Stardew Valley Tool Upgrades: Costs, Order, and What Changes
Stardew Valley tool upgrades happen at Clint's Blacksmith in Pelican Town, cost gold plus five metal bars, and take two days. Tools must be upgraded in ascending order: copper, steel, gold, then iridium.
You upgrade tools at the Blacksmith, Clint’s shop in Pelican Town, by paying gold and handing over five metal bars of the matching tier. Every upgrade takes two days to complete, and tools must be upgraded in ascending order: copper, then steel, then gold, then iridium. You cannot skip a tier, so a copper tool cannot jump straight to iridium.
Upgrade costs and order
| Tier | Cost | Bars required |
|---|---|---|
| Copper | 2,000g | 5 Copper Bars |
| Steel | 5,000g | 5 Iron Bars |
| Gold | 10,000g | 5 Gold Bars |
| Iridium | 25,000g | 5 Iridium Bars |
Each upgrade also requires five bars of that tier’s metal, and you must complete the tiers in order. You cannot skip a tier.
What each upgrade does
Hoe
A copper hoe tills up to 3 tiles in a straight line, steel tills 5 tiles, gold tills a 3×3 area (9 tiles), and iridium tills a 6×3 area (18 tiles).
Watering Can
The watering can starts with 40 charges. Copper raises it to 55 charges, steel to 70, gold to 85, and iridium to 100. Its area of effect follows the same progression as the hoe: 3 tiles, 5 tiles, 3×3, then 6×3.
Pickaxe
A copper pickaxe breaks copper nodes in 2 hits. Steel is needed to break the large boulders on the Farm and breaks iron nodes in 2 hits. Higher tiers break harder nodes faster.
Axe
A copper axe can chop Large Stumps, and a steel axe can chop Large Logs. Hit counts to chop a full tree drop per tier are copper 8 hits, steel 6, gold 4, and iridium 2.
Where it goes wrong
- Skipping a tier: tools must go copper, steel, gold, iridium in order. A copper tool cannot go straight to iridium.
- Dropping the tool off too late: you use the tool during the day, then take it to the Blacksmith before it closes. If you miss the closing time, the upgrade does not start that day.
- Forgetting to pick it up: the next day you wake up without the tool, and the following day you pick it up at the Blacksmith and can use it for the rest of that day.
- No bars smelted: each upgrade needs five bars of the correct metal, so smelt them in a Furnace before you visit Clint.
FAQ
How do I smelt bars?
Metal bars are smelted from ore in a Furnace. Each bar needs 5 ore and 1 coal. Clint gives the Furnace blueprint after you collect at least 1 Copper Ore, and the Furnace is crafted from 25 Stone and 20 Copper Ore.
Do enchantments replace upgrades?
No. Enchantments are a separate mechanic from upgrades. A random enchantment can be added to axes, fishing poles, hoes, pickaxes, watering cans, and pans at the Forge for 1 Prismatic Shard and 20 Cinder Shards. Upgrading a tool keeps its existing enchantment. The Forge is on Ginger Island, and Golden Walnuts unlock the island’s features.
