Metal Detector for Gold

[cuzimloony]

So, I just moved to AZ from the east coast. Where I lived on the east coast I hunted for coins and artifacts mostly. A Garrett AT Pro is what I used and it was just fine. Now I live in AZ and want a machine specifically for gold. I was informed over the weekend that the AT Pro was "good" for finding gold, but probably not the best choice. So....I am hunting for advice and suggestions as to what I should get for looking for gold, specifically. I looked at the Garrett AT Gold since I'm already familiar with the Garrett AT Pro, figuring they would all be somewhat similar, but I'm sure people may have other suggestions. One gentleman recommended the Gold Monster 1000 and said he had great luck with it. What do you guys/gals use and what would you suggest?

 

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[gunsil]

Gold Monster or Fisher Gold Bug II will run circles around an AT Gold. Of course the best gold machine is the Minelab GPZ 7000 but it costs a fortune. The Monster and the Bug give great results at a decent price.

 

[jmc24]

Welcome to the SW USA.

Sure, the AT Pro will find gold nuggets (which is what I think you are asking about) if they are a gram or bigger in most places in AZ. The problem is that you will also find lots of highly mineralized dirt and plenty of hot and cold rocks in the AZ gold fields too which can make your AT Pro or the AT Gold have a hard time ground balancing and any gold smaller than a gram or so is going to be masked by the mineralization unless it is really close to the surface.

The Minelab Gold Monster 1000 and the Minelab Equinox 800 are both outstanding gold prospecting detectors that can easily handle the mineralization and hot rocks in most places in AZ. So can the Fisher Gold Bug II, the newer Whites GM 24K/GMX and the Nokta Makro Gold Kruzer. The XP ORX with a high frequency white coil is a good choice too. Expect to spend $500 or more even for a used one in good condition.

At the moment, Garrett does not make what I would call a VLF gold prospecting specific detector. Why they still call the AT Gold a gold specific detector is a mystery to me. Its operating frequency is just too low in my opinion and its recovery speed and target separation are too slow. I really like the AT Gold for relic and coin hunting however. The entire AT series are excellent detectors, just not for smaller gold in high mineralization.

Whatever you decide to buy, try to get a smaller DD coil in the 6" diameter range. The small DD coils will separate targets better and won't have as much of a "footprint" so they won't see as much of the mineralization.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Gold Monster 1000 is THE way to go!

 

[bc5391]

GM100, XP ORX, minelab equinox 800, makro gold kruzer, then step up to a PI machine