Need help selecting a Metal Detector.

Shaen9319

Jr. Member
Jul 11, 2016
37
5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Hello, so I will start out by saying I am mid-level experienced in Metal Detecting. It's time to move up in the field and I want the best one out there for what I do, I don't only want the best but I want the one that goes the deepest. So my budget is $2,000 I want to stay below that.... so what do you recommend for a Metal Detector that goes very deep and finds the real things. I will not just be digging in one place, I am talking Beaches, Forts, Relic Areas, Antique area, many different places so I cant just have a metal detector for one area. I heard the Minelab Excaliber is one of the best ones out there that can do everything including beaches is it true? let me know thanks!
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,422
30,105
White Plains, New York
🥇 Banner finds
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🏆 Honorable Mentions:
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Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Welcome! If you want to hunt wet saltwater sand you'll need a multi-frequency VLF machine like the Excalibur. It is NOT an "all around" machine. It is too fragile - in my opinion, to be used as a land machine. If MOST of your detecting will be done on land, get the E-Trac. If you can swing a few more dollars, get the CTX 3030.

If you want to spend about $1,000.00 - get Two machines. The Tesoro Sand Shark (pulse Induction) for the wet sand and water at beach (deeper than the Excalibur), and a Tesoro Vaquero for the dry sand and land detecting. :skullflag:

 

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Shaen9319

Jr. Member
Jul 11, 2016
37
5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thank you that is very helpful so there is no metal detector though that can do everything for under $2000? Can the CTX do everything?
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,422
30,105
White Plains, New York
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Not Everything, but it can do beaches both salt and freshwater, rain, dry sand and dirt very well. If you decide to go gold nugget hunting though, you'll need a different machine. :skullflag:
 

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Shaen9319

Jr. Member
Jul 11, 2016
37
5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yeah this is a hard thing to choose with... all I have is to spend $1000 if I can even make that... I have a Bounty Hunter Lone Star right now its an $80 machine and I found more relics and treasures than most people with Excalibers even so I mean I know even cheap machines can find stuff its just I want to get a better machine than that, and plus I used the Bounty Hunter in water many times, perfectly fine and its not even water-proof. I was told any machine can detect gold, because gold is a metal, and its what metal detectors do so... I only want to use one metal detector that would be able to find Gold yes but Relics as well... we don't need the whole under-water thing I suppose since I am not looking forward to scuba diving.. so maybe just a Relic/Gold finder only and forget the Water.
 

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Shaen9319

Jr. Member
Jul 11, 2016
37
5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I know the ATX will find any Relic that is out there and Gold but that thing is crazy expensive... $2,000 I mean I could try to save up for that but a $2,000 metal detector... eh it better find whats out there then if I am paying that much money. Not to mention the ATX can do underwater I believe AND both types of beaches... I am almost talking myself into that one but then I get worried what's better than the ATX in the $2000 range lol
 

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Shaen9319

Jr. Member
Jul 11, 2016
37
5
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
So yeah I looked some stuff up I found out pretty much if I want a Land/Sea/Gold/Relic hunter the best is the Garrett ATX vs Minelab CTX 3030. It's hard to choose from that.... I mean Minelab makes some of the most advanced MD I have ever seen, but Garrett has a good Detector.
 

Loco-Digger

Gold Member
Jun 16, 2014
11,827
17,744
Northern O-H-I-O
🥇 Banner finds
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Detector(s) used
F75 LTD, 1280X Aquanaut, & a Patriot (back-up/loaner)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Take a look at the XP Deus. I am in agreement that the CTX 3030 would fill all your needs and is a great machine, but the Deus is also a great detector. I enjoy my F75 LTD SE, but many people don't like a chatty detector. I mainly hunt permissions so both the XP deus and F75 do good for me. I also have a water detector that is good for freshwater and is what I use when the soil is too dry for permissions.
 

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