To upgrade your tools, you can visit Saibara’s shop north of your farm. He can upgrade your tools for a fee if you bring him an appropriate ore. It’s important to upgrade your tools in the game as they perform better than the basic ones.
Tool Level and Experience
All tools at the start of the game are level 1. They gain experience each time you use them properly. To upgrade a tool, it must have 100% experience. To check a tool’s experience points, press the START button, select “Earnings”, and find the “Tool Level List” window.
A tool’s experience can reach over 100% if you keep using it. Every 100% after that will determine the maximum level you can upgrade the tool into, along with a small ore icon next to the tool. The experience bar also changes color depending on the tool level.
For example, if you have a level 1 tool that has 200% experience, you can immediately upgrade it to level 3. This will skip the level 2 upgrade entirely, and you’ll save a bit of gold.
| Tool Level | Tool Upgrade |
| Level 1 | Basic Tool |
| Level 2 | Copper Tool |
| Level 3 | Silver Tool |
| Level 4 | Gold Tool |
| Level 5 | Mystrile Tool |
Gaining Tool Experience
To gain tool experience, you must use each tool properly. You can’t gain tool experience by just randomly swinging them around.
| Tool | How to Gain Experience |
| Axe | Chop down branches and tree stumps |
| Hammer | Break down stones, rocks, or boulders |
| Hoe | Till your farm’s fields or dig in the mines |
| Sickle | Cut down weeds, grass or crops in your farm |
| Watering Can | Water your planted seeds or crops |
| Fishing Rod | Catch fish in the sea, lake, or river |
Upgrading a Tool
Once you’re ready to upgrade a tool, go to Saibara’s shop. Bring your tool with you and the corresponding ore for your tool’s current experience level. You also need to pay Saibara some gold before he can upgrade your tool.
Depending on the tool level, it can take up to 2-3 days for the tool to be upgraded. You need to return to Saibara to collect your upgraded tool as he won’t deliver it to your farm.
You can find all the ores you need to upgrade your tools inside the Spring Mine. Check this guide to know where to find them here: Mining Guide for Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
| Tool Level | Required Ore | Gold Cost |
| Basic Tool | None | None |
| Copper Tool | 1x Copper Ore | 1000G |
| Silver Tool | 1x Silver Ore | 2000G |
| Gold Tool | 1x Gold Ore | 3000G |
| Mystrile Tool | 1x Mystrile Ore | 5000G |
Important Note: You cannot use a tool while it’s being upgraded. Make sure you don’t actually need the tool when you bring it to Saibara for an upgrade.
Upgraded Tool Effects
When you have successfully upgraded your tool, you can now hold the B button to charge it. It will perform a powerful “charged strike” with different effects, depending on the tool’s level.
You can hold the B button longer based on the tool’s level. The longer you hold down the B button, the higher the tool’s charged strike will be.
Level 1: Basic Tools
| Tool | Effect |
| Basic Axe | Cut down small branches; can’t chop tree stumps |
| Basic Hammer | Smashes small stones; can’t smash large stones and boulders |
| Basic Hoe | Tills a 1×1 square of land |
| Basic Sickle | Cuts a 1×1 square of grass |
| Basic Watering Can | Waters a 1×1 square of land |
| Basic Fishing Rod | Catches small fish |
Level 2: Copper Tools
| Tool | Effect |
| Copper Axe | Chop down tree stumps with 6 charged strikes |
| Copper Hammer | Smash large stones with 3 charged strikes |
| Copper Hoe | Tills a 2×1 square of soil with 1 charged strike |
| Copper Sickle | Cuts a 1×3 square of grass, crops, or weeds in 1 charged strike |
| Copper Watering Can | Waters a 1×3 square of soil in 1 charged strike |
| Copper Fishing Rod | Catches small and medium fish |
Level 3: Silver Tools
| Tool | Effect |
| Silver Axe | Chop down tree stumps with 3 charged strikes |
| Silver Hammer | Smash large stones with 2 charged strikes; boulders with 6 strikes |
| Silver Hoe | Tills 3×1 square of soil with 1 charged strike |
| Silver Sickle | Cuts a 2×3 square of grass, crops, or weeds in 1 charged strike |
| Silver Watering Can | Waters a 2×3 square of soil in 1 charged strike |
| Silver Fishing Rod | Catches small and medium fish |
Level 4: Gold Tools
| Tool | Effect |
| Gold Axe | Chop down tree stumps with 2 charged strikes |
| Gold Hammer | Smash large stones with 1 charged strike; boulders with 3 strikes |
| Gold Hoe | Tills a 4×1 square of soil with 1 charged strike |
| Gold Sickle | Cuts a 3×3 square of grass, crops, or weeds in 1 charged strike |
| Gold Watering Can | Waters a 3×3 square of soil in 1 charged strike |
| Gold Fishing Rod | Catches medium and large fish |
Level 5: Mystrile Tools
| Tool | Effect |
| Mystrile Axe | Chop down tree stumps with 1 charged strike |
| Mystrile Hammer | Smash boulders with 2 charged strikes |
| Mystrile Hoe | Tills a 6×1 square of soil with 1 charged strike |
| Mystrile Sickle | Cuts a 5×5 square of grass, crops, or weeds in 1 charged strike |
| Mystrile Watering Can | Waters a 3×5 square of soil in 1 charged strike |
| Mystrile Fishing Rod | Catches large fish |
Cursed and Blessed Tools
There is another set of tools that you can find in the Lake Mine. These tools are the “Cursed Tools”, which are more powerful than the mystrile ones. You can further upgrade these tools to the last level, called “Mythic Tools”, which are the most powerful set of tools in the game.
Check the guide on how to get them here: How to Get Cursed and Blessed Tools in Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
Other Tools
There’s also additional tools that you can buy from Saibara. These tools don’t gain experience when you use them, so you cannot upgrade them.
- Brush – Lets you brush your horse, cows, and sheep once a day. This will increase their affection.
- Milker – Lets you milk healthy adult cows every day. This will also slightly increase their affection.
- Clippers – Use the clippers to trim your sheep’s wool once a week. This will also slightly increase their affection.
