Hand Suction Dredges ?

[team sidewinder]

Any opinions on hand suction dredges and which one might be the best ? Been looking at the Gold-n-Sand X-stream hand suction dredge. There is a spot where we finally got down to bedrock and I think one of these small hand dredges might get the last gold out. Would love to use a power suction dredge but not able to use any motors in this area.
Thanks for any input.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[QNCrazy]

"Your design looks like it works better than the unit that is talked about on this thread. The hose pipe is smooth instead of ribbed. The ribbed tube is the problem with the other unit in my opinion.... plus the lack of suction."

As this was my first attempt at a hand dredge, I am already looking at some modifications. I agree that the smooth hose should work better but it is very bulky, heavy, and stiff. The hose caused the bucket to fall over a few times and it's more difficult to manipulate. The hose clogged up on me a couple of times. It is 1 1/4" ID. I would like to find a 1 1/2" ID tube with a thinner wall for the material to flow better. I also had problems with the check valve on the tube side not closing all the way which caused suction problems. This type of check valve will always have that problem IMO. I'm also looking at using a smaller bucket. But for now ill work with what I have.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[team sidewinder]

...and right now Red is juggling several things including producing a spoof of the reality tv gold shows (check out "Gold Guys" on Facebook) and traveling to the GPAA Gold Expos to promote the Gold-n-Sand products and the Gold cube (which he co-invented with Mike Pung!)...whew!

ear
Maybe that explains why I got no reply back from his voicemail number and very slooow responses to my emails. But anyway I have hopes the Gold-n-Sand will work out for me and will post back on it. The weather is turning so bad ( winter ) here in Montana that I might not get out till next spring to test it though.

 

[Colorider]

Was planning to take mine on it's first voyage tomorrow, but the weather is going to be horrible. Hopefully I can give it a try on Saturday. Eager to give it a whirl and report back.

 

[aurumdigga]

Yep, a three gallon bucket is enough. I was going to mention that when I saw the 5 gallon you were using.

My first dredge was a Bazooka 3 inch with a 5.5 HP Honda trash pump engine and pump..... The bazooka is no longer available but it was for flour gold and did a great job. I modified it with the same type of hose. I think I did use 1.5. I got it at Northern Tool. I have seen recently that NT has taken a hit with the economy and stores are closing. I got this dredge because I could use it by myself and break it down to fit in a small place for transporting. A 2.5 inch motor dredge has too many limitations when it comes to depth. I used a separate hookah system but the 2.5 uses the same motor for the hookah and the dredge.

It is inane in my opinion to use a low pressure Hookah system when a high pressure system is only about $100 more. Brain damage past 9 feet is a big deal.

So...... I have experimented with this hobby to an extent.

The trap system will always clog up as you said. Just jam the sucker unit a few times to dislodge the rock that keeps the flap from closing. I think this will always be a problem with this design also.

If you could mount a spring on the inside, it might keep material from coming out as you pull the device out of the water. That was my only thought on that. Then you could use leather with a large spacer instead of rubber or use a combination of the two. I thought of attaching a round leather piece to the top of the rubber to make it heavier. Then it might close faster but, I like my gold sucker just the way it is.

As long as you seem to get flour gold too, the device is working in my opinion. You will get to a place where you are satisfied and then you will just enjoy the hobby and the exercise. That is what it is all about.

 

[aurumdigga]

Oh yea, the three gallon bucket will fall over on the gold n sand unit also, especially in swift streams. This is a drawback to using this type of unit. You have to fill the bucket with water to keep this from happening as you start. Even with a full bucket of water, it still falls over. It is a double pain in the behind to have to put rocks around the bucket to keep it upright. That is another reason I like my gold sucker, ...... no buckets to fall over.

You will understand everything I am saying once you use this type of device in a swift stream.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Oh yea, the three gallon bucket will fall over on the gold n sand unit also, especially in swift streams. This is a drawback to using this type of unit. You have to fill the bucket with water to keep this from happening as you start. Even with a full bucket of water, it still falls over. It is a double pain in the behind to have to put rocks around the bucket to keep it upright. That is another reason I like my gold sucker, ...... no buckets to fall over. You will understand everything I am saying once you use this type of device in a swift stream.

Good points. The designer, Red Wilcox, carabiners the bucket to his belt in swift water. Some say that is unsafe but it works and I'm in better shape than him so I figure it's fine for me for sure

 

[aurumdigga]

Good points. The designer, Red Wilcox, carabiners the bucket to his belt in swift water. Some say that is unsafe but it works and I'm in better shape than him so I figure it's fine for me for sure

I tried using carabiners on the pants also. I wear overalls when I prospect. The pressure of 20 to 30+ lbs hanging on your pants is about as comfortable as it sounds. If you are waist high in water, this is can be worse or better. If the stream is swift, imagine the thrust of water against this heavy object hanging on your pants.

The idea of the design would be great for times when river levels are low and you can put the bucket on rocks while you excavate holes and cracks that a regular dredge would not be designed for. Even my gold sucker needs a reducer nozzle to get into smaller cracks. I admit that. But, overall, this device concept will piss you off a lot. It will also lose time from your prospecting day by unclogging the hose. Also..... Changing the nozzles that are hard to come off (and they have to be this way or they will just fall off) takes time away from your day.

The transfer of material to a bucket is faster with my gold sucker ..... and .... I get more pressure to suck from deep levels.

The flip valve will always let you lose material. There is no way to determine which device will lose less material as you bring it out of the water. With the gold n sand, I could clean out a hole a bit better I think. My gold sucker will get it done just as well. There is no way to time something like this to determine which is better overall. I just like not having to worry about clogs in the hose and the darn bucket continually falling over even with material in it. Just jerk the hose the wrong way and you can put the bucket on the ground sideways in the stream. It was just a frustrating experience.

If you use both as I did, you will be less frustrated with the gold sucker type of device. I am strong and tall. I would like to make my own about a foot longer. This basic gold sucker is for the average height person..... but ..... it works fine still. I just use a bungee cord and attach it to my back by hooking the handle on the top and bottom and it is hands free to carry like a gun sling strap.

This frees my hands up to carry two buckets to fill up, a shovel, a backpack for tools & food, and a sluice. I put one bucket on top of the other with my concentrates from the sluice in the bottom bucket to carry home. Then I use my blue bowl at home to classify the concentrates after looking for pickers, nuggets, and larger alluvial pieces etc. When you pan your concentrates at home you never lose a thing like you might do at a stream. You can get really ticked off if you work all day and lose gold by accident trying to pan your concentrates in a stream.

The gold sucker is cheaper also. Try both and then figure out which device you like best. Believe me, the less you carry in to the river the less you have to take back to the vehicle. Making two trips stinks if you are by yourself. Just remember you will have concentrates to carry out at the end of the day. Two or three cleanouts of a sluice will put a lot of concentrates in a 5 gallon bucket.

 

[team sidewinder]

Well I got out today to try the Gold-n-Sand X-Stream Hybrid Submersible ( Whew, such a long name for such a simple device ). It did work and I am happy with my purchase and the wife is happy too so that is a win win deal. I am sure like anything of this design it needs to have a rock removed from the nozzle once and awhile. I suppose I could nitpick the thing to pieces but it works for me and that is all that matters. The bucket was no problem for me as this small stream isn't too swift ( like me ) and IMHO when the bucket is full of water and after some material is pumped into the bottom it pretty much held itself in place and upright. I just let it sink to the bottom and only hauled it out when I figured it was about half full. As far as it being hard to change nozzles it was no big deal for me and only took 20 seconds and I was back dredging again. I liked the different nozzles for changing the conditions on the creek/river. I agree about the hose as it is really pretty stiff and the ribs might hold some gold but if you are careful to put the hose in the bucket, hold it up high and run some water through it at the end of your prospecting it will wash out any trapped into the bucket.
Hauling all the prospecting crap to the creek and back is a pain but then what isn't when prospecting for gold. Would I buy one again, probably and would I try something else of this design, probably not. Will have to see how durable it turns out to be also. I have a friend who is looking at buying one and I will let him try mine and make up his own mind before buying one. Is it the best thing since sliced bread, no, but for the price it is fine. Really it is just another tool in the toolbox of this prospector that has its place and time.

 

[GoldDoozah]

Tried out the X stream yesterday. It came in pretty handy, but it is both bulky and situational. It worked well for me until the gasket blew.

 

[preshrunkmilk]

Does the xstream blow out the nozzel every few pumps like the origanl one I have? Every so often ill be ussing mine and I stead of sucking up dirt it sprays it all out and sometimes I can even see a flas in the water. I've tried slowing down my pumping action raises the nozel well above the level of the gravels. Nothing helps seems to be a problem within the check valve design itself. I was just wondering. The xstream doesn't seem any better from what I read then the origanal but like I said in places where motorized isn't allowed its better then nothing.

 

[QNCrazy]

Headed out early this morning for a full day of prospecting with my homemade hand dredge. I'll post pics this evening.

 

[deserdog]

I have used both the gold n sand and a knock off that is sold. Both had the same problems mentioned in posts above. I know of several prospectors who have bought the gold n sand or the other, and don't use them much. Most I know prefer the gold suckers.

If I am working a creek with lots of crevices in shallow water and close to the bank, I use a gold sucker like this:


If I am working a lot of material from under boulders, I use this type of gold sucker:

 

[KevinInColorado]

I don't get it....if you are out in the middle of a stream where do you dump a thing like that? Are you reduced to running back and forth?

 

[deserdog]

If I am in the middle of a creek, I take my bucket, put a rock big enough to hold it down, and put it underwater. I have work in up to 2, 21/2 feet of water like this.

 

[KevinInColorado]

If I am in the middle of a creek, I take my bucket, put a rock big enough to hold it down, and put it underwater. I have work in up to 2, 21/2 feet of water like this.

oh right...of course. Duh, sorry for even asking!

 

[team sidewinder]

Does the xstream blow out the nozzel every few pumps like the origanl one I have? Every so often ill be ussing mine and I stead of sucking up dirt it sprays it all out and sometimes I can even see a flas in the water. I've tried slowing down my pit umping action raises the nozel well above the level of the gravels. Nothing helps seems to be a problem within the check valve design itself. I was just wondering. The xstream doesn't seem any better from what I read then the origanal but like I said in places where motorized isn't allowed its better then nothing.

Yes, It does blow out the nozzle sometimes and you are right on the valves getting some dirt or sediment in them and therefore leak which makes water come back out the suction nozzle but it is what it is and none of these hand suckers of any design are going to lose some gold in the whole process. I do think these new Gold-n-Sand have improved valves over the original ones but they do still have the problem as any valve does with all the small grit pumping through them. All in all it is not a poor product and I am sure it won't be the only tool I end up using in my quest for the gold. Like mentioned it is better than nothing.

 

[QNCrazy]

Had a great day today and got some gold (+mercury) got real frustrated with my hand dredge. It wasn't working right. It wouldn't suck up the material. I got it to work once in a while. It worked flawlessly on Thursday. Couldn't figure it out until tonight. I saw others posted they had problems with theirs. Here is what I discovered. Some say it's the wrong nozzle for the material. I don't disagree with that but what I discovered was with the type of check valve I used, there is a lip that runs around the flapper. After I dismantled my gun as much as I could, I found rocks caught in that lip some near where the flapper connects preventing the flapper from closing. Lesson learned. Dismantle and clean the check valves after each use. If you have problems with suction, check the check valves.

 

[QNCrazy]

Here is a pick of the rocks I cleared from the lip of the check valve.

 

[aurumdigga]

Yep, everything I am reading is just what I was saying about both devices.

You have to tap the gold sucker to get out the rocks that block the valve. Then you can just keep on keeping on with prospecting.

With the gold n sand, more problems arise that will get frustrating after you have a few times that you lose material from streams with swift water after a rain or otherwise normal type conditions that are normal in most streams.

Making my own gold sucker will be fun since I do have some ideas about making the valve close faster. I feel that folks that have tried both will stick with the gold sucker for the ease of use and the ability to have less equipment to hike in to a good gold spot. If you have a partner, it could be an easier task. With my experience, a partner always gave me the majority of the load so I just go on my own now.

I saw a bear the last time I went out here in Georgia. I smelled the bear then I saw it. I was in the middle of the Etowah when this happened. Take some bear spray with you. This is a must have from my experience.

 

[QNCrazy]

Just curious, are the gold And sand models completely glued together?