New to The Hobby

[Southern_Boy]

Hi Everyone:

My wife has been telling me that I need to get a hobby to blow off some steam and to relax. During Hanukkah my boys both got very inexpensive metal detectors and we went out to have some fun. Did not find any money just a lot of junk but I was bitten by the bug. I then asked my wife to get me a Metal Detector for my birthday as this is what my new hobby will be.

I have been reading up on the subject and already started researching for areas that I want to start on come spring. I have found this website to be very interesting and encouraging at the same time. I am lost on some of the terminology but in time I will get the hang of it.

Suggested to my wife to get a mid range MD as far as cost goes. Just don't want to spend too much money on something till at least I know if this is really something that I want to do or not.

Any suggestions for a decent Metal Detector that would be suitable for me.
Look forward to find something and posting in Spring on what I find.

Sincerely;
Southern_Boy

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Minelab PRO-FIND 35 Waterproof Pinpointer Metal Detector for Experts with Tone ID & Adjustable Sensitivity - Grab it through Amazon!

[Stacylee926]

I am a newbie since the holiday's so I cannot offer too much guidance except this....

Hubby bought me a Bounty Hunter Discovery 1100 (I think) from Radio Shack - cost about 130.00. That was just what I needed to get going. I am mainly finding coins and stuff. However, it has been about 5 weeks, with more than 30 hours of detecting (on the weekends only) and I am ready for a better machine!! This is a hobby that I truly enjoy and have spent every possible moment on the weekends hunting - even to the point of ignoring cleaning the house, laundry etc! Those are now weeknight chores.

So my advice to you is this... since you have tried it out, you know you will love the hobby and it would be wise to get a machine that you can understand, meaning don't get some super fancy model that will take forever to figure out. I myself am considering the Garrett Ace 250 because it is in my budget and MD'ers seem to love this machine.

I also recommend knee pads. I carried my gardening pad with me for the first 2 weeks, but still ended up getting mud stains on my jeans and it was bulky to deal with. I got some knee pads from Home Depot that are all rubber so I do not set the maching off - and pretty comfortable. I just plop down and never worry about hurting myself or staining my pants anymore!

Another thing we got was an old military issue bag (over the shoulder type) from EBAY for 4.00 that is jus right to carry our treasures. Have fun!

 

[CWnut]

Hi and welcome aboard. This is a great forum to exchange info and ideas, however the classifieds run a little slow. I would suggest a used mid-range detector. To avoid wanting to upgrade in the near future. strain your budget to get the most detector you can afford. I shy away from giving brand names because it creates so much controversy but you can read and see what people are using. As far as finding places to detect goes, just do research.


www.

 

[georgestill]

Might want to try Ebay for a used machine. I bought my 6000 Di Pro Sl there for $400 and got 2 extra coils and stem.... headphones with it. Gave quite a bit less for the 5900 Di Pro Sl there also. Was around $300

 

[DixieDirtDigger]

I bought my wife a Garrett ace 250 as her first detector,I really enjoy it myself with its coin alert (door bell) and its light weight,A month into it she took a fancy on my Whites MXT so now she has an MXT also, I keep the 250 around because its a neat little detector,it doesn't look very masculine but it works and runs great for the money i gave for it, Ive noticed alot of people here also own one,in my opinion it will run circles around a department store machine.(just an opinion)

 

[Pulltab Parson]

you could also check out the White's web site.

www.whiteselectronics.com

They make great machines at all different prices, ($250 - $1200) you can't really go wrong with any of them. There are also those here who really like the Garrett Ace 250. I agree with Charles, get the best machine you can afford that way you won't have to upgrade really soon and make your wife mad about spending another $300 - $500 or even more on another machine. Read all the reviews you can and if you have a dealer close I would go and try a few different ones out.

This forum is a great resource for any information, you ahv etruly come to the right place! Good luck and happy hunting!!

 

[TonyinCT]

Hey newbies I'm sure I can help you out. Give me a call and I'm sure I can hook you up. Mid range detectors are around 400 to 700. I sell at discount and use what I sell. Look at whether you want target ID or not, use for coins , relics jewelry or a combination and where you want to hunt mostly such as land or beach. This will help narrow it down
TonyinCT
860-623-1153
WWW.TCMETALDETECTORS.COM

 

[camb1]

Welcome to TreasureNet. I own three White's Detectors, but I have heard a lot about Garrett's Ace 250 as a great starter detector at $200 - $250 with some extras.

 

[wishbone1958]

Welcome to TreasureNet. I own three White's Detectors, but I have heard a lot about Garrett's Ace 250 as a great starter detector at $200 - $250 with some extras.

IF YOU HAVE THE EXTRA GREEN STAMPS FOR A FEW DOLLERS MORE THAN THE GARRETTS ACE 250.. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE TESORO LOBO SUPER TRAC.... HAS ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES THAT A $1000.OO PLUS MACHINE HAS.. CHECK OUT THE LINE OF TESOROS THEY ARE THE GREATEST AND THEY HAVE LIFETIME WARRANTIES..

 

[NH Bob]

I wouldn't beat around the bush. I'd get the X-Terra 50 (good deals on them right now) and be done with it. A good midrange detector and easy to learn and run. In fact if you get one I'll give you my email addy and have you hunting the first day.