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.

[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.

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[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.

[contender1]

I thought of another tip to help detectorists.

What to do with common coins you intend to sell.

Most often,, the coins you dig will be discolored & dirty. Soap & water will help,, but we handloaders also have something that can help. A brass cleaner. Separate the coins into 2 different piles, (or 3 if you wish.) Pennies in one pile,, dimes & quarters in another, and nickles in a 3rd. Nickles can go into dimes & quarters,, but there is sometimes a little color difference.
Tumble clean the coins. I've used aquarium gravel with soap & water,, walnut shell, & most recently,, the wet tumble with SS pins & lemishine. The pennies need cleaning separately from the others,, or you will get a transfer of copper coloring to the other coins.
By cleaning them,, the banks don't mind accepting them.
The only issue I've found is the zinc based pennies will corrode if in the ground for a longer period,, and often disintegrate partially. I place these pennies in a separate pile,, and when I get 50 of them, a bank will take them in for destruction by the guvment.

[MaryB]

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.

Be careful cleaning coins, you can ruin their value by scrubbing!!! Watch a video on how to do it gently. NEVER wipe or scrub a coin!

[MaryB]

I thought of another tip to help detectorists.

What to do with common coins you intend to sell.

Most often,, the coins you dig will be discolored & dirty. Soap & water will help,, but we handloaders also have something that can help. A brass cleaner. Separate the coins into 2 different piles, (or 3 if you wish.) Pennies in one pile,, dimes & quarters in another, and nickles in a 3rd. Nickles can go into dimes & quarters,, but there is sometimes a little color difference.
Tumble clean the coins. I've used aquarium gravel with soap & water,, walnut shell, & most recently,, the wet tumble with SS pins & lemishine. The pennies need cleaning separately from the others,, or you will get a transfer of copper coloring to the other coins.
By cleaning them,, the banks don't mind accepting them.
The only issue I've found is the zinc based pennies will corrode if in the ground for a longer period,, and often disintegrate partially. I place these pennies in a separate pile,, and when I get 50 of them, a bank will take them in for destruction by the guvment.

You just turned your cons into scrap metal! Old coins should NEVER be roughly cleaned!!!!! Scrubbing causes scratches that coin dealers and collectors know are signs of mishandling and it greatly lowers the collector price of that coin. Look your coins up and if one could be very valuable let an expert restore it! The $50 they may charge is worth it on a $1,000+++ coin!

I do a soak in acetone to remove oils and some dirt, then a soak on distilled water, then blot dry(do not wipe!) on clean cotton towels. This will remove most of the dirt and crud. Can use a dish soap solution to soak but TEST IT first on the edge of a coin to make sure it doesn't discolor it!

Wiping or scrubbing a coin causes fine scratches and on a silver coin it may go from a $50+++ coin to whatever silver spot price is is value. Same for gold(which can be really soft in some coins!). Copper needs special care to not discolor it.

[contender1]

My apologies for NOT specify that I was talking ONLY about modern coins. NOT,, and I will re-enforce the 2 posts above,, NOT any coins that are older & possibly valuable as collectables.
I did say "common coins"

"What to do with common coins you intend to sell. "

MY MISTAKE for not making this bold enough for everyone.

To expound upon this;

COMMON COINS OF MODERN TYPES THAT HAVE NO POTENTIAL VALUE OTHER THAN FACE VALUE.

Good enough MaryB?

[Gator 45/70]

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.

Sweet, Prices I'm seeing are from 7 bucks up to 49K Not to bad? One could almost buy a 2 year old truck with 49K ?

[sparky45]

What's incredible is in the 5 months I've had the Nox 800 I've dug 11 Indian Head Pennies from that same location, even got 2 in one hole. Oldest a 1883 which makes it close to the cities date of incorporation (1871). I truly believe the old saying "you can never dig it all".

[MaryB]

My apologies for NOT specify that I was talking ONLY about modern coins. NOT,, and I will re-enforce the 2 posts above,, NOT any coins that are older & possibly valuable as collectables.
I did say "common coins"

"What to do with common coins you intend to sell. "

MY MISTAKE for not making this bold enough for everyone.

To expound upon this;

COMMON COINS OF MODERN TYPES THAT HAVE NO POTENTIAL VALUE OTHER THAN FACE VALUE.

Good enough MaryB?

Even modern coins can be worth more than face value, there are rare years/mint marks and error coins so check them all carefully! I just sold an error penny for $20! a 2001!