need help buying a good metal detector

[utgal78]

I am looking to buy a metal detector for my dad for father's day. We have a farm that has a couple of old homes on it from the early 1900's. I believe the soil has a lot of different minerals in it. He is looking to find anything from silver to gold and anything else valuable. I have been searching a little bit and found that the Tesoro silver umax works really well along with the Garrett ace 250. I am open to any others but I prefer not to spend a ton of money. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
BTW, he is a beginner...never used a metal detector.

 

[Dan Hughes]

Listen to my podcast #59 at In the Corner with Dan Hughes (treasure). It compares four beginner detectors.

There are other shows there about hunting old farm property; check them out.

Don't be too surprised if he doesn't find much at those old farm homes. Money was scarce in the country. Farmers didn't carry coins in their pockets like city folk. My grandparents were farmers, and the only time they carried money was when they were going to town (once every few weeks). My mother once lost a nickel in the yard when she was seven, and she spent hours looking for it until she finally found it. City kids would just let it go.

 

[Hot zone]

I lived in a small town in the 50s and we didn't have a lot of money. Maybe that is why I bother digging clad. A dime was a lot back then and I had no time to loose it. It was only a block to Berthas store where I would fill a sack, some candy was 4 for a penny. We scrounged pop bottles for refund and they are hard then to loose. I never remember loosing money. Be sure to check post holes for jar of coins. They didn't trust banks and would have a hiding place for what little money they had.