Best VLF and PI gold detectors?

[TravyLeigh]

What would you guys rate as the top rated in each category? Just curious as to what I should be thinking about it my next detector. I figured who better to ask, than experienced people

 

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[Keppy]

If you want to get the low down on any metal detector visit Detector Prospector Dot Com then Equipment Reviews then Metal Detector. Steve gives a real insight on gold metal detectors.

Yes Steve's site there has a lot of very good information .. You Should look it over if you want info on detectors … or a lot of other things … I go to that site often .

 

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[IMPDLN]

Funny thing about detecting gold. It is only about 20% machine and about 80% operator. So with that said, good luck with whatever machine you chose to use. I myself will continue to use my SD2100 V-2 until the day it breaks and can't be repaired. I find just as much gold as the guys I hunt with that have newer machines. And I am not afraid to follow an ATX, a 5K, or a SDC2300 either. Dennis

 

[Terry Soloman]

Minelab GPX 5000, and the Tesoro Lobo Super Traq, are the two machines to own in my OPINION. Minelab will be releasing a new gold machine in the Spring (rumor). The little SDC 2300 is being pushed SO hard by dealers, but I've been told they aren't selling that well. I see they just started bundling the GPX 5000 and the SDC 2300, so maybe that new machine is coming out.

 

[Rick K]

It is tough right now to sell expensive gold detectors. The "bloom is off the rose" on gold prices and further declines won't make it easier. Meanwhile, there are lots of of folks who bought $5-6 thousand dollar detectors - and then either found no gold or found out that finding gold is hard, dirty and often lonesome work - and who now are listing their machines, often with lots of accessories, for sale. Not many of them are selling - at least not quickly.

i'm buying an SDC-2300 in spite of that, because I need it now, not later. I want a detector to take to club leases. These places have produced gold in the past and I expect the SDC to allow me to search for and find small gold missed by others. Missed by the GPX's - perhaps because they were not set up properly to find it - and missed by VLF machines because of operator fatigue due to ground mineral noises and dealing with hot rocks. There are now lots of credible reports of how smooth and noise free the SDC is in hot rocks and mineralized ground. It comes very close to being a "one button" detector. Chris Ralph has posted pictures of nuggets he has found with the SDC that were as small as anything you could find with a Gold Bug 2 or a GMT, and the SDC these found in places which would make using a VLF machine hard work indeed.

I was careful however to buy the SDC at a substantial discount from the prices you see on dealer sites. My thought is that when - for whatever reason - I decide to sell, I will be able to recover a substantial portion of my original cost. Of course, I thought that about my TDI also, but because I paid nearly list price, I "took a bath" when I sold it.

 

[TravyLeigh]

I think I'll get the sdc, but dude that's expensive. They're much more sensitive then the atx

 

[IMPDLN]

If you have never owned a Minelab PI, any model from 2100 up to current will do the job just fine. Problem with a newbie buying a machine like a 5000 is they have too many options to understand for a novice. Most never fully understand what settings to use where and when. So they spend more money than necessary and it won't help them find any more gold. No matter what machine you get, you must learn how to utilize it to the best of it's capabilities. This takes time with boots on the ground. The more years you spend with a machine, the more you will succeed, provided you are putting your boots on good ground to start with. This is why an experienced detectorist with a lesser machine will likely do better than a less experienced person with the best money can buy. Dennis

 

[Rick K]

Damn good advice. Having said that, I just got an SDC-2300 to supplement and maybe replace my SD-2100. My theory is that If I can't find gold with this new machine which can find the tiniest bits, I'd probably best hang it up!

 

[Lanny in AB]

If you have never owned a Minelab PI, any model from 2100 up to current will do the job just fine. Problem with a newbie buying a machine like a 5000 is they have too many options to understand for a novice. Most never fully understand what settings to use where and when. So they spend more money than necessary and it won't help them find any more gold. No matter what machine you get, you must learn how to utilize it to the best of it's capabilities. This takes time with boots on the ground. The more years you spend with a machine, the more you will succeed, provided you are putting your boots on good ground to start with. This is why an experienced detectorist with a lesser machine will likely do better than a less experienced person with the best money can buy. Dennis

Well said!

As for which VLF is the best? This summer, a prospecting buddy of mine had me pick up a Gold Bug Pro for him, and he likes my Minelab X-Terra 705 better! Who'd have thought. . . . I talked with another nugget shooter this summer that has worked the Bug Pro hard for the last two summers, and he likes his other VLF better (Whites). Maybe it has something to do with what you're used to as well. I really don't know.

Dennis has some excellent points in his little post, and I've found a lot of gold with my old 2100, and I've found some very nice gold with my GPX 5000. There's always a chance to pick up a used Minelab, and the 3500 is supposed to be the hottest pre-digital of the older bunch.

I'm really not sure that there's a "best" VLF as many of them are so similar and as they are all similarly limited, but the great truth at the bottom of all of the hype is that whatever you choose to use, learn how to use it exceptionally well. Far too many VLF's just sit in basements and closets because the buyer didn't find nuggets the first few outings and so gave up.

As Hoser said, it takes lots and lots of time learning the machine before you'll know how to find the gold with any skill, unless you're brutally lucky and get your coil over a fair sized nugget right away, which doesn't happen very often. And, even if you did, you still wouldn't have the skills to continue to find more gold in other places.

Do your research, read field tests and feedback from actual users, visit as many forums as you can, and I think you'll find that there is no "best" VLF. They'll all do the job, and the coils you choose will give you advantages as well.

But PI's? Minelab still has the edge, I believe, when it comes to PI's specifically designed for finding gold.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[IMPDLN]

When I got started detecting, I knew zero. I did lots of research and like many other people at the beginning, I was confused about what unit to buy. VLF or PI. I decided to get the Minelab SD2100-V2 PI for a few reasons. At the time you could still buy them new, as well as a few better Minelabs. Living in Az., my research told me a PI was the way to go for my location. I could have bought a better unit, but I liked the simple no bells and whistles for getting started in this hobby.

Now I was as green as slime when it came to any kind of metal detecting, but I am a persistent person. I had no lessons, just good common sense and access to GPAA claims at the beginning. I was fortunate and found my 1st nugget within about 35 hours of actual time with my coil on the ground. What a lucky bugger I was, lol. My next 4 nuggets didn't come to my poke for another 14 months. What a humbling experience that was. However I didn't give up. I went out at least one day a week and dug all targets I heard. During this time I figured I would learn more if I also took samples whenever I dug lead targets from likely gold spots. To my surprise I found 2 nice nuggets by doing this that I never did hear with the detector. This opened my eyes some and made me slow down and be more diligent in my search. This of course paid off eventually and I have been rather successful over the last few years and of course my confidence in my machines abilities, and my capabilities continues to grow every time I go out.

When the Gold Bug SE and Pro models came out, I was interested in getting a good VLF, not to replace the PI unit, but to compliment it. I must admit I try to be frugal......maybe a better way to say this is I am a cheap SOB, lol. I was fortunate enough to find a GB SE, non pro version, at Cabelas in the bargain cave for almost half price. I proceeded to pay for that machine the 4th time I used it with a nice solid 1/4 oz. nugget.

Now I don't consider that to be luck, but persistence and confidence acquired while using my Minelab. It made learning and using the GB easy.

My point is that no matter what machine you decide on, if you put the time in with your machines coil on the ground in good gold bearing areas, you can find gold with it. It all just takes time to learn the machine and refine your search in your area. It certainly isn't an easy hobby to get into and stick with it through all the possible frustrations. A person has to be diligent, persistent, passionate and willing to work hard to accomplish success in this hobby.

Any detector known to be able to find gold consistently will work, if a person puts the time in with said machine. No machine will make gold jump out of the ground. It is up to the user to get to know his or her machine to the best of their ability to then find gold on a regular basis.

In my opinion, a person should not buy a machine beyond their capability. No reason to go into debt when starting out. Set a budget for yourself and get a capable machine within your budget. More features isn't necessarily a good thing for a person starting out. All those bells and whistles can be confusing when getting started. I kept it simple on both my purchases. The 2100 is a real minimal PI compared to the other Minelabs out there, and still quite capable. Same with the GB non pro version. I myself consider this to be the best VLF for the money because they list for $500 and work well. In fact the only difference between the non pro and pro versions is the capability to manual ground balance on the pro, and the $150 difference is a no brainer for a cheap SOB like me, lol.

I could afford a newer Minelab, but again I am a cheap SOB and don't believe I need all the bells and whistles. Am I missing gold using an older unit? Maybe I am, but I hunt with some guys using later models and have not yet seen enough of a difference for any of us to need to upgrade. Someday my 2100 might crap out and not be repairable. Will I then buy the latest and greatest? Not likely for a cheap SOB like me. I will likely buy another Minelab, maybe used but it will all depend on what is available at what cost when that day comes.

I am also not afraid to follow anybody else no matter what machine they are using. I know my persistence works for me and my 2100.

Well, heck that was a long winded post. Sorry about that, but I hope it might help some people decide for themselves what is right for them. Dennis

P.S. Thanks Lanny.

 

[Mfico13]

I have a brand new vallon vmc1 for for sale is anyone is looking for one!!!

 

[Rutnbuck]

I am a Cheap SOB like IMPDLN thinking about a search coil and a buzzer for my gold pan. Nice read

 

[NeoTokyo]

Whelp I still stick with the Nokta FORS Gold.
I have the GB2 and had the GB Pro and the FORS Gold on its stock boost settings is so easy to use and find targets right away that really you cant get any easier than this.
Really, it has been the easiest machine I have used yet, you turn it on and start swinging!
If you read the handbook then you know what VDI targets should be and you will learn the sounds after that, you will also be able to see and hear targets masked by iron in most cases.
As you advance then you can play with the settings as you wish or follow the settings from others that have had success in similar soil conditions to yours.

Out of the box, the FORS Gold is a mad target finding machine.

 

[IMPDLN]

Well, I can't compare your Fors Gold to my GB non pro version. My GB only cost $275 new, so for the price it can't be beat. My area is typically way too hot for any VLF. However I only use the GB for specific situations. I use it for scanning possible specimens and I use it for long exploratory hikes because it weighs very little compared to the Minelab. So I pretty much cherry pick with it. I recently found approx. 2 oz.'s of silver in a vein that others, including myself, have walked past many times. What made me dig this spot with the GB had nothing to do with the audible signal. It just sounded like more hot bedrock like everywhere else in the area. The difference in this instance was the readout. The screen indicated a valid target without the usual iron indication from the typical hot bedrock in the area. About a half hour later and some serious chipping away at that vein got me some real nice silver specimens.

You might have had a similar experience with your FG, however I am sure it would not work better enough for me to justify $1,000 difference in price. Pretty much the same reason I haven't spent $700 or more for a GB2. I know spending more money won't necessarily find something I am missing. Persistence pays off for me. Dennis

 

[NeoTokyo]

Well if you get the standard kit its only about $700 dollars away.
The VDI readouts are very handy, my GB2 has me digging everything so now I let my friends and family use it.
We also have some very heavily mineralized soil up here and it just seems like I tone everything out with my GB2 just to be able to swing it, and I know I am missing targets.
The FORS Gold handles that mineralization much better.

My Pro handled the mineralization better than the GB2 and it was nice using it in trashy area's because I didn't have to dig everything.
Also I found the Pro to be easier to learn the sounds compared to the GB2.
So through this I can see why you like your GB, its a good unit that is pretty easy to use too.

But now that I have tried my hands on this little hot rod, the FORS Gold is my new favorite for a TON of reasons.

If you don't mind, could you link the thread with those pics or if you don't have one yet, could you post a pic here? I would like to see how those chunks look.

 

[CA Gold Hunter]

What do you guys think about the whites tdi sl? Haven't seen it mentioned much and I'm planning on picking one up for my first detector.

 

[azblackbird]

What do you guys think about the whites tdi sl? Haven't seen it mentioned much and I'm planning on picking one up for my first detector.

The TDI SL makes for a great first time PI detector without busting the bank. Depending upon what type of detecting you plan on doing, I would compliment it with a good VLF machine also.

 

[Greg in NV.]

The TDI SL is a nice PI detector. You might consider the Whites SPP whitch is basically a TDI SL without the conductivity switch and it's locked on to 10uS pulse delay best for gold. it comes with two coils a 12" mono and a 5.3 coil for under $1000.00. I recently picked one up from my whites dealer for $975.00.

 

[IMPDLN]

Neo, I haven't taken any pics of that ore. Not really much to look at. Just looks like quartz vein material with grey in it which is the silver ore. Also has some green copper mineral coloration. Chemical test at local jewelry store indicates silver. Dennis