cargo dominates late hauls — see Backpacks Reference for timing vs Super Crawler.
Explosives hierarchy
Purchased from Madattak at Madattak’s Dynamite Shack. Used to clear stone faster than pickaxes and destroy low-value ore blocking inventory.
| Explosive tier | Role |
|---|---|
| Dynamite | Entry explosive; small blast radius |
| Advanced sticks | Mid-tier tunnel clearing |
| High-tier charges | Deep mine stone removal |
| Nukes | Mass clearing; expensive; late game |
Obsidian (v0.5.0+) requires explosives — pickaxes and drill vehicles cannot break large obsidian chunks. Essential for certain Underworld paths: Explosives and Obsidian.
Explosive usage tips
- Clear stone walls, not valuable ore clusters, unless inventory management requires it.
- Mobile placement fixed v0.5.0 — explosives no longer place accidentally when unequipped.
- Factory Explosive Maker exists but early game shop purchases are faster — Machines Tier List.
Equipment and drill vehicles
Drill vehicles (Mini-Muncher, Power Drill, Exa-Drill) scale drill speed/strength as a percentage of equipped pickaxe. Exa-Drill at 100%/100% still benefits from Unobtainium Pickaxe (strength 1000) for maximum tunnel speed and ore access. Stats table: Vehicles Reference.
Equipment loss on prestige
Prestige at $20M cash resets pickaxes, backpacks, and explosives — must rebuy from cash. Prestige store Pickaxe Strength/Speed and Starting Money ease rebuild — Prestige and Medals. XXL Backpack and Minekart (Medal vehicle) persist.
Recommended upgrade path (combined)
- Copper Pickaxe ($40) + Small Backpack ($100)
- Iron → Steel pickaxe + Medium → Large backpack
- Minidumper ($5K) vehicle — Getting Started
- Platinum ($25K) or Titanium ($100K) at Deep Caverns entry
- Save → Diamond pickaxe ($2.5M)
- Super Crawler ($200K) before XL backpack
- Dynamite stock for Obsidian zones
- Mithril ($5M) pickaxe for Underworld
- Unobtainium ($25M) optional endgame
Controls
Mine (E), equip from hotbar, place explosives — platform bindings in Controls.
Related pages
- Backpacks Reference — dedicated carry capacity guide
- Vehicles Reference — cargo and drill vehicle stats
- Ores Reference — what pickaxe strength unlocks
- Gems Reference — Diamond pickaxe mines all gems
- Items Hub — category overview
- Getting Started — first purchases
Gear is the gate — no Unobtainium pickaxe means no Unobtainium ore, no matter how good your factory is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Where do I buy pickaxes and backpacks?
Generico Mining Gear near The Mine. Happy Pickaxe Man sells pickaxes; Backpack Man sells carry upgrades.
Where do I buy explosives?
Madattak's Dynamite Shack. Madattak sells the full explosive hierarchy from Dynamite to Nukes.
Which pickaxe mines every ore?
Diamond Pickaxe ($2.5M) with strength 400 is the first pickaxe that breaks all ores and gems.
Do I lose equipment on prestige?
Yes. Pickaxes, backpacks, and explosives reset and must be repurchased. Prestige stat upgrades and XXL Backpack persist.
Why do I need explosives?
Obsidian blocks require explosives. Explosives also clear stone and unwanted low-tier ore faster than pickaxes.
How much does the Copper Pickaxe cost?
Copper Pickaxe costs $40 with strength 12 — the first pickaxe upgrade after free Rusty (strength 7).