Beginner looking for Metal Detector purchase advice

[Skoivu]

Hello, Ive always been interested in looking for things and searching for valuables but now Im just ready to begin actually doing it.

I need advice on which metal detector to purchase.

Im mainly interested in looking for coins and artifacts. I live in Michigan and mostly would be looking on land, although there are a few beaches I would like to try.

Since Im starting at the beginning Im looking for a detector that is easy to use but effective. Id be willing to pay up to 300 dollars if there is a difference in quality and effectiveness.

Please recommend brands and models for me to suggest as a gift idea for christmas. Ill be happy to answer questions if you want more info for the recommendation.

I appreciate any and all help

 

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[jmoller99]

I suggest seeing if there is a MD club or other people in your area detecting already. Seek them out to see what they are using and why. It's too easy to buy something and have it end up in a closet because it was harder to learn about than you expected. Its also more fun to find some potential THer partners to MD with.

 

[Sandman]

Where are you located? A club is your best bet and there are many. As for detectors you are going to get a lot of suggestions from members. I suggest you look into getting a Tesoro as they pinpoint extremely well and have a life time warranty. Look in the yellow pages for a local dealer so you can handle the things in person to choose. Here is a link for some if you can't find a local dealer. http://www.kellycodetectors.com/tesoro/tesoro.php

The Silver Umax is a great one and has the lifetime warranty if you ever need it which you won't. The Garrett ACE 250 is also a nice one to use to start.

 

[chukers]

I agree to the Garrett Ace 250... I don't know much about Torsos except the life time warranty and they are light weight and they have no screen...

I have a top of the line detector (V3i) and have the Ace 250 as a back up if that tells you anything.

Chukers

 

[Skoivu]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I live in southwest Michigan and I just looked and there is a club that is about 30 minutes away, as well as a metal detector shop.

Ive written down the Tesoro and the Garrett Ace and will research them.

I also have an opporunity to get a used Bounty Hunter Platinum for about 200, which seems like a good deal since they retail around 600. Is this too advanced for a beginner to use or is there quality issues with this brand?

 

[Smudge]

With a maximum of $300, I would recommend you look into the following:

Fisher F2

Garrett Ace 250

Teknetics Delta

Tesoro Compadre

Tesoro Silver uMax

Of these, my personal recommendation is the Tesoro Compadre. I is also the cheapest of the group at only $160. It has the lifetime warranty and is one of the best coin and jewelry hunters you can buy. It gets about 6" depth, which is where 95% of your targets will be found.

Take the rest your budget and buy yourself a decent digger, like a Lesche, and get yourself a Garrett Propointer. Those two tools are invaluable and together with the Compadre, should run you about $330 plus tax.

 

[iCandy]

CHUCK....u be nice about Torso's!!! Meanie!!

 

[chukers]

CHUCK....u be nice about Torso's!!! Meanie!!

hey I only said they don't have a display... that is not mean... well the low end ones don't


Chukers

 

[iCandy]

CHUCKKKK.....that's it.....were on!!!! Where are you now?? Its time I teach you the tricks of the trade....LMAO.....bring you're junk bag baby!!!

 

[gleaner1]

Tesoros and torsos will be around for a good long time. I have found almost all that I have ever found with analog machines. Ones without displays. Good ones. Really good ones. And some older classics ones. You know the ones. I like the new digital ones with visual displays, but I just cant find myself looking at the frikin displays. It's all just a bit of madness I guess.

 

[Coin Digger]

I have the Bounty Hunter Platinum and it really sniffs out the coins. It ID's coins spot on, depth read out is dead on, pin pointing takes a little work. The menu is simple to navigate, it's light as a feather and the build quality is excellent. Has auto ground balance which is sweet. I've found clad dimes at 7" many times and thats pretty good in my book and it like nickels. It also has lighting fast target response, just slow your swing down and lower the sensitivity and it's a killer in trash.

 

[iCandy]

Listen to gleaner....& look at his finds!!!this will answer your ?!!! Trust me!!!

 

[Coin Digger]

Tesoro is a fine brand and well made and gets the job done, but they are not keeping up with todays technology. Their flagship Cortés TID machine is using close to 10 years old technolgy. I have an F2, and at one time I also owned the Cortés. The F2 ran circles around it in ever department. Thats $721 Cortés vs $199 F2. One other thing about the Tesoro brand is, almost all of their detectors are beep dig, so you tend to dig a lot of trash. If you think a beep dig machine is what you'd like to try with out to much investment, you can get an older Whites Classic series off Ebay for $150 and sometimes less. Having said that it can be easy to get burned on a used machine. I Know
Let me throw you another curve ball. First Texas Products makes the Fisher, Teknetics and Bounty Hunter brands. They share the same components across the different brands. While doing my research on the Bounty Hunter Platinum ($299) I called First Texas and they confirmed it shared the same electronics with the Teknetics Gamma 6000 ($599)with a few changes to the features. What ever you do don't fall for the hype that you have to spend more on a machine to find more, it's just not true. 99% of your finds will be less than 6" what you want is one that gives good discrimination so your not digging trash.

 

[freddy williams]

Tesoro's are some nice machines you can pick up a delion or a cortes if you don't mind spending around 515. Delion and around 675 for the cortes. Myself I have three tesoro's and a minlab Exterra 705. But you should do what everyone does start out with a low end machine garrett ace 250 to see if you like the hobby or not then you can always sell it and buy you a better machine. A charter member has a 250 on sale in the advertisements.. Check it out. Hey Candy Nice coments we need to stick up for tesoro. HH everyone

 

[iCandy]

@freddy.....right on bud!! I'd never have any other. Man, I want a umax so bad....I can TASTE it!!! & @ "coin digger" you had a tesoro, you'd no longer be "coin digger"....we could call you "coin finder"......!!! Tesoro backs up their quality with a LIFETIME guarantee baby!!!

 

[gleaner1]

Write down all the tectors that sell for 300 bucks on little pieces of paper. Throw the little pieces of paper in a hat. Have someone you love draw out one piece of paper from the hat. Buy that tector. Get going! Soon, there will be nothing left to find no matter what tector you get.

 

[Skoivu]

Just wanted to say thanks for the all responses, it seems like an overwhelming amount of info and choices, but as long as I stick to the basic ones it looks like Ill be ok.

 

[iCandy]

Good idea gleaner! Can't go wrong that way!!

 

[iCandy]

And sk, look at gleaners pictures of his finds...if that doesn't help ya make a decision....don't know what will!!! Good luck bud!!

 

[Coin Digger]

@freddy.....right on bud!! I'd never have any other. Man, I want a umax so bad....I can TASTE it!!! & @ "coin digger" you had a tesoro, you'd no longer be "coin digger"....we could call you "coin finder"......!!! Tesoro backs up their quality with a LIFETIME guarantee baby!!!

That's funny "coin finder" and I had a Tesoro and sold it off for a better machine after my F2 spanked it.