As a new detectorist...

[Pirates Keep]

I'm new to detecting and I want to know a good metal detector to get. Right now I have a cheap plastic one from a store. I have heard that the Garrett Ace 250 is good for beginners but I want to make sure it is good for detecting gold nuggets, coins etc...

All help is appreciated!

 

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[Digginman]

Hi Pirates Keep,

Welcome to the forum. A wealth of knowledge is here.

The Treasure Ace 250 is a great starter machine. It gobbles coins up. I use it for relics, also. I've never used it for nuggets. Maybe someone else can help you.

DM

 

[Ole Mole]

Here is a link to a post in nugget hunting that may be of some help to you. Pretty much the same question you are asking.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,37564.0.html

I have a Ace250, but I do not know anything about nugget hunting.

Good Luck and welcome to the hobby and forum.

 

[Sandman]

The ACE 250 is a fair coin machine, but it does not have the Gain adjustment to make it a nugget finder. There are trade offs in detectors. No one machine does it all-well. The Garrett ACE 250 is a turn on and have fun detector. If you want more preformance, there are other more expensive machines.

Sandman

 

[Pirates Keep]

Ok, thanks guys.

 

[Pirates Keep]

Oh, btw, is the bounty hunter discovery 3300 good for begginers? I will be doing alot of detecting by a river for some nuggets and some for coins just around.
Thanks!

 

[bakergeol]

Living in Colorado I can tell you nugget hunting is quite different here than in CA and AZ. We have a lot of private property which means there isn't as much open area you can search. There is another issue too. A lot of gold found in CO is specimen gold(gold and rock mixed together-non solid, wire gold etc.) which commonly is not detectable with low frequency coin detectors. Gold detectors are high frequency(MXT-14khz, X70- 18.75khz) My Explorer 11 simply could not detect most of the specimen gold I put under it. So low frequency machines such as the Ace 250 is really not going to be effective.

My advise is to obtain one of the starter machines you mentioned for coin and relics and simply have fun. Believe me most of your detecting will be coin/relic. If you become addicted and want to move up to a machine that is suitable for prospecting as well as general detecting and money is an issue buy a used detector. I see a lot of MXTs, Tesoro LSTs and Terra X-70s(needs 18.75khz coil) on E-Bay and in the classifieds. This are suitable for nugget as well as general detecting.

HH
George

 

[Mighty AP]

Now thats some good advice!

 

[dfx_maui]

I'm a beginner at metal detecting but I know I want to do it as much as I possibly can so I wanted the right equipment. I always like the White's ads and that's why I gravitated to them. Of course I did a bit of research on other detectors and I still went back to White's. So finally I got myself the DFX and I am very happy with it (received last Monday). It is easy to use out of the box but when I am able to, I will be able to tweak it to find the good stuff. I am also making a small collection of coils (the stock coil, 4 x 6 Eclipse Shooter, and on order a Big Foot). The SunRay DX-1 probe rounds out my detecting equipment. My local dealer made it easy to order the items and prices were comparable if not better than the Internet prices. A few more incidentals include a Lesche digging trowel, a large hard case for the DFX, the stock headphones, Jimmy Sierra's Weatherbeater covers for the meter and controlbox, spare rechargable battery, and a utility bag belt. I don't like the stock headphones and I don't like to have people sneak up on me so I ordered a Rattler's one earcup headphone.

Obviously my case may be over the top for some beginners. But this where I want to go and I know that I will be doing this hobby for a while and this detector will carry me though for the long haul.

 

[Gadget]

I'm no expert, but I know that adjustable ground balance and a higher frequency are better for nugget detecting. The Ace 250 has neither, so probably wouldn't do well unless you're looking for huge ones. I would check with a local metal detector retailer to see if they can suggest one in your area for the type of soil you intend on hunting gold in.

 

[Silver Striker]

New poster here. So what's the best all-around detector for the cheapest cost? Are there any good ones, under $600, that can detect gold nuggets and jewelry as well as silver coins and 1715 Fleet treasures? Should I buy a brand new Ace 250 or a used high-end model, if the price is comparable? I was going to buy an Ace 250, because I've heard that it was the best MD for the money. However, if there's no chance of finding an occasional gold ring, coin or nugget, maybe I'll have to invest a little more. I don't want to go too crazy, because I'm kind of wishy washy and may get discouraged after a few sessions, if I don't find anything descent (at least a few silver coins and a gold ring). Am I just kidding myself? By the way, I live right near the Florida Treasure Coast and may eventually want to hunt for pirate booty. I'm also considering going to the Northern Georgia gold belt eventually, to look for nuggets, but don't want to invest a whole lot in equipment just yet. Any thoughts on the cheapest, yet most productive way for me to go? Thanks in advance, SS

 

[xXx]

I have found that the White's MXT is a good all around detector. as far as cost, it's an upper line detector, but is at the low end of the spectrum. You can usually pick up a good used one from Ebay or here on the classified section in the $600 and under with extras with it.
I use the MXT myself. It has the turn on and go option, and you can select which mode you want when you get better at using the machine. It offers a coin and jewelry mode, relic mode and a prospecting mode. Each are geared specifically for that area and accell with them.
Just my $.02.
xXx

 

[Silver Striker]

Thanks XXX. The White's MXT is one that I was considering. However, it's a little pricier than I wanted to spend right now. I found a couple of Tesoros, in the $425-550 range, that have gotten rave reviews and seem to be beachworthy, as well as being descent gold hunters. The Tesoro Cibola and Vaquero. How would those two rate vs. the MXT or comparably priced detectors, on wet sand beaches and near placer gold streams? Anybody?