know of a good cheep detector ?

mical66

Hero Member
Jul 17, 2012
728
223
Greeneville , TN
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hi every one , i am new here and as you can guess by the title new to metal detectors . i have collected items for years by finding them from sight but after finding this site i believe me and my 12 year old son have been bitten.

issue is this , i am a father of 6 with 4 still at home , so money is always a issue , but since this is something me and my 12 year old son will be doing together i am sure i can get the wifes stamp of approval , which we all know if momma isnt happy ,,, no one is happy..lol

question is a good cheep starter detector . i see people talking about spending thousands on one and that is not a option, maybe in the future we can work our way up to it if we really get into it.

i live in east tennessee if anyone is close and may have a old one they have " outgrown " i may be intrested in buying,
but in the mean time some model and names for em to research and look at prices would be awsome..thanks in advance.
 

TerryC

Gold Member
Jun 26, 2008
7,735
10,996
Yarnell, AZ
Detector(s) used
Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Well, 66. Welcome to the Tnet. 6 kids. You've been busy! Sorry, couldn't resist. First, I would say feed those kids first. Then decide on the detector to buy. At 34.1 aluminum cans per pound, you are not too far from buying a good detector. It is my opinion that there are cheap detectors but no "cheap and good" detectors. The Ace 250, at about $220, is a good starter. (cans around $2.10/lb today) If you hunt like hell, you will pay off the detector, and then some, in a relatively short period of time. Am I justifying buying a detector to help feed the kids?.... NO..... but in the right hands, with a real effort, the detector CAN pay for itself. You decide. TTC
 

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TNGUNS

Bronze Member
Jun 23, 2012
2,368
1,208
Evensville, Tennessee
Detector(s) used
Whites 5900, Fisher 1266x, Tesoro Eldorado, Tesoro Silver Sabre, Whites Eagle Spectrum, Teknetics G2, Teknetics T2, Vibra-Probe 580
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
HI neighbor.....in southeast TN here. Might be able to help ya out. Will send ya a PM
 

Silver Slayer

Sr. Member
Jun 19, 2010
413
166
CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab Explorer SE Pro, XS, Minelab Excalibur Sea search, Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Fisher F2 at $199.00

It will pay for itself in no time. Mine did:headbang:
 

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mical66

mical66

Hero Member
Jul 17, 2012
728
223
Greeneville , TN
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks every one for the quick replies , after speaking with and reading articles from members here i can see where it could pay for its self in as little as the first month or first year .
If it were up to me and my son we would have a MD this weekend and be out there . But as terryc pointed out we got to feed the kids first , lol and that is where i am lucky to have my wife who makes me keep a level head.
My son and i will be doing our research over the next few days and decide how to proceed but what would be ideal is we both get a starter MD so we both can work side by side instead of take turns.
i will keep you all posted to how it goes.

Again ty for the advice and help.
 

TerryC

Gold Member
Jun 26, 2008
7,735
10,996
Yarnell, AZ
Detector(s) used
Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Good
. Keep at it. Hmmm. I wonder just how long WOULD it take to collect enough cans to get a 250? I am going to try it. Just to say I did it. Starting today I will keep a log and go out looking for cans. I have about 200 cans at the house for starters. Let's see how long this will take. I will log those hours dedicated to collecting cans. TTC
 

leprechaun

Bronze Member
Feb 20, 2012
1,996
606
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
CTX 3030; The only metal detector I'll ever need
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I agree with terry,the ace 250 is one of the best detectors on the market for the money.Just my two cents.:icon_thumleft:
 

Saltman241

Greenie
Jul 12, 2012
10
0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Tesoro Compadre.

Made in USA.
Lifetime warranty.
High quality detector.
Retains it's resale value.
Very easy to use.
Lightweight allowing anyone, your son included, to swing it for hours.
My recommendation.
 

ivan salis

Gold Member
Feb 5, 2007
16,794
3,809
callahan,fl
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
delta 4000 / ace 250 - used BH and many others too
what is cheap is seldom good and what is good is seldom cheap *

that said you need to state what your "price range" of affordibilty is --then ask whats the best detector in the ----$---- price range , for my area?

the area you hunt in is important as some areas have high mineral content and thus you will need to have a machine that can be adjustible ground balance wize if you live / hunt in such a area ==most of the lower end (cheaper) machines have a preset ground balance(which is often just fine for most areas) however if you do have issues , the only way to fix a "preset" machine trhats freaking out due to high minerals or nearby emf (powerlines) is to lower the machines power / sensitivity output levels until it "calms" down

scrapping aluminum cans / metal is one way to "fund" your getting a metal detector project ==crhing is another possible funding source as well --once the first one is obtained -- finding and selling a cw relic or two along with saving up clad coins can help fund getting the second one

the delta 4000 by teknetics $279 is a very nice lil machine --- light in weight--uses 1 =9 volt battery == has a visual 0 -99 numbers type display and overall is a good machine bang for buck wize.
 

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Olegrumpy

Full Member
Apr 28, 2009
132
47
Detector(s) used
Sov GT-Explorer II-Goldbug Pro-Eurotek Pro-Classic III-Golden µMAX-1212-x-SH MKII-
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Hi

I am a huge fan of humble -I don't like "cheap"- metal detectors. I bought a Compadre (8" coil) three years ago and found over the ten thousand coins with it, not to mention the jewelry. I do own top of the line detectors, but I grab more often the "humble" ones. Just bought a 1212x new in the box.

The best entry level detectors to familiarise you with metal detecting and produce immediate and astonishing results are NON DIGITAL ones. Why? Because there's no meter to look at to confuse you !

HH

Grumpy
 

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mical66

mical66

Hero Member
Jul 17, 2012
728
223
Greeneville , TN
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
* UPDATE *
Again some very good information and valid points .
Luckly for me TNGUN is not to far away from me and is hooking me up with what sounds like a sweet " whites Eagle "
the research i have done shows it is a solid machine , easy to use , dependable and will do great i think for a starter MD for us , i plan to keep it for me if the reviews are half true and if my son digs " swinging " pun intended .. then get him a newer lighter MD .
 

ppratt

Sr. Member
Jun 19, 2003
352
83
South western PA
Detector(s) used
Spectrum XLT
I think if you buy a good used detector you maybe better off. You can get a spectrum at a good price, and it will be better than any new detector that you buy in the same price range.
 

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