What kind of detector to get for gold?

[cshirsch]

I am a seasoned relic and coin hunter and have done quite well over the last 35 years or so. Now I am partners on a claim in SE Arizona and would like to get a gold machine to go along with my sluicing activities. I now have a couple of Troy Shadow X5s and a couple of X2s and they are fantastic relic and coin machines but I think there may be detectors out there much better suited for gold. Maybe something with different tones, etc.. I sure would appreciate any help on this matter. I can not afford the Minelab GPX5000. Simple operating is good but I can get used to anything. Thanks in advance.

Chris

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[Hard Prospector]

Working a claim means running material which usually results in the need to check tailing piles for nuggets/specimens. The Gold Bug 2 or GMT would be my first choices here. The Falcon is a great way to get a quick values check of dry cons without panning down. The only detector I would consider multi-purpose (kind of) would be the Gold Bug Pro. Prospecting means different gold machines, but if your serious about the task at hand you need the right detector. This is my answer to one small part of your question, nobody likes a know-it-all.....Good luck

 

[IMPDLN]

I second the opinion above. Dennis

 

[Notsuredomus]

I would agree with hard prospector. If your intent is to scan tailings for gold you can't go wrong with the GB2 or Whites GMT but keep in mind if you plan to metal detect streams and rivers to look for gold the very features that make the Gold Bug 2 the best there is at finding the smallest of gold also make it extremely unstable when you mix hot ground with plentiful hot and cold rocks. This situation can drive you nuts with the GB2. The Whites GMT has the ground grab feature which makes the ground balancing less of a chore in areas with extreme changes in mineralization over very short distances. The follow the black sand feature can be very useful as well for locating promising areas to set up your sluice. If your in an area where the ground and the rocks are a serious problem (like they are in my Siskiyou County) then you may want to consider a Pulse Induction.

No two metal detectors are alike. Even detectors of the same make and model may behave slightly different. It is always good to have several options. No one detector is ideal for any area or purpose. With various options at your disposal If one detector is not working in a given area then you can try another. If you are limited in resources as I am then you have to decide what kind of prospecting you want to do with your MD and weigh the pros and cons.

Sorry I know you would like a concise answer to your question unfortunately I can't give you one. Maybe eventually MD technology will give us an all in one package that will meet any detectorists needs. But Not Today!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Detectors are like golf clubs, different detector for different situations and obstacles...






American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

 

[Steve Herschbach]

I would not buy anything - yet. The Troy X5 was designed by prospecting engineer guru Dave Johnson. It is a very hot 19 kHz detector and a direct predecessor of the Gold Bug Pro in terms of performance. My recommendation is you use it to find out if you have what it takes to succeed at nugget detecting, which basically boils down to determination and patience. If you can find any gold with the X5, and I promise you it is perfectly capable of it, then maybe you would want to invest in a detector designed specifically for the task. But if you get a VLF you will discover the X5 is about as good as any of them.

You have to run in all metal. Your mention of nugget detectors using tones indicates you think perhaps they are more sophisticated than they are. Nugget detectors all do best when run as all metal dig it all machines. At most you can dial in a minimum amount of iron discrimination, but it will cost you a percentage of your gold finds. Still, if you eliminate 90% of the ferrous trash to get 90% of the gold that can be a fair trade.

Use a small nugget, like maybe a half gram, to get the machine properly calibrated in your ground. Use all metal mode, and start with gain/sensitivity at recommended factory preset. Get ground balanced and run the coil over the ground in the immediate area plus your buried test target. You may encounter hot rocks. The trick is to work the ground balance and sensitivity to get the most beep on the test nugget and the least noise from the ground. It is a balancing act. Get the sensitivity as high as you can while keeping the ground from getting too noisy. Ideal would be no ground noise and clear signal on nugget, but usually you have to compromise.

You may find the ground or hot rocks are horrible, in which case a ground balancing PI is your best bet if you do decide to invest in a machine. If the ground seems ok with the X5 then another machine like a Gold Bug Pro with a DD coil may be a good option. The X5 comes with a concentric and DD coils for it are rarer than hens teeth. A DD would help if the X5 seems borderline but as I note getting another detector may be the better option at that point.

If all the gold on the claim is under 1/4 gram a Gold Bug 2 or White's GMT will do best on the tiny stuff.

Troy Shadow X5 at Crow Creek, Alaska

The review I did above was back when the Shadow X5 was new but my conclusions proved prophetic. It is a very powerful detector highly sought after on the used market. Give it a go and at the very least you will learn more about the ground you are on, and that would be very valuable information when considering a new detector.

 

[Lanny in AB]

It's very hard to go wrong when Steve recommends doing something with a certain metal detector, especially in this particular case.

First of all, I'd try exactly what he's prescribing and see how that works before doing anything else. You may just find that the detectors you have will serve just fine, then you'll have some extra money to spend on something else instead.

All the best,

Lanny

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html

 

[roadrunner]

I wish I had an X5 in my possession.
I would also do as Steve suggests. I bought a used Whites GM V/Sat and still have not found any gold yet.
Been out to some good places too.

 

[2cmorau]

Yes, Yes, Yes The X5 is a killer on small gold i have found 1 grain flakes with it bummer it was discontinued. use the small four inch loop it works almost as well as the gm series

I would not buy anything - yet. The Troy X5 was designed by prospecting engineer guru Dave Johnson. It is a very hot 19 kHz detector and a direct predecessor of the Gold Bug Pro in terms of performance. My recommendation is you use it to find out if you have what it takes to succeed at nugget detecting, which basically boils down to determination and patience. If you can find any gold with the X5, and I promise you it is perfectly capable of it, then maybe you would want to invest in a detector designed specifically for the task. But if you get a VLF you will discover the X5 is about as good as any of them.

You have to run in all metal. Your mention of nugget detectors using tones indicates you think perhaps they are more sophisticated than they are. Nugget detectors all do best when run as all metal dig it all machines. At most you can dial in a minimum amount of iron discrimination, but it will cost you a percentage of your gold finds. Still, if you eliminate 90% of the ferrous trash to get 90% of the gold that can be a fair trade.

Use a small nugget, like maybe a half gram, to get the machine properly calibrated in your ground. Use all metal mode, and start with gain/sensitivity at recommended factory preset. Get ground balanced and run the coil over the ground in the immediate area plus your buried test target. You may encounter hot rocks. The trick is to work the ground balance and sensitivity to get the most beep on the test nugget and the least noise from the ground. It is a balancing act. Get the sensitivity as high as you can while keeping the ground from getting too noisy. Ideal would be no ground noise and clear signal on nugget, but usually you have to compromise.

You may find the ground or hot rocks are horrible, in which case a ground balancing PI is your best bet if you do decide to invest in a machine. If the ground seems ok with the X5 then another machine like a Gold Bug Pro with a DD coil may be a good option. The X5 comes with a concentric and DD coils for it are rarer than hens teeth. A DD would help if the X5 seems borderline but as I note getting another detector may be the better option at that point.

If all the gold on the claim is under 1/4 gram a Gold Bug 2 or White's GMT will do best on the tiny stuff.

Troy Shadow X5 at Crow Creek, Alaska

The review I did above was back when the Shadow X5 was new but my conclusions proved prophetic. It is a very powerful detector highly sought after on the used market. Give it a go and at the very least you will learn more about the ground you are on, and that would be very valuable information when considering a new detector.

 

[Jim Hemmingway]

Good instructive post Steve. At one time or another I’ve read all your available manuscripts, and remembered this Crow Creek article as I went through it again. An excellent article… top marks to you for bringing the Shadow X5 information forward in a timely manner.


Jim.

 

[Notsuredomus]

Steve's advice is right on the money. Sounds like he has quite a bit of experience on this topic. My 1st 6 months MD prospecting was pretty bad lol. Quite a learning curve. Before I had found my 1st piece of gold worth a few dollars, I had found 200 dollars worth of brass shell casings. A geologist I met highbanker at the Mega-Hole on the Klamath River gave me some advice. He said if you want to find gold nuggets with a metal detector you need to get to the other side of the river where few people have access. then move the big boulders and detect underneath. I see the logic. My biggest nuggets sluicing came from under the boulders I moved with a cable and 8000lb come-a-long and maybe 1 in 20 recreational prospectors I see who come up here each summer have any kind of boat.