Im interested in buying a metal detector

[taternut]

Do I'm thinking about buying a metal detector for gold prospecting, but I know nothing about them. And I don't what to spend a super lot of money. Maybe just a introductory one or intermediate. Any suggestions?

 

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[Rebel73153]

The Fisher Gold Bug Pro is a good one. Good for gold and you can use it for coins and relics too. Used ones are found for $300 and up.

 

[63bkpkr]

If you want to detect for gold make sure you purchase a real gold detector, some gold/coin combo units work ok but if you are serious then purchase a gold detector. Understand that using a detector does not mean you will find gold with it. The only way you will find gold with it will be to put the coil over gold that is within the detectors depth range. There are NO Guarantees with a detector or any other piece of mining equipment that these tools will for certain to find gold unless you know how to use them and that takes time and USE and then you have to be out where there is gold.

I own and use a GMT and have found gold with it. There are MANY posts here on Tnet about Gold detectors so search them out, read them, learn all you can before you purchase one. Get some earphones as well and stay alert to rattle snakes as you will not be able to hear the snakes buzz with headphones on..............................63bkpkr

 

[Rawhide]

I spend a equal amount of time in the city parks, and the wilderness looking for gold. I don't do well at all in the wilderness as it is not a easy task. But in town at the city parks I am able to find gold rings and necklaces on a regular basis. So a high frequency gold detector is great if you have mine tailings or a good area you can prospect on in the wild. But to be honest I have found enough gold jewelery to keep me interested in the city parks with a good metal detector. Its a lot less expensive and easier on the body and truck too in the park. 63bkpkr is correct, buy the machine for the job.

 

[NW Digger]

If you want to detect for gold make sure you purchase a real gold detector, some gold/coin combo units work ok but if you are serious then purchase a gold detector. Understand that using a detector does not mean you will find gold with it. The only way you will find gold with it will be to put the coil over gold that is within the detectors depth range. There are NO Guarantees with a detector or any other piece of mining equipment that these tools will for certain to find gold unless you know how to use them and that takes time and USE and then you have to be out where there is gold.

I own and use a GMT and have found gold with it. There are MANY posts here on Tnet about Gold detectors so search them out, read them, learn all you can before you purchase one. Get some earphones as well and stay alert to rattle snakes as you will not be able to hear the snakes buzz with headphones on..............................63bkpkr

I agree 100%, but just wanted to toss it out there, that not only do you need a good machine but you really have to learn what the constant sounds mean etc, detecting for gold is sooooo much different then coin shooting or relic hunting. Beep beep dig its pretty simple for coins, relics etc.
But when your hunting for gold unless, you really know what your listing for, you could be right on the sweet spot and never know it. When it comes to detecting for gold you almost have to get some instruction, class, a friend who knows what they are doing, some sort of hands on training. Nugget hunting can get discouraging rather quickly, especially just trying to figure it out by yourself.

Just keep it in mind when you go shopping, weather you spend a little or a lot, I would hate to see you get discouraged and give up like so many do.
Have patience and get some hands on lessons, most of all GOOD LUCK and HH!

 

[taternut]

I don't think if get discouraged, I've boughten everything for casual stream prospecting and I've only found 3 little flakes and I'm still at it. I've spent close to $1000 on gear and a dredge but dredging is illegal where I'm from at I was just going to make the 3 hr drive to use it but I realized I probably won't even find enough gold to pay for gas so it's a lose lose situation. I've been doing some research and on Tuesday I'm going to go talk to my local mining shop to see if I can get any advice or direction in buying or possibly trading my dredge for a metal detector hopefully

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

Name the VLF is the game we're going to play lol

BEST VLF:

$799 White's GMT by far one of the best VLF gold machines for the price
$749 Gold Bug 2 powerhouse VLF **** depth but amazing on that fine gold.
$649 Gold Bug Pro good all around VLF gold machine
$799 Tesoro Lobo ST Does extremely well for being 17.5kHz Auto tracking tunes out small targets...
$1090Minelab Eureka (big money not worth half of it) does okay on 20kHz horrible on 60kHz.
$499 White's GMZ (no threshold beep and dig machine) $499 price makes it a good option.
$499 Fisher Gold Bug SE (Still available on Ebay well worth the $489 - $499 price IF you can find one... as sensitivity as the GBP just lacks manual ground balance, again great bang for the buck, better than the GMZ Eureka and Tesoro options In my opinion)

Hope this helps.


Update: If you want to save some $ and can find any of the above (aside from the Minelab Eureka) used.. Go for it! Especially the Whites!


Something I recommend to new guys Joining my local gold detecting club, and running a FLV, is to purchase a small 0.1 gram picker, put it in a baggie take it out bush, dig a hole bury it and take a few swings, LEARN THAT SOUND!. You will never hear that nice solid (ZIP) from anything under a gram when its covered by an inch or so of dirt..

 

[taternut]

Name the VLF is the game we're going to play lol

BEST VLF:

$799 White's GMT by far one of the best VLF gold machines for the price
$749 Gold Bug 2 powerhouse VLF **** depth but amazing on that fine gold.
$649 Gold Bug Pro good all around VLF gold machine
$799 Tesoro Lobo ST Does extremely well for being 17.5kHz Auto tracking tunes out small targets...
$1090Minelab Eureka (big money not worth half of it) does okay on 20kHz horrible on 60kHz.
$499 White's GMZ (no threshold beep and dig machine) $499 price makes it a good option.
$499 Fisher Gold Bug SE (Still available on Ebay well worth the $489 - $499 price IF you can find one... as sensitivity as the GBP just lacks manual ground balance, again great bang for the buck, better than the GMZ Eureka and Tesoro options In my opinion)

Hope this helps.

Update: If you want to save some $ and can find any of the above (aside from the Minelab Eureka) used.. Go for it! Especially the Whites!

Something I recommend to new guys Joining my local gold detecting club, and running a FLV, is to purchase a small 0.1 gram picker, put it in a baggie take it out bush, dig a hole bury it and take a few swings, LEARN THAT SOUND!. You will never hear that nice solid (ZIP) from anything under a gram when its covered by an inch or so of dirt..

You said if I can find a used whites go for it right? I just found a "whites gm2" and you didn't list that one (that I can see) for $500 would that be a decent introductory md?

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

It's an older model, and personally I wouldn't pay $500 for it, not when I can buy something like a brand new Gold Bug SE for the same price..
If it were on offer for $250-300 i would say sure, but not at that price.

Not sure if You're an ebay fan, but Item: 271223484218
Caught my eye, the Garrett AT Gold is a great entry level gold machine... Worth considering, add to it a 4.5" sniper coil and they're very powerful VLF gold machine.

Also consider the following: http://www.detectorprospector.com/gold-prospecting-guides/steve-guide-gold-nugget-detectors.htm#.Ub7I-_kwf6A

Steve knows his stuff reviews/opinions on all the latest gold machines..

 

[63bkpkr]

taternut, contact one of the Tnet sponsors to see what price they will sell you a brand new GMT for. IMHO, I would not mess around with older technology gold detectors (I purchased a brand new Fisher Gold Bug and found nothing with it). Purchase one of the NEW detectors on that list then read the instructions, watch you tube videos, practice and never stop practicing and learning and reading and get the 4 x 6 shooter coil for the GMT assuming you buy that machine as the small coil just gets into the tighter spots and is well worth the price......................Good Luck 63bkpkr

 

[taternut]

taternut, contact one of the Tnet sponsors to see what price they will sell you a brand new GMT for. IMHO, I would not mess around with older technology gold detectors (I purchased a brand new Fisher Gold Bug and found nothing with it). Purchase one of the NEW detectors on that list then read the instructions, watch you tube videos, practice and never stop practicing and learning and reading and get the 4 x 6 shooter coil for the GMT assuming you buy that machine as the small coil just gets into the tighter spots and is well worth the price......................Good Luck 63bkpkr

How do I contact a sponsor? I just joined a few months ago and generally use my phone. But you would say stick with gmt for a beginner??

 

[Rebel73153]

If ALL you want the detector for is GOLD, then the GMT would be a good one. On the other hand if you want the option of looking for coins/jewelry, and relics then the MXT or Gold Bug Pro would be a better choice.

 

[taternut]

So the gmt is strictly for gold? No silver or any other metals?? I think I'd probably want an all around detector incase I'm having a hard time learning the sound of gold I can still be learning with other kinds of metals

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

So the gmt is strictly for gold? No silver or any other metals?? I think I'd probably want an all around detector incase I'm having a hard time learning the sound of gold I can still be learning with other kinds of metals

No no! Whatever you do DO NOT get that idea stuck in your head..

NO metal detector is a (GOLD) detector... Or silver detector.... They're conductivity detectors..

Machines like I listed above are just tuned at higher frequencies to better detect high conductivity metals better.. Gold etc...

The GMT's Frequency is a little high and not recommended as a relic/coin machine. (Higher the frequency the smaller the target it will detect) (lawn mower ran over a coke can 10 years ago, you're going to pick up every fragment)

 

[Rebel73153]

No. There is NO such thing as a detector that ONLY detects gold or we would ALL have one. The GMT is an All Metal detector. But it has no discrimination so you will get a signal on any metal you go over. That is what makes nugget hunting hard to do in any area where a lot of people have left a lot of trash.

 

[taternut]

Oh I see, I think I'm going to go to the mining shop in my town and check some out

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

Good plan, Just don't let them talk you into a X-Terra 705

 

[taternut]

Why is that? Is that a bad one? Or just too much for a beginner?

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

It's a fine machine, just not really built with gold in mind.. Though capable...

 

[63bkpkr]

Tater, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the Tnet main page. Somewhere near the bottom is a list of the Tnet sponsors. Bart at Big Boys is frequently talked about on here as having made a super deal for one of us Tneters, the others do like wise. Talk to at least three of them.

I have the GMT and it comes with 6 x 10" coil and I would suggest also purchasing the 4 x 6" coil as it really gets into tight spots in and around boulders, bushes, downed trees and other stuff on the ground.

The GMT is setup as a turn on and detect machine and that is one way to use it. If you are wise you will setup a test garden of various metals at various depths to practice on as well as adjusting all the settings to see what they do. Use lead as a substitue for gold also cut off a quarter of a nickel and use it as a gold target and compare the values on the screen between the two metals. I found a beat up gold ring and use pieces of it glued to poker chips as test samples. When I'm out in the hills prospecting I Always carry a test chip with me just to help me get back on track from a bad target (bad target: brass ammunition casing, rusty nail, pull tabs, rusty can, lead bullet) The colorful poker chips are easy to see.

The GMT can also be used as a totally manual machine where you adjust everything.

The GMT can also be used as a partial manual and partial automatic system coupled with using the Grab button and having some of the settings at higher or lower settings.

All of this makes it a very capable machine and why I've found gold with it on several occasions and I KNOW it will find more gold for me. It has some interesting features that a person can choose to use or not use. It is a machine that gives a lot of information to help a person decide on what they want to do, dig or not dig. Recall that you will be out in the hills, along rivers and out in the back country of Calif and none of these spots are easy to dig in so having a machine that really helps you decide if a target has a high or low possibility of something you want to break your back on digging is Very Useful, IMO.

I've found pieces of gold underneath what looks like solid bedrock, only there is a tiny crack in it that allowed some gold to go down under it. The GMT as well as some of the others mentioned all find gold and they all have different operating styles/possibilities. I know the GMT best, I've used it several times to find gold and I know I will find more gold with it as long as I can get out into the old gold fields.

Good luck making a choice as it will not be an easy one...........................63bkpkr

me in camp in 2010 with the GMT and the rest of my "stuff". You will see in the picture that I have the 6 x 10 coil on the machine and just to the right of me is the 4 x 6 coil, no wonder my packs start out at 85 lbs


detected and panned gold, lead bullets, magnetic rocks. I would dig out a bucket of material, find a spot on the river bank with the detector that did not show a target signal, dump the bucket of raw sample on the spot and detect the pile. If no zip zip I would get another bucket of material that gave me a zip zip sound off the detector and then I would pan that pile, got gold every time the machine went zip zip.

about 1/4 oz of gold from that one spot that I found with a combination of detecting, panning, sluicing

here is the raw sample pile dumped on the river bank, the GMT with stock
6 x 10 coil and a classifying basket I use in a 5 gallon bucket full of water.