Best detector for a novice?

[bobbyrohr88]

Hey guys, this is my very first (of what I hope to be many) posts here.... I've been interested in metal detecting for a couple years now, and I'm finally ready to jump in and give it a shot. I live in western Kansas with many abandoned farmsteads and even more stories about great-great grandpa's keeping their money hidden in jars in the pasture or under an old tree or next to a certain fencepost... I'm confident these the majority treasures have been forgotten and their locations taken to the grave. That's where I'd like to intervene.

My question is:
Considering my locale and the fact I'll primarily be searching for silver amidst a sea of nuts and bolts and other pieces and parts farmers would just toss in the weeds, what would be a good detector for a beginner? Accuracy and 'user-friendliness' are some key features I'd like, but as with anything, that's always a trade off with the cost.



Also any tips and/or tricks for a novice searching old homesteads would be greatly appreciated! I've watched quite a few Youtube videos of guys doing just this, so I've kind of picked up on checking around old outhouses, along walkways, and around the inside of foundations. Any other adivice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in advance!
Bobby

 

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[Higgy]

Welcome to Tnet!

Hands down - get the Tesoro Compadre. Cheap and good. Learn it, and the craft of detecting, and with your finds you will be able to finance a more sophisticated detector. I'll always recommend a Tesoro as a first detector, because your experience will really develop rapidly when you are going with sounds alone. You will get a whole bunch of other answers after mine, but I can assure you that the less you need to study about your detector, the easier it will be to use, and the easier it is to use, the more you will find. The more you find, the more you learn. The more you learn about detecting, the better you get. See?

And whatever you do, do not listen to anything that BigWaveDave fella says. He'll try to get you to buy a friggin Garrett.

 

[BigWaveDave]

Cant go wrong with the Garrett Ace 350.... I started with it, and loved that machine...

 

[Higgy]

Cant go wrong with the Garrett Ace 350.... I started with it, and loved that machine...

Oh, hi Dave. Didn't see you there...

 

[Fletch88]

While I do own and use several Tesoros, if you want a VDI screen and multiple tones the Whites MX-5 is a great machine that you can find used with plenty of warranty for around $400-$450

 

[OWK]

You happen to be entering the hobby at a good time for detector technology value.

Many of the top manufacturers are launching new products at a fast pace, and these new products are driving the trade in (or used sales) of very capable machines. The price of very good technology has come down considerably, even in the last six months.

Not sure what you're willing to spend, but in terms of capability, it's hard to go wrong with any of the top manufacturers. But in terms of value for your dollar, I would buy a used Fisher F70, or F75.... or a used Garrett AT Pro.... or maybe Minelab Explorer SE Pro.

Each of these detectors has a wide range of coils available. And if you're concerned about picking targets out of iron-infested areas, the ability to buy a smaller coil will be important to you once you've learned your machine.

 

[Terry Soloman]

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