3 inch dredge vs 4 inch

[Coin Head]

Hi everyone I have a 2 inch dredge and have found pretty good gold with it but from my understanding the 2 inch just doesn't run enough material to really matter but the price jump from a 3 inch dredge to a four inch is just to much for me so I really need to know what makes a 3 inch better and worse and what makes a 4 inch better and worse!

 

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[Bejay]

It is all about sucking up material. It is all about how many rocks you have to toss away. It is all about how much material you move an hour. So a three kicks a two's butt. A four kicks a 3's butt. Once you go to a 4 you will hate going back to a 3. Once you use a 3 you will never use a two again....as a 2.5 is far better than a mere 2. I have been a dredger for 40 years and the real telling part is....where do I dredge and how much overburden do I need to move to get to the gold. I have a 2 inch suction gun that does what a 2 inch dredge can do....and I use it on a creek that is about 1-2 ft wide cascading down mostly bedrock. Works great...and I don't use and carry fuel. But when I have to go through two to four feet (or more) of overburden I love a 4. I used a 3 for 15 years doing bedrock exposed areas only. When I ran out of those areas I had to go to a 4 just to get through the deeper overburden.

Remember each one larger requires more water supply.

My advice: A 3 will kick a 2's butt...and once you use the 3 you will get rid of the two. Once you use a 4 you will not want to use a 3 unless you have to.

Bejay.

 

[Bonaro]

Easy answer...4"

Bejay is right, if you want more gold you have to move more gravel. If it won't fit up the hose you have to move it by hand.
Every 1" in hose diameter that you increase will double the volume of gravel you can move per hour. so if you can move 1 yard per hour with your 2" then you can move 2 YPH with a 3" and 4 YPH with a 4", 8 YPh with a 5" and so on..
I would use an 8" dredge if they would let me

 

[No gold in NY]

Then you have to think about access to the water. Saw a guy on the wild am in NH last weekend with a nice new 4 inch. Brings it unassembled, carries the parts down then up a small hill, through a small woods, over rocks, then sets it up in the water. Probably 250 feet one way.

 

[russau]

Hey , Good morning Coin head ! All size dredges have their own great points! I've had 2 4 inchers , one 3 inch and 2 two inch dredges. I'm down to 1 two inch dredge now because of my beat up bones and age. And still I need help with it to get out. I've been selling off my equipment because I cant use it much. and I'm getting ready for another knee replacement . There is NOTHING I'd rather do than dredging............BUT I just am having a hard time getting up from a prone position after dredging and then getting up that hill with equipment in tow! Bigger is better in this case BUT it just depends on the stream / access / and what kind of help you have ! I have lot's of plans BUT when does a guy say his ole body has had enough? Tough choice for me!

 

[Bejay]

I hear ya rassau.......I think there comes a time when us old farts give thought to becoming teachers and let the younger "newbies" learn how to dredge. But it would be hard to keep me off the nozzle.......once I am down in the water I can still pluck up the gold. I am currently heading out to Idaho to elk hunt...and I ain't what I used to be. I told my son that I can sit all day and glass with binos and if one is close enough I'll shoot it and call him on the radio to come deal with it. If nothing else I'll radio if I see something and let him go get on it.

Yep...I sure ain't what I used to be...but I'll bet I or he will score from my efforts!

Bejay

 

[Bonaro]

I hear ya rassau.......I think there comes a time when us old farts give thought to becoming teachers and let the younger "newbies" learn how to dredge. But it would be hard to keep me off the nozzle.......once I am down in the water I can still pluck up the gold. I am currently heading out to Idaho to elk hunt...and I ain't what I used to be. I told my son that I can sit all day and glass with binos and if one is close enough I'll shoot it and call him on the radio to come deal with it. If nothing else I'll radio if I see something and let him go get on it.
Yep...I sure ain't what I used to be...but I'll bet I or he will score from my efforts!

Bejay

Instead of expressing our age in years, we should do it in levels. I am level 54...sounds more badass

 

[No gold in NY]

Instead of expressing our age in years, we should do it in levels. I am level 54...sounds more badass

I am at level 75 and until A couple years ago, I was unstoppable. Now I'm feeling a slow down, but I can still carry the highbanker/dredge and motor in. I have a young wife that helps with a lot of the small stuff. When not dredging, I can still handle the old #2 shovel.

 

[ncclaymaker]

Level heads unite!!! Have none of you ever heard of teenagers? Feed them and promise them a percentage of the take and they will fall hook, line and sinker... a few times at least. Then, repeat with a different teenager. Their optimism never fails to amaze me.

Past level 71.

 

[Bonaro]

Ahhh....the awesome power of a teenager under promise of cheeseburgers