What would be the most affordable (specifically) gold metal detector on the market?

[Santagold]

First post, a cordial greeting to all in the fabulous and charming world of gold prospecting.


Thanks.

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Whites GMT
Tesoro Lobo Super Traq
Fisher Goldbug Pro
Teknetics G2
Garrett AT Gold

 

[Goldwasher]

Hey Terry curious (genuine no snark) as to why you put the TSLT in between Gmt and GBpro?

I've had some recent finds that showed me why the GBpro is awesome. Funny thing is I pay attention to threshold more than the display.
It wasn't until after I cleaned the pieces that I actually re scanned and checked out what the display showed.
I wasn't even where I dug them anymore so some relevance lost.

I have a GB2 that was given to me that I haven't really messed with. I used to run a GM4B. I listened to a friend running a GB2 and I really like the threshold tone. He wasn't using head phones. i have been intentionally using the GBpro only to be consistent.

I tried to show a friend how to run an MXT he was given I ran it over the targets I speak of and was super disapointed with the sensitivity, the target ID was horrible.
I never "use" the target ID for anything but reference. But, compared to my GBPRO it was pretty bad.

The other day I checked out an AT gold and the target tone seemed "superimposed" over the background threshold. Do you know what I mean?

Where as with the GBpro I turn down the gain depending on the ground for the sake of "maintaining" the threshold. A target sounds like a target.

The AT gold and MXT seem to add to the sound of a target. I could see how it may be helpful. However the MXT sucked at picking up two awesome targets.

The MXT was like ZIP BING BONG ZIP I told my friend he needed a different detector. My GBpro was much better and consistent.

I like these threads thanks for any contribution and experience you share.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Just listing machines for a greenhorn to consider. The Goldbug II and Pro are both top-o-the-line small, shallow, gold magnets. The Tesoro LST also kicks butt, kinda what Fisher wanted to do with the GB Pro.

 

[IMPDLN]

Actually Terry, not trying to contradict your post, but the Gold Bug non pro version is more affordable than all those fine choices at $500 from Cabelas. The only difference between the GB Pro and non pro versions is the manual ground balance feature on the pro. The non pro version is identical other than that extra feature right down to the firmware/software these detectors use. Dennis

 

[Goldwasher]

Actually Terry, not trying to contradict your post, but the Gold Bug non pro version is more affordable than all those fine choices at $500 from Cabelas. The only difference between the GB Pro and non pro versions is the manual ground balance feature on the pro. The non pro version is identical other than that extra feature right down to the firmware/software these detectors use. Dennis

I will add that the manual ground balance is nice to have. I check targets occasionally in disc mode with no disc. I have always been impressed with its accuracy. In tracking with no disc it seems to still have great depth and sensitivity.

Question? It still has threshold? On the pro the tracking mode is silent search and in all metal there is a threshold. You have to ground balance no option of tracking. So some of the programming must be different.

That is why I was unimpressed with the mxt. I like the goldmaster. I'm sure the mxt is a decent coin relic machine. the prospecting mode not so much.
The one I tried had the big dougnut coil

 

[Goldwasher]

Just listing machines for a greenhorn to consider. The Goldbug II and Pro are both top-o-the-line small, shallow, gold magnets. The Tesoro LST also kicks butt, kinda what Fisher wanted to do with the GB Pro.

Gotcha and figured as much. I was hoping for opinions on use and if that's why you created your list. If it had an actual order that is.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Makro Gold Racer is $700 - fairly inexpensive to other dedicated gold detectors.

 

[MXT SNIPER]

New Minelab Monster 1000 VLF coming to market starting in April, detector with two coils, an elliptical dd and a 5" round dd coil for 799.99. Very user friendly, very automatic setup. Could be interesting.

 

[soupfreak]

New Minelab Monster 1000 VLF coming to market starting in April, detector with two coils, an elliptical dd and a 5" round dd coil for 799.99. Very user friendly, very automatic setup. Could be interesting.

Can't wait to see some comparison videos on this one.

 

[californiagold]

Goldbug or pro is a great detector. I used one since they made them and found lots of gold. BUT The newer detectors from Nokta or Makro have a feature that no Goldbug has and that is the isat adjustment. So many many times with Gold bug pro in the past using all metal the threshold blanks out over strong mineralization spots from magnetite, hematite, limonite, etc. When this happens your smooth running threshold disappears and you miss targets. The mineralization is stronger then the target and you wont hear it. With isat adjustment on Nokta and Makro detectors the smooth threshold never blanks out on strong mineralization. You wont even miss the tiniest pieces of gold. My partner was using a gb pro up until recently and almost every place we detect had this stong mineralization. While I detected in all metal with isat, my partner had to use disc mode on gb pro because the threshold is too hard to keep from blanking out even after turning down sensitivity to a 20-30 range. I still have my Gb pro and probably will never get rid of it, but it is my 4th string backup now behind all the Nokta and Makro detectors. It sounds like both minelab and fisher will be coming out with new gold detectors that are some sort of auto balancing machines. Possibly they might be great at strong mineralization areas, only time will tell.

 

[Goldwasher]

yep I have to drop my sensitivity down to the 9 o clock position when I get to the red soil in the gullies that have been ground sluiced. or the threshold is too choppy. even with a slow coil speed

 

[1637]

gmz whites.

 

[Grumpie]

The cheapest specific gold metal detector is a gmz because you wouldn't want to use it for nothing else. It will drive you insane. But I think the Gmz is the cheapest and is a specialized machine just to find gold. $450 new and some places have free shipping