Has your detector[s] paid for itself ?

[Loco-Digger]

I started out with an $89 detector back in 2014. My hobby account will have over a grand in it at the end of the season and I have not sold any of my keeper coins or jewelry. The retail value of the detector I posses is $3320, not counting all the additional coils, pin pointers, and other gear. I do not account for the gas I use since if I was not detecting, I'd be out doing something else. At some sites I have averaged as much as $8 bucks an hour, but on others the average is about $1.50 per hour. It's a great hobby and it can fund itself if you put the time into it.

 

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[agflit]

Bought a Tesoro Tigershark for a lost ring search in a lake...the machine paid for itself 59 minutes into the first outing.... it has now paid for an additional Seahunter Mk II, 4 scuba vacations in last 3 years, and recently an Excal...

Maybe one day I'll even cash in the coffee can full of jewelry I CAN'T find the owners of..

Gawd I love this gig!!!

ag

 

[fish1on]

Paid for many many hours of ME time....priceless in my book.

 

[Xraywolf]

I'm sure not in it for the $$, thrill of the chase is most of the ballgame for me.
When I was a kid I'd spend hours digging random pits, hoping the find dinosaur bones [never did] ... So dirt hunting is in my blood. I have found many a gold ring, but I get a bigger thrill finding an old coin or relic, and I don't discount the possibility that some day I may find something truly astounding.

I keep most of what I find, first year with the Ace 250 I was pretty much selling stuff as I found it, but after that I established a keepers box and have only sold 2 things out of it that I recall.

 

[boogeyman]

Unfortunately, the crusty old wheats, indians, buffalos, and V-nickels that I hunt for, along with the infrequent silver dime, just don't buy much at the old detector store nowadays.

Well, there's your problem! You gotta start shopping at the at the new detector store! You always pay more for antiques!

 

[mikeraydj]

I'm sure not in it for the $$, thrill of the chase is most of the ballgame for me.
When I was a kid I'd spend hours digging random pits, hoping the find dinosaur bones [never did] ... So dirt hunting is in my blood. I have found many a gold ring, but I get a bigger thrill finding an old coin or relic, and I don't discount the possibility that some day I may find something truly astounding.

I keep most of what I find, first year with the Ace 250 I was pretty much selling stuff as I found it, but after that I established a keepers box and have only sold 2 things out of it that I recall.

Most days are like this for me.

 

[digger27]

My F2....More than 10X's in clad, silver and gold jewelry.
My Compadre...about 10X's
My Vaquero...probably 2-3X's
My F70....I gotta say at least 3-4X's

Fun, thrills, shocking surprises and a hobby that pays for all your tools and then some.
What's not to love?

 

[Chizzy]

I started 8/15 with a Compadre and Garrett Carrot from Kellyco. Paid for both with my finds in 2015 (with $s to spare).
Purchased a Vaquero from Brother Soloman and with my year end total for 2016 (with $ to spare), paid for that machine before ever really using it.........
Haven't cashed in any keepers, jewelry or relics..........
Bigger and better finds to come in 2017!!

 

[johnnyleew]

Yes indeed Garrett ACE 250.Just brought a Garrett AT Pro

 

[Argentium]

I've been hunting with the MXT for about 10 years now , this machine has paid for itself at least three times over on modern change alone , when gold and silver jewelry are considered - I believe it comes to four times - silver coins are the frosting on the cake (actually only 4 or 5 ounces worth ) The largest payout by far has been the fun , the dreams , the roadtrips, the adventures !

 

[clv]

All My detectors are paid for before I buy them...with the finds of previous detector. In retrospect I paid for the first one then it paid for the next one and so on.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

If the US mint would take back all the decaying zincs, yes.

Sent from my VS810PP using Tapatalk

 

[diggingthe1]

The history I've learned about from the things I find sure have a major major plus side. I was anxious to pay for my detector , easily did the first year or so. I need to sell a few of my finds to upgrade. I hope you stay persistent. ☺

 

[bill_wabo]

Money wise, not sure in my case, I'm not as serious in my research as some folks here and it's the game changer about the quality of the finds. Even the less "serious" guys like me will have their detector paid for itself, just takes more time.
Memories wise, yes it paid itself in the first hunt (first find was a 1775 clanagh penny. What I like the most, it that detecting made me discover other hobbies, rock hunting, rock tumbling (found few nice rocks and jaspers) and bottle digging (found couple hundreds). I now have many hobbies for when I'll be master of my own time (I mean retired).

 

[RGINN]

The first one, a few times over. That's just due to havin better places to hunt, and I only paid $100 for it used. The DFX, well....if you considered the retail value of things found, regardless of condition, was able to put a price on items of sentimental value people lost, and square nails had a market, then it has. Still, I can't put a price on enjoyment, or the assistance it's provided in researching lost historical sites. One thing that came to me the other day, I have twenty grand in one money market account, and I find more spendable change with the DFX in a year than that account pays out in interest, so I guess that's one way to look at it.

 

[TrashureSeeker]

Yes, just recently. The detector itself earlier, but all the additional gear I bought took longer to pay off. 8-9 months of pretty heavy hunting, I was out most weekends and also picked up cans like JasonfromIowa, found sunglasses and other stuff to resell and also got our youtube channel rolling that is paying my best friend and me some good money nowawadays. Metal detecting is one of the few hobbies that are both enjoyable and are pretty easy to turn a profit from.

 

[victhedog]

yes many times over

 

[ToddB64]

it all depends on how much you swing it. if you put in the hours they will . if you think you will pay it off in two hours a month and that is your main point of doing M Ding find a new way to spend your time.

Hi favored papa.......You hit the nail on the head ! The more hours spent hunting, the better chances of finding jewelry !

However, there are those special times when you score early-on and do the crazy dance like Ernest T. Bass after doing something ornery on the Andy Griffith show !

HH,

ToddB64

 

[high&dry]

Not yet, but haven't put hardly any time in on the machine yet (that will change this summer) and hopefully I'll find that 8 escudo on the beach next week!!

 

[desertson]

Oh yes, why just today my beach detector rewarded me with a two hour nap on the beach in the sun. Those two hours would have been spent digging footings at home for a wife's project, so hell yes, every day I get time with one, it pays for itself in spades. NOTE: I missed low tide, and the beach was heavily sanded so the nap just seemed the better choice.