pahillbillybear

[pahillbillybear]

Hello. I am thinking of getting into detecting. I remember when I was a little boy, my parents bought me (at my request) a "toy" metal detector. Must've cost $20-25. It screamed all the time. I have a local Whites dealer who keeps a decent stock of detectors and a local Garrett dealer who caries low to mid level detectors. The main type of detecting in my area concerns Civil War items. Also lots of gathering places to check such as fair grounds. Quite a few state parks and state forests as well. The Whites dealer told me he sold one a couple of years ago and the guy has nearly paid the $1,000 dollar unit off by hitting the football bleachers. Now for my question. Should I go entry level? Should I stick with Whites or Garrrett? Any specific model? My main hunting, as I insinuated earlier will be coins, relics and possible jewelry. What about other makes, such as Minelab? Any and all help appreciated.

 

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[artzstuff1]

Do yourself a favor buy a tesoro!!! simple,fairly priced, lifetime warr. you wont be sorry,, just my thoughts,,,,thanks


arthur

 

[mlayers]

go with what you can afford

 

[TXPIRATE]

WHITES,GARRETT,TESORO All make good unites. See which one you feel comfortable with. How much are you looking to spend? THE Garrett ace 250 is a good way to get your feet wet.

 

[deepskyal]

Well you can start you research by going into the Metal Detector Reviews...by owners forum and see what people are saying about detectors in the lines and price ranges you are considering.

If you get a cheapie beginner unit, it may discourage you because you're not finding treasure.

If you get a top of the line unit, it may discourage you because you're not finding treasure.

Maybe start with a midrange...but it may discourage you because you're not finding treasure.

Ahhhh, just give up the idea.

Of course your local dealer is gonna want you to buy the best you can afford. I would too.
If you like it and take the time to learn it....you'll find coins, jewelry and relics. If not....sell it on Ebay for a slight loss...consider it your rental fee.

Having a local dealer is a plus....have them show you how one works and you decide from there.

Al

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Quite a few state parks and state forests as well.

Check first. In NY you can get arrested and fined heavily for digging & removing objects from state parks; though metal detecting is OK. I kid you not.

Don't drop $1,000 until you find out if detecting is for you after all. Much better to start simpler and then plan on a next move once you develop some likes/dislikes or a niche. The best coin shooter is not the best nugget finder is not the best relic hunter is not the best cache hunter, etc. My first detector was an Archer kit from Radio Shack in the early 70's. I restarted out with a Minelab Musketeer Advantage and it was a great choice. Good for relics and coins (in fact, for relics, it holds it's own with much more expensive units). Paid $250 for a used one with the recharge gear and two coils. Makes a great back-up and loaner, but is not so fun at a park or playground full of trash. I never thought much of visual readouts until I got used to the digital display of my F75.

What's your budget? Leave enough out for a good digging tool ($40 Lesche) and a good set of headphones ($60 to $100). If you can afford to drop a wad on a high-end detector consider that it may take you months and years to figure out all the bells and whistles . . . and having it set up wrong can cripple it's effectiveness. Be sure to get one that has a default reset that is easy to invoke. It also depends a lot on you. Do you like stick or automatic in a car? Do you like techo-gizzies or simple tools? 15 component stereo system or close-and-play single unit? Some folks want all the complication because that is part of the fun (for them). Others just want to go detecting and want a unit that knows how by itself or is very sraightforward to set.