There are many tools one can use to make life easier in Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch, but my spouse and I have found five tools to be the most useful. What are they?
The five tools you should be using in Animal Crossing: New Horizons on a regular basis are the fishing rod, pole vault, shovel, axe, and net.
In this article we will be covering the 5 most important tools in New Horizons in detail:
- Fishing Rod
- Pole Vault
- Shovel
- Axe
- Net
Why should you be using these 5 tools the most? Find out now.
1) Fishing Rod
The fishing rod (family of tools) will earn you the most bells (money) early, mid, and even during the late game which makes it the tool you should use the most.
Why you should be using this tool:
Catching fish is one of the primary ways to earn money in New Horizons. During the early game, it is arguably the best way to fill your pockets with Bells.
Catching and then selling fish consistently and repeatedly on a daily basis will line your pockets with the much needed Bells to buy low-grade tools, flowers, and the daily stock of awesome items in the Resident Service’s automated machine.
No other method, or tool, will supply you with as much upside as a fishing rod.
Tens of thousands of Bells can be earned by fishing for 20 to 30 minutes. That’s Just Bonkers!
True. You will more than likely catch a bunch of common duds, but those less worthwhile fish will be offset by the high value ones you will inevitably run into.
And fishing rods only retain their value while the game progresses. As your house payments increase, fishing will be there to help you obtain Bells.
Catching high value fish will also become easier when you learn when and where to catch them through experience and help from the in-game Critterpedia (a catalog feature that tells you where and when you can catch a certain fish or insect after having caught a critter for the first time).
Tens of thousands of Bells can be earned by fishing for 20 to 30 minutes.
Sure. You can sell local fruit for pittance on your first few days on your island or gather shells for chump change to get you by, but I recommend fishing instead.
Your fishing rod will be a better use of your time, provide the best return on investment across the length of the game, and always prove valuable.
If you want to know how to make infinite (yes, infinite!!) flimsy fishing rods that will come in handy early on, check out my YouTube video here or the written article explaining in detail here.
Catching fish and making tons of moola is why the fishing rod family of tools is the most important tool you can have in New Horizons.
2) Pole Vault
The pole vault is essential in reaching inaccessible areas of your island during the early game which makes it a high-priority tool for everyday use.
Why you should be using this tool:
What’s just as important to making money in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, especially in the beginning and middle parts of the game?
Accessing inaccessible parts of your island, that’s what!
And the only way to reach most parts of your island at the start of the game (and for a while after) is by using one certain tool: the pole vault.
The pole vault is used to fling oneself over streams and rivers. These are the typical bodies of water that separate an island into multiple parts. Without the pole vault, everything on the other side of the rivers will remain inaccessible.
The pole vault allows the player to hop over the body of water with ease in order to access other sections of the island. These uninhabited and undeveloped parts of the island are homes to a variety of much needed resources and materials.
You will be able to find more
- trees to chop for wood
- weeds to pick up for crafting and selling
- flowers in full bloom that attract insects of many kinds
- fossil dig sites
- rocks to hit with your shovel in hopes of finding Bells or nuggets
- land to develop to your hearts liking.
Accessing all of your fortune-filled land can be done by using the pole vault. Neat.
Sure, building bridges over water and the ability to reconstruct the island to one’s liking become available but not for some time.
Pole vaulting, on the other hand, is introduced early and is versatile. It can be used just about anywhere there is a stream to cross.
The pole vault is truly an important tool in New Horizons that you should not take for granted.
It opens up your island’s vast richness of resources and is a great navigational tool to boot. Pole vault for life!
3) Shovel
The shovel (tool family) is a highly versatile tool that comes in handy quite often for a variety of tasks.
Why you should be using this tool:
If the fishing rod is your answer to making Bells, and the pole vault is the key to unlocking the vast resources of your island, then the shovel is the cherry on top.
The shovel can be used to earn Bells and to reap resources from the island.
That’s not all. It can also be used to beautify your village and more.
Let’s back up a bit, though. The shovel family of tools primary job is to dig and make holes in the ground. Specifically, the shovel is introduced so you can dig fossils and donate them to the museum.
Good stuff so far that gets even better.
You can also dig holes to plant trees such as fruit trees. This will help beautify your island with lush greenery but it will also help you make money.
The more fruit trees you have in your village, the more fruits you can sell, and the more Bells you will make.
Additionally, you may find a ray of golden light shining from the ground somewhere on your island. What should you do?
Use your shovel to dig up the light and you’ll find a bag of Bells. Then, use your shovel to bury a bunch of Bells (I suggest 500 or 1000 or 10,000 Bells if you got it) and let a money tree grow.
The shovel can be used to earn Bells and to reap resources from the island.
The shovel can also be used as a way to acquire sought after resources.
Need nugget, stone, or clay? Use the shovel to repeatedly hit rocks around your village, causing these types of materials to appear.
And don’t even get me started on the benefits of digging up fossils with your shovel.
I like to donate any new fossils I dig up to the museum. Then, I’ll sell any repeat finds for Bells.
Fossils tend to sell for a lot, so keeping a shovel in your inventory to dig up any and every fossil site is a sure-fire way to reap Bells upon Bells.
Shovels can also be used to dig up manila clams along the beach which can be used to make fish bait. And fish bait can be used to catch fish faster than normal.
Check out my YouTube video where I explain this in detail.
What more can I say?
Shovels are just plain awesome in New Horizons and is an essential tool for daily activities around the island. Use it.
4) Axe
The axe (family of tools) is a supporting tool that will help net you essential crafting materials throughout your game.
Why you should be using this tool:
The axe family of tools will supplement the higher priority tools mentioned above.
The axe is not necessarily a money maker nor is it something that will grant you access to anything super spectacular. It will, however, provide you with a unique experience no other tool provides.
Using the (flimsy or stone) axe to chop trees is the only way you will be acquiring wood variant materials, and wood is used for a LOT of crafting goods in this game.
You are going to want as much soft wood, wood, and hard wood as you can get.
How To Acquire Wood From Trees Using The Axe:
- Acquiring wood is as simple as hitting any tree with your axe.
- You can chop a tree and obtain wood up to three times per tree. Multiply that by the dozens of trees you have access to, and the dozens more made accessible thanks to the pole vault, and you’ll be raking in essential DIY wood material in a flash.
- Just remember: use weaker axes to chop trees for wood materials.
- Stronger axes will cause the wood to appear, but they will also chop down trees.
Speaking of, cutting down trees is another exclusive feature to the axe.
Is a tree blocking your view, in an odd location, or is preventing you from doing something on your island?
Chop it down.
I’ve chopped so many trees that were in odd locations. Some trees blocked the view of my house while others lived too close to a prime fishing spot near a river or pond.
The axe allowed me to alter my island just the way I want it in a particular fashion.
The axe really is a supporting tool that finds its worth in specific situations. Never underestimate the power of material gains and tree clearing.
Sooner or later, you’ll need the all mighty axe power in New Horizons like never before.
5) Net
And finally, the net (family of tools) will help you earn extra Bells and fill out your museum with a wide assortment of island critters.
Why you should be using this tool:
Here we are. The fifth and final important tool.
Honestly, this one is not as important as the other four on this list but it is more important in your repertoire (alongside the tools already mentioned) than say the watering can, slingshot, or ladder.
The bug net is a supplementing tool that really only has one main task: to catch things.
Primarily, you will be using the bug net to catch and sell bugs. Or, catch and donate bugs to the museum.
Catch, sell, repeat is the name of the game the bug net is playing.
Sometimes, you’ll use it for random tasks such as helping a friendly ghost acquire the rest of its body by catching floating orbs with your net. But, tasks like these are not as common as say catching bugs.
Bug the act of catching is where the net finds its value.
Selling bugs is a great way to make a lot of Bells. Of course, and just like fish, you’ll find a bunch of cheap insects to sell but you will also catch bugs that will sell for a lot.
Take the Emperor Butterfly. This one insect alone sells for a whopping 4,000 Bells. That’s crazy!
Catch, sell, repeat is the name of the game the bug net is playing.
How do I personally make the most money, though?
I combine the first tool on this list with the last tool on this list as I traverse my island.
I’ll run around with my net equipped, catch bugs, and head down to the ocean. I’ll catch fish and then switch to my net anytime I see an insect needing to be caught.
This way, I can reap the benefit from the fishing rod and the bug net and earn the most amount of Bells as fast and efficiently as possible.
It’s that simple.
The net is a great way to increase revenue as you enjoy your daily life in New Horizons.
►Conclusion: Top Tools For You!
Now you know the top 5 tools you should be using in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
From the money-making fishing pole to the island-exploring pole vault, your days in the village will be more productive and efficient than ever before.
If you ever need to freshen up on the most important tools in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, come back here.
By Wally
(Screenshots taken by me. Images sourced from product pages on the Nintendo website. Logos, characters, and images are owned by their respective owners)
