bchopeful
Jr. Member
- Jan 26, 2012
- 30
- 35
- Detector(s) used
- Garrett AT Gold
- Primary Interest:
- Prospecting
Hi guys and gals, I took the plunge on buying the smaller unit made by Mad Mining. Having never drywashed before, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. People up here where I live in beautiful British Columbia say it can't be done. That kind of talk only motivated me to try it. It wasn't cheap by any means. 729$ shipped to Canada is a fortune when you factor in the exchange rate! The drywasher has peaked my interest for years and so, after the good folks on this forum offered their advice and their knowledge of drywashing, I can say that I have now tried it! Nobody in this country uses one.
Out of the box, this little drywasher is well built and solid. It comes with a little vibrating motor that is attached to the bottom of tray that hold the riffle board and it attaches to any 12v battery. I use a 12v Booster pack. The hose is an Rv sewer hose that I attach to my Makita blower (see photos). My blower has cruise control so that I can set the blower speed to whatever I desire. Mad Mining recommends idle speed. I have to drive in to my claim on an ATV so space is in short supply, but being that this Drywasher is so small, it fits nicely.
I have taken it out twice. The first time I only ran 10 buckets of material classified #4. I was deeply concerned that I had made a huge error in buying the smaller unit. I gotta say, that I made the right choice. Dry material from a 3.5 gallon pale disappears in less the 20 seconds. Wetter material, I ran through twice. The vibration acts like an auto feeder. The only issues that I had was wetter material getting clogged in the hopper where the material feeds down onto the riffle tray. But once ran through, it was dry enough that on the second pass, it needed no monitoring. The second time out, it rained on me, thus I only got two pales of material through. But! It worked! This thing picks up fine gold without issues. All my concerns have been blown away! I hope that you enjoy my photos.
Out of the box, this little drywasher is well built and solid. It comes with a little vibrating motor that is attached to the bottom of tray that hold the riffle board and it attaches to any 12v battery. I use a 12v Booster pack. The hose is an Rv sewer hose that I attach to my Makita blower (see photos). My blower has cruise control so that I can set the blower speed to whatever I desire. Mad Mining recommends idle speed. I have to drive in to my claim on an ATV so space is in short supply, but being that this Drywasher is so small, it fits nicely.
I have taken it out twice. The first time I only ran 10 buckets of material classified #4. I was deeply concerned that I had made a huge error in buying the smaller unit. I gotta say, that I made the right choice. Dry material from a 3.5 gallon pale disappears in less the 20 seconds. Wetter material, I ran through twice. The vibration acts like an auto feeder. The only issues that I had was wetter material getting clogged in the hopper where the material feeds down onto the riffle tray. But once ran through, it was dry enough that on the second pass, it needed no monitoring. The second time out, it rained on me, thus I only got two pales of material through. But! It worked! This thing picks up fine gold without issues. All my concerns have been blown away! I hope that you enjoy my photos.
If you are using a bucket classifier you might think of building a light weight wood frame/wire mesh one. It can be propped up with collapsible legs and shoveled onto. Major back saver. I hike into my sites and hand carry or bungee mine to my whippet backpack drywasher. It is about 2X4 feet. That size may fit on your atv too. 
