Considering First Detector

UncleDude · May 28, 2019

Going crazy trying to research and pick a detector. Still boiled down to 3. BH Tracker IV, Fisher F22, and BH Land Ranger Pro. I would like to have something that can do wet sand (salt water) and dry land since I live in San Diego but since I'm not sure how well I'll take to the hobby yet I'll refrain from spending that much. I'm primarily interested in coins and jewelry at the moment (even gold). I like the target ID feature, especially in the beginning. I think it would be cool to learn the intricacies of the tones and learning to detect that way, but that will take time. I imagine I'll start with parks and dry sand at the beach. At first I was going to go real cheap, like around $100 but I'm good with going more to make sure I get a decent machine. Had to be careful here as I kept going up the more I didn't want to compromise on features, haha. The Minelab X-Terra 505 was on the list briefly but that's probably more than I should go considering I have no idea how I'll take off with this. I wish I had a yard to practice in and get a feel for it, too. Haven't looked at headphones or other accessories yet.

Thoughts? Personal anecdotes? Recommendations? Sway me

What should I really be considering and what can be left for later?

Diggin-N-Dumps · May 28, 2019

Just keep in mind you will want a handheld pinpointer. If i were you , I would look on Craigslist in your area and see if someone might be getting rid of one for a decent price.

I started with an ACE 250 for a couple hundred bucks and it was perfect for me to start and it was a gold hog! Alot of people buy them and sell them for an upgrade which could be good for you.

The more you get into it, the more you will see what paying the few extra bucks help you in the long run detecting.

But in reality they all just "Beep" lol ..and you decide if you want to dig.

Terry Soloman · May 28, 2019

You don't NEED a handheld pinpointer, but you'll want one eventually. You need a sand scoop for dry beach sand (wet saltwater sand is out of your price range), a dirt digging tool like a Lesche hand digger, kneepads, gloves, and a finds bag. Whites Coinmaster; Eurotek Pro; Garrett Ace 250 :skullflag:

UncleDude · May 28, 2019

Thanks fellas. So two votes on the 250. I know I looked at that and 300. Not sure why they dropped out... could have been before I decided I should probably spend more than 100. One of the things I liked about the Land Ranger was it's ability to ground balance. I don't know if I'd actually need that, though.

Phantasman · May 28, 2019

I've had many detectors over the years. Minelab, Garretts, Tesoro's, Fisher, etc. Nothing matches the power and abilities of the Land Ranger Pro for the price. Auto and manual ground balance, and an All Metal mode that still gives ID, as well as 3 presets, and 3 programmable search modes. Notch width is another nice feature so you don't have to notch a whole segment, but just the area you decide. It's also light, and comes with a 11" DD coil. I bought mine when they came out, and have found nothing above it I'd rather have. JMO. I had an XTerra 50, Tesoro DeLeon and Bandido II, Garrett 250 and Master Hunter, Fisher F5, Whites Coinmaster Pro. All good detectors, but nothing like the LRP on price and performance.

UncleDude · May 30, 2019

That's good to hear. Do you find the larger coil to be problematic like being noisy or missing smaller targets?

Phantasman · May 30, 2019

UncleDude said:
That's good to hear. Do you find the larger coil to be problematic like being noisy or missing smaller targets?

How small? Tiny BB type targets need a high freq to find like the Gold detectors. The 11" coil can detect any size coins, and jewelry like rings and earrings are detectable. A tiny stud earring, maybe not especially if it's more than 5" deep. There are youtube video's of air tests of the LRP with different sized items.

There is no noise at all in the ares I have hunted. The Technetics Liberator is the exact same detector as the LRP, and the LRP is the same build as the Fisher F44 (just different screen/sound options). I have the LRP and the Quick Draw Pro, as I can interchange the coils that come with each other. You can do the same with the Lone Star Pro to get the 8" concentric. To buy the coils alone, it's better to add 20 or 30 dollars and get a whole detector with the coil on it.

If you are just starting out, you may want to reverse your thought and get a Quick Draw Pro first for a lesser price to get a taste of detecting. It doesn't have ground balance, but it does have segments and target ID over the Garrett 250 and costs less. It will do the job in dry sand and most ground. Once you get the hang, you can get the LRP for the different coil and many more options and power (like the awesome All Metal mode for 10" depth).

Professor of Engineering · May 30, 2019

The Garrett 250 is a good machine. I had one in my car for years, just in case a detecting site catches my eye. It wasn't expensive compared to my other machines so if something happened to it...no sweat. After 5 years I gave it to a person needing a detector, but had no money. It worked very well in playgrounds, ball fields, parks and dry sand. Many have mentioned other machines, I have no experience with any of those models.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting :occasion14:

devldog · Jun 3, 2019

Best of luck to you in choosing your detector model. Watch Utube videos on those models that you are most interested in. A very helpful research tool. Let us know which model you decide on.

TerryC · Jun 3, 2019

I also like the ace 250. I have two. Both are out on loan and they refuse to return them! I have a third on the way and will be here in a day or two (today?). That should say something for its popularity. I also have two other sized coils for them. The 250 is no longer made but supplies are still being sold off. The extra coils also fit the other Ace machines in the line so they will still be used when the 250s are no longer available. As a beginning machine and/or back-up, the 250 is hard to beat! TTC

BLK HOLE · Jun 3, 2019

You might as well asked about buying your first car :laughing9:

I know how confusing it can be trying to decide which one to get, they all seem to have strengths and weaknesses and like Ford/Chevy each one has it's proponents. Me, I like Garrett products, are they better? I have no clue but it is the machine that I learned on and am confident using so I would recommend the 250, but that is just my opinion and you know what they say about those! Whatever you chose to use spend time learning it, be patient and dang it have fun with the great hobby!

andygold · Oct 10, 2019

I may be a little late to the game, and you may have already picked out a machine....with that said, I got a chance to demo a Nokta Simplex at "Pound the Ground: Adirondack Coast" a few days ago. For about $250 it may be the machine to beat! I believe it's totally waterproof, and seemed to be finding some things that my Equinox 800 did not.

Rad1sh · Dec 24, 2019

Can confirm. Excellent machine the Simplex.

eyemustdigtreasure · Dec 24, 2019

Above - all good suggestions, but keep in mind, that you should get permission to detect anywhere you go, except the public beaches, I would guess.
Wet sand will be trouble with most detectors, and then again, so what? Just find where your choice machine is happy. Guess what your target is, before you recover it.
In that way, you learn your machine. Tones are a way of helping you decide what to dig - another bit of info to help. Parks, well, you'd best be sure to fill your holes, and leave the dig spot in great shape, like you didn't even dig there.... But, above all - have fun! Metal detecting is an ADDICTIVE hobby...! :laughing7: