Recovering the Cost of a Metal Detector

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fordmw62

Newbie
Sep 22, 2020
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Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Just wondering how many here have a metal detector that has paid for itself? I have a 30 y/o Whites Silver Eagle and thinking about upgrading to an A/V 800. My Eagle does a pretty good job but it is heavy and after 30 minutes or so, I have give it a rest. When I was in my 20's it wasnt a problem. I paid somewhere in the hood of $600 for it. It hasnt come close to paying for itself unless you count the health benefits of owning one and staying off the couch. I recently retired so I am getting back into detecting again.
 

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Since I primarily hunt relics in wooded areas most of my finds are historical and aesthetic value. A few have more than paid for themselves in satisfaction. Were I to hunt parks etc I’d get more in clad and jewelry but it’s not my thing. Were I to live near beach, they’d all pay for themselves and then some in gold and silver jewelry finds. They all pay for themselves in mental and physical health benefits. Some I’ve bought and sold before getting much benefit at all but that’s another matter entirely.
 

It depends on what kind of detecting you want to do. I am mainly a coin shooter that is not opposed to cleaning modern clad from parks, schools, and other public lands. When I started there were only 8 months left in the year. If I wasn't working, sleeping, or eating I was detecting. In the first 60 day's my elcheapo machine paid for itself and I even sold it at a discounted price to my brother-in-law. I upgraded to a mid level machine that had the features I knew I wanted. it certainly paid for itself. I dug over $540 my 1st 8 month detecting back in 2014.
 

I have not come close. I have every penny nickel quarter dime I have found. It’s prolly only a few bucks. Maybe 20 dollars worth of silver. I bought a detector to search my grand parents place after finding out of a 1800’s house use to be there. in hopes of finding coins from that era. I finally found a beautiful capbust halfdime 1835 but a large cent was what I started wanting so while it would be nice for them to pay for themselves. It’s the thrill of finding that discarded trash from 200 years ago and hopefully a nice coin in between.
 

Yes....my machines have all earned there keep. A few gold rings from the shallow water and im good !! I have been lucky to get the treasure fleet coins that have high values. God bless those spanish galleons !!
 

in monetary terms my machine has only recovered perhaps 1/3rd of what I paid for it, but in terms of enjoyment and inner peace it has paid for itself 100's of times over
 

Funny story... took an old neighbor with detecting once because he wanted to see what it was all about. On the way back home he says, "You found less than $5, that doesn't even pay for your gas!" I said to him, "When you go golfing and spend $50 to do it, that doesn't pay for your gas either!"
As everyone has said, it's about being outside and enjoying time away from all the BS we have to deal with! As Bart mentioned, finding Gold will quickly pay for your detector. If you want to find Gold rings, you will have to dig Aluminum pulltabs. If you don't want to dig pulltabs, it will just take longer to pay off that detector.
 

Like others said I guess it depends. Some people just like relics and the enjoyment of getting out so won't often pay for the metal detector. But one good ring or something like that can easily pay for a metal detector. For example I haven't had many places to go so parks have been my thing. I have my Deus programmed to pick up roundness and can tell if something is round or not based on the screen and sound. I focus primarily on those signals are I'm looking for rings and that's payed of well for me. I find lots of junk but always do find rings this way.
 

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When I was active, I don't think I ever found enough to pay for a detector. It was mostly yard and field hunting - found one gold wedding band. But the thrill of digging a large cent or a colonial coin, or a flintlock hammer and colonial buttons, that was pay enough for me.
 

Depends on where and what kind of detecting you do, beach hunters find gold jewelry, I have found more than enough gold jewelry to pay for my detectors and all I have spent.
 

fordmw62 said:
Just wondering how many here have a metal detector that has paid for itself? I have a 30 y/o Whites Silver Eagle and thinking about upgrading to an A/V 800. My Eagle does a pretty good job but it is heavy and after 30 minutes or so, I have give it a rest. When I was in my 20's it wasnt a problem. I paid somewhere in the hood of $600 for it. It hasnt come close to paying for itself unless you count the health benefits of owning one and staying off the couch. I recently retired so I am getting back into detecting again.
Click to expand...
Hi, I’m not experienced at all, but I’ve found a lot of jewelry for what little time I’ve spent detecting.
I can tell you that my detector paid for itself many times over.
I bought a cheap $35 detector probably weighs about 2-3 lbs., from Canadian Tire, as I had lost a gold ring while spring cleaning. I knew the ring fell off in one of 7 bags of garbage… easy way to find it.
One year my Husband and I took it down south to a resort. We asked if it was ok first. They said no problem. In one afternoon, we found a 18k necklace 20”. A broken 10 k ankle bracelet, one diamond (real) not sure how large of c. Set in silver. We also found an engagement ring for an employee who lost it while playing volleyball that morning.
We have only used it to find dropped/ lost items since.
I am wanting to purchase a “real” metal detector, so my husband and I can go out searching properly.
I think what you find, has to do with where you are searching. I found 2 rings knowing that they were there. The rest was good luck.
With that, I wish everyone here the very best, and merry Christmas in Anvance!
 

I bet MORE METAL DETECTORS have come CLOSER to paying for them selves as apposed to Golf Clubs, Fishing Rods and Reels and BOATS, Guns Bicycles, Just to name a few other hobbies
 

I guess if I had to attach a $$$ value spent on the hobby vs the monetary return....:laughing7::laughing7::laughing7:
The best money I have ever spent in my life, period.
 

I don't buy a new machine until the old one has earned its keep and found enough treasue to pay for its self. My first detector was the toughest. A whites Prism 4 for $200. It took 2+ years to find enough change to pay for itsself and I'm surprised I stuck with it. Then I got an excalibur used for $600 and it paid for its self the first outing! Three gold and eight silver rings in one morning after a winter storm. I put it on the sand and turned it on and its was screeching. I figured the machine was broken. I moved the coil and it went quiet. I had set it down on a silver ring by chance when I first turned it on. What a day. I wish I had known how to properly use it back then. I think my Deus is still earning its keep but it has a gold coin and a bunch of silver under its belt. Even my cursed Equinox has found enough to consider it paid off. I say its cursed because I borrowed a friends machine and went to my spot and found two gold rings back to back. Returned his nox, brought mine to the same swim spot 3 more times and never found another gold there. Now gas, . . I never find enough to pay for food, lodging and gas.
 

Mine paid for itself, my Lesche, the pinpointer and pouch in less than a year. But I was hitting it hard that first year and I made some good jewelry finds.
 

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