Looking for best all around detector under 800.00

[utah mason]

Looking to add a detector to my prospecting arsenal. I am planning on using it mostly for gold, but will use it on the beach at a few different lakes. Would like to keep the price under 800.00

 

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[Lanny in AB]

Looking to add a detector to my prospecting arsenal. I am planning on using it mostly for gold, but will use it on the beach at a few different lakes. Would like to keep the price under 800.00

Gold Bug Pro is a great dual-purpose machine that loves to find gold nuggets, but it finds coins too; however, as with all dual-purpose machines, you'll lose some bells and whistles on the coin side, but it's the best two-for-one bang for the buck detector in your price range. The X-Terra 705 by Minelab will also do the job, but the Bug Pro is easier to run, and I love the digital displays on it better than the way the Minelab is set up.

Good luck with your choices, and all the best,

Lanny

P.S. You'll probably get lots of different opinions on your possible choices, so be ready for that as well. The fact is different people like detectors for different reasons making finding the "perfect" detector in any price range a very subjective request.

 

[Hoser John]

Tesprp Lobo Super Traq would be my choice. Disc or not, great auto gb mode, ez pin point, built tough yet light enough to use many many hours, guaranteed for LIFE and great on tiny nuggets. I'd have my ol'trusty GB2 around, as always, as it will find just about anything BUT no disc makes it pretty useless in high trash/relic areas. John

 

[Goldwasher]

Gold bug pro #1 Mxt #2.....Both run pretty close to the same way. The GB pro is lighter. and more user friendly. It is great in trashy areas especially with the smaller coil.

 

[TheHunterGT]

Went to Arizona with my Scorpion Gold Stinger on a gold trip earlier this year....almost everybody else (30 people or so total in the area) had either a GB2 or a GB Pro....couple of ATX and Minelab guys on a mix.

The one guy with a F-19 scored 3x as much as anybody else. Everybody came away impressed. Stock coil. Says he uses it for coins...relics...nuggets. Never lets him down.

Yes the other machine would have hit his targets and yes it could be considered luck. But the small handful of pickers this guy had was amazing compared to everybody else.

It will def be my next "all purpose" machine...it definitely does it all.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Nokta Fors Core...great for prospecting and has a beach mode!

 

[Fletch88]

Gold bug pro or G2+ (identical to the F-19 but with a better handle) would be my choice.

 

[clv]

MXT All Pro, $823 with 10" DD coil and white is giving a $100 gift visa card on detectors till end of year, see the web site for details

 

[oxbowbarefoot]

Garret ATPro. I like mine almost as much as I like my Deus, and more than I like my CTX

 

[digger460]

ATPRO with the 5 X 8 coil.

 

[Metal Detecting Stuff]

The Fisher F19 or the Makro Racer would be my choice.

Wayne

Metal Detector Sales Rental | Treasure Hunting | Metal Detecting Stuff

 

[xr7ator]

Garrett AT Gold is also an option well below your $ limit and probabaly a better option for a gold hunter as well as coin shooter.
You can dunk the AT series machines up to 10' deep in the lakes as well. Totally submersable.

 

[utah mason]

Thanks that gives me a great starting point! But by all means don't stop with suggestions. I like the fact the Garrett at can be submerged.

 

[gordonquixote]

MXT Pro

 

[Hoser John]

Detectors are like women...one mans pleasure is yet anothers' nightmare. Use first for at least a dozen hours or so with a experienced miner as many of these models as possible and see what matches your temperament or if at all fun to you-John

 

[digging440yrs]

Detectors are cheaper then women

 

[The Gilded Lens]

Detectors are like women...one mans pleasure is yet anothers' nightmare. Use first for at least a dozen hours or so with a experienced miner as many of these models as possible and see what matches your temperament or if at all fun to you-John

I don't know, men tend to squeal and grunt a lot when they see shiny things.

 

[NeoTokyo]

Nokta FORS Gold

I have owned the GBII and GB Pro which are both great detectors, but I much more prefer the FORS Gold for options, highly mineralized soil preset (Boost mode), and how strong this thing is.

It really is an awesome all around VLF detector that will do everything that you want it to.
If you plan on doing salt water beach hunting a lot then you might want to think about the FORS CoRe, it will still find the gold but now it can handle wet salty sand.

 

[Hard Prospector]

The F19 (pretty much a GB Pro on steroids)

 

[meMiner]

All good advise above.

My two cents on the underwater units: You will find more stuff at the beach in the water (vs the dry), so a detector that can be used to at least wading depth is a plus. For both nugget hunting and beach hunting, if you get a land-only detector, then it is helpful if at least the coil can get wet. The big issue on underwater units is they are heavy ... you can use them in the dry, but if you are detecting for a while, they will fatigue your arm.

My best advise is to identify the kind of detecting that you will do most and get the best detector for the price (used or new) and your location. Use it in your secondary kind of detecting, but at some point you will probably buy a different detector for that. This way, you have not compromised too much on your initial detector.