Which MD would fit me best??

[TeddyMexico]

Hi. I'm TeddyMexico, and I'm a noob.

::hangs head in shame::


I need some advice on which MD would be best for me. The first ones I was checking out were underwater/land hybrids. But now, I'm thinking that i want to start off with a decent/good land detector.
I live in Indiana and may be moving to Florida, but i have a year or so before that happens. Figure I'll just get a saltwater machine if/when I move. Anyway, I honestly have not done too much investigating yet. I'm not even sure how much a "good" MD costs. I don't want one that's bottom of the line, though I do not necessarily need the ultimate best. I'm going to start off by hunting primarily Indian grounds, old towns/church's looking for relics/coins/silver/gold? I also have some interest in checking out some of the old War/Battle sights down in Kentucky and Tennessee this summer.

What type of MD would you recommend? And I definitely want something that is good for gold because my best friend is moving out west this summer and I will be MDing with him in/near the mountains.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[Rob66]

Minelab GT, if you can fork the $ it will do what ever and when ever you want.

You left out some important questions in order for us to help you;

What is... your budget?
How heavy do you want it?
Are you an underwater diver?
There are different kHz....etc.

RD

 

[thompy]

i agree its a great machine and excellant on the salty beaches when you move

 

[Pulltab Parson]

Hey Tedd,

The GT is a good machine no doubt about it, I have read a good amount, but it can be a little pricey. You have a number of options (which I'm sure you will hear here).

I have both a Tesoro Tejon and a White's Prizm III. I have used the White's now for a year and it have been a good detector, but I have learned not to trust the digital readout, it is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I too was looking for a detector that I could do all of the things that you have mentioned but I didn't want to remortgage my house to do it, so I went with the Tesoro Tejon, you can pick them up new for about $560 or you can get one used at a pretty good deal. The problem that I have heard with the Tejon is that it really doesn't like the ole salt water, so that would be the drawback if you were looking for one machine that will work well on land and in saltwater (i.e. just the coil.) It is important to remember that there is not one machine that can do it all, that is why manufacures build many different types of machines so it may be a benefit to purchase a mid-priced land machine (i.e. Tesoro Tejon, Vaquero; White's M6, or the Minelab Sov. GT, X-terra 70) and then pick up a water machine when you move, granted this would also depend on your budget.

Good luck with your choice, what ever you decide.

HH

PTP

 

[Rob66]

Best to have a manuel ground balance.A lot of machines will become unstable around the water line; salt water beaches. If you want to hunt for jewelry then you will want to hunt dry sand and between the low and high tide lines, in a zig zag motion.The GT never-ed failed me and goes deep.The coil is submersible but the box is not! Hip mountable for lighter swing.

I take it up to the mountains and hunt for nuggets as well.

Give us a budget and we will point you in the right direction!!!!
RD

 

[Pipster]

my brothers did alot of beach and park hunting in virgina beach when they were stationed up there. they liked the beltone and beach mode of the gta1500 by garret. and with new inprovements in technology the price is right on those now

 

[JOE(USA)]

TeddyMexico,

Take your time deciding, read a lot of reviews, in other words do your homework. Don't put much stock in someone that says he has a - - - - - - - therefore you would like it too. Everybody hunts in a different area,for different things, and in a different way,budget etc. There is a lot of things to consider when buying a detector especially if it's your first one. Joe

 

[TeddyMexico]

Hey guys thanks for all the great advice. My budget right now is $4-$500, but I could wait a few months and put a little more money aside if necessary.

 

[TeddyMexico]

Hey guys. I was just searching Craigslist for an MD and I found one a want to ask you about. I had intended on spending more money and getting one in the 400-$600 range. I really SHOULDN'T spend that money right now, so I was looking for a cheaper alternative because I want an MD now. The Pioneer 505. Thoughts? It retails for like $300 I believe. I read the user reviews and everyone seems to be very happy with their purchase.
A guy who lives about a half-hour south of me has one for sale on craigslist for $150. It says that it's in "excellent condition" and comes with extra gold nugget head. Should I even consider this model, or will I miss out over too many goodies buried that a better MD would pick up? Should I offer him $100 or would that be low-balling him? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Teddy

 

[Pulltab Parson]

Hey Ted,

The 505 is mad by Bounty Hunter, I had considered this machine when I was looking for my first, but I went with the Prizm III instead. There are a number of members here who use a bounty hunter and like them a lot. Really, it all boils down to what you like. It would be a great starter machine and $150 is probably a pretty good deal. You could get the BH and use it until you feel it's time to upgrade, that being said there are those here who got one and still use it as there primary machine.

This is just my opinion but if your going to spend $150 on a used 505, you should consider buying a new F2 for $200 or the ACE 250 for $212, these are both really good hunters and will produce, and I think you would be happier with either of them

Good Luck and HH

PTP

P.S. here is a post of a TNet member who just picked up a Tesoro Deleon, he used a 505 before he got the Tesoro
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,143453.msg1024706.html#msg1024706

 

[Cynangyl]

I think I would have to agree with the Parson there....getting a new machine, either one of those would be better in the long run....of course that is just my opinion....oh and the Parson's Good luck with whatever machine you get! Looking forward to seeing your finds!!