The Mining Calculator That Saved My OSRS Sanity

Man, where do I even start with this thing? So I’m sitting here at 2 AM last Tuesday, staring at my level 47 mining character, completely clueless about what to do next. My buddy Jake keeps telling me to just “grind iron ore bro” but I’m thinking there’s gotta be something better, right?

That’s when I found this mining calculator on osrsmoneymaking.guide, and honestly? It’s been a total game changer.

Here’s What Happened

Picture this: I’ve got three different accounts (don’t judge me, we all do it), and I was basically winging it with mining on all of them. Account one was stuck at coal for weeks. Account two was mindlessly clicking granite. Account three? Well, let’s just say I was still mining copper ore at level 35 because I’m apparently an idiot.

The calculator showed me I was missing out on TONS of better options. Like, who knew sandstone was actually decent money? Or that amethyst existed?

How This Thing Actually Works

You literally just type in your stats and it shows you everything. Current level, target level, boom – done. No complicated formulas or weird interfaces that take forever to figure out.

What pops up:

  • Every single ore you can mine at your level
  • Exact XP you get per rock
  • How much gold you’ll make
  • Whether you need membership or not

The layout’s pretty straightforward. Got a slider for current level, another for target level. Put in your XP if you want to get super precise about it.

Then there’s this massive table showing everything from clay (yeah, clay!) all the way up to amethyst crystals at level 92.

My Biggest Mining Screwups

OK so confession time. I spent THREE MONTHS mining iron ore thinking it was the best XP in the game. Three months! My friends were hitting 80+ mining while I was still stuck in the 60s wondering what I was doing wrong.

Turns out granite gives way better XP once you hit 45. Who knew? Well, apparently everyone except me.

Another time, I was completely broke (we’re talking like 50k in the bank) but kept doing iron ore because “muh XP rates.” Meanwhile I could’ve been mining coal or mithril and actually making money while training. The calculator would’ve shown me coal gives 50 XP AND 157 gold per ore. That’s not terrible at all.

The Profit Side of Things

Here’s something cool about this calculator – it actually shows you how much money you’ll make. Most guides just focus on XP/hour and completely ignore the cash aspect.

Some examples:

  • Runite ore: 125 XP + 10,871 gold (holy crap!)
  • Adamantite: 95 XP + 975 gold (pretty solid)
  • Coal: 50 XP + 157 gold (not bad for mid-level)
  • Clay: 5 XP + 85 gold (hey, profit is profit)

That runite number blew my mind. Nearly 11k per ore? No wonder high-level players camp those spots.

Weird Stuff I Never Knew About

The calculator includes all these random mining methods I’d never heard of:

Stardust – Apparently there’s F2P and members versions? 32 XP for members, 16 for F2P.

Dense essence blocks – Only 12 XP but these are used for runecrafting stuff.

Pay-dirt – 60 XP and it’s only available to members. This is motherlode mine content.

Different sandstone weights – 1kg, 2kg, 5kg, 10kg variants all giving different XP and profit.

Honestly, OSRS has way more mining content than I realized.

Free Players vs Members

The calculator marks everything that needs membership with a little icon. Super helpful if you’re still on F2P like I was for way too long.

F2P options:

  • Clay, copper, tin (the classics)
  • Iron ore (the grind master)
  • Coal (decent money maker)
  • Silver and gold ore
  • Regular stardust

Members get:

  • All the sandstone variants
  • Granite (amazing XP)
  • Pay-dirt/motherlode content
  • Dense essence blocks
  • Amethyst (endgame stuff)
  • Plus way better stardust

The difference is pretty massive. F2P mining hits a wall pretty hard around level 40-50.

Setting Realistic Goals

One thing I love about this calculator is it shows you exactly how much XP you need for your target level. No more guessing “am I close to 70 yet?”

Instead of setting some crazy goal like “99 mining this month” (spoiler: never happened), I started setting smaller targets. Level 55 for mithril. Level 70 for adamant. Level 85 for runite.

Way more achievable and less burnout-inducing.

The Numbers Game

Let’s talk specifics for a second. Say you’re level 60 and want to hit 70:

  • You need 737,627 XP (level 60) to get to 809,250 XP (level 70)
  • That’s 71,623 XP difference
  • Mining mithril ore (80 XP each): 896 ores needed
  • Mining coal (50 XP each): 1,433 ores needed
  • Mining iron ore (35 XP each): 2,048 ores needed

See how the calculator helps you plan this stuff out? Instead of mindlessly clicking rocks, you can actually strategize.

What I Wish I Knew Earlier

Location matters – The calculator shows XP and profit, but mining location affects your actual rates. Mining Guild has that invisible +7 level boost.

Banking vs dropping – Iron ore power-mining (drop everything) is faster XP than banking iron ore for profit.

Market prices change – The calculator uses standard GE prices, but actual market prices fluctuate. Always double-check before committing to a long grind.

AFK vs active – Some methods work better for AFK training (coal, mithril) while others need constant attention (granite, iron power-mining).

Quick Questions People Always Ask

“What’s the absolute fastest XP?” Iron power-mining until 45, then granite until 92, then amethyst. But you’ll be broke.

“What if I need money too?” Mix in coal, mithril, adamant, and runite based on your level. Slower XP but way better for your bank account.

“Should I bother with the weird stuff like sandstone?” Sandstone’s actually not bad. 10kg sandstone gives 60 XP and almost 3k profit. Worth considering.

“How accurate are these profit numbers?” They’re based on GE guide prices. Real prices vary, so check current market rates.

“What about motherlode mine?” That’s not really covered in this calculator. MLM is its own thing with nuggets and all that.

My Current Mining Strategy

These days I mix it up based on what I need. Need quick levels for a diary requirement? Iron power-mining or granite. Need cash for other skills? Adamant or runite ore. Want something chill while watching YouTube? Coal or mithril.

The calculator makes it easy to switch between strategies without having to remember all the XP rates and profit margins.

Bottom Line

This mining calculator turned me from a clueless noob randomly clicking rocks into someone who actually understands the skill. Instead of following outdated guides or random advice from clan chat, I can look at the actual numbers and make smart decisions.

Whether you’re starting fresh or pushing for 99, having all this information in one place is incredibly useful. No more wondering “is this the best method for my level?” Just check the calculator and get back to grinding.

Plus it’s free, which is always nice. Way better than some of those sketchy calculator sites that want you to download random software or whatever.

If you’re serious about mining in OSRS, bookmark this thing. You’ll thank me later.