Thinking about metal detectors...

[cougar14]

I'm thinking this might be a fun thing to get into, get me out of the house and the Lazyboy between good books. There's a bunch of units around $400 or so, and the next level is in the low to mid teens. Haven't researched the specifics yet, but are these cheaper ones ok, or are they just toys?

 

[Ron M.]

There are many coin-shooter models on the market these days, my personal favorites are the older White's 6000 series detectors and the Garrett GTA models. You might want to get a decent used machine on Ebay and work your way up to a superior machine, but I've had good results with the aforementioned detectors.

 

[hardcase60]

Last year wasn't there a cable TV show about a couple of guys with metal detectors?? The idea does have merit and the exercise would be a good thing. Just be careful where you dig! Some people might get real testy when you dig a plug out of their well manicured back yard. Just kidding about the back yard part. Bottom line is a lot of Federal Historic Sites have banned the use of metal detectors. Have fun! hardcase60

 

[1morethan8]

It is best to match the detector to the type hunting you hope to do... just as it is with firearms used on game.

You living near the cost... will you be hunting the beach... or inland, or maybe both?

Metal detectors started out as simple as a AM radio... but, that was 50 years ago! Today's detectors are a lot more specialized.
The price can be less than $100.. or like the Minelab GPZ 7000 Metal Detector.. which is over $8.000.

You would be wise to do research before you buy!

OBX.. using a Minelab metal detector and titanium beach scoop...

 

[Salty RI]

There are several good forums out there for metal detecting.

 

[canoeguy]

Some of the best fun my wife and I had while living in California was treasure hunting with metal detectors. We hunted a lot in the Valley of California, the old gold towns like Chinese Camp. We hunted the roadside ditches and found a lot of neat stuff.

I found a gold class ring the first day out with my detector, as I remember (this was 1987 or so) it was a mid range White's, at the time it cost about $300. My wife had a mid range Tesoro.

When we moved to Tennessee, there were fewer opportunities to treasure hunt, maybe I moved more into the shooting hobby, so we sold our detectors.

Recently, my wife has been re-infected with the treasure hunting bug, so she bought a used White's Coinmaster of a Facebook trading site. Super basic introductory machine, but she has made some amazing finds in our back yard, a place obviously never hunted before. Where the old clothesline was, dozens of coins, including a 1926 Mercury dime, probably 7" deep in the soil. I can tell modern metal detectors are much better than they were a few years ago.

 

[deadin]

The wife and I gold prospected for around 5 years after I retired. We both had Minelabs (around $2000 each), a drywasher and a dredge. Worked Arizona and N. California.
Came to the conclusion If you want gold, buy it. If you want to make money, sell equipment.
If you want to work your tail off for little reward (but fun), go for it..

 

[Salty RI]

Back in the 70's I built a metal detector, I think it was a Heath Kit, the first thing I found was a white gold diamond ring in our back yard. I found several class rings over the years on the beaches I called the schools and gave them the date and the initials that were in the ring, they looked it up, I was able to return all of them.

 

[Mainsail]

Back in 1978 when I was 15 years old, I was out working in some tobacco field, looked down, and found a penny from the 1800s.

If I lived on the east coast I would own a good metal detector for sure. Where I'm living now in WA isn't very 'old' so I can't justify an expensive detector. Several years ago I picked up a cheap $100 detector primarily for finding geocaches buried in the snow. I also used to run it around the obstacle course on McChord AFB and found some loose change.

We recently purchased a home and I was on the roof installing a security camera and dropped a special screw, which rolled down the roof and landed in the grass somewhere. I pulled out the old detector to look for it and found a lot of wire and nails, as well as over a dollar in loose change. This was all in about a 15' circle in my front yard, which was virgin forest only 30 years ago.

Still haven't found that screw yet.

 

[srsmyth]

Metal detecting is the most work I've ever done for a penny, I still do it though.

 

[islamoradamark]

metal detecting is a great outdoor hobby i like hunting in shallow water at the beach enjoy finding jewelry and nice shells my detector is water proof. many detectors to choose from depending on what kind of hunting interests you try going to a form and read alittle the treasure depot is good and treasure net you dont have to join to read lots of helpful stuff to read about and pictures of things you might find i do like minelab detectors. its a great way to be outdoors and breathing fresh air i enjoy the beach early mornings for me

 

[mmaher94087]

While building our house on thirty acres; we wanted the utilities underground. The electrical company balked saying the property needed a $2200 survey to find the corner pins. I bought a Radio Shack metal detector for $125 and located all the pins that the electrical company said were missing. Now, I take the detector with me when I shoot an autoloader so that I find the brass that inevitably gets lost in the grass.

 

[Watchdog]

Last year wasn't there a cable TV show about a couple of guys with metal detectors??

Yes, it ran on the National Geographic Channel. It still pops up there every once in a while. I don't think the show generated much interest after the initial couple of episodes. The guys just acted too crazy and excitable over the slightest little find, falling to their knees and screaming and yelling and stuff like they'd found hidden treasure or something, when in reality most of what they found wasn't worth putting up for sale at a flea market.

 

[Old TexMex]

Bill Wyman signature model metal detector:
(yes, the Rolling Stones bass player)
Dunno if it's a good metal detector, but he's a dedicated treasure hunter and can afford just about any kind of detector, so....
[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1bP7oAeEIaw&ebc=ANyPxKpLIdXpTUqtjD76wZ1x_InGWkOaAdU22JTmXYQKJIA4VeAyJdiwpGpaGS8ij9fRbgcYTHZPutbWjj8EcCwlSwN-JZzumA[/ame]

 

[Salty RI]

I watched that show a few times, the guy found a dime and claimed a tree and hung upside down screaming his head off, one day I found five silver coins and it didn't excite me one bit. There was another show where they were looking for some of Jesse James treasures, they did find some mason jars with gold and silver coins.

 

[johnnyflake]

I am 75 years young and have been metal detecting, land, beach & underwater for over 55 years now. I cannot even begin to explain how much I love it. The simple answer is "The Thrill Of The Hunt". I have found thousands of items over the years. About 70% of what I have found is junk, trash, pull taps, etc. Yuk!!! However, I have found, literally thousands of dollars in Coins & Jeweler as well. For the most part, my very best finds have been on sandy beaches, mostly in Florida and the lake beaches in the Mid-West, Great Lakes and the unlimited number of inland lakes with beaches. The 2nd best is kind of a tie (Land) Public Parks, School Grounds, Forest Preserves, Corn Fields and so on. The 3rd in line, but usually offering high valve targets, is in the water, at public beaches. The least productive, but one that can be extremely rewarding, is gold nugget hunting.

I have owned at least 20 different detectors over the years, from $100 units to $1500 units. Over the last 6 or 7 years, I sold off all of my older equipment and settled in with just two units. One a Bounty Hunter for hunting Public Parks, School Yards, etc. and the other for a bit more serious hunting in the desert and beaches, a Tesoro Outlaw. Links are below for the units, I now have. I can tell you with extreme confidence that you do not have to spend more than a $100 to $150 for a good, competent detector for hunting Parks, School Yards & Etc.

Tesoro Outlaw with 3 Coils Metal Detector - Kellyco

Bounty Hunter Tracker IV Metal Detector - Kellyco

Pm me if you have any questions I can help you with.

 

[soFlaNative]

A bent piece of copper wire held right will find a buried water main.
That's all I've got...

 

[kennyb]

I currently use a minelab explorer..in the past I have used nautalus...both good machines...I live in the middle of civil war treasure Richmond/Hopewell/Petersburg,virginia...still lots to be found out there

 

[Salty RI]

I am 75 years young and have been metal detecting, land, beach & underwater for over 55 years now. I cannot even begin to explain how much I love it. The simple answer is "The Thrill Of The Hunt". I have found thousands of items over the years. About 70% of what I have found is junk, trash, pull taps, etc. Yuk!!! However, I have found, literally thousands of dollars in Coins & Jeweler as well. For the most part, my very best finds have been on sandy beaches, mostly in Florida and the lake beaches in the Mid-West, Great Lakes and the unlimited number of inland lakes with beaches. The 2nd best is kind of a tie (Land) Public Parks, School Grounds, Forest Preserves, Corn Fields and so on. The 3rd in line, but usually offering high valve targets, is in the water, at public beaches. The least productive, but one that can be extremely rewarding, is gold nugget hunting.

I have owned at least 20 different detectors over the years, from $100 units to $1500 units. Over the last 6 or 7 years, I sold off all of my older equipment and settled in with just two units. One a Bounty Hunter for hunting Public Parks, School Yards, etc. and the other for a bit more serious hunting in the desert and beaches, a Tesoro Outlaw. Links are below for the units, I now have. I can tell you with extreme confidence that you do not have to spend more than a $100 to $150 for a good, competent detector for hunting Parks, School Yards & Etc.

Tesoro Outlaw with 3 Coils Metal Detector - Kellyco

Bounty Hunter Tracker IV Metal Detector - Kellyco

Pm me if you have any questions I can help you with.

That Bounty Tracker 4 is a good machine, they have been making it for over 20 years, here with the salty sand it's hard to find a good machine many say they can balance for the sand but not really, I had a White I think it was the XLT or something like that, I used to take my little buddy out and she wanted he own detector so I bought a Tracker 4, I think at the time it was about 129.00, it was better than my 900.00 White, I gave her the White and kept the Tracker 4.

 

[Comrad]

Look for one with a good metal discriminator, we have high iron content around my little slice of heaven and it's very difficult to tune it out, not to mention picking up signals from trash. You're going to need a good strong forearm, it's tough in the beginning swinging them for any length of time. I use a Whites DFX, decent technology, a little old now and can be had used for around 500 on some of the auction sites. Headphones is a good option for hearing the different tones.