Garret at max need advice before I bye

[Peter1972]

I'm just getting into this hobby and would like to get some advice so I don't bye a piece of grap allot of people are saying Fisher is better is that yet

 

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[Kodiak43351]

It depends on your preference. I think the AT series are better it's like Ford and chevy

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Hello Peter1972,

It depends! What type of hunting do you wish to do. How is your budget?...etc.

I will say that all of my machines have paid for the cost of purchasing. As you can see, I have the Garrett AT Pro and AT Gold, both very solid machines for their purpose.

Good Luck on your search...

GL & HH

Doc

 

[Peter1972]

Well first this would be my first detector I'm been looking at the Garret at max for ard 750 but now I'm seeing a 1500 whites spectra v3igoing for 600 so I'm starting to get kinda lost I bugget is 8 I'll be mostly hunting in streams looking for gold and what ever else I can find any suggestions

 

[Kodiak43351]

In that case go with the AT gold. If you decide to go relic hunting or coun shooting the gold will do both of those well. I have no experience with Fisher machines so can't comment in them besides most aren't waterproof. The whites you mentioned is a good machine but can be frustrating to a new user trying to set it up right. It may be a great deal but if it doesn't work for you and not set up correctly then it useless. I would recommend getting an easier machine to set up when starting out.

 

[Hal2k]

In that case go with the AT gold. If you decide to go relic hunting or coun shooting the gold will do both of those well. I have no experience with Fisher machines so can't comment in them besides most aren't waterproof. The whites you mentioned is a good machine but can be frustrating to a new user trying to set it up right. It may be a great deal but if it doesn't work for you and not set up correctly then it useless. I would recommend getting an easier machine to set up when starting out.

Agree with Kodiak43351 100% start out withh the AT Gold, the Whites is a good machine but requires a lot of set that starting out you may not want to take on. The Garrett AT series is an out of the box start-up machine. Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[smokeythecat]

I would also choose the Gold over the Max. People I know who have both prefer the Gold. Do yourself a favor. Try to find a dealer and go test drive the machines, take some relics with you, coins, whatever. I have bought a few machines I did not like at all and sold them soon after. It would not have happened if I could have taken a "test drive" first.

 

[BigWaveDave]

Whatever you decide, try to use one of our vendors.....
I’m a big fan of the max, and I got it from Bart.

 

[vferrari]

If you are going for gold and want to look in streams:

Garrett AT Gold (available now @~$640) Max Freq = 18 khz (single frequency)

Minelab Equinox 600 or 800 ($649 and $899) - release imminent Max Freq = 40 khz, Simultaneous Multifrequency from 5 to 40 khz

Makro Gold Kruzer ($649) - release imminent Max Freq = 61 khz (Single Frequency)

Makro Multi Kruzer ($749) - release imminent Max Freq = 19 khz (Individual Multi Frequency at 5, 10 and 19 khz)

All of the above are fully dunkable up to 10 feet (the Kruzers to 15 feet). There are no other gold machines that are dunkable in this price range. First Texas (Bounty Hunter, Fisher, Teknetics) does not make a waterproof machine in this price range. Whites does make a submersible machine in this price range (MX Sport) but it is not a true "gold" machine as explained below.

The maximum frequency is important because it gives you and indication of how well the machine will react to tiny gold. Generally, the higher the frequency, the more sensitive it is to tiny gold. The drawback is that high frequency machines are not as sensitive to high conductive targets such as silver (Gold is a mid-conductor).

So if you want to focus on gold, go for the higher frequency machines Like the Gold Kruzer.

If you want better all around performance go for the machines that have a range of operating frequencies like the Equinox or the Multi-Kruzer. These two machines also excel at salt water hunting because they are very stable, but the Equinox is probably better suited to salt beach water hunting because unlike the Kruzer, it pumps out all 5 frequencies simultaneously (similar to the Whites you were looking at - it pumps out 3 frequencies simultaneously, but the Equinox is not nearly as complicated to learn. Also, you can't dunk the Whites. Whites also offers the MX Sport which is similar to the above but its low low frequency of operation (13.8 khz) does not classify it as a true gold machine).

The AT Gold is the proven machine that has years of experience behind it, but it is a little heavier than the other machines and the technology is a little older. It tends to do the best at cutting a compromise between higher frequency operation to improve gold sensitivity, while operating at a frequency low enough that it is still very sensitive to high conductive targets like silver. A very good example of doing the best you can to cover the bases within the constraints of a single operating frequency machine. Good fresh water machine but not as good as the Minelab and Makros under salt beach conditions due to the single frequency ops and lack of a robust salt beach ground balancing circuit.

The latter four machines (2 Minelabs and 2 Makros) come with wireless headset capability built in.

Even though the latter four have not yet been released there are plenty of videos and confirmed objective testing results to determine that it may be worth your while to wait until they are released in the coming weeks to see how they pan out. It's not like you are going to be jumping into any streams at this time of year anyway. But you certainly won't regret the AT Gold's proven track record unless you experience buyer's remorse after the Minelabs and Makros hit the street.

And, yes, I recommend you buy from one of the Tnet dealer/sponsors and ask them LOTS of questions.

HTH

PS Gold stream prospecting takes a lot of patience and a viable source (not that regular metal detecting doesn't). But if you find that finding gold in streams is not all that and you still want to jump into this awesome hobby for the other hunting opportunities (coin shooting and relics), then that brings machines like the AT Max and MX Sport into the mix. It would be hard to pick between the AT Max and AT Gold at this point. But the AT Max does have some new tech bells and whistles since it was just released in the last few months including built-in wireless headphones and some improvements in the user interface vs. the AT Gold. I think the AT Max and Gold eclipse the MX Sport overall, but the Equinox and Kruzer series detectors may turn out to be serious contenders to unseat the AT series detectors in terms of value and capability. That's my opinion, anyway. But I must emphasize, the AT series is here and now and the others have yet to prove themselves. Regardless, I held off on the AT Max after the Minelab Equinox announcement. The Kruzer announcement was just this week. Specs look promising, but that is all Makro has to offer at the moment. Specs and some short videos of test units. Good luck. And I say again, ask LOTS of questions and try before you buy, if you can. See if you can borrow a friend's detector, regardless of model, just to see what detecting is all about.

 

[oldkoot]

If you are not in a big hurry I would wait for the new Equinox to hit the market the 800 sounds like its going to be a vary good machine and geared for everything you are wanting

 

[Peter1972]

Actually I watch a you tube video about the Garrets max out performing the gold and pro they say that the max is a little of both

 

[Peter1972]

Was does everyone suggest the. Gold I thought the max out performs gold and pro well at least that's how they make it look on you tube

 

[vferrari]

Max Outperforms AT Gold on gold? Doubtful. AT Gold operates at a higher freq.

 

[smokeythecat]

There are too many choices and some upcoming unknowns out there. Try a test drive on whatever you narrow your search down to. Don't do what I did and buy a machine and then dump it at a loss because it just wasn't for me. PLUS, if you wait a few months. all of the new releases will be available used because no matter how good they are some people won't like theirs, will need cash and sell them, etc.

 

[Rookster]

I've got both,the ATPro(not the Max) and the Fisher F75 LTD. I also have the std.coils and the smaller and the NEL Tornado for the Fisher and the NEL Storm for my Pro. I USE BOTH. Both are good machines. The Fisher F75 LTD is a higher price but is a very good detector.I like a lot about it. The AT PRO is also an great machine. Iron audio,quick response, deep with the standard and NEL coil. I mainly use my Fisher for relic and Jewelry hunting. The AT PRO is a good coin and relic machine. I really couldn't steer you in one direction. I also own a White M6 which is a great park hunter with the tone I.D. And there are a bunch out there that are good as well. I can say that the White Coinmaster machine was voted the best for the money a couple of years. That might be a good starter machine.I would Google it for reviews. Good luck.

 

[vferrari]

I've got both,the ATPro(not the Max) and the Fisher F75 LTD. I also have the std.coils and the smaller and the NEL Tornado for the Fisher and the NEL Storm for my Pro. I USE BOTH. Both are good machines. The Fisher F75 LTD is a higher price but is a very good detector.I like a lot about it. The AT PRO is also an great machine. Iron audio,quick response, deep with the standard and NEL coil. I mainly use my Fisher for relic and Jewelry hunting. The AT PRO is a good coin and relic machine. I really couldn't steer you in one direction. I also own a White M6 which is a great park hunter with the tone I.D. And there are a bunch out there that are good as well. I can say that the White Coinmaster machine was voted the best for the money a couple of years. That might be a good starter machine.I would Google it for reviews. Good luck.

If he opens it up beyond wanting a waterproof gold machine (his stated criteria), then I could recommend a half dozen other good machines in that price range that he should evaluate.

 

[Owassokie]

Was does everyone suggest the. Gold I thought the max out performs gold and pro well at least that's how they make it look on you tube

People are suggesting the AT Gold because it would be a better machine for looking for gold, in water. I think the video's I've seen for GOLD vs MAX were not this scenario.

 

[Phishfindr]

Was does everyone suggest the. Gold I thought the max out performs gold and pro well at least that's how they make it look on you tube

I'm going to take a different approach to your question. You've been given a tremendous amount of sound and detailed advice here from very experienced detectorists. But from what you originally stated, you're new to detecting. And to start off hunting gold in streams in the Boston area sounds tricky at best without a lot of practice on detecting basics, to say the least. (I wasn't aware there was gold there.)

Perhaps you'd be better off banking some of your $800 budget for a while and start off with a basic metal detector for around $200 or less. And then set out to learn as much as you can from the experience gained from using it. You'll find, in time, that you'll like certain features better than others. And I'm talking Sensitivity and Discrimination settings. Not the plethora of other settings you'll have on more expensive machines, that will mostly confuse you, if you even use them in the first place.

Walk before you run. You'll be happier in the end. Best of luck with whatever you decide on. And keep us posted on your finds! HH

 

[oldkoot]

I'm going to take a different approach to your question. You've been given a tremendous amount of sound and detailed advice here from very experienced detectorists. But from what you originally stated, you're new to detecting. And to start off hunting gold in streams in the Boston area sounds tricky at best without a lot of practice on detecting basics, to say the least. (I wasn't aware there was gold there.)

Perhaps you'd be better off banking some of your $800 budget for a while and start off with a basic metal detector for around $200 or less. And then set out to learn as much as you can from the experience gained from using it. You'll find, in time, that you'll like certain features better than others. And I'm talking Sensitivity and Discrimination settings. Not the plethora of other settings you'll have on more expensive machines, that will mostly confuse you, if you even use them in the first place.

Walk before you run. You'll be happier in the end. Best of luck with whatever you decide on. And keep us posted on your finds! HH

What Phishfindr states is vary true unless you are like some of us on here that knew they were going to stick to this hobby for any length of time which there are some that say they are and go out and purchase the most expensive detector they can buy and then after realizing they aren't going to get rich beyond their wildest dreams from metal detecting they end up selling their detector in a few months but there are those like myself that knew they were going to stick with it and did not want to upgrade in a few months so I went into it with the thought of get a machine I could grow into and not have to upgrade in a couple of months yes it was frustrating at times but was well worth the time it took me to truly understand what the detector I chose was saying to me

gold detecting is not easy at all it is probably the hardest thing you will ever do as far as detecting goes a lot of research and knowing you are in a known gold location

Just some thoughts for you to ponder

 

[Kodiak43351]

My first detector was a bounty Hunter back in the 80s didn't find much but worked great for finding arrows that dug themselves under the ground if I missed my bale of straw target. Not till much later did I buy an ace detector and started finding change in my yard and then bam an 1893 barber dime in the field next to my house. I was hooked and new I would detect till I couldn't. I have spent alot of money on detectors and accessories but it's a healthy hobby and I love it. I could think of alot worse things to spend money on. I would buy a cheaper detector as well first and see if it's what you want to do. Good luck.