Deft Tool Switch
by Deft710
Deft Tool Switch changes the hotbar slot automatically when a player starts mining, so the right tool is ready without manual scrolling.
What it does
When a player left-clicks a block, Deft Tool Switch picks the most suitable tool from the hotbar for that block and selects it. Pickaxes, axes, shovels, hoes and shears are matched to the material being broken, and the mod prefers the correct tool type first. Among matching tools it can favor enchantments such as Efficiency, Silk Touch and Fortune, according to its settings. The effect reduces interruptions during large excavations and tree clearing, where switching tools by hand would otherwise repeat many times.
Switching only considers the first nine slots, which are the hotbar, so tools must be placed there before mining begins. Holding sneak temporarily pauses switching, so a player can take manual control for a moment. Sneak-to-disable behavior can be toggled, and a simple block blacklist keeps the mod from switching for chosen materials. The mod is a client-side only tweak, so it needs to be installed on the player's client alone, and it requires Fabric API. It is released under the MIT License and is not open source.
Key features
Automatic tool selection
The tool suited to the targeted block is selected as soon as the player starts mining.
Enchantment preference
Among suitable tools, enchantments like Efficiency, Silk Touch and Fortune can be prioritized through settings.
Sneak pause
Holding sneak suspends switching, leaving tool choice to the player for that moment.
Block blacklist
Specific block materials can be excluded so the selected tool stays unchanged while breaking them.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
How it compares
AuTool is a client-side only Fabric mod for 1.20.1 – 1.21.4, released under the Apache License 2.0 and not open source. SwitchHand is a client-side only Fabric mod for 1.21 – 1.21.11 under All rights reserved and not open source. Deft Tool Switch covers only 1.21.4 and is not open source.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deft Tool Switch | Fabric | 1.21.4 | Client-side only | 2025-10-20 |
| AuTool | Fabric | 1.20.1 – 1.21.4 | Client-side only | 2025-04-10 |
| SwitchHand | Fabric | 1.21 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2024-11-25 |
Questions
Does Deft Tool Switch require Fabric API?
Does the server need Deft Tool Switch?
Can Deft Tool Switch be used on any server?
Which tools does the mod consider?
In the catalog
Deft Tool Switch is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 17,979 mods support Minecraft 1.21.4.
More from Deft710
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What the author says
Deft Tool Switch is a lightweight QoL tweak that automatically swaps to the best tool in your hotbar when you start mining a block, so you can focus on digging, chopping, and clearing without constant scrolling. It prefers the correct tool type and can prioritize enchants like Efficiency or Silk Touch/Fortune based…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/deft-tool-switch
- Owner
- Deft710
- Published
- 2025-10-20
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-10-20
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15
