Metal Detectors

[jimlj]

Not wanting to hijack the dropped civil war munitions thread.....
My only experience with metal detectors so far is a kit I bought at Radio Shack in the 70's and assembled. It worked great at finding nails, bailing wire and pull tabs.
After reading the above thread it kind of got me interested again in the hobby. Today while scoping out guns at a local pawn shop, I look up and there is a metal detector for sale. It is a Gold Kruzer detector. I see them on the net for about $640, the pawn shop wants $175, with none of the goodies that come with a new one. Anyone know any thing about them? What brands are worth looking at? For a guy with the Radio Shack metal detector experience I have, what do I want to look for?

[Digger]

Have not been out that much in the last few years ...
But have a couple of fisher gold bugs , lots of time with them nugget hunting .
Also have an original Minelab Sovereign that in it's day was top notch , still darn good.
All kinds of different opinions and recommendations will come your way , Minelab has had better rep thru the years and make some excellent models to begin with .., could go on about others but you will get some good input from other users .
Recommend another website ..Treasurenet.com
Link:
https://www.treasurenet.com/

They have a forum using detectors , with all their members input , it should help you out much.

[1Hawkeye]

Any of the Fisher, Garrett, or minelab are good units. I started with a borrowed White that was a pretty expensive unit in the 90's and a pain in the neck to set up before use. I have a Fisher F2 now which is real simple to run just turn on and start swinging and walking. You will find a lot of junk when your detecting but the goodies make up for it. I found a U.S. puppy paw buckle with the White on my first trip and that set the hook to get my own detector I was looking at the Garrett AT and the Fisher F2 I went with the Fisher because the shop was sold out of the Garretts. The stuff you will find is going to amaze you Iv'e found everything from a musket cap to minnies to an ax head and a complete buggy Minus the wood. Sofar only 1 buckle but I know a NY buckle was found in the next field so there's gotta be more stuff out there its a 200 acre farm that goes back to colonial era with the new house being built in the 1840's or 1850's As far as choosing a detector I wouldn't buy a used one without a warrenty and when it comes to the new ones you can get real expensive real fast so you have to consider how often your going to go digging. Kellyco is a big detector supply company check them out and it will help you decide which one would be right for you.

[memtb]

We just bought an XP Dues V5 with an additional X35 Coil. Our first metal detector, hopefully it’s a good one. Reputed to be very good.....and, we should never outgrow it! memtb

[perotter]

I got a Fisher F44 a year and a half ago. I've been very pleased with it. I never had one before and it was very easy to learn how to use, although I'm sure I could learn how to use it better. While not what my cousin recommended, it was a reward from my part time job.

I like that it has a built in pin pointer which save having to buy one. Of course one can go without having one, but that would led to much more digging.

Found a silver spoon in my front yard and the 12 year old granddaughter found a penny somewhat rare penny in her mom's yard. Along with several artefacts. Hopefully I'll have time next year to use it a bit on the old stage couch road and the Indian trail that runs thru the woods back home. I be excited to find anything on either of those 2 places.

[semtav]

After reading the above thread it kind of got me interested again in the hobby. Today while scoping out guns at a local pawn shop, I look up and there is a metal detector for sale. It is a Gold Kruzer detector. I see them on the net for about $640, the pawn shop wants $175, with none of the goodies that come with a new one. Anyone know any thing about them? What brands are worth looking at? For a guy with the Radio Shack metal detector experience I have, what do I want to look for?

Keep in mind that one is specifically designed for hunting gold, it won't have a lot of options. Not that it can't be used for other things. If it doesn't use regular batteries I'd be wary. Company is good. I have one if their other models that works fine. Do a Google search then decide.



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[smithnframe]

Anyone here ever find anything valuable?

[Ithaca Gunner]

I found a dime once.

I have a Garrett starter model. Good reviews, but I think I would still buy something better, and a wand also. They're about the size of an average flashlight, come in handy when digging.

[popper]

Garret is a US comany. Fisher and Garret most copied units in the world. Used to find other brands with our logo on their pcbs.

[1Hawkeye]

So far the biggest coin I found is a mercury dime from the 50's the oldist is a tomback button (colonial) and the most valuable is the U.S. buckle. The neatist things I have found are a minnie ball thats been cut to use as a nipple protector and a carbine bullet thats cut as a chess piece.

[contender1]

"Anyone here ever find anything valuable?"

Yep,, several things over the years.

Plus,, being as I was the president of a metal detecting club,, I saw a LOT of good stuff other members found as well. Many items that by themselves would easily pay for a machine.
Slave tags
diamond rings
gold rings
rare old buttons
gold coins
rare silver coins

These are all things that CAN be found,,, by diligent study, research into finding a good place to hunt, and LEARNING the machine!

Cheap machines find cheap stuff. Radio Shack machines were cheap ones.

Buy a good name brand,, and read the manual about twice before ever picking it up. Then read it again as you study the controls. Keep the manual handy for field work study.

But I will disagree with the above statement about not buying a used machine. Quite often,, a person upgrades,, or whatever & great deals can be had. Metal detecting clubs OFTEN have members who have a machine that is an excellent buy. We had a club member pass away,, and another member was helping the widow sell some stuff. I got a spare machine (Fisher CZ-6) for $75. That machine has found me well over $500 in silver coins over a few years in some competition hunts. More than paid for itself.

Pawn shops,, well, it'd be best if a knowledgeable person assisted you in buying one there. (Someone who knows how to check a machine out to make sure it all works as intended.)

I've sold machines I was using to people who "just had to have one right now" knowing I could easily replace mine.

I've been a detectorist for over 25 years now,,,, and I still enjoy the thrill of the hunt,, the unexpected finds, and especially the relaxation I get from it.

[thxmrgarand]

I enjoyed the television series The Detectorists very much. I have no idea whether or not it gives a fair treatment of the hobby.

[Gator 45/70]

Have a Garrett 350, found mostly old coins from the 20s and 30s
Grandma was supposed to have a gallon jug full of Morgan's under her house.
That's my next target?

[sparky45]

I've used a lot of brands; Bounty Hunter; Garrett; White, and now I just recently purchased a Equinox 800 with an xtra coil. I'm 76 and I detect a couple of times a week when a lady comes to stay with my wife. Last Monday was a banner day for me in that I found (4) silver coins an Indian head Penny and 6 Wheaties. I am revitalized every time I get to go on a hunt. Always find stuff.

[Winger Ed.]

Metal detecting is apparently a big hobby in Russia.
If you go watch the videos our buddy from over there-- '4 x 4' links to on the thread about Ukraine,
there is other videos on the side bar. A few are videos about metal detecting the many battlefields in Russia from WWII.

Those guys are bringing up piles of stuff. Mostly uniform pieces, guns, and ammo from the German forces.
It seems like after the war moved on, everyone and everything that couldn't walk out on their own was left there.

[jimlj]

Thanks for all the input.
I suffer from "gotta have it now" syndrome and just about went and bought it. From comments here and what I've learned researching metal detectors the past few days has cooled the desire for one "right now". It looks like there are several in the $300-$400 range that are not so specialized and will be more in line with my intended use. Now I just have to pick one.

[popper]

Ya always look at the front porch, to the left or a close fence post. Another is if a stairway, Pidgeon holes around the stairs. When I was with Garrett, gal came in with a huge glass jug of silver/gold coins and silver certificates.

[contender1]

"It looks like there are several in the $300-$400 range that are not so specialized and will be more in line with my intended use. Now I just have to pick one."

Just make sure you buy a reputable brand.

[358429]

Can a metal detector be used to locate wheel weights alongside the road?

[contender1]

Yes,, wheel weights can be easily found. Low to no discrimination will allow you to easily find them. Of course,, you'll find everything else too. ALL the trash items,, such as screws, nails, bolts, bottle caps, pull tabs, & everything else.
WW's have a steel clip, and that registers low,, and the lead etc,, can be easily found as well, with maybe a little discrimination that cuts out a small amount of the trash.