Top 5 Gadgets you would consider a must have

[Deaglebear]

I am new and have a pan and some pay dirt. I love watching videos of different folks showing off their many gadgets and sluices if you could only choose 5 to own besides a pan and classifiers to make life easier which ones would you buy.

Top 5 Favs so far:
1) Blue bowl
2) Miller Table
3) Desert Fox
4) Gold Cube 4 stack
5) Angus MacKirk Predator 3
Runner Ups: Angus MacKirk Alaskan Flair, Foreman II, Grub Stake, Recon II

Yes i realize the bazooka isnt on here (shame on me) as i personally think they are a little out of my price range for the amount of dirt i will be moving ( fairly little ) and the very slow flow of water i have locally.

On another note has anyone ever tried the Angus Mackirk Miller Table and if so is it good? I like how it looks so much more than compared to the green ones!

 

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[Clay Diggins]

Shovel

Heavy Pans

 

[Kuntzy]

shovel
3 5gal buckets
AM sluice

 

[Goldwasher]

well your 4 of your 5 are finishing tools. You don't mention gold pan, shovel or experience. Those are the top three necessary

 

[Deaglebear]

well your 4 of your 5 are finishing tools. You don't mention gold pan, shovel or experience. Those are the top three necessary

I did say besides a pan and experience isn't really a gadget. is finishing not the most of the interesting part anyway . I figured everyone used multiple types of finishers to make sure they missed as little as possible in the end.

 

[Goldwasher]

I did say besides a pan and experience isn't really a gadget. is finishing not the most of the interesting part anyway . I figured everyone used multiple types of finishers to make sure they missed as little as possible in the end.

Your right I locked right on your list. And any finishing device is really as good as the next if you come up with a focused process. Thou I find anything miller table-esque to be too slow. Owning all the ones you mention is overkill IMHO especially if your not dredging or moving yards a day through a small plant.

 

[Goldwasher]

I did say besides a pan and experience isn't really a gadget. is finishing not the most of the interesting part anyway . I figured everyone used multiple types of finishers to make sure they missed as little as possible in the end.

The gadget between your ears IS the most important one. And if you don't know how to use, it then finishing tools are just that "interesting"

 

[Bodfish Mike]

(1) Garrett Snuffer Bottle (best in my opinion)
(2) crevice tool
(3) Rock hammer
(4) Gloves
(5) Bottle of Advil
(6) Beer at the end of the day

 

[nh.nugget]

One of Doc's Raptor flair high-bankers!!! No scooping, no classifying, no brainer!

 

[Deaglebear]

The gadget between your ears IS the most important one. And if you don't know how to use, it then finishing tools are just that "interesting"

thats so true

so out of the 4 finishing selections i have made how would you rank them. Unfortunately being so new i have never had the chance of seeing any of these work live just online in videos. I find them all interesting for different reasons. I have to believe here in Kansas all i would ever be able to get is flour and tiny tiny gold if i used local dirt. so lets use the finishing in the context of for tiny tiny gold.

 

[GoldWiz]

Not sure exactly you are looking for here, but if the Bazooka is too much money I am pretty sure the Gold Cube 4 Stack in your list would be also.
Are you trying to gather concentrates, or clean concentrates? For slow to no water flow you just need a shovel and a couple of gold pans like the super sluice or pyramid pro pan, that will get you the concentrates. To clean them you need a gold pan and patience or one of the "gadgets" you talk about, i.e. blue bowl, miller table, etc. I build my own miller table and use it all the time but round gold rolls right off it, so it is pan the stuff first and then just keep checking the tailings. There is no gadget that makes someone an expert if finding and recovering gold. That comes with experience and patience. Start small and work your way up, don't spend a bunch of money on stuff that you won't ever use.

 

[G-bone]

Hell a Shovel, Bucket, 1/2" classifier, Super Sluice Pan and Snuffer Bottle (all for under $100) and your on your way....but finding the time to use it.......priceless!!
Good luck!

 

[Goldwasher]

blue bowl.

 

[okbasspro]

blue bowl.

DAM BLUE BOWL

 

[Laz7777]

no gadgets, gizmos, thingamabobs or whatnots are in my gear or on my wishlist.
only necessary, useful gear need apply at my worksite.
more money is made from greenhorns buying junk than the gold that's on planet earth.
you make up your own mind on what works and what's just extra weight.

BTW...my gear list is a Keene A52, several pans, 2 sizes of shovels, a couple of odds and ends for crevicing, a 4.5' wrecker bar and buckets.

 

[QNCrazy]

For a budget prospector or someone new:
Razorback Shovel (wood handle) $20 Lifetime warranty
Digging Bar $20
3 Food Grade Buckets $15 or free if you look around sandwich shop. Pickle buckets give your gold a nice aroma of dill. Make a bucket classifier out of one.
Plastic drop riffle sluice 10" x 30" $35-40 if you shop around.
Duffle bag with shoulder straps $20

I figure if i didn't stick with it, I could always use the shovel, digging bar, and buckets around the house, the duffle bag for hunting, and sell the sluice for half what I paid. Therefore I would only be out $20 if I didn't stick with it. I've seen too many friends go out and spend $$$ only to go out once a yer if that. Not worth the money. Get out, get experience, and when your getting the gold consistently, then upgrade your equipment options.

 

[utah mason]

Besides a couple of pans and classifiers. I'm assuming you have a few higher mesh classifies I.E. 100, 50
1-good old fashion # 2 shovel. I'm not a big fan of wood handle. Too heavy and don't weather as well
2- estwing Paleo pick or rock hammer
3- good prybar (preferably estwing)
4- sluice, if not bgt then good plastic drop riffle sluice
5- good backpack.
I wouldn't worry about the finishing equipment. As long as you have a few classifiers panning with a smooth bottom finish pan will be quicker. I bought a dam blue bowl, gpaa fine gold finish sluice which I bought to use in my gold lab knock off. I made a Miller table which works pretty well, but slow.
I keep all my cons that I've panned from -50 mesh to run thru the blue bowl when I've collected a few gallons.
Remember it starts and ends with a pan.
Also a good jewelers loop is helpful, especially if your in a area with small gold.

 

[Tuolumne]

1)Clean up Jobe 11 inch gold pan
2)Bazooka
3) shovel
4) 5 gallon bucket
5) 5 gallon padded bucket seat that swivels, goes right on top of the bucket- a must have

 

[okbasspro]

1 Open ground
2 Gold pan
3 My 4" Proline
4 shovel
5 Gold Pan because it always starts and finishes with a pan.

 

[Capt Nemo]

1 Homebuilt fluid bed highbanker
2 Gold cube
3 Homebuilt miller table