I know this has been beaten to death but...

[Chibuya]

I finally have a bit of extra cash to purchase a water machine. I was thinking about it a couple of years ago but life got in the way. After selling my Garret 250 last year, this new one will be my third machine.

So, I know this topic comes up a lot but I need some advice as to what machine to get. Reading past posts on new detector advice, it seems the Minelab is the main machine advised. Would love to have one but the price is out of my range. I can't seem to even find one used. Are there any other reccomendations?

This is what I'm hoping for.

Price Range: < = 600.00

Area: Los Angeles CA. Beach. Salt water, wet sand, dry sand, would like to use in fresh water as well as parks. (I know, I'm asking for too much). I could wait and get a additional land machine but would rather not.

Not sure if I want a PI or VLF. I'm leaning towards the VLF but seems they are more expensive. I don't want to dig everything especially in our junky Los Angeles oceans.

Hope I provided enough info.

Thanks,
Stacey

 

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[Smudge]

In the market myself, and I'll you this:

Don't shoot for a beach/park detector unless you don't plan on going into the water (and you said you were).

The closest you'll likely come is an Excal or a CZ-21, which you can buy used for $650.00.

I understand from prior postings that the beaches in Cali are pretty mineralized, and most folks your way tend to prefer PI detectors for that reason. But I'm going to stand back on that call because I'm sure there's plenty of folks on the west coast to advise you on that.

If you decide to go PI: the best in your price range would be the Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II, IMHO.

Good luck!

 

[Chibuya]

Thanks.

Most past posts regarding advice are not from the Los Angeles area so I wasn't sure about PI, so thanks for that input. I've only used VLF in the past, so a PI will take some getting used to I gather.

 

[darkwing_66]

hi go with the vlf i prefer them. easier to use and learn and would go with whites over minelab because of customer care ther give much better then minelab. good luck dw

 

[ThTx]

Don't forget that the AT Pro is waterproof to 10'. VLF and if it does what they say it will be a good salt water machine besides everything else it does. The manual ground balance will let you adjust for the salt. At least that's my understanding and at around 600.00 you get an all around machine instead of just a beach machine. If you decide you want one, PM me. No shipping, no tax.

 

[Chibuya]

From some quick research I've done on the AT Pro, it may not do will in So. Cal soil or saltwater. Any thoughts on this?

 

[ThTx]

Look at the videos that John-Edmonton posted. With its manual or auto ground balance, the 15 k frequency and the DD coil, I think it will do very well in mineralized soil. That is what it has been designed for. Granted it does not have a specific "salt elimination" mode, but with the manual ground balance, it shouldn't be a problem. I don't think it will do as well as a PI machine, but no VLF machine will. The best thing about this one is that with it's iron audio and tone roll, you will be able to "see" a good target under iron! This is something that is well worth having, if you ever hunt trashy areas. I hunt from central Texas to southeast Oklahoma to Louisiana. Where I hunt one day may be sandy loam and the next day I may be in high iron soil and the next in highly mineralized areas. I sold my PI machine to get an AT Pro. I think this is the machine that I have been waiting for. Will it do everything every specialized machine will do? Of course not, but I think it is going to be a star performer in most types of soil and for most of my hunting. Of course I'm keeping my Master Hunter CX Plus for the two box attachment, because we hunt for caches, too.

Check out the videos. See if it is what you want. If it is, you can get one for 594.95 from nearly any dealer. That's just below your 600.00 limit. I don't think any other single machine will come close to doing what this one will.

 

[Chibuya]

Thanks so much for the advice! I'll take a look at the videos.

I really enjoyed my little Garrett 250 but was ready to upgrade. This may just be the one!

 

[OBN]

Have both the cz20 and the excalibur, got them off of ebay, middle of winter........500 dollars each, just got a Df from therovers hunting partner, excellent condition... 475 shipped.......best thing is to be patient, watch, listen, research what works best in your area and the type of hunting you will be doing. AT Pro maybe the ticket, it is time for a new kid on the block.............time will tell...................good luck..........joe

 

[Dano Sverige]

Heard with the ATpro that you need to buy the waterproof headphones as an "accessory" for it to be waterproof.Something to do with the connector.So add those to the cost as well.

 

[ThTx]

Heard with the ATpro that you need to buy the waterproof headphones as an "accessory" for it to be waterproof.Something to do with the connector.So add those to the cost as well.

It has to do with the headphones. The standard headphones are not waterproof. If you're going to get the phones underwater, they need to be the underwater phones. If you're not going to get them underwater, the standard phones should work.

If you want to order one today, I'll throw in a set of underwater phones. PM me.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Stacey, I'll chime in, as a fellow CA hunter. Although I'm mostly hunting central coast CA beaches and land, I've hunted your beaches before, and correspond with hardcore hunters of your beaches. So for what it's worth:

The really hardcore hunters on your beaches, are all using pulse machines. Yes it's true that you can't disc. out nails with those, it all depends on when/where you're using them. Because ... let's face it ... you've got some VERY touristy beaches within your range, that are not going to have very many nails, to begin with. Nails get introduced by beach bonfires (when people burn pallet wood), and from industrial type usages (wharves, industrial stuff, etc...). But your beaches are more like "Baywatch" beaches, and not industrial beaches, or beaches that perhaps don't even allow bonfires? Anyhow, for whatever reason, the pro's on the beach down there, seem to favor the pulse machines. The sand isn't so bad (except for perhaps Dockeweiler, which can sometimes be gun-powder black all over!) that regular VLF machines won't work, but ......... they just like them, because they won't miss the smaller tinsel thin gold items, and go very deep, simple to use, etc... But I venture to guess, that if these pulse pro's down there ever got into some serious erosion, where they encountered reams of nails under old peirs and wharves, they'd be left to "scramble off to somewhere else", as the ratio of nails to conductive targets could get prohibitive. But those type storms/erosion is rare, so most of the time, the hunters there are plying the recent decade or two, at most, of losses. And that, as I say, may not be plumb-filled with nails. So it's a trade off, depending on which day, what beach, and what your patience level is, mineralization, etc...

For sure though, if you got a pulse, there is no way you could use it on land (which is one requirement you list). So since today's standard coin/jewelry vlf machines can just about reach the depths of most beach pulse machines anyhow, I'd go with an Explorer. They are good on the beach. Not submersible, but you can get the coil in and out of the ebbing surf no problem. And if you expect to get splashed or rained on (during storm erosion hunting), you can always wrap it up in plastic. And the explorer is an excellent land machine. The Excaliber is an excellent discriminating beach machine, that is totally waterproof. But IMHO, it makes for a poor land-hunter, as the long drawn out warbly boeeeoonggs (which are great for the beach btw) make for annoying sounds on land, where targets can be much more numerous & close together. On the beach, with an explorer, be sure to use ferrous mode, not the factory-preset conductive mode. Ferrous makes your mid and low tones stand out better.

If you can't get more than 1 machine, that would be my advice. You can find explorers for as low as $500 to $600-ish used nowadays. Also, get on the kinzli california forum. A lot of us CA hunters (inc. a lot of So. CA guys who hit all the turfed parks down there) post on that forum.

 

[Chibuya]

Thanks so much for your post! After much thinking, I've realized I will eventually need two machines. I think I've nailed down a good deal on a Sand Shark in a price range where I can still afford some accessories.

It will be nice to get back into the action after being out for two years.

I'll check out the forum you mentioned.

Thanks again,
Stacey

 

[s.c.shooter]

I looked at buying my Minelab as an investment. It only takes one good find to pay for it. Good luck.

 

[erikk]

I buy my machines because I enjoy the hobby not because I am looking for a job or to make $. If U buy a set of golf clubs does a good T shot pay for them?

 

[lidigger]

There was a lot of mentions about hunting out in California. I live on the East Coast on Long Island. Thought about getting an Excalibur for the beach and water detecting. I'll mostly be hitting the beach about 70% of the time but plan on going into the water chest high or less at least 25% of the time. I'd like to get a detector for both, with the eventual thought that I may start diving again and would not have to reinvest in another detector for that. I guess I need a good underwater detector that can be fully submerged but that can also work well on land. Or should I buy a land-specific detector for that?

 

[erikk]

There was a lot of mentions about hunting out in California. I live on the East Coast on Long Island. Thought about getting an Excalibur for the beach and water detecting. I'll mostly be hitting the beach about 70% of the time but plan on going into the water chest high or less at least 25% of the time. I'd like to get a detector for both, with the eventual thought that I may start diving again and would not have to reinvest in another detector for that. I guess I need a good underwater detector that can be fully submerged but that can also work well on land. Or should I buy a land-specific detector for that?

The excal will do what you all of the above and do it well. There are others but I think U will be happy with an excal

 

[lidigger]

Just found out that Minelab went through a change of ownership and that they will no longer repair older Excaliburs. I was told to wait about 6 months before getting a new one if I choose to go in this direction, since their new ones seem to be buggy. In the meantime I am still going to continue researching underwater detectors to find the right one, because I will not be able to invest in another.

 

[erikk]

Just found out that Minelab went through a change of ownership and that they will no longer repair older Excaliburs. I was told to wait about 6 months before getting a new one if I choose to go in this direction, since their new ones seem to be buggy. In the meantime I am still going to continue researching underwater detectors to find the right one, because I will not be able to invest in another.

Yes a new owner but they will repair older excals. I just had my Blue headphone ones repaired. Figure on about 6 weeks (a little prayer won't hurt there) but they will fix them As for the 2's some are good some are not-jump ball there but IMHO still the best all around water detector

 

[ThTx]

Just found out that Minelab went through a change of ownership and that they will no longer repair older Excaliburs. I was told to wait about 6 months before getting a new one if I choose to go in this direction, since their new ones seem to be buggy. In the meantime I am still going to continue researching underwater detectors to find the right one, because I will not be able to invest in another.

Yes a new owner but they will repair older excals. I just had my Blue headphone ones repaired. Figure on about 6 weeks (a little prayer won't hurt there) but they will fix them As for the 2's some are good some are not-jump ball there but IMHO still the best all around water detector

6 Weeks for a repair? I'll stick with Green machines.