What Model Would You Buy ?????

[74BRONC]

Hello Everyone
Let me preface this by saying that Im totally new to metal detecting and cache/treasure hunting. I have been lurking here and other boards for a wile trying to learn more about the subject and all the different models of detectors. but they’re are a lot of variables involved and a lot of terminology that Im not familiar with so I would like to get as many opinions as possible before I buy because “frankly” Im poor and I really cant afford to go buy a lot of different detectors although I think that metal detecting/treasure hunting is a cool hobby this will be a tool not a toy.

Here is the situation
Five generations ago my wife’s family buried a lot of gold in a couple of different spots the locations have been passed down through the generations but just like a story changes a little bit each time its told the locations could have also changed a little. That is why I need a metal detector to tell me exactly where to dig.

My Questions are which detector would you chose and why I don’t know how deep it’s buried but I would guess between2 to 5 feet I also have no idea what type of container if any its in I would guess some kind of pot or wooden barrel or maybe a glass jar but I have no way to know for sure.

So with the above information what detector would you recommend to a new guy that needs something that’s fairly easy to use and reliable enough that I don’t waste a whole night digging a hole in the ground for nothing

Thanks for your replies

[CaptJohn]

Hard question to answer, I would say a $1k to 2K PI Pulse induction unit. I've sent you a PM.

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Right on Cpt John, I also would reccomend a Garrett Master Hunter with possibly the Blood Hound depth multiplier attachment.

www.detection.com/garrett/explus.html

www.detection.com/garrett.coil.html

Tropical Tramp

p.s. a viable alternative is to rent one.

[74BRONC]

Hey thanks guys
I know that I said that Im poor but I would rather spend the money once and buy exactly what I need the first time instead of having to keep going back to get something else and spending more money. In the long run I think that it will be cheaper that way.

Well I gotta go wifey is calling and I want to go research on those sites that you guys linked me to

Thanks

[jeff of pa]

there are several good Detectors.

WHITES : DFX with a Large Coil

MINELAB : EXPLORER or SOVEREIGN or the GP or SD Gold detectors
again with a Large Coil

GARRETT : Master Hunter with the Depth Multiplier, as the "Tropical Tramp" says.

or even the GTI 2500 with a large coil should reach several feet on
any object 12oz can size or larger.

are all Capable of finding Deep objects.

I Believe the Sovereign & W.O.T. Coil are the Least Expensive.

I'm partial to Minelab's Sovereign, But not Blinded by it.
I'm sure it's just Slightly better then everything else :P

[Detector Man]

I am NOT an expert but in my research for a metal detector when you are speaking of a GOLD sniffing metal detector there is are two ....GP3500 or its new brother GPX 4000 from Minelab....talk to a Minelab dealer....I am confident one of these machines will do the trick for you....keep us posted.

[74BRONC]

I will defiantly keep you guys posted I plan to call Minelab and Garrett tomorrow if possible if not Tuesday for sure.

I would like to thank everybody who has taken the time to respond and give me ideas
I have been spending a lot of time going back and reading past posts to try to learn more
About Metal Detecting.

[74BRONC]

Well from all the people that I have talked to they all seem to be recommending the Garrett GTI2500 with the Treasure hound eagle eye depth multiplier. Which from my own research seemed to be the model that I was leaning towards. I went to see a local Metal Detecting shop and that guy was strongly recommending the Whites Sierra Madre and the optional 15” coil. And he said that Whites also makes a optional 25” coil that can increase the depth even more. What do you guys think between those two choices

[lou423]

I used to own the fisher gemini 3...
I would not recommend that machine...

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

HI 74, I would definately suggest trying out one of those 15" / 24" coils first, they are heavy and awkward, plus if there is any brush etc., you will have to clean it out first.

The two box units eliminate both of these poblems to a large extent. Which ever you get make sure that it has ground neutralizing capabilities. The old Fisher, while an excellent machine, did not have this ability, and enough holes were dug to make another Hoover Dam.

This is why, in general for caches, I recommend the Garrett Master Hunter with the twin box (ant). With this combination you are set up for hunting Gold nuggets, coins, etc., to deep Caches.

Tropical Tramp

[74BRONC]

Do you know the difference between the Master Hunter and the GTI2500 ??
Is one better than the other??

I have thought about searching around vegetation and I thought that it might be easier to go around plants bushes and trees with a regular coil instead of the long two box attachment. But I have never run a metal detector at all so I don’t know which would be best. The terrain is not a jungle or anything that thick but there are plenty of plants to go around.

[74BRONC]

Hi Guys
I just wanted to say thank you to everybody that gave me input and answered all my newbie questions. I just ordered the Garrett GTI2500 with the depth multiplier. I hope I made the right choice. I have already started digging a test hole. I plan to dig at least a dozen or so at different depths and with different sizes of objects buried inside just to test out the unit and to see what it’s capable of.
Now I just have to wait till it gets here.

[mxtswinger]

good luck and keep us informed

[bakergeol]

Hi Guys
I just wanted to say thank you to everybody that gave me input and answered all my newbie questions. I just ordered the Garrett GTI2500 with the depth multiplier. I hope I made the right choice. I have already started digging a test hole. I plan to dig at least a dozen or so at different depths and with different sizes of objects buried inside just to test out the unit and to see what it’s capable of.
Now I just have to wait till it gets here.

I just saw this thread. Given your situation looks like a good choice. You are of course banking on the cache having a metal lid or in a metal container. You might want to test a small plastic bucket of nickles(represent low conductor small gold) to see your depth limitations on a cache in a glass, stoneware, leather, etc container.(Don't be surprised if it is less than a foot). Coins only caches without large metal represent special challenges as your detector may not see the mass of coins.

Again I agree with your decision as this detector may do the job for the cost involved. If it doesn't as Detector man suggests a High end PI would be my next step. My PI can actually detect low conductor coins as a mass and does not see just individual coins(10 nickels at 21 inches). However high end PIs are incredibly expensive and your route with the less expensive GTI2500 seems to be the best way to start your search.

Good Luck
George

[musstag]

Your test holes, try and be sure that some small objects are NOT concealed close to the hole, it will pick up those signals instead of your test object in some case. I have the Garrett CX. I can detect a one gallon metal can with a 12.5 inch coil that is 48 inches deep to the top..... but the T-hound barely detects it...? If I did not know it was there I would most likely miss it with the T-hound, but its a decent low signal with the 12.5 inch coil. I guess hte t-hound needs bigger items at that depth.....?

[74BRONC]

Ok guys sorry about the long time since the last post but I had a couple of things come up I got the GTI 2500 and have been messing around with it a little bit. I made some adjustments to the settings and it seems to be working good in the coin mode I haven’t actually dug any holes and put any coins in them to find out for sure but I threw a few on the ground in my backyard and it found them. My problem is trying to run the machine in the all metal mode I have tried to adjust the ground balance, sensitivity, and the threshold and no matter what I try to do the machine just goes crazy making all kinds of noise sounding off on everything. I have tried the 9.5 the 12.5, the depth multiplier and the DD coils it seems to be quietest with the DD coil but its still pretty noisy. The target I have been testing it on is a one pound coffee can in a 3 foot deep hole without dirt on top of it with the plastic lid facing up. The depth multiplier sometimes detects this but not always and it suffers the same problem as the rest of the coils it wont be quiet. If I didn’t know that the can was there I would just think that its background noise and not a actual target

Does anybody have recommendations or tips to tell me what I am doing wrong? I want to use the all metal mode but the way it is right now its impossible

[cptbil]

HAY! GUYS!
I sure hate to bring this up!
But!
I read in "74Bronco's" 1st post, "I'm poor"!
In that case,
I'd go to Radio Shack and buy one of their's !
$150 Bucks!
They're cheap, but/and they work!
They're made by Bounty!
AND!
They'll detect within, "74Bronco's" Caches Range!
Find one Cache!
Then, He'll be rich !
AND! Then he can go out & buy a GPR !
My first car sure wasn't a "Caddy"
But!
It more than, did the job ! More than !
A '46 Jeep!

[Mike(Mont)]

Without being there it's hard to say, but most likely unless you are in highly mineralized ground with lots of hot rocks you have lots of metal trash. I know the two-box units claim they won't pick up small trash items but I haven't found that to be true. If I were doing it I'd use some discrimination enough to eliminate most nails and wire. Then you want to look for the bigger signals. Obviously a single coin will only have a small signal so you need to learn how a jar lid registers at depth on your machine. The best way is to get a signal, try and figure out what size, depth, etc. it is then dig and see how close you were. In the end you just might have to dig up a lot of the trash items if you can't work around them.

[Seajay]

Ditto! on the Garrett with the Bloodhound attachment; provides good depth.