Magnet while digging

[robbor]

Does anybody use a magnet while digging to easily find nails and iron? If so what do you use?
Speaker magnet, rare earth magnet? I was thinking of a large rare earth magnet just wondering if it will interfear with the detector.

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

[=robbor just wondering if it will interfear with the detector.
******
Just the metalic mass of the magnet as with any other similar piece of metal

However, it IS a good idea to keep it away from your control box, especially if it is non-metalic.

Tropical Tramp

[TREETOPPER]

Just curious,
How would a magnet truly benefit a metal detectionist or one who is prospecting with a detector? I would like to know as well, is it really necessary.

[Jim McCulloch]

Almost all serious nugget hunters use a digging tool with a super magnet affiixed to it. I carry a Mag Hoe with a super magnet attached to the handle end (i.e. opposite of the digging end) and then, while detecting, I carry the digging end of the Mag Hoe, with the magnet end pointing down. When I get a signal, I roughly pinpoint the target with my coil, pull the coil off to the side, and bend over and jab/scrape the target area with the magnet. If the target was a piece of loose iron, it will affix to the magnet. Passing the coil back over the site will reveal if the signal has now disappeared. Furthermore, when digging a target, probing the magnet in the loose dirt will help capture those pieces of iron which had been too deeply buried to capture earlier. So, get your self a strong magnet, it will save a tremendous amount of wasted time. HH Jim

[Dick from IA]

Good Question, Robbor.

I hadn't thought much about it, but know it does make sense. Not just for gold detecting either, but any type of MDing.

Seems with a good strong magnet it could latch on to a target or nuisance piece in cases where the pinpointer is just missing it.

Hope more chime in here; interesting

DFIU (Dick from IA)

[Monty]

I found a magnet recently with my detector and the signal bounced all over the scale. I couldn't figure out what the heck I had under my coil. I dug at it and couldn't find anything, swept it with my coil again and there was no signal. I thought that was odd so I started to move on and saw it sticking on the back of my digging tool! It was a little small black magnet, highly polished black color and looked to be about the size of a pinto bean. It was really powerful for its size and I have it sticking on my refrigerator with all the grandkids stuff. Just an amusing anecdote as my wife says when I tell her about something like that! Monty

[robbor]

Not 100% necessary but sure would save me alot of time with nails in some of the old mines, would also help for bottle caps. I just keep forgetting to bring one. Right now Im looking at a 2" diam rare earth magnet that should lift 170#s so hopefully it should make the nails jump to it a little easier. Give it a try and you will probably never be without one again.

[goldinmypan]

What exactly is a rare earth magnet? How does it compare to other magnets? I've heard of people talk of magnets from speakers. How do they compare to rare earth magnets. What size? power? or however they are measured.

I have used magnets to clean the magnitite from my black sands but I don't think they are as strong as what you are talking about.

Enlighten me.

[robbor]

I cant say for sure, but they are rated in N's for their strength and should be about 2x+ as strong as a normal speaker magnet at least. I have tons of speaker magnets they are un impressive. I have a few small 1/2 x 3/16 rare earth magnets and wow do they pull. The strength is kind of decieving because it has to be in contact to have that kind of pull. I have been looking at some 1" x 1" cylinders rated about n40-42 for taking prospecting. I would like to get 2-3 to have for the next time I got out(who knows when_) most of the guys that sell on ebay sell them for about $7 ea but you have to buy 4. her you go:
The highest grade neo magnet is the most powerful magnet so far. Comparing with ceramic 8 mangets, the grade N40 neo magnet is is roughly 8 times stronger.

I have no idea how a ceramic compares to a iron mag.

[TREETOPPER]

Where can i find a good pick with a magnet attached?

[Monty]

I sometimes lock strap a magnet to my aluminum sand scoop. I use a magnet off an old drop light that is strong enough to pick up a bicycle. Not near the strength of that rare earth monster, but pretty darn stout. Monty

[Colorado Bob]

Just about all of us guys that nugget-shoot use the Neodymium [rare earth] magnet. There is no comparison what so ever, in strength, to any other magnet.

The ones we use come in different size, the large one which I think is the best, is somewhere around 2" long by about an inch wide, maybe a little more, by maybe 1/4" thick. I think that now they run around $20.00 for the large one.

We put it on the head of the pick, [the flat end, not the pointed end] due to the strength it will stay in place fairly well, even with the impact of the pick digging in the hard rocky dirt.

You need to be careful when you put it on as it can take a piece of skin off your finger if you get it caught between the mag. and the pick head and you will not be able to pull the magnet off with your hand.

If you need to take it off the pick, the best way is too try to slide it off and that is not so easy.

When you put it on, its best to hold the edge of the magnet up to the edge of the pick and try to slide it on. If you try to hold the flat side of the mag. to the flat side of the pick it will slam on so hard that sometimes it will crack the mag. as well as grab a piece of your finger.

A good place to buy them is from Nuggethunting.com, he also sells high-end metal detectors, gators, coils and other related gear. I have always had great and fast service from them.

He also has a nuggethunter forum, where a number of the pros hang out as well as some of the newbies. Its a good place to find professional advice if you are into this field of detecting.

Bob T.

[staceysallaboutu]

I use a small pen magnet its strong enough to grab them nails and i don't have to strain my eyes triing to find them. It is one of them telescoping magnets looks like a pen. clips on my pouch easy to carry and always handy in those trashy places.

[outdoors2i]

If you don't want to purchase 1 of those rare earth magnets, you can find them in old computer hard drives. They are small, but pretty strong for there size. Just open up an old computer and the hard drive is the thing that looks like an aluminum box(which it is). You will need some of those small star bit screwdrivers to open the drive box(Radio Shack carries a small set of these fairly cheap) I epoxyied 1 of these to my trowel handle and another to my small mattox wooden handle. There are several of these magnets in all of the older computers and most people know of someone that has 1 or 2 old computers in the garage or basement. I hope this info helps someone. ( I even have 2 stuck to my folding pocket knife, never know what rock you might pick up and check with your magnet and be 1 of those meteorites!)

[Pepper2004]

At Tractor Supply they have this round magnet (about two inch by two inch) on a metal rod about two feet long. Do you think that would work? I have one of those small ones that look like an ink pen and it is good at picking up black sand but not very much of it.
I'd really appreciate an answer.

Thank you,
Pepper

[outdoors2i]

That sounds like a good 1 specially if it's 1 of the neo earth mags. Maybe someone there at the store knows if it is. The size you mentioned is about the size of the stronger mags. They can really pickup alot compared to their size. Hope that helps.

[Keppy]

If you get a rare earth magnet 3/4 x 1/8 with or without the hole in the center you will not believe how much pulling power they have. If you get the one with the hole in the center you can screw it to your ax handle.without the hole it will clamp right on your sand scoop or your land digger.if 2 of them clamp together it is really hard to get them apart.Yes them n-42 rare earth magnets will make your detecting a lot more fun it is like haveing a pinpointer you don't leave home without it and once you use a good magnet you won't leave home with out it.....................==Jim==

[UncleVinnys]

Yes, the rare earth magnets are much more powerful.

There are a million for sale on eBay and the Internet.

I've used these fella, and got a bunch wholesale.

http://www.magnet4less.com/

[killerwine]

Any feed supply store has very strong and cheap magnets used in one of cattle's 4 stomachs (the reticulum I think...) to pick up wires that they eat....They are cylinder shaped and rounded on both ends. I drilled a hole in the handle of my small pick and slid it in with some glue...works well and it's cheap!

[Highmountain]

I used the cow magnets killerwine described for a lot of years and they were great, but I abandoned them for those incredibly powerful ones someone described here that come out of hard drives. Only problem with the cow magnets or the HD magnets is they're difficult to clean up. Eventually I started keeping a sleeve, such as a freezer-bag around them and the tool they were attached to so's to make it possible to just pull off the sleeve and be left with a pristine magnet. Otherwise a person will end up with all manner of metal splinters nagging at the fingers from trying to rub off trash metal from the surface.

Jack