Compactor

The Compactor is a power tool used to clear and flatten terrain far faster than a shovel, while costing less stamina to use. It can be commissioned at Franklyn’s Lab after donating 35 points and 10 Shiny Discs to Franklyn, and it arrives in the mailbox the next morning.

To use the Compactor, equip it in an open slot on the toolbelt and click or hold the left mouse button, or press X on an Xbox controller. It only works when the player is standing on ground lower than the tile being targeted, and it removes one layer of soil from the chosen square. Unlike a shovel, the soil removed by the Compactor is destroyed and cannot be placed again, making it useful for quickly lowering large areas rather than preserving dirt for later landscaping.

The tool also behaves similarly to a shovel in a few important cases. If it hits grass or flowers, those plants are removed and their seeds are left on the ground for collection. It can also uncover buried treasure if one exists on the tile being removed. Larger objects and plants such as trees, buildings, and crates cannot be targeted, so those must be cleared first before the Compactor can be used on the square beneath them.

A Compactor is a rechargeable power tool: its durability can be restored at the Charging Station. This makes it important to keep track of its power supply, since letting it run out will cause it to break and disappear. When used carefully, it is one of the fastest tools for mass terrain reshaping and smooth excavation.