Metal Detector?

[cheggie]

Not sure if this is best place to ask, but surely some of y'all must be into this. What's a decent detecting rig to start with? I have access to historic property, with the possibility of artifacts going back 200+ years (old homesteads, cabins, plantation fields, etc) I'm interested, but I don't know one detector from another. How deep can I look? I've got a few bucks to spend, but I would hate to spend money foolishly....

[Digger]

Check out this site ....
http://www.treasurenet.com/

Been quite a while since I have used mine but even some of the bottom of the line machines these days are good compared to electronics back when ...
defiantly take advantage of your area with a machine .. loads of fun, but be prepared to be digging a large amount of trash until you really get to know your toy.
Learning curve and all.
The site I linked to will be very help full with information ....

[xs11jack]

Can't go wrong to start with in a Whites or Fisher. Much more bucks, go to a minelab. For a lot of info google Kellyco. and get their catalog, they carry most brands.
Ole Jack

[John Allen]

I have a mine lab for underwater it works great. It will find a small piece of lead two feet underground

[phonejack]

Mine is a Whites

[labradigger1]

I have been dirt fishing for 15 years now, probably my most enjoyable hobby. I started out with a cheap bounty hunter and never found nothing but axe and hoe heads. Then i went to a whites dfx and whites tdi pulse induction. Since going to to the better machines and taking the time to learn them my finds have improved tremendously. I primarily hunt for coins and civil war artifacts. I do not hunt like the morons you see on tv for monentary value but for the rich history that you uncover. The bottom end machine was enough to get me hooked into the hobby but really a ***. The hardest thing is finding a place to hunt once you have hunted all the places you have already thought of. Be snure to cover your holes with care. As mentioned above treasurenet is a great place to start, another good one is friendly metal detecting forum. I am a member of both under the alias of labradigger1. Good luck with your purchase and remember it takes alot of patience but is very enjoyable too.
Lab

[BDJ]

When you get a detector make sure to also get a pinpointer, It makes finding small things much, much easier. Garrett makes one of the best pinpointers --- The Garrett Pro Pinpointer is about 125-140 $$ but well worth it.
I run two different White's and a Garrett.
Take a good look at the Garrett AT Pro, the thing is water proof to something like 10 feet or so, this is a big plus if you are water hunting an old creek/river crossing.
Check out http://www.kellycodetectors.com/library/faq.php they are good folks to deal with.

Beau's site channel --
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv61IAZLDELwk2Kk5hfX0mg
Beau is the real deal, not like the guys on TV. Them guys on TV are------------ Well I better not say.

Good Luck Have Fun :)

[ShooterAZ]

Tesoro makes some excellent metal detectors, perfect for beginners in the hobby. Turn on and go. Lifetime warranty is hard to beat too. I got the Garrett AT Pro about two years ago and it is an awesome machine. It is not for the beginner though...in my opinion. Which ever one you decide to go with...take the time to learn it!

[popper]

White, Garrett or Fisher. Mid to high end only. The rest are beginners stuff and you'll end up trashing the cheap ones. The pin-pointer used to be the Gold probe.

[contender1]

As an active detectorist for about 20 years, and having owned many machines, I can offer a little insight. I was also the club president of a Treasure Club for 10 years.
That said, overall, buy quality.
The better brands for hobbiests are; Whites, Fisher, Minelab, Tesoro. (Not necessarily in that order.)
Plan on buying at LEAST a mid price range unit. The better machines will cost a bit more, but a good mid priced unit will work just fine until you figure out what you prefer.
Find a club to visit & join. Look up the FMDAC. (The Federation of Metal Detectorist Association Clubs I think is what it stands for. I've used the letters for so long I can't recall.) They will help you find a club to visit.

However, you are from the foothills of SC. If you are anywhere near Greer SC, they have a GREAT club. The SC Treasure & Artifact Association. Send me an email & I can link you their site, or look them up online. I'm an hour away from them & they are the only club I attend.

I have found that, in general, Whites, Fishers, & Minelabs are the ones most often used by most folks who are serious about the hobby.
Once you get a machine, READ THE MANUAL FIRST!!!!!!!!!! Then, assemble the unit. Then read the manual again, as you play with the controls. Then read the manual again as you actually try & use it. Start with the presets & you can start to learn how they work.
And if you are near me, I'd gladly offer some one on one instruction.

You mentioned you have access to property. Please secure permission to hunt it BEFORE you go & dig.

Detectors will find stuff as deep as they can read the signal. A LOT of different things affect how deep an object can be detected. The size of the object, the type of ground it's in, the moisture content, the shape of the object, the type of metal in the object, are just a few things to consider. As an example, I'll use two common coins. A dime & a quarter. The dime is smaller in diameter, and thickness. Most good machines can find a dime to around 6-8" if it's in damp soil, laying flat, & no trash (iron) is close by. A quarter can be found down to 10"-12" in good conditions. But flip either one on it's side & the depth will decrease a lot.

You can PM me, & maybe we can talk as you may not be too far from me.

[beagle]

Whites...always Whites. To tell a story, we were hunting coins on an old school yard in Delaware and there was a row of old buildings along a street backing to the school yard. I started digging lino strips. Evidently one was an old print shop and the kids had gotten into it. Scored a couple of pounds of lino that day on top of the coins I found./beagle