Entry level metal detector

Kansas_Jayhawk

Full Member
Mar 11, 2017
151
175
Colorado
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75 and Tesoro Silver uMicromax
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Find a used Tesoro silver uMax. Very simple and user friendly.
 

OP
OP
G

Goldcraz

Greenie
Apr 30, 2020
10
21
Penhook va
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Will be using it on the beach for gold and silver, planning moving to Virginia soon and would be nice to be able to use it in small streams to detect gold if possible.
 

SusanMN

Silver Member
Jun 1, 2007
4,534
4,098
Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Tiger Shark, Xterra 705, Makro Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If you intend to hunt near or in water I strongly recommend you get a waterproof machine. More expensive but can handle getting wet. And if you are intending to hunt a salt water beach then you need a multi frequency machine. So fresh water, an AT Pro, a salt water beach a Minelab 600. Both are over your budget by a few hundred dollars
 

Gaspipe

Bronze Member
Sep 6, 2013
1,053
1,246
New England
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro; F75
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Remember you get what you pay for. A cheap detector will drive you crazy. For under $500 bucks you can get a new Garret ATP. Nice machine , good quality , water proof to 10 feet , not complicated and good customer service. No brainer in my opinion.
 

l.cutler

Silver Member
Dec 2, 2006
2,655
1,967
NEPA
Detector(s) used
Tejon, Cibola, T2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Take a look at the Minelab Vanquish. No personal experience, but with multiple frequencies it should be better on the beach than a single frequency. As far gold hunting, a dedicated gold machine would definitely be best but a general purpose detector would work but not be ideal.
 

coin pirate

Jr. Member
Feb 29, 2020
34
42
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
If you intend to hunt near or in water I strongly recommend you get a waterproof machine. More expensive but can handle getting wet. And if you are intending to hunt a salt water beach then you need a multi frequency machine. So fresh water, an AT Pro, a salt water beach a Minelab 600. Both are over your budget by a few hundred dollars

This!!!

You can get more bang for your buck by buying used, you won't be happy with an entry level machine where you would want to hunt, get one not too old, maybe even with some warranty, with all the new machine hype as of late, especially with the Nox800 driving people cuckoo for cocoa puffs, there are plenty of quality machines for sale.
 

jimgrains51

Newbie
Apr 27, 2020
4
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Around a year and half ago I was also stuck in the same predicament. Now I cant get enough of metal detecting. Its just exciting and fun. Good luck on your adventures!
 

McKinney_5900

Bronze Member
Jul 30, 2010
1,137
925
A used Whites M6, if you stay out of the surf. You can find those in that price range. Stay with the factory, concentric coil for salt water sand. The Equinox 600 fits the bill except it won't come in that budget today.
 

OP
OP
G

Goldcraz

Greenie
Apr 30, 2020
10
21
Penhook va
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thank you for all the responses, that also was a excellent article. I think for now I will hold out a little bit longer to get a better machine. Looking forward to the hunt.
Thanks again
Chuck
 

Oct 5, 2014
31,886
35,424
Massachusetts
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett: AT Pro, AT Gold & Infinium; Minelab: Explorer SE, II; Simplex; Tesoro: Tejon & Outlaw; White's: V3i
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Simplex metal detector! You can purchase one for $ 320 dollars with wireless headphones.
 

jimgrains51

Newbie
Apr 27, 2020
4
1
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Its not easy choosing your first metal detector. It actually took me a month of research and a few more months to save enough money to buy the metal detector that I wanted. Your first metal detector experience is very important thats why Id recommend you visit this website for recommendations on what metal detector to buy.
 

G. I. Digger

Full Member
Jun 19, 2008
229
176
Jefferson Hills, Pa
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT-PRO/Tesoro Sand Shark, NEL Storm Coil, Garmin GPS
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Great advice from the pro's! Thumb down to the section in the forum named "Metal Detecting" then go under the "Brands" section. Cruise through the various manufacturers and see what various users post regarding their experiences with various detectors. However do not formulate your decision from just one user as what works for someone may not have the same results from another user. That is why some like Chevy's and some like Ford's! Just get a overview of various likes and dislikes! Do your research, which is really the fun part, before you pull the trigger. I prefer the Garrett AT-PRO, which you can find used, as it is very user friendly in the beginner mode and can easily be dialed up to the pro mode. Whatever you choose you are in for a very exciting venture and the level of excitement depends on you!!
Welcome to our family,
Rich
 

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