Hopefully new soon...need advice!

[MainTank]

I've almost got my wife talked into letting me buy a MD soon, and I'm really kind of excited about it. Most of my hunting would be done at a beach, in the regular dirt (don't know the proper terminology for that) and possibly some shallow water (12 inches or less). What kind of features should I look for in a new MD, and what kind of accessories do I need to start with? Also, are there any people or clubs in western Wisconsin I could check out for hands-on advice? Thanks in advance!

 

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[Dano Sverige]

Depends on your budget really. I use my Minelab Excalibur II on the beach for dry sand, wet sand and in the water. I've also just started giving it a try on land (soil). It's basically a beach/water detector, but works just fine on land too. Will cost you over $1k though, but is hard to beat for the beach especially.
There are cheaper ones out there, but i've only ever used Minelab's so i'll let others tell you about those.

 

[Sandman]

Welcome to Tnet...

What do you mean you almost got the wife talked into letting you buy a metal detector? Does she ask you if she can buy another pair of shoes?

The Excal is the best for beaches on the coast but you would do better than most with a Tesoro Tiger Shark. Lots cheaper than a Excal and it has a lifetime warranty. Besides the detector your going to need a good stainless steel scoop.. Save yourself some grief and get a good on off the bat. http://www.gold-scoop.com/thescoop.html For freshwater the smaller one will do fine.

To learn more about beach hunting, visit this site. http://www.nmhra.netfirms.com/pulltab/ Right now wife sees your wanting a detector as a boy toy. She'll change her mind when you find that first gold ladies ring.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Great Post Sandman!

ATTENTION WIVES: Sandman's statements do not neccessarily reflect the views of this poster, because my wife is watching me type this...

Welcome to Tnet...

What do you mean you almost got the wife talked into letting you buy a metal detector? Does she ask you if she can buy another pair of shoes?

The Excal is the best for beaches on the coast but you would do better than most with a Tesoro Tiger Shark. Lots cheaper than a Excal and it has a lifetime warranty. Besides the detector your going to need a good stainless steel scoop.. Save yourself some grief and get a good on off the bat. http://www.gold-scoop.com/thescoop.html For freshwater the smaller one will do fine.

To learn more about beach hunting, visit this site. http://www.nmhra.netfirms.com/pulltab/ Right now wife sees your wanting a detector as a boy toy. She'll change her mind when you find that first gold ladies ring.

 

[MainTank]

Welcome to Tnet...

What do you mean you almost got the wife talked into letting you buy a metal detector? Does she ask you if she can buy another pair of shoes?

The Excal is the best for beaches on the coast but you would do better than most with a Tesoro Tiger Shark. Lots cheaper than a Excal and it has a lifetime warranty. Besides the detector your going to need a good stainless steel scoop.. Save yourself some grief and get a good on off the bat. http://www.gold-scoop.com/thescoop.html For freshwater the smaller one will do fine.

To learn more about beach hunting, visit this site. http://www.nmhra.netfirms.com/pulltab/ Right now wife sees your wanting a detector as a boy toy. She'll change her mind when you find that first gold ladies ring.

Actually, yes...she does ask me...lol. We're on a very tight budget but we do occasionally have room for a few bigger items that we want/need. So, regardless of cost, it's a joint decision, since we both have to agree on what we spend. The beaches I will be mainly hunting on are right on the Mississippi River; there are a few VERY popular beaches here that are packed on most nice summer days and up until the water gets too cold to swim in. And of course, yards will be a big spot, since nobody in my family is into treasure hunting so they have virgin yards I can experiment in =). I'll do plenty of research before I plunk down a chunk of change, so I'll be perusing the forums here for plenty of advice before I make my final purchase. Thanks for the advice, all!!

 

[rockhound]

If you are going to hunt non saltwater beaches,you can use any VLF detector with good results. You may need a manual ground balance feature though. There are many beep and dig machines,as well as TID machines,which gives you a description of the target before you dig. All can be used in water up to the box,but don't let the box get wet unless you have a wading or diving detector.Good Luck. rockhound

 

[MainTank]

So I've been looking at a few...Minelab just seems to be the most popular and versatile from what I've read so far. I've kind of had my eye on the X-Terra 705 gold pack; does anyone have any experience with this model?

 

[dvbish35]

I would keep my eyes out on a site like craigslist. There are usually some good deals out there from people that have bought detectors and either lost interest or it wasnt for them,,,thats where i got mine. With that being said from what i understand the garrett ace 250 is a good entry level all around machine, and reasonably priced and will get you started to see if metal detecting is for you. I know its not a "beach" machine...but should serve a very good beginners purchase, and hold its value should you choose to upgrade.

 

[gadigger81]

Welcome to T-Net and best of luck to you!

 

[Smudge]

Maintank,

When talking detectors, there are two types: the ones you use and salt water beaches and the ones you use just about everywhere else.

Salt water beach detectors come into their own in the wet sand/surf. You can use a land detector on the dry sand without any special issues.

For the land detector, it seems you need a waterproof unit and that narrows the field a bit. I would suggest looking at the Tesoro Tiger Shark and the Garrett AT Pro. You can use these machines in most places and get them wet without any issues. Be warned that the AT Pro does not come with waterproof headphones standard. Those are an add-on.

 

[MainTank]

Maintank,

When talking detectors, there are two types: the ones you use and salt water beaches and the ones you use just about everywhere else.

Salt water beach detectors come into their own in the wet sand/surf. You can use a land detector on the dry sand without any special issues.

For the land detector, it seems you need a waterproof unit and that narrows the field a bit. I would suggest looking at the Tesoro Tiger Shark and the Garrett AT Pro. You can use these machines in most places and get them wet without any issues. Be warned that the AT Pro does not come with waterproof headphones standard. Those are an add-on.

So...the deepest water I would be hunting in right now would be MAYBE two feet...no more. Anything deeper and it's too dark here to see what I'm stepping in or on. I had been looking at the Garrett models; are lower-end models like that (before stepping up to the Minelab Excal and the like) waterproof to a certain point, like up to the box? And if I don't submerge the unit up to where the headphones plug in, do I need to worry about waterproof headphones as well?

 

[Smudge]

So...the deepest water I would be hunting in right now would be MAYBE two feet...no more. Anything deeper and it's too dark here to see what I'm stepping in or on. I had been looking at the Garrett models; are lower-end models like that (before stepping up to the Minelab Excal and the like) waterproof to a certain point, like up to the box? And if I don't submerge the unit up to where the headphones plug in, do I need to worry about waterproof headphones as well?
[/quote]

Most metal detectors have waterproof coils so technically you can get the detector wet all the way up to the control box. More than that you will fry you detector unless it is waterproof.

The dangerous part is, of course, if you slip in the water (not hard to do) or drop your unit (also not hard to do) and then your detector is history.

If you are confident this will not happen then no, you do not need waterproof headphones. Bur if you think you will do aconsiderable amount of water hunting, why risk using a plain land detector?

 

[MainTank]

So...the deepest water I would be hunting in right now would be MAYBE two feet...no more. Anything deeper and it's too dark here to see what I'm stepping in or on. I had been looking at the Garrett models; are lower-end models like that (before stepping up to the Minelab Excal and the like) waterproof to a certain point, like up to the box? And if I don't submerge the unit up to where the headphones plug in, do I need to worry about waterproof headphones as well?

Most metal detectors have waterproof coils so technically you can get the detector wet all the way up to the control box. More than that you will fry you detector unless it is waterproof.

The dangerous part is, of course, if you slip in the water (not hard to do) or drop your unit (also not hard to do) and then your detector is history.

If you are confident this will not happen then no, you do not need waterproof headphones. Bur if you think you will do aconsiderable amount of water hunting, why risk using a plain land detector?
[/quote]

Well, to be honest, I'm fairly certain those types of accidents won't happen. I'm very familiar with the beaches around here and know where to go and where not to go. My OCD will also absolutely NOT let me go somewhere I'm not 110% sure I know I'm safe, save an act of God. Sure, beaches I've never been to will be out of my knowledge base in that regard, but I don't travel hardly at all (kind of a phobia of mine) so unfamiliar territory will probably not be an option. I just want to make sure my MD will be good in a foot or so of water, just in case I get the bug to wade out a bit. I'm quite the particular person...you'll discover more in the future as I post more =).

I think I've got it narrowed down to a couple. One is the Garrett ACE 350, which is probably in all actuality exactly what I need to start with, and the Minelab X-Terra 705. The Minelab is more than I will need, I'm sure, but as with many of my bigger-ticket purchases in the past, I tend to overspend to start with an upgrade the first time. Just the way I am...lol. Knowing my luck I'll end up buying the expensive one and using it once...lol. Or...it will pull me in SO much that I can't wait for my weekend to get out there and dig and my wife will never see me again =).

 

[MainTank]

Ok...a few more questions to help me narrow down my choice even more. I've noticed that some detectors have needle displays, some have digital/electronic displays, and some have no displays. For those that don't have electronic displays, is it easy for newbies to get used to either where the needle goes or just the sound the MD makes, or should I choose a MD that has an electronic display for my first one to maximize its ease of use?

 

[MADJOKER]

I dont have allot of experince here as I am new to MD myself but I did purchase the Garrett Ace 350 and I love it so far. I have nothing to compare to but it seems to be working out just fine for me. As for my poor choices of locations to hunt............well that is another story

 

[George (MN)]

You ask some good questions & have helped fill in your intended uses. But still it is hard to recommend one detector over all others. Garrett AT Pro is $594.95 MAP (minimum advertisable price, possibly cheaper quote by phone or e-mail) about $100 less than the Minelab X-Terra 705, except the AT Pro waterproof headphones if wanted are about $85.

I had a X-Terra 70, the detector before the X-Terra 705. Got correct IDs to 4" sometimes. A 4.5" deep penny IDed as quarter. Deepest coin found was a 5" deep nickel that IDed as zinc cent. Many like White's detectors like M6 for the high frequency for gold & simple operation. Plus the huge selection of coils.

The At Pro got me a dime about 7" deep that IDed correctly. Most detectors won't give an accurate, consistent ID that deep in my soil. The air tests are impressive, about 12" on a quarter, maybe 15" on a nickel, deep on gold. It separates well when multiple targets are close.

ID detectors mostly help with coins. Gold rings & other gold jewelry ID all over so it is necessary to dig about everything to get all the gold the detector can.

I like my AT Pro but don't know if I'll go in the water. The Ace 350 is half the cost, but doesn't have numerical ID & groups quarters with copper pennies and dimes. Many say the AT Pro gets coins 2"-4" deeper than the $212.45 Ace 250. Some like the $279 Teknetics Delta 4000 for getting started.

Except for the private yards, it will be hard to find anything old as public places were hunted hard in the '70s & '80s. Beaches get detected frequently by many.
Waist deep in water, rings slip off shrivelled fingers.

Detectors vary in weight from 2 to 6 lbs, features few or many. Variable sensitivity & variable discrimination are about the only common features on nearly all detectors. Cheaper detectors may have less depth, less accurate IDs, but many say site selection & really knowing a particular detector are perhaps bigger factors in success. Best wishes, George (MN)

 

[pensacolakid]

I use the whites mxt, it is a really good machine. Once you find that jewelry on the beach and give it to her, she will be a lot more interested in your detecting habit.

 

[MainTank]

I'm thinking I'll go with the Ace 250 or 350; those seem to give me the most bang for the buck as far as entry-level MDs go. Now I just gotta stick to the decision I made and not way overspend when the time comes...lol.

 

[MainTank]

Dang it!! Now I'm reading all kinds of good stuff about the AT Pro, and it's got me thinking that maybe that's the way I should go...as is my MO in the past, buy the expensive one first...lol. What really kind of sold me was a picture I saw of a man MDing in waist-deep water...that might be a possibility with my MDing direction as well, as there are MANY swimming holes and other places I can MD in water. Dang it all, people...I just can't decide!!

 

[fishbone3d]

Start at an entry or middle model. Do not go and spend a fortune yet. We all have opinions on detectors just like cars. Are you a Ford, Chevy, or Dodge guy? The detector is only as good as it's handler. I have a friend in his 80's who can whoop me with his 1980's Tesero. I have a Teknetic's T2 SE. There are many detectors collecting dust in closets as we speak. Find out if you really enjoy the hobby. If you find out this hobby is for you, go and buy a professional in time. Money is tight these days, to spend a hunk on something on a whim. Go online, and read a lot of reviews. If this hobby is for you, go and enjoy it. If it is not, at least you didn't go and spend a fortune on a closet ornament. It takes a long time to get used to your detector's sounds. Like 6 months or more sometimes of hard digging. When I first went out, I only found a few Wheats, but I was well known for the king of nails. This hobby is an addictive disease for some of us, but for many others, they grow tired quickly. Good luck my friend on your hunts, and get ready to get dirty and learn.