Metal Detectors

[Rizzo]

FWIW,
I have an older White's Gold Master II that I have been using to find my brass in the weeds on my property after shooting.
It was annoying to shoot 50 or so 9mm, only to find 40. So I decided to pull out the metal detector to see how that would work.
I found all kinds that I had missed before.

[Markopolo]

I have a chance to buy a Fisher cz-6 in decent shape. anybody a fan of this model? guy wants 300 for it. I have always wanted a decent metal detecter but just do t know enough about them. i am tech inclined with drones and all sorts of digital gear, so aint afraid of figuring it out.. what so you guys think. Buy it?

marko

[contender1]

PM replied to.

[anothernewb]

Great. now I'm thinking of adding ANOTHER hobby so I can get a new set of toys to play with.

[Handloader109]

I really miss the $125 detector I had a few years ago. It was stolen along with a bunch of other stuff and I just haven't spent the money to replace. Brass finding is one thing I'd use it for.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Grantb]

I have a Fisher CZ-6 - bought it in 1993. It still works great and has more than paid for itself. I have found many gold rings, silver coins and piles of modern coins.

[snowwolfe]

A hobby I always wanted to start.
Good reading

[contender1]

"A hobby I always wanted to start."

It is a good hobby. But to be good & successful,, you MUST do a few basic things.
Get a quality machine.
READ THE MANUAL,, About 1/2 dozen times.
Spend TIME learning how the machine works.
Learn proper digging/recovery methods.
Realize they are not "magic wands" or anything. They are just a machine with limitations & such.

Once you get these things figured out,, finding stuff will become easier & easier the more often you hunt.

[mikeingeorgia]

I've been detecting off and on for about 18 years or so. I started out with a Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202. I still have it and it works quite well. I've added 2 additional coils for it so I can search in a deeper or more narrow way, depending on where I'm at. My brother gave me a Garrett Ace 350 about 2 years ago. It has a different style coil than the Bounty Hunter. Something you'll notice is that you can go over an area with a different machine and pick up objects the other machine missed for a variety of reasons. I just got my oldest grandson a Bounty Hunter Jr detector for Christmas. It has an lcd screen that shows 3 different faces depending on what it thinks the object is. For my birthday earlier this month, I finally got the item I've wanted the most for detecting, a Garrett pinpointer. It's commonly called a "Garrett Carrot" because it bears a strong resemblance to a carrot. Once you locate an object with the big detector, then you gotta kneel down to find the object. The pinpointer is basically a handheld detector that really helps to find the object. I've never found anything terribly exciting or valuable, but you never know what you might find. My brother goes more than I do, and he's found a pair of coins that were minted between 1730-1760, various silver coins, jewelry, etc.

[jimlj]

Since I started this thread I'll update it.
On the advise of a dealer I purchased a Nokta Marko Simplex detector with wireless head phones. He could have sold me several different detectors, but told me I'd have so spend several hundred dollars extra to get another brand with the same or better features. I guess time will tell. I also bought the Nokta pinpointer. Now when the 1.5' of snow melts I can use it around here. I plan to spend some time in Arizona and Nevada in February and hope to find my first pull tab or $20 gold coin. I'm hoping for the coin but past experience tells me it will be the pull tab.

[contender1]

Good luck,, and keep us updated on your adventures.

[Plate plinker]

Lots and lots of pull tab and bottle cap. Humans are filthy.

[warren5421]

Never used one but am dealing on a condo on the beach, what would be good to use on the beach where most people are each day after they leave or before they get up?

[Plate plinker]

Get one that can be used in the water. I am a amateur, but salt water makes detecting difficult. You need good equipment.

[contender1]

I enjoy hunting beaches. Yes,, salt water can be different than other places. And yes,, a good water machine is the better choice. That way,, you can wade in the water during a good low tide,, and if hit by a rouge wave,, or stumble & fall, the detector won't get fried.

Cost wise,, and a very good machine would be a Fischer 1280X. I've found a lot of stuff over the last few decades & one of those machines worked quite good in the surf, or dry sand.
I currently use a Fischer CZ20 for water work. (The newer model is the CZ-21.) Another top end machine is the Minelab Excalibur. But the CZ & the Excalibur are both in the $1500.00 cost range.

Yes,, pull tabs & aluminum bottle caps etc are a PIA. But to find gold,, you have to dig those items. There are tricks to cut down the numbers of junk & increase the numbers of good items. But you need to learn how to work the detector first.

While spending $1500.00 on a metal detector may seem like a lot,, once you find a few good items,, and if you choose to sell that item,, you can often cover the costs of your equipment.

I was just at SHOT,, and even there,, Minelab, Fischer, and Garrett were all there as exhibitors. Looking hard at adding a Minelab Excalibur to my other machines.

[sparky45]

I added a MineLab Equinox 800 to my Detector collection and have been renewed as to the amazing thrill of finding long lost coins. I've had the Nox 800 for about 5 months and STILL don't understand all the different modes of operation, but I'm learning. Yesterday I went to get some BBQ for lunch and had about 30 minuted before it would be ready for pickup and stopped at a local Park to get in a few "swings". I have been hunting this same section of the Park (approx 80 x 50') every time I go to the Park. Slowly removing all the trash targets and got a signal that registered ~6" down and at a 20 level on the meter and not a stable signal. Dug it anyway and to my surprise flipped out a 1906 Indian Head cent.
I love this hobby.

[DxieLandMan]

I started Mding after my 2nd deployment and after I got serious about detecting, I got a White's MXT and have a lot of silver coins, rings and other clad coins. It gets me out of the house and it is an activity that I can do. I use a different detector for salt water detecting and have found many coins, horsehoes, old locks and lots of pull tabs.

[popper]

OK. Depth takes a large dia coil. Pinpointing uses a small 'rod' coil of a different design. Salt water/beach required a pulse type detector. Metal discrimination uses (possibly 2 frequency) fancy processing. Gold is hard to detect due to it's conductivity but jewelry usually has copper in it to making it easier. It's all a matter of surface area and skin conductivity. Most shallow stuff is easily found with cheap detectors but deep requires a pretty good machine.

[.429&H110]

Did I ever find anything?

I have a Tesoro that folds up small.
I would like to know why I found .22 short brass everywhere I went.
I lived next to the Chena Lake beach and found enough change and jewelry to pay for batteries. Long(?) ago people used the beach for a berm, shooting long range across the frozen lake so the center of the beach was a lead mine. My beagle figured out what I was doing, and would sniff out coins or anything else that was different. She was a digging dog. Handy to have a dog to watch your back while you are watching the ground.

Sounds like a good idea to look for nuggets in the tailings (there are nuggets in the tailings!) but claimjumpers are cheerfully shot. Just because a claim is abandoned doesn't mean there's nobody home.
You can go anywhere in Alaska with a rifle, but if you bring a shovel you will be shot.

[contender1]

Kudos on the Indianhead sparky45! Great find. Those jewels aren't easily detected in general.

The Minelab line of detectors are top notch machines. While pricey when compared to others,, they make up for it in performance. AND if learned & used properly, they will reward the owners with some nice goodies. I often tell folks to learn on a different machine,, before investing in a Minelab,, because they can be a bit overwhelming as to their features. I teach; "Learn the basics on a mid-range machine,, then when you are ready to truly step into advanced detecting,, a Minelab is a brand to consider."
And as noted,, you've used it for 5 months,, and are still learning how to operate it,, says a lot.

Many folks may feel $1500 (give or take) for a Detector is a lot. But,, finding valuable jewels such as rare coins,,, gold & silver, (coins & jewelry,) relics etc can pay for a machine.
As I've mentioned,, I've made each machine "pay me back" my investment by using it & finding stuff.

Another trick I like to share.

If the cost of a machine is a concern, try this.
Study a lot about detectors, and determine a spending range. Let's say $400. Then,, I always say; "Add $100 to that figure." Now,, buy a machine in the $500 range. Study the manual a few times before even assembly. Then go hunting & learn the machine. Every time you find any common coins etc,, or stuff you can sell,, place that money in a jar. After a bit,, clean the coins,, and exchange them for bills. After a while you will see the investment return,, as long as you truly apply yourself & go hunting in places you can find stuff. Soon the pennies turn into dollars. then the dollars turn into 20's,, and then the 20's turn into 100's.
Don't cheat & remove any money from the jar until the machine is paid for.
Also, keep a tab of the batteries if you use alkalines. Soon,, that jar will exceed your investment. Keep tabs on accessories too. (Diggers, pouch, pinpointer if used, different headphones, knee pads, etc.) again,, you will see your investments return.
Once you reach a point of surpassing your investment,, you can decide to (a) continue to save the money for a better machine,, (b) return your investment to your pocket, (c) save the money towards other items in another hobby,, such as shooting, (d) take the wife out for dinner occasionally as a way of saying thank you for putting up with me & my hobby.

I'm currently placing my common change & such in a jar. I have my eye on another machine myself.