Recommend to me a beach unit based on...

[scaupus]

I want a beach unit to find jewelry primarily, for south florida, that can do dry sand, wet sand, surf, submersible. What would you recommend?

It should go deep, recover quickly, mask iron, discriminate well, and not false in the surf zone. I want a machine that is not only effective at finding treasure, but fun to use.

I realize I'm asking for too much. So, if you need to recommend a compromise on one unit, or two or more units to cover everything, then I'd like to know that, too.

I'm thinking Excalibur 2, but ideally I don't want to go much over $600 for a used one, so...if something cheaper than an excalibur would do let me know...

I'm probably just past the noobie stage; been using an Ace 250 in parks, swales, etc. Just in the last month or two, I've broken the "silver barrier" (11 coins, 4 rings, vermeil bracelet), and now I want to find gold at the beach. That's my story...

 

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[Sandman]

For what you want, the Excal is the way to go and your just going to have to bite the bullet if you wanna run with the big dogs. The AT Pro is in your price range but not the depth by a long shot of the Excal and no iron mask plus it falses in the surf. Most detectors will find gold jewelry if you don't disc out pull tabs. PI's are the deepest, but lack lots of disc. As for Fun to use, I find fun in even scooping up pull tabs...........Any detector can hunt the dry sand.

 

[scaupus]

Thanks, you confirmed my research. But hey, I just saw an ad for the fisher 1280x aquanaut, which goes for $680 with shipping. Does anyone have experience with that unit?

Also, a pawn shop down here has a Whites Beach Hunter ID for $600. But, someone mentioned it does false a bit in the surf.

Finally, there's the Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II, for $640. What do you think?

 

[TimC (North Alabama)]

Don't forget the Tesoro Tiger Shark for fresh water and the Tesoro Sand Shark for The salt water, both come with that famous warranty.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Thanks, you confirmed my research. But hey, I just saw an ad for the fisher 1280x aquanaut, which goes for $680 with shipping. Does anyone have experience with that unit?

Also, a pawn shop down here has a Whites Beach Hunter ID for $600. But, someone mentioned it does false a bit in the surf.

Finally, there's the Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II, for $640. What do you think?

Hello Scaupus! Before you spend a lot of money - STOP! Slow your roll and do a little learning. VLF (very low frequency) machines do not work well in heavily conductive environments - i.e. wet ocean sand and saltwater. Pulse Induction (PI) machines work VERY well in these conditions, but DO NOT discriminate. Once you buy the machine, a quality sand scoop is ANOTHER $140.00.

There are several companies that make what you want, but in the end, it is up to you to decide. A little education NOW, will save you some Big Bucks and heartache. If a dealer is telling you a machine will do it all - RUN, do not walk away! My two-cents! Good Luck and keep us posted!

 

[Sandman]

What Terry said was true. I have used the detectors you mentioned so I can tell you the 1280 won't do well in the salt wet sand or surf. Neither will the White's BHID and on top of that the coil wants to float. Not a problem for some they say, but after a while you'll want to toss it out of a moving car. The GARRETT MK II is a pulse and is a fair detector, but instead I would go with the Tesoro Sand Shark if wanting a pulse.

Slow down and don't buy used unless you know your detectors and can try them out. You won't find any Sand Sharks for sale used!!!!!!!
Read my signature at the bottom.......

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

The 1280x is a great machine for its time, unfortunately its time has come and gone. 680 is way too much for such a machine.I used it for 16 years and it took me many of the 16 years to understand it. Not saying it didn't find gold, it did. Just not a turn on and go. I think you should go for a AT Pro but not for more that say 525 new as they are coming down after the hype.Several are being sold use for far less as they have not met the expectations. Before taking the leap maybe a local club would be a place to start for good use machine. What your really looking for is waterproof and many site feature ways to make any unit waterproof. Do some more research.

 

[search and recovery]

Hello. Great advice from knowledgeable people. Listen to what they are saying and if you to wait and save a little bit to get the better machines, it is worth the wait. Especially in water machines, the higher priced units are worth the extra money and will pay for their higher price tag in a very short time. If you want gold, and who doesn't, the do not buy a Fisher 1280-X. That machine is gold dead. It might pick up a large mans class ring at two inches. Stay away from it. Hope tis helps and HH...

 

[scaupus]

i'm thinking for under $600, the Tesoro sand shark might be a good deal for wet sand and wading s. florida beaches.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I want a beach unit to find jewelry primarily, for south florida, that can do dry sand, wet sand, surf, submersible. What would you recommend?

It should go deep, recover quickly, mask iron, discriminate well, and not false in the surf zone. I want a machine that is not only effective at finding treasure, but fun to use.

I realize I'm asking for too much. So, if you need to recommend a compromise on one unit, or two or more units to cover everything, then I'd like to know that, too.

I'm thinking Excalibur 2, but ideally I don't want to go much over $600 for a used one, so...if something cheaper than an excalibur would do let me know...

I'm probably just past the noobie stage; been using an Ace 250 in parks, swales, etc. Just in the last month or two, I've broken the "silver barrier" (11 coins, 4 rings, vermeil bracelet), and now I want to find gold at the beach. That's my story...

1. If you want to find gold at the beach you do not descriminate, if you do your descriminating out a lot of gold due to the base metals in the gold.

2. If you want something that masks iron in the water you want the Minelab Excal. The Excal will give you a gold tone when laying beside a piece of iron, the iron will null (loss of threshold) then you get the gold tone....You always sweep a 2nd time from a 90 degree angle of the initial null to check for gold.....

3. If your hunting salt water beaches you want a detector with as many varying frequencies as possible that can reach down through the salt minerals. Excalibur has 17 frequencies.....

4. I know of no detector that will not false in shallow salt water (2 ft and less) as the surf rolls over it even the Excalibur does somewhat, but once your past 2 ft in the water it quiets way down. You will still get a false signal if you hit the coil on the bottom.

5. The price for a good used Excal ranges from $500 to $800, I have one I bought used for $475. The thing to remember with an Excal is it will hold its value, if you find a good used Excal, odds are you can sell it several years later for what you paid for it or very close to it, this means it will cost you very little to own in the long run......... I sold one I had for 2.5 years for $75 less than I paid for it when I bought it used.........

You want to be sure you try a used Excal out first if you do not know who your buying it from, but with that said, there are many respected members here I would not hesitate to buy from sight unseen.

If you buy a pulse detector be prepared to dig deep holes for bobbypins and small pieces of iron.....There are good pulse detectors, I have seen them used at the beach by hunters who knew how to use them and they are still digging tiny pieces of iron...... There are a lot of tiny pieces of iron on Florida's beaches, I have hunted South Floridas beaches, there are a lot of tiny pieces of iron there........

No matter what you decide to buy, take your time and be sure.....Remember your going to need a good beach scoop, and they are not cheap......

Good luck and good hunting.....

 

[Can Slaw]

Thanks, you confirmed my research. But hey, I just saw an ad for the fisher 1280x aquanaut, which goes for $680 with shipping. Does anyone have experience with that unit?

Also, a pawn shop down here has a Whites Beach Hunter ID for $600. But, someone mentioned it does false a bit in the surf.

Finally, there's the Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II, for $640. What do you think?

The 1280 is not a salt water machine, it will false in saltwater, sold mine for that reason, great fresh water machine.

Beach Hunter ID will false in the surf and the one I tried was not the deepest machine I have used. I also didn't care for the flopping coil in the surf.

The Sea Hunter is a good machine, but it is a PI and you will dig all trash, bobby pins and bottle caps. Great machine for deep water where there is little trash.

You have described an Excalibur for what you want the machine to do, but you are going to have to settle for a very used one for $600. or step up what you want to spend.

If you are going to be hunting the beaches in my area of FL, I would recommend a Bounty Hunter

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

If you are going to be hunting the beaches in my area of FL, I would recommend a Bounty Hunter

ROFLMBO........... Same here.....

 

[Les West Central Fl]

Do your research, once you buy you may be stuck. Ihave several machines and the Excal is a good buy for the features you want. If you want the features of a Corvette don't buy a Yugo.

 

[Terry Soloman]

If you are going to be hunting the beaches in my area of FL, I would recommend a Bounty Hunter

ROFLMBO........... Same here.....

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