what detector to buy

[fmerg]

we currently use a decetor we got from the local walmarts paid abou 130 for it
it has become very clear that its not gonna do it for us even though we have recovered about 75 in coin
we know we are still missing things
been looking at kellyco's mp3 and mp5 pro as our next unit
how ever at 250+ its really gonna but a strain on our family buget
anyone have any suggestions as to what we should be looking for
90% of our digs will be field and very little beach areas

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[SwampHunter]

You are always going to miss things no matter what machine you have. That's just the nature of this hobby. If you have found 75 coins in the fields I would say you have a very good machine. The biggest mistakes people make is not slowing down and learn their machines.

I have never used the MP5 or MP3, in fact I have never even heard of them until you posted your question. I think I would look at other brands. For $250.00 you can get a really good machine in a reputable brand. The Tesoro Silver uMax is a really good machine, in fact this was my go to machine before I got a Minelab. It gets great depth, especially when the 10x12 coil is added. It also gets great target seperation as well with the 8 inch coil. I never did purchase the sniper coil for it but I am sure it would help greatly in trashy areas. For the price it is a great machine. Also has a lifetime warranty as well just incase anything ever does go wrong. The Garrett Ace250 is a suprisingly great little machine as well. It always suprises me how good this machine can really be. I would also look into Fishers or White's.
Most of your better brands will have extra coils that you can puchase to give you more depth or better target seperation in trashy areas.

Here's a good site that has lots of reviews for different machines:
http://metaldetectorreviews.net/


I would shop around and ask more questions before I settled on the MP5 or MP3.

 

[fmerg]

Thanks for the great advice
this site is the best thing for use newbies
cant wait till i can invite others on a hunt in my area

You are always going to miss things no matter what machine you have. That's just the nature of this hobby. If you have found 75 coins in the fields I would say you have a very good machine. The biggest mistakes people make is not slowing down and learn their machines.

 

[Sandman]

I would shop around and ask more questions before I settled on the MP5 or MP3.

These MP3 and MP5 aren't any better than the Bounty Hunter you have. Suggest you check out the Tesoro Cibola and Silver Umax along with the Garrett ACE 250. As was said the Tesoro's are excellent detectors and that Lifetime warranty is there if you ever need it. Plus there are a lot of extra coils available for the Tesoro's.

Slow down your sweeps.
Keep the coil level with the ground.
Over lap your sweeps by almost half.
Learn to pinpoint so you can retrieve the coin with a screwdriver so as to not harm the grass. Out in the fields now yo can use a trolle or small shovel but still neeed to cover your holes so nobody can tell you were there.

 

[littletwig]

Might want to check out the Whites Prizms or the Fisher F2. Welcome to the forum.

 

[N.J.THer]

If you have a local detector dealer I would give them a shot that way you can try a few different type of detectors before you decide on one. The dealer by me will actually let you borrow detectors so you can use them in the field before you purchase one.

With that being said I've only heard great things about the Garrett Ace 250 which you can get for around $215 if you spend a little more they have a package with an extra coil. I've never used one but I have suggested it to a few people that have started to detect and they seem to really like it.

I know what its like to have a tight budget. I'm married and have a five year old daughter so even though my wife gives me the green light I have self imposed restrictions. I have not spent any new money on detecting equipment in around three years. When I'm looking to upgrade I look for deals on used equipment then sell my old equipment to get it. Ebay is a great tool if you have patience to look for the right deals. So once you get a new detector see what you can sell your old one for on ebay to offset the cost. I you sell it on line just do a little research first and see what other detectors of the same model are selling for and look at the ones that sold for the most. Then list it in the same manner to mazimize your profits. I'm always amazed on the range the same items sell for on eBay and it usually is because of picture quality, wording or the actual item title. I'm also a big fan of not having a reserve...I think it draws morte people in if they know it will sell.

Example: I wanted a Minelab Excalibur. I had a Fisher 1280x which is a great water machine for fresh water but I had a lot of problems in salt water. I traded the Fisher for A Garrett Sea Hunter Mark II then sold that on eBay for $625 to purchase a one year old Minelab Excalibur for $600. I got the detector I wanted for an old machine I had and made an extra $25.

You can also see what you have lying around the house and sell that on ebay to get the money. I just sold a 'Kracken' figure from the old movie Clash of the Titian that I had since I was a kid for $130. It was just sitting around in a box collecting dust and I was never going to use it. Easy money.

Good luck

NJ

 

[thompy]

another thing you can try is if you have a bounty hunter is the 4 and 10" coils

 

[Bootyhunter1971]

Ace 250! Very versatile machine, easy to use with features found on more expensive machines. I own one and love it and I'm sure the other comparible brands are good to but just look around on these forums at the results being achieved with the Ace 250. Get the 250 not the 150 because the pinpoint feature is a must. Good luck.

 

[UncleVinnys]

Yeah, I agree with most of the above.
Go for the Ace 250. Once you get target ID, you cannot live without it, and it saves
a lot of time digging useless junk.
You can generally get it for around $200 or a decent used one for less than that.
Good luck.

 

[crazyjarhead]

Yeah, I agree with most of the above.
Go for the Ace 250. Once you get target ID, you cannot live without it, and it saves
a lot of time digging useless junk.
You can generally get it for around $200 or a decent used one for less than that.
Good luck.

Same here. I recommend starting out small until you learn the hobby . I have done pretty good the last 6 months all for 200 bucks.

 

[fmerg]

OK looks like the ace 250 wins hands down
gonna keep the bounty hunter also
i may try my hand at making my own coils or increasing the power to the coil on the bounty hunter
as for targeting i have that down to a point of about 2 inches for the dig
we use a special shovel that we got at target made by fisher
its only 2 1/2 inches wide we use it to cut plugs about 6 inches deep
if we remove any more dirt then that we put the dirt on a plastic bag
when done with the hole we pour the loose dirt back into the hole tamp it place plug on top
making sure its level with the rest of the area rub hands over plug
you can stand right next to it and never see it

if anyone lives by kingston NY and would like to join us let me know would love the chance to meet those who have been doing this for awhile
will share what areas i have looked into

 

[SwampHunter]

Today I grabbed the Ace250 with the Sniper coil and hit a yard that I have pounded with other units including the Ace250 with the stock coil. I pulled 7 pennies, a couple of nickels and a dime from the hardest hit area. The dime was 6 inches deep. Since it was so deep I almost dismissed it as being an aluminum can. I kept digging small foil pieces at 3 and 4 inches. It is very sensitive to small items. This machine just keeps on impressing me. Recently I purchased a Minelab Xterra70 and two extra coils for it. I know the Minelab is a great machine and has more features that will help me in different situations, but sometimes I wonder If I just shouldn't have just upgraded the machines I had and kept on using them. I could have used the extra money to buy something else that I have been wanting. I am not saying the Ace250 is better than the Minelab. I know the Minelab will shine once I get used to it, but I was already used to the Ace250 and this is a huge part of of this hobby. Learn your machine well and it will reward you.

 

[fmerg]

update:
i did get a new md its a bounty hunter pioneer 505 with a 10 and 4 inch coil
i got it from kellyco and think at 245 it was a good price
learning the settings is a breeze with the writen manual and the dvd that comes with it shows more advance
settings
took it out side just to test it and found a 1909 indian head @ about 5 inches (i worked real hard getting throught the ice and snow)
tested it next to my old cheaper bounty hunter and can not belive the diffrance
what i normally disregaurged as false readings show pennys at 8 to 10 inches
the old unit would only sound going one way and then only some of the times

still looking for other in my area to hunt with have some places lined up for this spring/summer
one is an old hotel foundation

 

[thompy]

good to hear

 

[RON (PA)]

Sounds like your new detector is working good so far. Before you use it. Read the manual from cover to cover at least 3 times and twice with the detector in front of you. That way you will learn your machine well.

 

[extractor]

Use to live in the general area, Try google earth,you will find lots of places from a bird's eye view. Remember get permision.

 

[WheatbackDigger]

update:
i did get a new md its a bounty hunter pioneer 505 with a 10 and 4 inch coil
i got it from kellyco and think at 245 it was a good price
learning the settings is a breeze with the writen manual and the dvd that comes with it shows more advance
settings
took it out side just to test it and found a 1909 indian head @ about 5 inches (i worked real hard getting throught the ice and snow)
tested it next to my old cheaper bounty hunter and can not belive the diffrance
what i normally disregaurged as false readings show pennys at 8 to 10 inches
the old unit would only sound going one way and then only some of the times

still looking for other in my area to hunt with have some places lined up for this spring/summer
one is an old hotel foundation

If the 1909 indian was minted in San Fransico, you just paid for your detector(s)

 

[mapo]

I bought an ace 250 and am very pleased with it's depth. Having to do it over again, I would've just bought the basic unit vs the sport package. A great maching at a small price. One day I will move up but for now am quite happy with my purchase. I just wonder where the heck the silver is around here. I suspect juju and detecting freak have beaten me to it. HH-Mark

 

[fmerg]

folks after cleaning up the penny it turned out to be a 1906 not a 1909 and no mint mark
sorry about the mistake or the wishfull thinking as the case maybe