Cutting to the Chase what's the top Metal Detector in the World-Money no object

Deathgiggle

Newbie
Aug 20, 2016
3
21
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Wife turns to me and says she wants to get a metal detector and check out our property here in rural Louisiana. Used to be an old train depot here in the 1880's and there are 3 old homesteads on our property from the 1800's as well. My wife also knows a lot of these old country folk and won't have trouble getting permission to search other possible areas and old home sites.

She has worked extremely hard over the years to put herself through college and med school while holding down a full time job. After that she spent the last 2 years working 12-20 hour shifts, all nights and weekends and wore out many pairs of shoes along the way. Now that she has established herself she has a better rotation of 4 days on and 6 days off, we can start enjoying life.

In all the 12 years we been together my wife never asked me for hardly anything. She wanted a car that ran to get her to school and work, a new pair of shoes every 3 months and food cooked when she got home. She never asked me for anything for Christmas, birthdays, etc. Now she out of the blue says she wants a metal detector and asked me to do some research and order her one.

I Googled around for top metal detector but as you can imagine every company would like to think they are the best. I come to you because I know that many of you have put in years of real world testing, research and for some of you it is your main hobby and you take it seriously.
I'm not looking for a beginner machine or something easy to learn. My wife is super smart, she can name off every bone and muscle in the body. She can pronounce medical words I can't even spell, lol. I'm pretty sure no matter the difficulty, if she puts her mind to it, she will learn to use it.

I just want to know what you would purchase today if money were no object. Let me identify the possible places she would be using it as well.
Mainly she will use it on old homesteads and rural Louisiana land. She may want to take it down south to the beach or to Florida when we go, but she won't be putting it in the water. Our beach trips are just a couple times a year so not a big priority. We probably won't ever go out west and hunt nuggets or anything like that. She has more of a historical interest than anything else.
I fully intend by the end of next week to order her the best machine I can find. I am just still shocked she asked for something and I'm determined to put the best in her hands. She never said no to me when I wanted a boat or an ATV, etc. I will never deny her anything in this life if it's within my power. I love her more than anything on earth an if she wants to detect something I'll be her chauffeur and personal digger, lol.
 

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masterjedi

Bronze Member
May 24, 2014
1,757
1,349
Oregon
Detector(s) used
Minelab's CTX 3030, E-Trac & EQ800, Fisher F75LTD SE & F44, Whites MXT All PRO, Whites TRX Pointer & Shovel, Predator Tools Raptor hand digger & Ranger shovel. Grey Ghost Ultimate headphones.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Its like fishing poles. You cant have just one for every size of fish. Detectors are the same. Depends on what your looking for, ground conditions, etc. etc. Oh ya and all of the different coils you will need when you finally pick one... I mean 3 or 4...
Saltwater
Fresh water
Gold
Relics
Hi trash
Iron infested
Sports fields
The woods
Tot lots

Good luck :) I have 4 I currently use based on all of these things.
 

Deft Tones

Bronze Member
Mar 24, 2016
1,547
2,352
Hawkeye State - Area 515
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i, XP Deus, Minelab Sovereign GT, Garrett AT Pro, Whites TRX (2), Predator Raven, Predator Raptor, Lesche Sampson
Primary Interest:
Other
It always comes down to experience first. Site second. Equipment third.

Your experience plays the crucial role. Experience detecting, experience with a particular machine.

Some machines are easier to learn and operate with no experience. Some sites it doesn't matter what detector you use these days. Other sites require certain types of machines with specific features. Some machines are capable of growing with your needs. Some are not.

The best one to me is most definitely the one I speak the language of most fluently.

Good luck figuring out your needs.
 

sjvalleyhunter

Silver Member
May 5, 2014
3,716
2,172
Central California
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-Trac and Whites MXT
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I 100% agree with the above posts and there really is no one best overall detector, otherwise everyone would have it and other companies would go out of business. I have multiple detectors that I use based on where I'm going, what I'm hunting, etc, just as others have said they do.

But you didn't come here to hear that so I'll answer your question with my opinion. If she can get past the learning curve, a Minelab CTX 3030 is a good machine that should suit her needs. There you go.
 

Loco-Digger

Gold Member
Jun 16, 2014
11,825
17,742
Northern O-H-I-O
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
F75 LTD, 1280X Aquanaut, & a Patriot (back-up/loaner)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I agree with all the previous posts. There are currently 4 detectors in my arsenal, not to mention probes and pin pointers. Most of my friends swing the CTX 3030 or the XP Deus. If you go for the CTX 3030, she can use a harness when she plans on detecting for an extended period. The Deus is ultra light and very versatile. It can be run in 4 separate frequencies.

I have yet to swing a minelab, but am looking for one to add to my collection.

One is for general detecting and has 4 different coils, it's the F75 LTD SE, The Deus is used for cleaning up previously pounded permissions (for now) and is a great relic detector (I am still learning to use it). I also have a water detector and a gold detector. Being that I live in Ohio, the gold detector has very little use. I do plan on going to the southern part of the state and using it in rivers and streams.
 

BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,307
16,929
Mountain Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I will add the AT Pro is a solid machine, it would server her well....
But more importantly, I nominate you for husband of the year.
You speak so highly of your wife, and your dedication to each other, is both inspiring and refreshing.
Good luck with the detector search, and when you pull the trigger, please consider using one of Tnets vendors, you will be treated well.
 

laidback4sho

Hero Member
Aug 31, 2014
623
897
Laconia, NH
Detector(s) used
Currently:
XP Deus v4.1
Minelab Equinox 800
Fisher Gold Bug 2

Previously:
Garrett GTA 500
Garrett Ultra GTA 1000
Garrett GTAx 1250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
XP Deus or a Minelab. Personally, because of the ultra light weight, I'd get her a Deus. Plus, v4.0 will be out soon and will add more functionality to an already great machine. Minelabs are awesome machines, but they're heavy.
 

CoilToTheSoil

Hero Member
Mar 14, 2015
700
914
Detector(s) used
XP Deus
Minelab Sovereign xs2a Pro
Minelab Sovereign GT
Minelab X-Terra 705
Minelab Explorer SE
Minelab e-trac
Tesoro compadre
Whites v3i
AT Pro
Teknetics Gamma 6000
Bounty Hunter Camo LS
Bounty Hunt
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Xp deus or ctx
 

foiler

Sr. Member
Mar 17, 2013
395
389
Kansas
Detector(s) used
Fisher, Wilson-Neuman, Whites, Minelab, Tesoro and others I've long since forgotten
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I would go for the Minelab X-Terra 705. It's a versatile machine that will handle varied terrain your going to use it in including salt water beaches. While all the machines mentioned here are very good the learning curve is steep on some while the X-Terra is easy to use. Check it out.
 

jharhed

Hero Member
Jan 5, 2008
780
133
Marrero LA
Detector(s) used
DFX, MX5, M6, Garrett Pro Pointer AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have no idea what machine you should purchase for her, outstanding story, good luck whatever way you go!
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,408
30,017
White Plains, New York
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1
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1
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
For Your Needs, Minelab CTX 3030.

Now the deepest, most sensitive detector on the market today is the Minelab GPZ 7000.

There is no "best" machine for all uses. :skullflag:
 

ColonelDan

Hero Member
Jan 19, 2014
997
2,159
Central Florida
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1
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1
Detector(s) used
Deus II
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
For Your Needs, Minelab CTX 3030.

Now the deepest, most sensitive detector on the market today is the Minelab GPZ 7000.

There is no "best" machine for all uses. :skullflag:

Terry has hit the 10 ring. For your stated needs and environment, the CTX 3030 would be my choice. I also might add the XP Deus as a consideration based on your wife's personal preference. If possible, let her read up on and try both before making a final decision.
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,171
14,457
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
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3
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XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
CTX3030 would be my choice as the best all around machine at the present time. I'd recommend she go try one in person to see if the weight is something she can handle. If it feels heavy, try a sling before eliminating it from the list. If she simply can't handle the weight, The Deus is a good quality, light weight (and wireless) choice. It isn't waterproof however, unless you get the hokey looking waterproof kit which cancels out the wireless feature. It also isn't too great in a wet salt water beach application. As mentioned, there are specialized machines for particular types of detecting, but, from what you spelled out, it looks like the CTX would fit your use perfectly. Another good relic machine is the Fisher F75 LTD. There again, not waterproof or a good beach machine, but killer on relics, coins, and jewelry.
 

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Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
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Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
haha, you are given oodles of options, since this is a "chevy" versus "ford" question. And some great options are listed. But gauranteed, if someone here who-routinely brings in seated coins were to offer up his suggestion (hey, hard to argue with seated coins, RIGHT?) you can get THE EXACT SAME MACHINE and find absolutely nothing. But if the person who's advise you took came to the exact same property, he can maybe find seated coins.

Because some of the machine's listed as "best" ONLY ARE SO in the hands of users who spent a year learning their nuances of sounds. Like the CTX (or explorer II, etc...) are GREAT machines. Yet I can gaurantee you, that if you just grabbed one and headed out, that the tooty-fluty sounds, and complicated instructions, would have you pulling your hair out. You almost have to have someone with you (who's a proficient user, not just a sand-box hunter) showing you side by side signal-instruction for many days. The printed instructions, on machines which are so sound specific, become useless. Because there's no way for "print" instructions to convey "sound".
 

adamBomb

Hero Member
May 30, 2014
645
551
Wilmington NC
Detector(s) used
Nox 700;
Past: Nox 600; CTX; CZ21; Excal II; White's DF;
920i Stealth Scoop
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
As everyone else said...the CTX. It will work really well on land and at the beach. It does everything really well. BUT...

There are two things I would consider before going CTX...

Learning curve. It's a complicated machine so in addition to being new to metal detecting she is going to really need to learn to use the machine. She seems like a very smart lady so I am sure this won't be a problem if she can spend a few hours reading the manual + a few books on it. But as a beginner its definitely going to have a learning curve...so be prepared. I would recommend Andy's book as its really helped me a lot. I was able to go out detect, go back to the book and reflect on what I did to make changes. The hardest part for her is that she is new to detecting and the CTX is like the most complicated detector out there. Once she learns how to use the machine it will be more like a turn on an go detector.

Weight. While I don't think its heavy because I came from heavier machines it is heavier than others because its waterproof to 10 ft. Weight could be a reason she goes to the Dues instead.

Good luck. Metal detecting is a lot of fun.
 

cudamark

Gold Member
Top Banner Poster
Mar 16, 2011
13,171
14,457
San Diego
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus 2, Equinox 800/900, Fisher Impulse AQ, E-Trac, 3 Excal 1000's, White's TM808, VibraProbe, 15" NEL Attack, Mi6, Steath 920ix and 720i scoops, TRX, etc....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
haha, you are given oodles of options, since this is a "chevy" versus "ford" question. And some great options are listed. But gauranteed, if someone here who-routinely brings in seated coins were to offer up his suggestion (hey, hard to argue with seated coins, RIGHT?) you can get THE EXACT SAME MACHINE and find absolutely nothing. But if the person who's advise you took came to the exact same property, he can maybe find seated coins.

Because some of the machine's listed as "best" ONLY ARE SO in the hands of users who spent a year learning their nuances of sounds. Like the CTX (or explorer II, etc...) are GREAT machines. Yet I can gaurantee you, that if you just grabbed one and headed out, that the tooty-fluty sounds, and complicated instructions, would have you pulling your hair out. You almost have to have someone with you (who's a proficient user, not just a sand-box hunter) showing you side by side signal-instruction for many days. The printed instructions, on machines which are so sound specific, become useless. Because there's no way for "print" instructions to convey "sound".
That's one of the nice features of the CTX. You don't have to hunt in multitone if you don't want to. It has a 4 tone or 2 tone option too. As for location, and what your may find, that will apply to whichever machine she chooses. Research is the key there. Learning the machine would apply to any choice also. Naturally, some are easier to learn than others (as some machines are more versatile than others), but, once you get a couple hundred hours in on a machine, it will feel like an extension of your body, and hence a moot point. The CTX has the technology and the options to cover just about any situation you would encounter.
 

beerguy

Bronze Member
May 6, 2004
1,138
1,174
Camano Island, WA
Detector(s) used
CTX3030,
Many more on a rotating basis.
Park Ranger and Pack Mule pouches by Freeloader!
I will agree that the CTX is an excellent choice.

I also want to add that she sounds like a gem, and you should keep her. She deserves what ever unit she wants. :headbang:
 

DeepseekerADS

Gold Member
Mar 3, 2013
14,880
21,725
SW, VA - Bull Mountain
Detector(s) used
CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
Primary Interest:
Other
I'm a Minelab guy, love the CTX - it's everything I wanted in a machine. If she chooses that, just swing it from the stock menu, and listen to the sounds. We can post a chart of the FE-CO numbers for her to reference. She'll be on the verge of understanding the language at about the 50th hour of use. Be sure to get Andy's book, and study that in off times. The machine is so overwhelming, yes it'll frustrate her at first. Just keep it simple and read & swing it - it will come.

And on the other hand, one of my hunting partners is an 84 year old man - bought his first detector in '71, and heads West next week to hunt meteorites out West. He's been doing that for 40 years.

He swings a Deus and does very well.

He challenged me to a competition where the winner gets a 6 pack of Coors.

I told him I couldn't afford to buy him a 6 pack every time we went hunting!
 

DeepseekerADS

Gold Member
Mar 3, 2013
14,880
21,725
SW, VA - Bull Mountain
Detector(s) used
CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
Primary Interest:
Other
Something to consider as an option.

Every year Andy Sabisch hosts boot camps for several detector manufacturers. I think he's done for the year but you might wish to keep watch on his website. He hosts both Deus & CTX camps, in addition to writing books about each.

treasure hunting outfitters - Home

His books are great.
 

Liu21

Hero Member
Dec 14, 2014
829
608
Brooklyn, NY
Detector(s) used
AT Pro/BH Platinum, (Garret Pro-Pointer)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
You guys are offering her a tank, when she should be driving a technical. Lol. My advise get her a easy to learn mid level detector. As she advances in skills over the year, then buy her a 3030 or deus or what ever high end detector people here offer up.....
 

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