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1

Are there any methods/practices to have my tools in minecraft last longer besides:

  • Only Using a tool for its intended purpose (EX: Axe is to wood, pick is to ore, shovel is to dirt/gravel, etc)
  • Upgrading the type of tool to diamond
  • Being in creative-mode.

Sidenote: I am rather new to minecraft, and would like my tools to last as long as possible. Also, I am referring to survival mode only.

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10  
Simple. Break ALL the blocks with your hands :D – Retrosaur Mar 20 '12 at 18:53
It's sad that someone upvoted that... – ErocM Mar 22 '12 at 18:00
Don't forget that repairing an enchanted item using an anvil does not remove the enchantments, it adds them! – jeffreylin_ Feb 12 at 0:13
I make all my tools out of stone and wood. Stone is near infinite in the game, and wood is. I only use iron and diamond tools for things only they can do (ie, diamond pick to mine obsidian, iron pick to mine redstone and diamond, etc). Then no worries about repairing items or losing enchanted items--- I just grow some trees and mine some stone and bang! More tools. – StarPilot Mar 31 at 9:25

4 Answers

up vote 31 down vote accepted

Enchanting!

The unbreaking enchantment will make your tools last longer by adding a chance that using it will not decrease its durability.

Repairing!

Placing two of the same tool in the crafting window will combine them into one item with 10% (of the original maximum) more uses! The two original tools must also be made of the same material.

Warning: Repairing enchanted items will cause any enchantments to vanish!

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Enchantment? Enchantment! Oh wait, wrong game... – FAE Mar 21 '12 at 16:46
up vote 19 down vote

There are three methods of doing this.

1. Enchanting the tool.

The 'unbreaking' enchantment will make the occasional use of the tool not reduce durability, how effective this is is random, but I higher level enchantment will increase the chance of a 'free use'.

2. Repairing tools

If you craft two un-enchanted tools together you will get more durability out of the result. The equation for this is:

Tool 1 durability + Tool 2 durability + (Maximum durability/10) = Resulting durability

Be warned repairing an enchanted item removes the enchantment.

3. Anvils

Using a tool with an anvil can repair tools, either use two of the same tool, or a tool with its components (e.g. Iron axe and iron) be sure to try swapping the items round too, as it may be cheaper xp wise. This also has the added bonus of combining the enchantments.

Side note: Contrary to what is said in the question, using the wrong tool does not cost extra durability, only using them as weapons does.

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@OrigamiRobot Fixed. – Ronan Forman Mar 20 '12 at 15:40
up vote 0 down vote

You could also use an inventory hack and set the damage to -36000. Your tools then become semi-indestructible, you would have to use the tool 36000 times before it breaks.

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up vote 0 down vote

Not a complete answer, just some additional information. You mention

  • Only Using a tool for its intended purpose (EX: Axe is to wood, pick is to ore, shovel is to dirt/gravel, etc)

This does not make your tools last longer. The only thing that damages a tool faster is using it to attack a monster (or, conversely, using a sword to break a block). Those wrong actions take away two “uses” of the tool rather than one.

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