Trying to choose between Gold Bug 2 and Gold Bug Pro for gold (only)

[WolfgangStiller]

Has anyone used both the Gold Bug 2 and Gold Bug Pro for hunting gold nuggets?

I am torn between the Gold Bug Pro and Gold Bug 2. This will be used to find gold only and mostly tiny gold not too deep in highly mineralized soil. I am looking to do some prospecting (on this the GB2 seems to win based on what I have read due to it's 70khz freq and not too much iron) but I will also be detecting for gold in some mine tailings and here I have heard that I'll be digging a lot of trash with the GB2 and less with GB pro (but I am not sure about that since some of this could be tied to usage issues).

Is the GB2 way more sensitive to small gold than the GB2 or just something like 10 to 25% more sensitive? Will I be better off with the GB Pro even though it is less sensitive since I will be digging fewer trash targets?

 

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[woof!]

Wolf, it's not just a question of machine capability but also of search conditions and what your personal preferences are. So, there are no really straight answers to your questions, not even from the guy who designed both of 'em, which is me. They're both very good gold machines, but apart from that they're quite different.

If you were also doing coin or relic hunting, that would cut the mustard down the middle: GB Pro or one of the other models that's basically the same thing but packaged differently. But if we're talking just gold prospecting, it's not that simple. Among experienced users familiar with both, some prefer the GB2 and some prefer the GB/G2.

Under many but not all conditions, the GB2 will find tinier nuggets than the GB/G2. We're talking pinhead sized stuff that you almost can't even see without a magnifying glass. If the tiniest stuff is the deal maker or breaker, then the GB2 would probably be your choice.

On the other hand, the GB2 is strictly manual ground balancing, and to do that well requires some skill. And it's like "walking and chewing gum at the same time", some people catch on quick and others have a hard time getting the hang of it. If you don't already have experience with another manually balanced machine in gold prospecting, the GB/G2 would be a lot easier to learn.

If you haven't read it already, I recommend you check out my book "Gold Prospecting with a VLF Metal Detector" available as a .pdf file on both the Fisher and Teknetics websites. Not only will it help you decide what gold machine to get, it'll help you be successful with it once you've got it-- even if it's not one of ours.

--Dave J.

 

[WolfgangStiller]

I really appreciate the detailed reply. I just downloaded the book and will read it today. I have borrowed a GB2 briefly and adjusting the ground balance didn't bother me so that's not an issue. The ability to detect pin head size gold is important. How much better is the GB2 versus the Pro/G2 in that respect? How do the two compare in my ability to discriminate iron trash with them?

(I just read the book. Excellent--very well written and lot's of great information. This is by far the best work on finding gold with MDs that I have read! Thanks for making this available!)

 

[Detector Wars]

If the ground's been searched by Minelab PI's then get the GB2 imo.

 

[WolfgangStiller]

I have been researching this here and a number of other places and heard from a few users who have used both for looking for small gold. This combined with the excellent information I got from the designer above (thanks Dave J!) of the GB2 and GB Pro. It looks like the GB pro is slightly better at avoiding junk and in some situations able to search deeper but on the other hand the GB2 is much (not just a little) better at noticing small gold so it looks like that's way to go for the areas I tend to visit.

I checked out some leads I have on used GB2s.....and also got prices from the various sources online including Craig's list and Ebay. Then I checked with Bart (bigboyshobbies.net) and got a super price along with his super fast shipping and excellent communication. His price beat a few of the used prices I found!

 

[Rillion]

This was an awesome thread to read. Thank you. I am in the same situation on choice as well. I was wondering if the coil end is waterproof?

 

[woof!]

The coil end is waterproof on everything we make.

 

[Rillion]

Thank you, about to pull the trigger on purchasing my gold bug Pro. Is there a gold bug pro 2?

 

[woof!]

Thank you, about to pull the trigger on purchasing my gold bug Pro. Is there a gold bug pro 2?

If your dealer hasn't heard of one, I probably haven't either.