About To Buy A Metal Detector. Your Thought On Whats Best For Arizona

[AzViper]

I have been hanging out in these forums for a few months mainly reading and gathering information. I have now decided to purchase a metal detector. Living in Tucson, Arizona my main objective is to locate gold. I want to keep my budget under $1000.00. I plan to work dry washes, old mining areas, washes that flow sometimes during the year, etc. My short list of detectors, Gold Bug Pro, Gold Bug 2, Whites GMT, and Gold Lobo SuperTRAQ.

Taking in the consideration of the quality of the each detector, how easy it is to use, the ability to locate gold, warranty, and available accessories, which of these detectors would better fit my needs here in Arizona? I know this is a loaded question but I know there are many treasure hunters in these forums that live or work in Arizona that treasure hunt the great state of Arizona. I may also add I have never used a metal detector, but I am a fast learner and will devote more time learning to use equipment before I step a foot in the field. One of my concerns, I have some hearing loss of high frequency in one of my ears.

 

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[MetalDetectMatt]

I can't speak from experience, but I will be getting a Lobo Super Traq here in a few weeks. The lobo sounds like a great performer, from watching videos and reading posts it's a great machine. And I'm sure Terry will be along shortly to give you the run down on all over those detectors you have listed!

 

[weighit]

I live in Casa Grande, about 70 miles or so from you and own a DFX. I have never gone out hunting gold like your wanting to do, but sure would like to give it a try some day. If you end up with a unit and want a hunting partner that may or may not be able to help, love to go. Retired 63 year old and detect quite a bit just not out in the desert.

 

[Terry Soloman]

No surprise that I prefer the Lobo Super Traq. I am an Arizonan, with friends at the factory in Prescott, where each machine is put together by the hands of Americans. More than that, the LST is also the easiest to use of the machines listed, and has the superior warranty (lifetime). It uses AA batteries, so you can use a variety of rechargeable batteries (I use PowerGenix NiZn), and the machine is built to last, from the toggles to the knobs. Auto ground balancing and tracking, and super sensitive to the smallest targets. And when you get tired of finding gold, you can take it to the park and hunt coins and jewelry with it while discriminating out iron! Here's a shot of me and my buddy Rusty Henry, at the factory.

 

[Reg]

I don't live in AZ but hunted there on vacation each year for 20 years and during much of that time field tested various detectors including the GB 2 and the Tesoro LST. I also own a GMT and a GB SE which, according to the factory has the latest software and is basically the same as the GB Pro.

With that said, the detector I have used the least is the GMT. Now, the oldest of the bunch is the GB 2 but a close second is the LST. All 4 were designed by the same engineer, Dave Johnson, so there are some similarities on how they work.

All four are easy to use if you take time to learn what the controls are for. The most versatile in my opinion is the GB Pro because it works better for other types of hunting than the other three mentioned. The LST also has the discrimination feature but I find the GB Pro to be quieter in trashy areas and has a couple of features to help with ferrous junk. All will find gold very well with the GB 2 probably the best for really small tiny sub grain gold. The GMT is a very close second in this regard. I haven't put the GB SE to a test against the LST but I suspect the SE will do a little better on the really small gold.

The GB 2 is the only one that is a fully manual ground balance design. The other three all have a automatic ground balance or a simple PB call Ground Grab to ground balance the detector.

Iron junk will be the biggest problem and all four have a feature to help you determine if an unknown object is trash. With that said, all four will lie about the target also. In other words, there is no truly accurate discriminator out that that I know of. So, I strongly recommend people use that feature sparingly because you will leave gold behind. In super trashy areas it probably is the only way to hunt without tearing your hair out so learn as much as possible on how the detector is fooled. Yes, all of the detectors are fooled the same way. Any iron junk or iron oxide rocks or sand near a target will or can easily cause the gold to be ignored simply because the signal from such junk is significantly greater than the signal from most gold, thus the object is determined to be junk because of the strongest signal by the detector. Of the four, the GB Pro has to be manipulated more to check a target using the actual discrimination mode. However, the GB Pro does have a target ID feature that is operating while in the all metal mode. I find it to be useful once fully learned. The GMT analyzes targets automatically and gives you a visual readout while you are in the all metal mode while the others like the GB 2 and the LST have to be switched.

BTW, I hunted down your way for a few days but didn't know the area that well which really helps when trying to find gold. Where I hunted, around Greaterville, the gold or at least some of it has some strange characteristics making it more difficult to find because of the unique gold structure. Fortunately, all of the detectors you mentioned work well on much of this gold. In fact one of the more noted nugget hunters of the area, John Blennert found a lot of this strange gold with his White's Goldmaster which preceded the GMT.

I recommend rather than taking anyone else's word, including mine, as to which works or is the best and buying sight unseen, you contact the local prospecting club and talk to some of the members as to what works best and why. They are the Tuscon desert goldiggers. Hopefully, some of the members will work with you and maybe let you try one or more of the models you mentioned. The club is cheap enough so it won't break you. Here is a link to their website:

Tucson Desert Gold Diggers

I hope this helps a little.

Reg

 

[nuggetshooter323]

Whatever you do, please don't waste your time taking out your DFX gold prospecting. It's been tried,over, over, but the DFX just won't hit on small gold. Our time in the field is precious, get a real gold detector like the ones mentioned in this post.

I live in Casa Grande, about 70 miles or so from you and own a DFX. I have never gone out hunting gold like your wanting to do, but sure would like to give it a try some day. If you end up with a unit and want a hunting partner that may or may not be able to help, love to go. Retired 63 year old and detect quite a bit just not out in the desert.

 

[AzViper]

I recommend rather than taking anyone else's word, including mine, as to which works or is the best and buying sight unseen, you contact the local prospecting club and talk to some of the members as to what works best and why. They are the Tuscon desert goldiggers. Hopefully, some of the members will work with you and maybe let you try one or more of the models you mentioned. The club is cheap enough so it won't break you. Here is a link to their website:

Tucson Desert Gold Diggers

I hope this helps a little.

Reg

Reg,
thank you for taking the time to explain in detail. I know it was a loaded question and everyone is going to have their opinion. You answered it best with, “I recommend rather than taking anyone else's word, including mine, as to which works or is the best and buying sight unseen, you contact the local prospecting club and talk to some of the members as to what works best and why”.

This coming summer I will be heading Missouri where I was born. My 91 year old parents have a 10,000 acre farm / ranch with and old 22 room mansion on the property that was built in 1850. From my understanding there were gold coins stashed and hidden outside as well as inside. The old house is not safe to enter but my brother and I are going to dismantle the entire home, reclaim the old oak beams, hardwood floor, siding, etc. I plan to have the MD and have a good handle of its use by then. Last year I recovered these arrowheads off of the property.

 

[Rob in KS]

Man, that's tough....You'll have to take a break from hunting an 1850's house to go hunt gold.
You should start a house demolition thread...with lots of pictures or maybe video. That really sounds like an adventure.

 

[Hoser John]

I take both my GB2 and my Tesoro LST everywhere I go--do NOT forget extra/differing coils for soil conditions either and just have a ball-John

 

[MetalDetectMatt]

Man, that's tough....You'll have to take a break from hunting an 1850's house to go hunt gold.
You should start a house demolition thread...with lots of pictures or maybe video. That really sounds like an adventure.

Now that would be extremely neat to see The process of tearing down, Just think of all the stuff that a person would find!

 

[Hard Prospector]

My Whites TDI-SL is is a great machine, went out to the desert recently with a bunch of people swing'in. About half had VLFs and the area was so nasty they were pulling their hair out by the end of the day trying to keep their machines ground balanced, not a problem for my TDI( or the MineLabs ) I have a Gold Bug Pro which I like a lot and still has its place but in the desert I find myself usually reaching for the PI machine first especially for new areas. My TDI cost less than $1500.00 which is about 1/3 more than you want to spend but if I were you I would consider it, there are many good machines to choose from.....Good luck.

 

[oldbrundogg]

Sorry to just jump in here but a hopefully quick question . Whites goldmaster 11 for $271.00 worth it for a newbie??

 

[AzViper]

The more I read the more confused I get in regards to brands, models, and whether to purchase a VLF (Very Low Frequency) or PI (Pulse Induction).

The VLF operates using two round coils of wire. The coil on the outside is the transmitter. This part emits a low-frequency magnetic field onto the ground. A metal object under the dirt causes this field be reflected. A separate inside coil is the receiver. This second coil amplifies any magnetic reflections causes by a hidden object. If these signal reflections are present, an audio tone is played.

The PI Detectors sends out a magnetic field into the ground. Any metal underground reflects this signal. Instead of using a separate coil for detection, however, a PI unit quickly switches modes to "listen" for the reflected signal. Using this timed pulse method, the device can discriminate between signals it has sent and stray signals from the surrounding area.

From what I have read PI detectors are more accurate and have greater depth but take’s more of a learning curve to master the reflected sounds of what’s below the surface.

I suppose this is why so many of you have an arsenal of MD’s in your collection. I thought it was crazy when I spent nearly $2000.00 for a pair of Zeiss binoculars but until you sit behind a pair and glass all day then you appreciate the value of the purchase. No eye fatigue and the ability to see at dawn and dusk.

Dang just do not know what direction to go.

 

[Terry Soloman]

If you can afford a Pulse Induction unit, and plan on JUST HUNTING GOLD NUGGETS with it great! Do NOT get a TDI or Infinium, Sand Shark, or Dual field - as NONE of them are good for sub-gram gold. Get a used Minelab SD or GPX machine. If you plan on using the machine as an "All-around" hunter, get the LST or Goldbug Pro, because you NEED the ability to Discriminate if you are looking for coins and Jewelry. Reg (I think he still works for Whites), will disagree on the TDI, but even he cannot argue there are very few people using them in the goldfields. Good Luck, and stop overthinking it.

 

[AzViper]

Good Luck, and stop overthinking it.

Terry if you knew me you would know I am a thinker and reader first, I guess it’s the poker player in me. I am gathering information to make an informative sound decision. I do not want to drop $$$ on a MD and find out it’s not what I need. I very much like the idea of the LST. First it’s made right here in Arizona with a lifetime warranty to the original owner, and the ability to use over the counter batteries is a huge plus, but there is so much completion in MD’s. Purchasing a detector I want to get it right the first time, granted I understand there is no perfect detector that will fit all conditions as many of you have many brands etc. that you have at your disposal. As I said just wanting to make a sound decision.

 

[goldhog55]

Whatever you do, please don't waste your time taking out your DFX gold prospecting. It's been tried,over, over, but the DFX just won't hit on small gold. Our time in the field is precious, get a real gold detector like the ones mentioned in this post.

I've had a dfx for 4 year havnt used it much YET, but plan to soon do you know for a fact that I'd be wastingy my time detecting for gold

 

[Reg]

AZviper,

Where are you planning on hunting? How often do you plan on hunting? How much do you really want to spend. Last but not least, do you want to follow the recommendations of someone you don't know?

I ask those questions because some of the advice you have been given simply isn't the best. As an example, most of the used Minelab PI's won't detect much of the "invisible" gold found around Greaterville or the sub grain gold anywhere else for that matter. I can't say for sure the latest ML model will detect more of this type of gold because I have not tested one, but I do know ALL previous models struggle with it. I know I have watched the best try over and over again and fail over and over again. Rather than take my word for it and jump in and buy something that might not work well for you, please frequent the prospecting club I linked and talk to John Blennert among others. He lives in Tucson Arizona and he will give you an honest answer. He has found a lot of gold from your area and can tell you what to expect and what you might want to use that falls within your price range.

Now, If you are unsure of how well you will stick with this hobby, then you might consider a decent used machine. Most work reliably and will last a long time. Be careful though, at least one manufacturer may not fix some of their older detectors. Fortunately, Whites, Tesoro, and First Texas will work on all previous true gold prospecting models. BTW, First Texas builds Bounty Hunter, Fisher, Teknetics, and who knows what other brand names.

If you feel you will only use the detector for gold hunting, then you can concentrate on those specifically aimed at that type of hunting. I strongly recommend you try before you buy. If you are small framed and/or getting along in years, then you will most likely appreciate some of the lighter models available. Some detectors that might work weigh 3 lbs or so, while others have batteries that weight a lot more than that. Some are better balanced than others.

To be honest, you can spend as much as you want and still not find gold. Swinging a detector over the ground is not the same as real nugget hunting. If you want to be consistently successful you will learn your detector well enough that you will be giving advice and not asking for it.

Picking a detector is like picking a wife, each has their own preferences and what they want or what will fill their needs and desires. Pick the right one and you will be together for a long time. Pick the wrong one and it can get expensive as well as be a bad experience.

Reg

 

[Terry Soloman]

I've had a dfx for 4 year havnt used it much YET, but plan to soon do you know for a fact that I'd be wastingy my time detecting for gold

Forget finding small gold with it. Just not a nugget hunter.

 

[Reg]

oldbrundogg,

The price of the goldmaster is within the reasonable price range and as long as it works ok, it should be fine. There isn't that dramatic of a difference in many models of the Goldmaster series. The exception is the lastest model which does have some interesting features.

In some ways, picking an older detector like this is a good choice. It makes you learn how to ground balance manually. This helps in learning more about the detector.

BTW, if the detector doesn't come with a manual, you can download a copy of the manual at the Whites website.

Don't be afraid of spending a lot of time learning the detector and how it works. I used to spend over 50 hours just really getting familiar with a detector before I felt comfortable with it. Know what each knob does and why it needs to be adjusted or not. Check for tricks, or ease of use by not being afraid of trying different things. If you do this before going into the field, a lot fewer mistakes will be made. It is hard enough just getting the coil over a piece of gold, let alone missing detecting it because of improper setup of the detector.

Reg

 

[oldbrundogg]

Hey Reg,

Thanks for the response, the person offering it seems fairly knowledgeable. I think I'm going to hold off still for awhile the green stuff is just as hard to find as the gold stuff right now for me, and what I'm trying to do is to get this guy to take me with him and his buddies so I can really see and feel a few different machines. I'm trying to read as much as I can but I think I'm more of a hands on learner. any hoo thanks again