Help Picking a Detector

[AugustMoose87]

So I bought a Titan 1000xd for $50 off Craigslist to give metal detecting a shot. And I must say, I am rather enjoying myself... So with Christmas coming, and me having a pretty good Santa, I'm wanting to figure out a nice detector I can ask for. The Titan has been working pretty well for me, but there are a few things about it I wish we different... For one, the sensitivity and discriminate have preset options (4 each). While that works ok, I am a control freak, and like the idea of having greater control over those settings. Next, it only give 3 "readings" for signals... trash/small gold, gold/pulltabs/nickles and silver/coins. I've read some people posting about only digging signals over 47 or something, so I am guessing that there are machines out there that give a numeric read out of the conductivity of the object. For the moment, I am digging all signals, but I would like to get to a point where I can start to get a better idea of what I might find BEFORE I start digging. Most of my detecting is in the dirt, but there are a few freshwater beaches nearby that it would be nice to be able to go to. I already hit one and seemed to have issues with what I think is the ground balance near the water (good amount of black sand). I don't know if that is something that having great control over the sensitivity would address, or if I need/want ground balance control as well.

I've tried doing research on here and on the web, but I'm feeling overwhelmed by all the options...

So to summarize...
Dirt/fresh water beaches (maybe some nugget shooting if possible, but not a requirement)
Great sensitivity/discriminate/ground balance control
More detailed readout of signals
And looking for something in the $300 range... and used is fine by me

 

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[cudamark]

In that price range, I'd try to find a good used Whites Eagle 2 SL, XLT, or Spectrum.

 

[RustyGold]

I also recommend the AT Pro from bigboyhobbies.com

 

[Turbo21]

So I bought a Titan 1000xd for $50 off Craigslist to give metal detecting a shot. And I must say, I am rather enjoying myself... So with Christmas coming, and me having a pretty good Santa, I'm wanting to figure out a nice detector I can ask for. The Titan has been working pretty well for me, but there are a few things about it I wish we different... For one, the sensitivity and discriminate have preset options (4 each). While that works ok, I am a control freak, and like the idea of having greater control over those settings. Next, it only give 3 "readings" for signals... trash/small gold, gold/pulltabs/nickles and silver/coins. I've read some people posting about only digging signals over 47 or something, so I am guessing that there are machines out there that give a numeric read out of the conductivity of the object. For the moment, I am digging all signals, but I would like to get to a point where I can start to get a better idea of what I might find BEFORE I start digging. Most of my detecting is in the dirt, but there are a few freshwater beaches nearby that it would be nice to be able to go to. I already hit one and seemed to have issues with what I think is the ground balance near the water (good amount of black sand). I don't know if that is something that having great control over the sensitivity would address, or if I need/want ground balance control as well. I've tried doing research on here and on the web, but I'm feeling overwhelmed by all the options... So to summarize... Dirt/fresh water beaches (maybe some nugget shooting if possible, but not a requirement) Great sensitivity/discriminate/ground balance control More detailed readout of signals And looking for something in the $300 range... and used is fine by me

Check out the eurotek pro by teknetics. It is around $220and you can get a larger coil with it for around $300. You are kinda limited due to your budget. This is the machine I use and it competes with models twice the price

Like the others said call bart at bigboyhobbies.com. And he will get you setup

Here is the link to the machine

http://www.bigboyshobbies.net/teknetics-eurotek-pro-metal-detector

 

[rainyday101]

It sounds like you want a digital display. Used Whites M6 would be my choice.

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

All the machines are great machines mentioned, and you could go on for days with the "If you spend just a little more" comments, because it is the truth.

But if you are dead set on your budget. I would think an ACE 250 for 200 bucks (Maybe cheaper used) and a Pinpointer, as you will want one of those too. That would be a good route. The ACE is a beginner machine, but it will hold its own for the price.

Before I upgraded, My ACE paid it self off 10x over

best of luck!

 

[Rawhide]

With that budget Bounty Hunter makes some three tone beep and dig machines. You get ok depth and never had a issue with mine anywhere. With the cash you save you could buy a garret pinponter, bag, and lesche also.

 

[barr75a]

Can't speak for any other machines, but I bought the teknetics delta4000 and the Minelab pro find pinpointer. Both super easy to use, as this was my first equipment.

 

[George (MN)]

Some dealers are selling the new Bounty Hunter Land Ranger PRO for only around $300 despite $449 MSRP. This is way better & not at all like the old Land Ranger. It has large numerical ID, notches with notch width adjustment, ground grab ground balance, very lightweight. Has many different choices for changing tones & what is discriminated out. The ID should be pretty precise, especially if you check the ground balance fairly often. The coil is 11" DD. Detector is very light. Coins program gives loud, solid, 100% repeatable beep in air test on dime out to 9.5" which is half an inch better than the Eurotek Pro. Plus it adds ground grab ground balance, tone options & precise notches that the Eurotek Pro does not have, making this the new best value for around $300, IMO.

I can run the sensitivity at max no problem, very quiet. The Eurotek Pro was designed for areas with extreme iron to ID iron well & settings to determine how/if you hear iron. Also, there is a better coil selection available for that model & the coils are interchangeable With most other Teknetics models. But I think for now the Bounty Hunter Land Ranger PRO might be overall best in price range. It uses a push on coil, another size may be made available, or possibly an adapter that makes most Teknetics coils usable. Not sure yet. But I was surprised on another forum how many already bought this detector.

If a person already has an Eurotek Pro & doesn't mind the lack of notches & fixed (internal) ground balance, it is still better than many. But I think hills/mountains = rocks = mineralization & the ground grab on the Land Ranger PRO might make it preferable. But the Eurotek Pro still does pretty good at IDing my 5" deep dimes I buried in the yard a few years back. Yard mineralization about average.

I also have a Garrett AT Pro. With my in the house air test, I had to turn down the sensitivity from 8 to 7. Coins program 10" on dime, with same loud, solid, 100% tone in STD mode. PRO mode can do special tricks, like detect coin under rusty nail if iron is only partially rejected. PRO mode sounds weaker on deeper coins. Expect a used 1 to be over $400 & a new 1 under $600. My AT Pro correctly IDed a 7" deep dime which impressed me for the moderately mineralized ground that was very dry & hard. There are many optional coils. It has a manual ground balance.

I just got the Bounty Hunter Land Ranger PRO & still need to go somewhere for an in the field report. Best wishes, George (MN)

 

[mikeraydj]

If you are a control freak. The Fisher F5 might be what you are looking for.



You can get them used for about $350.

 

[Ace 250]

All of what you guys are say is true for the dectores but in my opuoin i would get the ace 250 for 212$ at Kelly.co .com and it graet at finding rings and coins it got grate sentived it not the best for nugget shooting but will work another one is the ace 350 or wites coinmaster seirs i have treid them this weekand went i frogot my detctor and had to use a coinmaster i found my frist gold ring with 12gems those are my suggest but i would go with the acemodle it super easy to use and if you want for sure nugget finding detcor i would get the ace 350 best one for the prices

 

[Garrett424]

I agree with barr75a's above post and highly recommend the Teknetics Delta 4000.

They cost 280 bucks new and they hit really deep.
I've been finding some great stuff with mine and I've only had it for a little over two weeks. It's a fantastic machine for the money. It's VERY simple to operate, has a great pinpointing feature, runs on just one 9V battery that lasts about 20 hours and weighs a whopping 2.2 pounds. You can swing it for a week and never get tired.

The Teknetics Eurotek Pro is also supposed to be really nice. It's close to the Delta 4000 performance wise. Which one is "better" depends on how you intend to hunt with it.

I hate to say it but I would avoid the lower end Bounty Hunters. They're great little machines for what they're designed to do but you'll never get the depth you'll want after doing this a while.
I own 3 BH machines that I learned to use very well and speak from experience. I believe the BH Platinum is pretty nice (never used one but heard very good things) but I strongly advise you to stay away from the lower ones.

Don't get me wrong, I found lots of great stuff with my BH's but only a few really deep targets. As much as I love 'em and enjoyed using them and learning on them, I just can't recommend them knowing what I know now. You'll only end up frustrated in a matter of weeks or months and want to upgrade if you become serious about this hobby. This is exactly why I got the Delta. I knew I was missing stuff and I've gone back and verified that fact in spots I thought I had "cleaned out" with my BH machines. Boy was I surprised at what I've been missing.

A member here once told me "better machines find more treasure". He was SO right. So, I highly recommend choosing wisely so you don't feel like you need an upgrade in a month like I did. It's not a good feeling. I'm on my 4th machine since June but I'm sticking with the Delta for a while. It's finding treasure consistently so far with far less work than my lower end units. I'm also saving lotsa' money in batteries.

You can go to this site and do side by side comparisons of many detectors as well as read lots of USER reviews:

Teknetics EuroTek Pro vs Teknetics Delta 4000

The site is called: metaldetectorreviews.net

I just pulled up a page from my history when I posted the link 'cause I couldn't remember the name offhand.

Note the depth when you compare because it makes a huge difference on what you'll find and what you'll swing right over and miss. Also check out price (*of course) ease of use, durability, weight, etc. It's all there in the charts and I found it very helpful when I was choosing an upgrade. The reviews really sold me on the Delta given what I had to spend (which wasn't much). It's already more than paid for itself in just under two weeks. Keep in mind, there IS luck involved to one degree or another. You have to swing over that great find in order to dig it up.

Oh, and don't rule out Craigslist or Ebay. You can get some great deals on some lightly used equipment. I got all of mine from CL and I'm very satisfied so far.The Delta is the first one I paid over 100 bucks for. Many people buy machines and realize they either don't wanna' do the work or find they just don't like the hobby. Then, people like us come along and get great deals on great equipment.

Whatever you get, I hope you get the best machine for your particular style of hunting. I know it's VERY overwhelming when you're starting out but you'll get there. You may end up going through several machines before you settle on one that feels right for you (which is another reason I recommend CL & Ebay).

Just my two cents but before buying, I strongly recommend that you read the reviews, take your time and see what you really want for your type of hunting. Also keep in mind that everyone has their personal favorites so you'll get lots of opinions once you've asked the question (which obviously, you have).

Good luck with whatever you ultimately choose. If I can be of any help, PM me any time.

 

[Garrett424]

All of what you guys are say is true for the dectores but in my opuoin i would get the ace 250 for 212$ at Kelly.co .com and it graet at finding rings and coins it got grate sentived it not the best for nugget shooting but will work another one is the ace 350 or wites coinmaster seirs i have treid them this weekand went i frogot my detctor and had to use a coinmaster i found my frist gold ring with 12gems those are my suggest but i would go with the acemodle it super easy to use and if you want for sure nugget finding detcor i would get the ace 350 best one for the prices

I looked at the Ace 250 for a while but I just wasn't impressed with the depth. For the same money I got a machine that hits 3" deeper. That's HUGE. But, that's what I personally was looking for for my style of hunting. I specifically wanted and needed more depth.

Ultimately, it's all about personal preference in the end. We all know that there are lots of great shallower targets out there. I've dug a few thousand of them myself.

I just REALLY hate that gut feeling of knowing that I'm swinging over targets that my machine cannot see. I also read too many reviews on the Ace that turned me off. Many people claim that they find the sounds of the Ace extremely annoying after using it a while.

Then again, the guy I bought my Delta from opted for the 250 and that's why I got a great deal on mine. He really likes his Ace so who knows?? It's all about what "feels" right for each individual in the end. Those "annoying" Ace 250 tones are probably music to the ears of others.

 

[Rawhide]

I hear this question a lot. I did my research and got a good deal. You want to match your detector up to your hunts. You want to look at options, things like ground balance, weight, battery consumption, coil choices and the such. I used kellyco to do research as they have a compare option buried at the bottom of the page. I downloaded manuals to different machines and looks at the finds on here. Now I wouldnt look at finds on tnet. Some are just too good to be true. If you have a club you can join and hunt with them you will get a feeling for a detector. Hobby lobby has a coupon you cn download offline and get a entry level bounty hunter for under a $100.00 bucks. These are usually 3 tone beep and dig machines. They may have a few buttons that you can adjust. But you will dig a lot of unwanted items without a more discriminating machine. There is also things you can use to help your hunt to find your targets and get it out of the ground faster. I love this pas time.

 

[Normsel]

Once you learn a detector you will go more by sound than what a VDI says. The displays are nice and great for looking at to verify what you heard but listening to your detector will tell you as much.

As far as a good detector with ground balance VdI visuals and more than one setting to discriminate out most trash I would spend $600 and go with a Garrett AT Pro or an equivalent. It is good in up to 10' of water. For the money you cannot buy a better one. A really great resource is Bart at Big Boys Hobbies, give him a call. He has a website and also advertises on Tnet. He is a straight shooter and will steer you to a great detector in any budget.

 

[KC-Brad]

If you can not hit that AT Pro range as some others have been posting. For Colorado soil, you will still need ground balance. For new detectors, the first 3 detectors to look at would be the White's Coinmaster GT ($350), Minelab X-terra 305 ($399), or the Fishter F4 ($399). If you can find a nice used machine as said in the second post, those are terrific as well, just not in production anymore, but at least get a ground balance machine because new machines in the $300 range will mainly not come with ground balance.

 

[Garrett424]

If you can not hit that AT Pro range as some others have been posting. For Colorado soil, you will still need ground balance. For new detectors, the first 3 detectors to look at would be the White's Coinmaster GT ($350), Minelab X-terra 305 ($399), or the Fishter F4 ($399). If you can find a nice used machine as said in the second post, those are terrific as well, just not in production anymore, but at least get a ground balance machine because new machines in the $300 range will mainly not come with ground balance.

I agree with this post. I especially agree with the Fisher F4 recommendation. I almost bought one myself recently.
I've heard many really good things about it.

In my first recommendation I didn't take the ground balance into consideration. The Tek Delta 4000 is preset and has auto tune in the all metal mode. Iow, no manual ground balance. If that's something you must have I would either get a higher end Tek that has it or go with the Fisher F4.

The Tek Gamma 6000 would be good but would probably break your budget if you're stuck in the price range. I've heard it's a great machine but never used one.

Btw, your Titan is basically a Bounty Hunter Discovery 1100 with a different face plate. The guts are identical. They make several models for different vendors with custom face plates. They make them for Radio Shack Cabellas and others. Your price of 50 bucks is about right for a used model. I see them on CL now and again in that price range so you did get a good deal on it. It WILL find treasure, just not deep targets. It should also pay for itself in no time.

Good luck in your choice.
Are you even more confused now than before you asked??

 

[Rawhide]

Remember just starting out, you dont have to throw a lot of money at the hobby. If your inclined, get a dual purpose machine to open more hunts for you. Gold Bug II, or the T2 will give you great sensitivity or depth depending on which one you prefer. I always wanted to try a ctx 3030 or a ATX. Just gotta have goals.

 

[KC-Brad]

If you wanted to stick with Bounty Hunter, I did forget the new line-up they have. The Land Ranger Pro has been getting nice feedback from the Bounty Hunter community. That is, in my opinion, the nicest Bounty Hunter on the production shelf that I have tried. The new design makes it look similar to Teknetics designs, which is a good thing, plus...it has ground balance. No difference in price from the other machines at $404, but it is definitely another machine to keep into consideration, and very nice if you were not looking to steer away from the Bounty Hunter brand themselves.

 

[Garrett424]

Some dealers are selling the new Bounty Hunter Land Ranger PRO for only around $300 despite $449 MSRP. This is way better & not at all like the old Land Ranger. It has large numerical ID, notches with notch width adjustment, ground grab ground balance, very lightweight. Has many different choices for changing tones & what is discriminated out. The ID should be pretty precise, especially if you check the ground balance fairly often. The coil is 11" DD. Detector is very light. Coins program gives loud, solid, 100% repeatable beep in air test on dime out to 9.5" which is half an inch better than the Eurotek Pro. Plus it adds ground grab ground balance, tone options & precise notches that the Eurotek Pro does not have, making this the new best value for around $300, IMO.

I can run the sensitivity at max no problem, very quiet. The Eurotek Pro was designed for areas with extreme iron to ID iron well & settings to determine how/if you hear iron. Also, there is a better coil selection available for that model & the coils are interchangeable With most other Teknetics models. But I think for now the Bounty Hunter Land Ranger PRO might be overall best in price range. It uses a push on coil, another size may be made available, or possibly an adapter that makes most Teknetics coils usable. Not sure yet. But I was surprised on another forum how many already bought this detector.

If a person already has an Eurotek Pro & doesn't mind the lack of notches & fixed (internal) ground balance, it is still better than many. But I think hills/mountains = rocks = mineralization & the ground grab on the Land Ranger PRO might make it preferable. But the Eurotek Pro still does pretty good at IDing my 5" deep dimes I buried in the yard a few years back. Yard mineralization about average.

I also have a Garrett AT Pro. With my in the house air test, I had to turn down the sensitivity from 8 to 7. Coins program 10" on dime, with same loud, solid, 100% tone in STD mode. PRO mode can do special tricks, like detect coin under rusty nail if iron is only partially rejected. PRO mode sounds weaker on deeper coins. Expect a used 1 to be over $400 & a new 1 under $600. My AT Pro correctly IDed a 7" deep dime which impressed me for the moderately mineralized ground that was very dry & hard. There are many optional coils. It has a manual ground balance.

I just got the Bounty Hunter Land Ranger PRO & still need to go somewhere for an in the field report. Best wishes, George (MN)

You're right. You can get the BH land Ranger Pro for 264.00 online. Amazon has some used models for 249.00. I believe it may be based on the Eurotek Pro platform with some tweaks. It looks like a Fisher/Teknetics hybrid. Sounds like a really decent machine for the money.
They're all made by First Texas and they seem to use the same platforms for the different brands. They just tweak the different models here and there. That's a good thing IMO.

I'm really happy that Bounty Hunter is making some better, deeper hitting machines these days given the fact that they're been the brunt of many a joke, known as "toys", etc.

The old "muffler on a stick" models may lack the depth of higher end detectors but they're still work horses and have still found lots of great treasures. My old, 25.00 Radio Shack Land Star clone is one bad ass, versatile little machine that does exactly what it was designed to do very well. Despite my upgrade it's definitely still a keeper. I have no intention of parting with it.