Help choosing a good low budget Land/water detector

[MoSearcher]

Hey everyone, new member here. Looking to purchase my first real metal detector. I've been researching a lot of locations I'm going to be using it, and I have found that my best bet would be one that I could use on land, a beach, and wading. Something I could use with Scuba would be great too, if I can keep it in my price range of about 350-400

Any recommendations would be great.

Thanks,
Marshall.

[Sandman]

Hi Marshall, welcome to Tnet. What your asking is almost impossible for a new detector as there is no detector that does the beach and the land too and then you want it to be waterproof for diving. At least not in that price range.

The Garrett AT Pro will do for all this but the diving. Depending if you are going to detect the wet salt water sand at the beach has a bearing on how stable it will be. It also has a pinpoint and most water detectors don't at least till you get over a $1000. It is only water proof to ten foot, but some have leaked before that.

You can get a 1280 which is good to 250 foot deep and it has no pinpoint for land hunting.

[CoilFisher]

Good scuba detectors are a bit more expensive. Figure at least $700 and I dont know if that is going to help you be the amphibian you want to be.

[MoSearcher]

Hey guys thanks for the prompt responses!! As I mentioned, scuba capable is my least needed feature at this point.

However, with that still being on my mind, I found these 2, which both show being rated at 130feet deep, and both are 400

Viper Trident
http://aardvarkdetectors.com/p/79/Viper/Trident/

Cobra Beach&Land
http://aardvarkdetectors.com/p/356/Cobra/Beach_Land/


From what you guys are saying I'm guessing those are very bottom end units? I will look into the units you have mentioned also!

[MoSearcher]

Also, although I'm pretty certain it isn't made for water, I did find-----

a Garrett Ace 350 on my local craigslist, the add says this

"Selling my Ace 350, used maybe 7 times, new this year these are great machines has the DD coil comes with a cover headphones a pouch a digging tool and a Whites Bullseye II pinpointer the box and manual. The detector is in like new condition."

The asking price is 275, ignoring my water needs (more like a want honestly)...would that be a good starting set up?


Thanks again,
Marshall

[Sandman]

Forget the Viper and Trident as they are the joke of the hobby. Some have claimed they couldn't find a garbage can lid under a newspaper sheet. There is a reason for the low price of these Chinese detectors.

The Ace 350 is a proven detector from a major manufacturer with a warranty. You will like it.

[Treasure_Hunter]

Sandman is correct, forget the Viper and Trident, you will regret buying one.........

There is no one "all in one detector", it is like saying I'm going to take up golf, what is a good "all in one club" I can buy..... Different detectors for different situtations and styles.....

Decide what style of hunting you will do most often and buy a detector for that style to start with. A land detector for relic, coins, jewelry, gold or a water detector for fresh or salt water, wading where coil gets wet or in the water where entire detector is under water, and how deep you will go and there is a difference between hunting fresh water and salt water. The minerals in the salt will drive a single freq detector nuts where a multifreq detector has no problem......

There are some good used detectors sold here as well as on Craigslist, EBay and so on, but like always, it is buyer beware.... Be sure you know who your buying from and take it for a trial spin if possible......

[MoSearcher]

Forget the Viper and Trident as they are the joke of the hobby. Some have claimed they couldn't find a garbage can lid under a newspaper sheet. There is a reason for the low price of these Chinese detectors.

The Ace 350 is a proven detector from a major manufacturer with a warranty. You will like it.

Thanks Sandman, I will disregard those 2 choices

Sandman is correct, forget the Viper and Trident, you will regret buying one.........

There is no one "all in one detector", it is like saying I'm going to take up golf, what is a good "all in one club" I can buy..... Different detectors for different situtations and styles.....

Decide what style of hunting you will do most often and buy a detector for that style to start with. A land detector for relic, coins, jewelry, gold or a water detector for fresh or salt water, wading where coil gets wet or in the water where entire detector is under water, and how deep you will go and there is a difference between hunting fresh water and salt water. The minerals in the salt will drive a single freq detector nuts where a multifreq detector has no problem......

There are some good used detectors sold here as well as on Craigslist, EBay and so on, but like always, it is buyer beware.... Be sure you know who your buying from and take it for a trial spin if possible......

This is good advice as well, I'll probably start with a land detector for now, and then later on purchase a separate one for wading or diving. I have been checking Ebay and Criagslist, however, with electronics, especially those over 100 dollars I don't like to buy them used.

So, I've been searching on Kellyco, a website I found that has several brands, and seems to be running a big sale right now...I'm finding detectors in my price range, and then cross referencing that with whether there is a section of this forum dedicated to that brand, and with reviews I've been able to find. So the new options I have found are as follows.

I'm looking at the ACE series from Garrett.

The F2 and F4 from Fisher

The Delta 4000 from Teknetics

And lastly the Detector Pro HH Pirate, granted there isn't a detector pro section on here, I did search this site for reviews, and they seemed to be generally positive.


So those are the new options I'm considering...Let me know if these seem to be a step in the right direction from my first choices!!


Thanks again,
Marshall.

[Treasure_Hunter]

This is good advice as well, I'll probably start with a land detector for now, and then later on purchase a separate one for wading or diving. I have been checking Ebay and Criagslist, however, with electronics, especially those over 100 dollars I don't like to buy them used.

So, I've been searching on Kellyco, a website I found that has several brands, and seems to be running a big sale right now...I'm finding detectors in my price range, and then cross referencing that with whether there is a section of this forum dedicated to that brand, and with reviews I've been able to find. So the new options I have found are as follows.

I'm looking at the ACE series from Garrett.

The F2 and F4 from Fisher

The Delta 4000 from Teknetics

And lastly the Detector Pro HH Pirate, granted there isn't a detector pro section on here, I did search this site for reviews, and they seemed to be generally positive.


So those are the new options I'm considering...Let me know if these seem to be a step in the right direction from my first choices!!


Thanks again,
Marshall.

Yep, you taking "a step in the right direction" now....All the ones you have listed are good land choices for beginners....

[MoSearcher]

Yep, you taking "a step in the right direction" now....All the ones you have listed are good land choices for beginners....

Great news!! One concern though, something about the ACE series (probably the color scheme) makes me think it's sort of a toy! Tell me that isn't the case. lol

[Treasure_Hunter]

Yep, you taking "a step in the right direction" now....All the ones you have listed are good land choices for beginners....

Great news!! One concern though, something about the ACE series (probably the color scheme) makes me think it's sort of a toy! Tell me that isn't the case. lol

Not a toy, it is a starter detector, but certainly not a toy...Many good finds have been made with the Garrett Aces....If you go with the Ace get the 250 or 350....

[MoSearcher]

Not a toy, it is a starter detector, but certainly not a toy...Many good finds have been made with the Garrett Aces....If you go with the Ace get the 250 or 350....

Excellent! Thanks again.

[MoSearcher]

Thanks again for everyone's input, I made a purchase today, and unfortunately didn't go with any of the detectors from my list.

I ended up buying a Minelab X-terra 305, which from what I saw in the dealership, it out performs the units I had listed.

[lookindown]

Thanks again for everyone's input, I made a purchase today, and unfortunately didn't go with any of the detectors from my list.

I ended up buying a Minelab X-terra 305, which from what I saw in the dealership, it out performs the units I had listed.

You got a good machine.....you will find enough with it to buy a water detector in no time.

[Treasure_Hunter]

Thanks again for everyone's input, I made a purchase today, and unfortunately didn't go with any of the detectors from my list.

I ended up buying a Minelab X-terra 305, which from what I saw in the dealership, it out performs the units I had listed.

You got a great detector there, I use to live in Missouri, there are a lot of buried "treasures" there to be found, good luck in your hunting....

[MoSearcher]

You got a good machine.....you will find enough with it to buy a water detector in no time.

Excellent! This is what I was hoping to hear!

You got a great detector there, I use to live in Missouri, there are a lot of buried "treasures" there to be found, good luck in your hunting....

Tim at the dealer (tsgman on this site) recommended it, but I was trying to stay closer to 300-350 range, after looking around at other detectors I found that I would be crazy to not spend the extra money to get the Minelab, It really seemed like several steps up from the ones I listed, for only a little extra.

[Treasure_Hunter]

Tim at the dealer (tsgman on this site) recommended it, but I was trying to stay closer to 300-350 range, after looking around at other detectors I found that I would be crazy to not spend the extra money to get the Minelab, It really seemed like several steps up from the ones I listed, for only a little extra.

He did not steer you wrong....Remember too, the money is not lost, you should be able to get 70-80% of your money back if you take care of it and decide to sell to upgrade.... Be sure to use a coil cover....

[MoSearcher]

He did not steer you wrong....Remember too, the money is not lost, you should be able to get 70-80% of your money back if you take care of it and decide to sell to upgrade.... Be sure to use a coil cover....

I am using the coil cover. And I used the detector last night on the back part of my land. It worked pretty well. I don't think I had it set up right, and it rained today, so hopefully next time I get it out, I'll get the GB, sensitivity, and threshold all set right!