Beach Cleaning Machines - what do they pick up?

[mikenannie]

I've often wondered what the beach cleaning machines pick up? Does anyone know, do they get the small items - coins & rings?

I'd be interested in knowing more about these machines and how they affect our metal detecting opportunities on a beach.

Thanks

 

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[willie d]

It all depends on how efficient they are. The particular beach that I have been known to frequent has a machine called the "beach rake." The first time I visited this beach just over 7 years ago, I got there just as the beach rake was finishing up. I thought about when my buddy had told me about getting there before they cleaned the beach. I figured that I drove all the way down here and already put money in the parking meter, I'll give it a shot. Checking my log book I found $2.84 which included 7 quarters, 8 dimes, 1 nickel and 24 pennies. Most of the coins were found in the sand that was "raked". There was still plenty of trash that was missed by the rake not by me. If the rake missed the bigger trash like cans and bottles, I can't see it picking up small things like coins and jewelry. My buddy also mentioned something about magnets picking up metal on the beach. With as many bottle caps as I dig there is no way they are equipped with magnets. Every machine is different. Good Luck.

 

[capt_t]

Mike, there was a thread on this in the shipwrecks forum, might want to read it might help you a little. Just remember that the ocean is always giving and taking back its treasure. Hopes this helps.
Capt_t


http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,75722.0.html

 

[Jason in TN]

Hunted behind one in Myrtle beach just to see what was left. Found a lot of coins a silver necklace and a memory card for a cannon camera that still works. I think the get mostly larger trash and paper items that get caught up in the rakes. They also only do the dry sand where I was at. Beach cleaner been through no worries here.

 

[FLauthor]

It really depends on the type of beach cleaner. A beach rake has stainless steel tinges that sweep the trash onto a conveyor belt into a hopper. Pull tabs, cigarette butts and coins and rings are left behind. BUT if its a Sand Sifter then it actually picks up the sand from 1 inch to 6 inches, runs it over a stainless steel mesh sifting everything dime size and up and dumping it into a hopper and the deeper targets remain. If you can find the area where they dump the contents of the hopper, it could be very profitable for the TH'er.
Here are some websites that you can check out:

http://www.cleanbeach.com/beachking.htm

http://www.beach-trotters.com/ing/productos/

http://www.hbarber.com/

Good luck TH'ing.

 

[deepsix47]

In CA many of the beaches in the LA area have used "Sand Sifters" for many years. Getting a job running these things is next to impossible. More then one of the county employees has built a very nice retirement fund. In the Santa Monica area you can watch them at night periodically stopping and checking their sifter with flashlights. There is a little secret to it but watch them and you'll soon learn what it is.
Deepsix