Minelab Eureka Gold - Questions, should I buy it?

[NeoTokyo]

Heya everyone;

A local guy with the Shasta Miners Club is selling his Minelab Eureka Gold, it comes with a couple extra's like a set of black widow headphones, the bag and a Coiltek All Terrain Coil.
We settled on about 15 grams of gold and a small specimen for it, spot is about $852 today and the specimen could fetch anywhere from $75-200 depending on the buyer.

Of course I only have time and fuel into that figure, but is that a decent price for a 2 year old detector that has hardly been used? It was purchased locally and the warranty transfers over.
He was asking $1000 for everything.

Also, I do know about Kellyco and their $1050 sale price and it comes with a butt load more items with it, should I cash in, buy from Kellyco and get it new and all the new items?
Minelab Eureka Gold Metal Detector For Sale - Kellyco Metal Detectors


I was originally strongly considering the Garrett AT Gold because it is waterproof and I wanted to underwater snipe nuggets and paystreaks with it.
I researched the AT Gold more and people seem to say that it just isnt that strong of a detector and that it misses a lot.

I also want to go out MD'ing with TrinityAu some time when I get some more free time.


If I cash in, is the Minelab EG the best gold detector out there for around its price range?
From what I have read it seems like it is pretty much between it and the GBII, but I dont want to deal with Fishers customer service issues so the GBII is not on my list.


As far as being waterproof, the Minelab is not.
What are the best gold coils out there that are waterproof? Most of my searching is in less than 3' of water.
Is there any way to easily waterproof the entire unit?


Thanks everyone, your advice and experience will help me make my next move.



-Eric-

 

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[Ausgoldhunter]

Well that's my mind made up.. GB Pro it is.

 

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[AzViper]

Thansk for all the great replies everyone, you all have really helped to give me some insight on what I should be picking up.
Thanks to Ray I think I am going to change my standing on the Gold Bug.

I never did meet up to test out that Eureka Gold, he changed his mind and said he wants $1000 firm on it and showing him what it retailed for at KellyCo did not change his mind so I wont bother with him.
It works out best this way though.

As for the pinpointer or viper from Kellyco, I just wanted something for my wife and my oldest daughter till I could get another quality detector for them.

Jason, thanks for the info, I will call around first before picking anything up.

Ray, if someone could make me look past what I have read about their customer service it would be you.
I trust what you have to say fully, Chip over at the Miners Cache said I would be not so bright to ignore what you have to teach.


Nuggetshooter, thanks for all the info, I never heard about Tesoro till I came to these forums, these seem like a great quality detector.
How do they stack up against the GBII?

Maipenrai, true, bad reviews spread 10x more than good ones.

Thanks again everyone, you have helped a million.

Why not get her a GBP as you already have one and would be much easier for her to learn from you.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

You and I will have to continue to agree to disagree on this one Ray. I own both and in Alaska, the Sierras, and Australia my Gold Bug 2 consistently outperformed my Gold Bug Pro on the smallest gold. No contest really, and frequency does matter. My opinion, and one shared by the engineers that make these things.

Steve Herschbach

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

Well from what I've read, the gold bug 2 is the better machine, but i'll still go with the GB Pro.. It will do what i want.

 

[DizzyDigger]

I will definitely go along with that statement nuggetshooter, I will even go one step further and recommend that anyone wishing to get into detecting should get a simple hearing test. I have seen so many people over the years find out to late that they cannot hear as good as they thought. Even with tone control that is quite common on most new detectors there are just some sounds that some people cannot hear. A simple hearing test will let you know your tone and decibel ratings. This also goes for headphones. Depending on your individual hearing you may not need a $200.00 set of headphones, as the $20.00 set may work fine. Thanks, TRINITYAU/RAYMILLS

This, by far, is the biggest challenge I face in detecting. I was hit with Bi-lateral Meniere's Disease about
20 years back, and one of it's nastiest symptoms/affects is never ending, roaring tinnitus in one or
both ears. As a "bi-lateral", I have it in both even though the right ear has had surgery and no longer
functions at all (I tell people it's just a decoration..lol). Same disease now in left ear, and it's progressive,
but I've got a few years of hearing left before I'm perm. deaf.

If a person went to this site: Sounds of Tinnitus | American Tinnitus Association and turned on sounds 1, 2
and 3 (simultaneously), and set your volume to where it's loud enough to be an irritating background
sound, you can hear what I hear 24/7 in my ears. The tinnitus I have runs in the 4.0kHz-7.0kHz range,
so my sincere hope is to find a machine that the threshold sound is A) out of that band) and B) able
to be set at a the same low level to that a person with decent hearing would use.

Hoping to have a custom headphone made for my left ear, and it will need to have a very clean, amplified
volume circuit along with a tone adjustment that covers a wide band. Then, I'll be able to adjust it
to the best tone for me on that particular day (tinnitus sounds are constant, but the pitch is subject to
change, without notice, and at any given moment).

In the meantime, any suggestions on an affordable, quality pair that's off-the-shelf?

Neo: I am currently in the very same search as you, including the same 3 machines. FWIW,
I've removed the Eureka Gold from my list for a few reasons:

• It's nearly 2 lbs. heavier than either the GB2 or GBP

• It lacks a visual meter of some type (a simple calibrated LCD, bar graph or
  analog meter is better than nothing, especially when I'm not sure of what I'm hearing).

• Oddly, the Eureka does not offer a manual ground balance option.

• The Eureka Gold requires 8 AAA's, where the Fishers need only one (or two) of the
  9v batteries, making it much easier and lighter, plus I can carry enough spares for 2 battery
  changes in the event it I hunted dawn to dusk.

The one feature of the Eureka I did really like was the Tone Control knob, and unfortunately
neither the GBPro or BG2 offer that option.

Anyone buying their first gold hunting machine has got quite a few options, all reasonably priced.
Some are standouts from the rest, and those are the GB2 and GB Pro. I've been all over the
board on the choice, but now that I've had time to digest all the tech data, comparisons, etc.
I've decided on the GoldBug Pro. Primary reason is I'll be hunting that hotter ground in Central
and Northern Nevada, plus some relic hunting around old settler cabins and 100+ year
old mining camps I may come across back in the hills.

I've compared the "pro's and con's" of each machine in the range of $600 up to $1050,
and chose the GBPro due to it's very light weight, proven field performance, and it's built using
very stable and much more modern technology and firmware. Fisher would not have it on
the market if it didn't perform as advertised, and the lower cost (IMO) reflects the reduced
cost of manufacture and not it's performance (based on cost) in relation to the GB2.

Good luck in your choice Neo, and happy hunting!

 

[Steve Herschbach]

I actually do recommend the Gold Bug Pro as the better all around unit. But I will still disagree with Ray over a beer. Nothing beats a Gold Bug 2 for hitting the tiniest bits. And before anyone makes fun of the tiniest bits they seem just fine when I am finding them and you are not!

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

I actually do recommend the Gold Bug Pro as the better all around unit. But I will still disagree with Ray over a beer. Nothing beats a Gold Bug 2 for hitting the tiniest bits. And before anyone makes fun of the tiniest bits they seem just fine when I am finding them and you are not!

haha, Well I came down on the side of the Pro, but i'm seriously starting to re-think that.. I've got relic machines, and coin shooters... I've got a PI that does the job.. but lack that really sensitive VLF for gold... Maybe i should order the GB2 also..
Its only money right?! lol

 

[nuggetshooter323]

If you can afford both, get both, I would. Since I'll have room for only one in my budget this summer, I'm going to get the GB 2. I see you have an F70, how's that for gold?

haha, Well I came down on the side of the Pro, but i'm seriously starting to re-think that.. I've got relic machines, and coin shooters... I've got a PI that does the job.. but lack that really sensitive VLF for gold... Maybe i should order the GB2 also..
Its only money right?! lol

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

If you can afford both, get both, I would. Since I'll have room for only one in my budget this summer, I'm going to get the GB 2. I see you have an F70, how's that for gold?

Not great.. its amazing on relics/coins but iffy on gold.

I ended up ordering the gold bug 2 and Pro..

 

[nuggetshooter323]

What coil did you get for the GB 2? Since I have every Tesoro coil, and every GMT coil, I'm just going to get the small GB 2 coil since it excells on the sub grain sized gold. You could probably use the 10" eliptical and the 6.5", since none of your other VLF's are as good at gold as the GB 2.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

If you want a Gold Bug 2 do not wait. Call around now.

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

I've been reading little bits of info all over that fisher plan to end production on the gold bug 2, I guess the cost of production is starting to get high on that old hardware..

I'm glad i I got one while they are still available. Should arrive here Tuesday/Wednesday next week along with the Pro and SE LOL.. Yes i went all out.. also managed to snag a Whites GMZ for 250$ on ebay.. not expecting much but hey.. it'll be fun to play with all the new toys..

I'm a bit of a detector collector *rhyme unintended* my apologies. :|

And Nuggetshooter, i ordered it with the 6" coild.. As well as the 10" Though i doubt the 10" will get that much use..

 

[Steve Herschbach]

There is no plan to stop making the Gold Bug 2. It is selling better than ever. But as a very old analog design certain components are getting hard to source. Someday they will not be able to get a certain widget, and it is game over.

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

There is no plan to stop making the Gold Bug 2. It is selling better than ever. But ad a very old analog design certain components are getting hard to source. Someday they will not be able to get a certain widget, and it is game over.

Past time they bring the GB2 tech into the future.. I'm sure they can go digital and still get the same performance.

 

[nuggetshooter323]

I have a feeling if they try to do that the performance just might not translate over to digital. All they'll have is another version of the GB Pro.

Past time they bring the GB2 tech into the future.. I'm sure they can go digital and still get the same performance.

 

[Steve Herschbach]

Past time they bring the GB2 tech into the future.. I'm sure they can go digital and still get the same performance.

I agree but all I get told is the bean counters oppose it. High cost of development versus tiny niche sales on a country wide basis. How many GB2s sales are there east of the Mississippi? The goal these days are do-it-all detectors. The MXT is a good example of a home run detector. It gets used for just about everything and does it all well.

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

Well the GB2 is making good money... But the flip side, they could be making more with an all new machine. i mean, a 70+kHz digital gold machine.. Don't know many nugget shooters that wouldn't run right out n pick one up.

Anyway hope they do one of these days.. until then, BG Pro does just fine for me..

 

[goldentruth]

OMG, don't fall for KellyCo's scams! Their add-ons are crap. That Viper is a piece of Chinese junk, and I aint talking about a boat.

My Buddy bought a Viper for $100, I tested it and did not like it. It was like the Radio Shack Famous Trails/Radio Shack detector and the Trident the way it worked but a different design. My old 1980s Tesoro was better I had bought on ebay for $300.
You really have to check them out yourself or find out whats doing what. You don't want a complicated Machine or purchase, remember you want preformance you'll be happy with keeping, like a useable investment, Peace.

 

[Tonto]

I'm going to try to give you this URL for a good article on gold detectors by Steve Hirshbach. It's a good article, and he's definitely reliable. Steve's Guide to Gold Nugget Detectors

 

[Tonto]

Apparently I did something wrong, and the address disappeared when I posted. If you send me a PM, I will give you the address.