2 inch dredge question

cali209

Jr. Member
Nov 13, 2007
63
1
Northern California
Hi All,

I know the bigger the diameter on a dredge would work better but Im wondering if a 2 inch dredge is even worth buying.

I have some hard to get to spots I need to take a dredge to so its size and lightweight would work out well but Im wondering if they get plugged up so much that it would turn out to be a big pain in the butt.

Should I even deal with one?

Or should I just try harder to get a bigger one up there?
 

Upvote 0

Eu_citzen

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Sep 19, 2006
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The smaller the easier it is to carry around.(2" dredge can be carried by one man?)
By moving away rocks you can prevent plug ups.
(check out "Nozzle Guard" I know Don Honcoop has some, honcoop highbanker company)
Sometimes the smaller ones are to prefer as if your alone you can still handle a 2" quite easily.
 

Hoser John

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Mar 22, 2003
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2" is a tinker toy,add a restriction and absolutely worthless. Get a 2 1/2" minimum and double your capacity. 2' works on solid bedrock only,efficently,each inch demomination is approximately the depth of over burden you can handle,NOT that you'd really want to. A blaster nozzle is an absolute MUST,ifn' ya don't have one your just a diddln' and a piddln'. Tiny dredges are crevice tools,which ain't a bad thing.Tons a au 2 u 2-John
 

Eu_citzen

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Sep 19, 2006
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Hoser John said:
2" is a tinker toy,add a restriction and absolutely worthless. Get a 2 1/2" minimum and double your capacity. 2' works on solid bedrock only,efficently,each inch demomination is approximately the depth of over burden you can handle,NOT that you'd really want to. A blaster nozzle is an absolute MUST,ifn' ya don't have one your just a diddln' and a piddln'. Tiny dredges are crevice tools,which ain't a bad thing.Tons a au 2 u 2-John
John it might be a "toy" but it's easier to get to a remote location. It depends on if you know it's an productive area then a larger one would be better. Smaller dredges would indeed be better for prospecting the area not really mining/working large amounts of gravel.
I have only limited experience with dredges as I've got the HB-17 with 2" dredge kit, not tried it yet. (Honcoop)
So I'm using common sense only. :D
 

aarthrj3811

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Apr 1, 2004
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When using a 2 inch the nozzle has to be watched very hard. If there is more than a few inches of over burden you are wasting your time. I use my 2 inch to test remote areas. If there is enough gold you then bring in the bigger dredges. I use mine when I am working on the bank. I haul 5 gallon buckets to the stream and then suck them through the dredge. High bankers are better but the mining rules make them harder to use….Art
 

JamesE

Full Member
I have a 2'', got it from a guy that used it to clean a 6'' dredge. I don't use it dredge so much as like guys are saying, they plug pretty easy and don't really move much.
You can also cut a hose sized hole in a 3 or 5 G. bucket, and a few smaller opposite the hose hole, stick your classifier on the bucket and shovel into it right at your hole. of course you need to make sure enough water goes through the opposite holes. I actually use a round oil drain pan with a 2'' tube welded to the side and a BBQ grate for a grizzly/classifier. and sink it with rocks. The smaller pumps on a 2'' are more versatile for high banking and power sluicing. The pump on mine is from a Keene 2'', way dang light and runs really cheap.
The Rangers on the S Stanislaus (I-Bar Rd.) told me it's not dredging if the nozzle isn't moved by, or in hand. But everybody will also tell you, diferent rangers go by different 'rules'.
 

rmptr

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Dec 25, 2007
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Just remember, you must toss everything that will not pass through the nozzle.
2- 2 1/2 just might get you some spectacular results sniping in some bypassed crevices or for use where there is basically insufficient water.
3" is fun for a hobbyist.
4" is a small dredge.
5" is minimal for production work.
6" can be considered commercial.
8" Yah baby. Now we're serious
10" and up --- need a partner?

Nuff said?

R M P T R
 

Eu_citzen

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Just remember, you must toss everything that will not pass through the nozzle.
2- 2 1/2 just might get you some spectacular results sniping in some bypassed crevices or for use where there is basically insufficient water.
3" is fun for a hobbyist.
4" is a small dredge.
5" is minimal for production work.
6" can be considered commercial.
8" Yah baby. Now we're serious
10" and up --- need a partner?

Nuff said?

R M P T R

I like your style!(and summary) ;D
 

goldpaner

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Dec 5, 2007
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cali209 said:
i have a 2and a half backpack drege and love it it works good and will find up to 3 ounce nugget anything bigger your going to see i can go anywhere any time by myself if need be and cary gas pan equip. all i need by myself up a creek miles or go off the road and trust me you can get what you need get one and you will love it and use it alot goldpaner
Hi All,

I know the bigger the diameter on a dredge would work better but Im wondering if a 2 inch dredge is even worth buying.

I have some hard to get to spots I need to take a dredge to so its size and lightweight would work out well but Im wondering if they get plugged up so much that it would turn out to be a big pain in the butt.

Should I even deal with one?

Or should I just try harder to get a bigger one up there?
 

Jeffro

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Dec 6, 2005
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Stay away from the 2", its just a toy. Not much better than a crack sucker, in my opinion. And they are worthless, LOL!
 

jewelerdave

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Aug 29, 2007
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If your going to remote locations and want to move material and dig deep I would recommend a 3inch hand pump dredge. The PVC things.
It sucks up more, and you can move more by hand faster. It sucks up the bigger rocks that you can use a classifier to toss away as to having to pick them out by hand.
granted you still have to muck rocks from the hole your digging but you would be amazed at how much and how fast you can dig a hole with one, feed it into a bucket with a classifier on top and or then into a sluice and or pan it out by hand. In a couple hours you can clear a pretty good sized area.
I also recommend a rake and shovel as rocks larger than 3 inches will be all thats left in the bottom of the hole. if you want to go deeper, rake them out.
Best part is. the tube style dredges only weight a few pounds. Work in minimal water and since its done by hand there are no regs to worry about.

Also, they dont need a trap to hold in rocks either, If you move quickly and keep pulling on your way up you lose NOTHING. I have pulled up things from rivers such as sets of keys, small nuggets, even a 100 year old silver cross, fishing weights nails etc with a hand dredge.
 

aarthrj3811

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To get the most out of a 2 inch Dredge you will have to lay in the water and use a mask. If you don’t use a mask it will be constantly jammed….Art
 

rmptr

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Dec 25, 2007
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LOL

That last one got me!

No matter what size dredge you get, you will be amazed how many rocks are just a tad bigger than the intake nozzle!

Yup.

they all gotta be move out of the way by hand!

rmptr
 

aarthrj3811

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I have moved my share of rocks. You can make money with a 2 inch ….if you are in the right spot. Some of the new dredges come with an over sized power jet that will not jam. Years ago I had a 12 inch dredge. I still had a lot of rocks to move. I have always used a 2 inch to concentrate the concentrates from my bigger Dredges….Heck , I retired from Dredging in 1998 and I still have a 2 inch in my garage…Art
 

Tony_L

Tenderfoot
Jul 5, 2008
5
0
2" dredge is worthless huh...?!?! Thats like saying a gold pan is a waste of time because it would take a guy way more time than its worth to get the gold! You have to be realistic here bud... if you are a professional dredger then YES, it probably would be worthless. BUT, if you are planning on doing some PROSPECTING in a remote area then why not take a 2" over just a pan or tube sucker????? Think about it, what would you move more material with? If you have it set up correctly and MONITOR what your doing then you can run all day and not plug the suction! And sure a 4" or an 6" can eat some material but I gaurentee if you bury that nozzle straight in to the substrate you WILL get a plug...its all in relative! So before you go insulting someone who wants to prospect or can only handle a 2" by saying its only a TOY think again about your ability to properly apply a gold recovery device.

A 2" dredge set up properly and operated properly is an outstanding prospecting tool! Period!
 

kuger

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I gotta give my 2 cents......I have never used a 2",I do however have a pumped up 2.5 (5.5h motor and bigger pump)that I started out with years ago(found the biggest nugget I have ever found with it,just under 4 ounces)I use it as a break from my 5 and 4 inch dredges.Its fun to clean up bedrock with and sample around with.Trust me I have moved more than a few inches of overburden with it.Its time consuming but it has usually been worth it.A snorkel and mask or air is a must for any dredging,you have to monitor what is going up the nozzle.My bigger dredges plug just as much as my little guy.I kind of miss it this season as I am renting it out to "greenhorns",this summer!Oh yea and I would not recommend putting any kind of restrictive device on the nozzle,mine came with one and didnt make it through the first day.....I cut it off.
 

Jeffro

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Tony_L said:
2" dredge is worthless huh...?!?! Thats like saying a gold pan is a waste of time because it would take a guy way more time than its worth to get the gold! You have to be realistic here bud... if you are a professional dredger then YES, it probably would be worthless. BUT, if you are planning on doing some PROSPECTING in a remote area then why not take a 2" over just a pan or tube sucker????? Think about it, what would you move more material with? If you have it set up correctly and MONITOR what your doing then you can run all day and not plug the suction! And sure a 4" or an 6" can eat some material but I gaurentee if you bury that nozzle straight in to the substrate you WILL get a plug...its all in relative! So before you go insulting someone who wants to prospect or can only handle a 2" by saying its only a TOY think again about your ability to properly apply a gold recovery device.

A 2" dredge set up properly and operated properly is an outstanding prospecting tool! Period!

I agree with two things you said, and I think you just restated the obvious-

1- A 2" dredge is a prospecting tool.
2- Thats like saying a gold pan is a waste of time because it would take a guy way more time than its worth to get the gold!


Both are true. Production is based on volume of material moved after you have located decent ground.

A 2" and a gold pan both are NOT production tools.

Sure, you can find gold with either one. But I'd rather move dirt. :thumbsup:

BTW, me and Hoser have been around a couple years. We don't always see eye to eye, but from his post above we do on this one.

And also, no insult intended or implied, at least on my part. I have no clue where you got that-
 

eathan

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May 19, 2006
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I agree that smaller dredges aren't for serious production or for big water with lots of overburden, but they certainly have their place. There's still a lot of gold in little mountain streams where it's damn near impossible to run a big dredge. Yes, you have to move rocks, but when don't you have to move rocks...?
 

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