Finding only junk

[Curiousgirl0210]

So my husband and I just moved into a new home. It was built in the mid 60's. We briefing scanned approximately 1/4 acre. We have garrett gti2500 and garrett 250. These have the standard coils that came with them in 2007. We found nails, bottle caps and foil. (1) single modern penny. I know I am being impatient but I don't think we have ever came up with so little. Is there better coils or detectors that I should look into? Not to bash garrett but it seems that people either hate them or love them. Back in the day 1989 I had a whites di-pro 6000 i think it was. Should I have kept it?

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

Having hunted a lot of yards in my 35+ yrs., I can tell you that there's a wide-variety of results, depending on the yard/property. One postage stamp yard might have 100 coins in it! While the next door neighbor, of exact same yard-size proportions, has 3 coins in it. Both are virgin and un-disturbed. Reasons vary from things like kids in the home/yard during the 1960s (while the neighboring home perhaps had a single spinster w/no kids and never anyone playing in the yard).

So it may have nothing at all to do with the machine. You mention "nails", which tells me that if you were hunting in a coin/jewelry mindset (typical of yard hunting), and were still digging "nails", that you are not even to square one yet, with minimal ability to pass nails? (or simply prefer to hunt in all metal and dig nails?) Sure I might "dig nails" is I started getting 1800's stuff, and worried that nails might mask things (and if it was my property and had the liberty to "strip mine" it), but seeing as how your place dates to the 1960s (not that old) and you are digging nails, ....... me thinks the issue is strategy and settings, not the machine.

The 6000 Di pro. is superior, in my opinion, to either of those Garretts. But of course, that's a chevy-ford debate. Suffice it to say, that Whites which came out in the early '90s is very versatile and good coin-hunter, for it's day, and still to this day.

 

[CousinEddie]

I agree with the above statement when it comes to yards. I think Garrett make good machines and that 250 and 2500 you have finds old coins and great stuff everyday...just read some of the threads in the Garrett section. Also, you only "briefly" scanned your yard, a more thorough search may reveal better items. I live on an old farm, (built in 1910), and did a quick scan when I got my first detector, (White's Coinmaster pro), and came up with nothing but junk. I swore there wasn't ANYTHING on this property. After a week or two I went back and did a more complete scan and started finding WW2 items, a silver ring, and old coins, in one section of the property that I hadn't spent any time working. Then I started finding old silver spoons. There isn't alot in the ground on my property, but there is stuff down there. I am surprised at how many times I find something in an area that I tought I hunted out completely and then with one slighty turn of the coil...something new is found. It also has to do with me using the machine more and becoming in tune with it. I've been md'ing for only a few months but I've definitely noticed that the more I use my machine, now using an ACE 350, and learn it's tones I am finding more and better stuff quicker. I started with a White's Coinmaster Pro and decided that I liked the ACE 350 better. Similar price range, but I feel the ACE 350 is a much better machine than the Coinmaster Pro...some may feel differently. Good luck, you will start finding stuff.

 

[dustytrails123]

I got the ace 350 about a month ago the first week with it i was going to sell it but then i started to learn the machine and what it was telling me after afew sets of batteries you just need some time on the machine id suggest some youtube searching awhile and some ground time on the machine

 

[TerryC]

Welcome to the net, 0210. I would like to ask... have you owned the two machines since 2007. Your post indicates they have the same coils that came with them in 2007. Hmmm. They been collecting dust instead of coins, since then? Your homesite has the stuff there to find. There is NO WAY to briefly hunt 1/4 acre, or 100 square feet, for that matter. See where I'm going with this? Slow down... hunt hard... find much. The slower you go, the more area you will have hunted. Back in the '80s, I took up golf. I can't now, bad back. I remember he would always say, you will get better results if you swing slower. Keep the coil close to the ground the entire swing. Take SMALL duck-waddle steps. And remember... you will get better results if you swing slower! TTC

 

[kayden]

Location,Location & Location...Those detectors are not the problem....You got to put the coil over coins to find em!

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Don't feel too discouraged. My last house was built in 1932 and I found Mercury Dime the first day playing around with my Minelab. Several other good coins and jewelry. Current house was built in 1985 and I have found one clad dime and one Lincoln cent - both from the 1990's. Plus one mashed sunglasses frame. Pretty dismal.

You've got to get where the good stuff is before you can find it. Try to find a town park that has a carnival or fair.

 

[CousinEddie]

I agree completely with the above statement. I am new to md'ing and I have been hitting parks that had carnival/fairs during the 1930's-50's and have been finding more silver, older clad, jewelry, etc... I have been going to a spot that has been a school since the 1920's and have really been finding great things. I think parks are a great place to learn your machine due to the amount of scattered junk/good stuff. Best place to find more stuff is where more people congregate.

 

[Curiousgirl0210]

Thanks all for your replies. I agree with all. Yes they have been sitting since 2007. I know its a shame. I was thinking about upgrading my coil. Anything we did know about our machines were forgotten since last used. Is their a correlation to age and depth? For intance homesteads in the 1960's 4", 1900 8" etc. I am speaking about dropped items not buried items. Also what are the factors that help you decide to dig big tragets 12" or more. When I get large targets in middle of a yard or field I usually don't dig. I usually dig large targets near trees hoping to find a buried cache. So far always junk

 

[Tom_in_CA]

"Is their a correlation to age and depth?"

For undisturbed turf and dry sand, depth is usually correlated to age. Ie.: the longer the target has been there, the deeper it will be. But for other types places, old coins aren't necessarily shallow. Like plowed fields, hardpan or desert terrain, the wet salt beach after storms, under old sidewalk or old-town urban demolition sites, ghost-townsy/relicky sites, etc....

Machines like the ones you list have routinely found coins that date way before 1900. So don't get caught up thinking you need new machines, new coils, etc.... lest you miss old coins. It could just be that you're hunting lame areas, don't know your machine and the sounds, etc... I've found reales and seateds and gold coins that were only an inch or two deep!

"Also what are the factors that help you decide to dig big tragets 12" or more."

Depends on where you're hunting, and your strategies. If I'm hunting a place for coin/jewelry size targets, with no expectations of a cache or something, then I too will pass overload "hubcap" type signals. But if I'm hunting for a cache (eg.: "we think grandma buried a jar of coins here somewhere"), then yeah, I would chase hubcap overload signals. Also demolition sites, relicky sites, etc... I often time get big stuff out of the way....

 

[U.K. Brian]

You could try using less discrimination rather than more. People think the more rubbish on a site the higher the discrimination should be set but the reverse is true.