need advice

[bullshrink]

hi everyone.i need some advice on buying my first decent metal detector. i live in new england and am surrounded by old home sites and cellar holes.i am avid hiker and never leave home without my 5 year old son with me. over the years i have discovered numerous old cellar holes that seemed to be lost in time.we recently discovered a old bottle dump after reading a book on the history of our town.i also vacation on marthas vinyard every year for a week so i would like to hit some of the beaches during the summer.my son is excited and i am really excited but after reading forums and reviews i cant seem to make up my mind on a detector to buy!i was originally set on the garret at pro but it seems to have mixed reviews.so after another week of reading i think i have narrowed it done to the minelab X-Terra 505 or the whites M6.i am leaning towards the whites m6 but am not sure how good it will be at a trashy old cellar hole?the minelab to me (and i am only going by pics online
)seems a more toy-like than the whites? i have no clue though!it really seems as though both companies make nice machines but i would love to hear from those who have used both and what there thoughts were. i will 90% of the time be in the woods on old home sites i am looking forward mostly to old coins. i am already a history nut and have numerous books on old new england including old maps of towns, including the town i live in.so i cant wait!i need some advice!

 

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[jmoller99]

Look for a mid range Bounty Hunter (the low end BH would have trouble finding a car in parking lot) for your 5 year old son - you may be amazed at what he finds with it (kids learn this stuff quickly, and having both of you hunt together will be a great father/son experience). I have a Tesoro Campadre that I have available for people who are with me that also want to try detecting (its easy to use and is probably the lightest weight quality detector you will find), along with spare sets of headphones. Beginners luck is amazing sometimes.

The hardest thing for people to learn is that most VLF detectors require coil motion to work (ie. the signal disappears if you stop the coil over top of the target). Many people just put their detectors in a closet thinking they don't work. People often turn the sensitivity way too high. It takes time to learn how to use any of them.

The general choices you made for yourself are good too - Minelab, Garrett and White's all have quality detectors - you may want one that is good with relic hunting as well as coins (you will be operating in all-metal mode for relics).

If there is a MD club in your area, find out what they are using (attend a few meetings, and/or consider joining).

 

[goldentruth]

Don't forget to check out the Minelab Safari, good for jewlery. Another is the Tesoro Sandshark which is waterproof and if you get the itch, you can dive with it and it comes with waterproof headphones! Divers find a lot of stuff in lakes and streams!
My friend who Owns "Howells Dive shop" (A Minelab Authorised Dealer, who's wife has a Safari), here in Redding, Northern California rents out & fills over 100 tanks a year for their Gold Minning/diving Company!
It sounds good you did your homework. Ebay also has a lot of sales.
Be warned: Today I found out The Chineese are manufacturing "MINELAB KNOCK-OFFS!" and Minelab Fake Coils too! To protect yourself minelab would know what Serial Numbers they put out. This is why it is good to buy from a Minelab Authorised dealer! It is great hearing you have your son around you, I always had my boys on my Const. Jobs, it made me happy seeing them there and sometimes almost fighting over helping me!
Good luck in the near future and have fun my friend.

 

[worldtalker]

bullshrink,At first glance I thought your Screen name was bullstink! Glad you have your son with you,he won't forget what pop showed him.What part of N.E. are you in?The M-6 is an awsome machine,use one myself,your smaller DD coils pick through the trash quite well,Don't forget what ever machine you get,it will take time to get to know your new EYES underground,learn it well and you will reap the fruits of your labor!!!!!!!!!!Sure wish I had more cellar holes around here,DON"T forget OLD farm houses and fields,I have found some REALLY nice stuff from these places!!Hope this helps. Best of treasure seeking to you and your Boy!! God Bless Chris

 

[bullshrink]

thanks alot for the responses.i am almost 100% sold on the whites m6.i week ago i made my mind up to get the garret at pro.lol.the more i read and the more i watch on youtube the more my head spins.it really seems the metal detecting community is very brand loyal?take the garret at pro,some people talk like its a superior machine compared to the well established whites and minelabs.while in the same forum discussion someone will outright say they are junk low end machines!hahaha.i understand there is a learning curve to all the detectors,i myself am tech savvy enough that i would like to think i could learn my machine well , so i am not sure if these biases reflect one abilities?
the at pro had me when my family and i went hiking a couple weeks ago in southern new hampshire .in one of the state forest we came across a old dam and a sign indicating "old mill and water wheel". the pool itself was at most 5 feet deep.from the mid 1700's.i am not sure if they "allow" detecting in there but if they did i would be willing to bet there is something in that pool and around the dam site.there is a similar site close to home that on a old map indicates a old mill. within the area are several cellar holes with one being a old tavern and blacksmith shop.this is based on a map and a town history done by University of Massachusetts.
i am super excited to get out. i can believe it snowed . i guess i have time to wait.i am also not sure of the mineralization of new england soil.i dont want to spend $600 only to get frustrated!whites minelab or garret i am driving my wife crazy.lol

 

[worldtalker]

bullshrink,The M-6 handles mineralized ground quite well,a switch for beach hunting also,very simple machine,but very effective.Don't forget a GOOD set of hesdphones,I use BlackWidow.Price___ M-6 {640.00} Headphones{ 130.00} DD 6x10 coil { 180.}.I also use a SunRay DX-1 pinpointer{190.00}. God Bless Chris

 

[Sandman]

I have used and sold many detectors thru the years and can tell you the M6 is a fine MD. I bought one of the AT Pro's when they came out and it went back 3 times. A friend bought me a brand new one that doesn't have the same troubles the other one had. Its to cold to take it in the water now, but works well above ground. It would work well on the dry sand at the beaches, but not the wet. I am not a fan of detector screens but they can help you have fun.

 

[SusanMN]

Just one more thing to think about - especially if you have a young one who will likely want to try to detect themselves within a few years - detector weight. I think you will find the Xterra is quite a bit lighter than the M6.