Metal Detectors?

HomeBru

HomeBru

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Nov 9, 2006
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Sorry if this is a repeat thread, couldn't get the search feature to turn anything up...

I'm looking at metal detectors as an option for something that me and my kids can have some fun doing as well as for finding stuff that I drop in the tall grass...

We're on a 100-year-old farmstead as well as right next to a large beach area on Lake Michigan so would probably do a lot of treasure hunting for coins, etc.

I've been looking at Bounty Hunter finders, specifically those mfg. for Cabelas. No real reason except they're in the catalog I have handy. It looks like you need to spend at least $200 to get above "toy" level, any recommendations for a good entry-level finder?

Thx,

J-
 
i have always had a secret wish to do this, i have no illusions that i will find diamond rings every 10 feet but it just seams like so muc fun! and it just gives you an excuse to get out of the house :)
 
I don't use them myself, but meteorite hunters also use them to find space rocks. If you run across any rocks that sets the detector off, don't throw them away. They could be valuable meteorites.
 
HomeBru said:
.....It looks like you need to spend at least $200 to get above "toy" level, any recommendations for a good entry-level finder?...
Click to expand...

I'd also like to see some recommendations from users with experience. My 85 year old Dad loses his wedding ring in his vegetable garden at least once each summer.
 
White's metal detectors are a very good product to go with.
www.whiteselectronics.com is their websight.
I got my GF a Prizm V for Christmas. That is the top of the Prizm line and runs about $550.00. You can get into a Prizm II for around 250.00.
White's supplies a good DVD and handbook to help you along the learning curve. They are fairly easy to use although a lot of it is interpreting what you hear/see from your unit. Experience is the key.
We have not used it enough for me to help other that to say that the White's are great units. Have fun!:D
 
I've been detecting for many years, it's a big part of my life :)

Whites machines aren't too bad, but they're not what they were years ago. They used to be the leader, now they're getting their clocks cleaned by other companies in the high-end machine class.

There's a number of good detectors in the lower priced category. A few to consider are:

Garrett Ace 250
Whites Prizm (as the other poster mentioned)
Whites MXT (quite a good gold hunting machine, you can find them used for $350)
Minelab Advantage
Any of the Tesoro machines

I would not recommend the Bounty Hunter machines from Cabelas.

What I would suggest is thinking about what type of detecting you want to do (old home site, park, beach, etc.) and then we can make recommendations on a good one to start with.

If it's homesite hunting where there's lots of iron trash (nails, etc.) then the Tesoros are very hard to beat. American made, great warranty, lots of bang for the buck, etc.

You can also check out my detecting forum: http://forums.kinzlicoils.com

Have fun, it's a great hobby!
 
i had a white's brand years ago. outstanding machine! i have a bounty hunter now and it does a good job though not as good as the white's did. yea you pretty much have to stay above the 200 dollar range to get a good machine capable of metal discrimination unless you dont mind digging everything metal in the ground including bb's and pop tabs.,,VWB.
 
HomeBru said:
It looks like you need to spend at least $200 to get above "toy" level, any recommendations for a good entry-level finder?

Thx,

J-
Click to expand...


The Garrett Ace 250 is probably the most user-friendly, best bang for the buck out there. I started with one and still use it a lot after "graduating" to a White's DFX.

I highly recommend the Ace 250 to anyone getting started. I picked it after a LOT of online research. I couldn't have been more pleased.

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
Though I haven't been active in metal detecting lately, it is a great activity for your family. My wife dragged home a cheap metal detector in 1987 which I used to find a property boundary marker.

I bought a White's Di6000 Pro Plus couple of years later which worked a thousand times better. Powered by 4 C batteries, it was heavy, but my wife and I used it to find lots and lots of coins and some gold jewelry.

The detector I have now is a Fisher CZ6 which I like the best. It uses a pair of 9 volt batteries and has both a meter and a variable frequency audio tone to help identify the item detected. Bought it used on eBay a few years ago.

I visited my childhood home and detected the back yard, finding items we lost as kids.

I now live along a road which has been traveled since the mid-1800s and have found coins from the 1800s next to the road in my own front yard. Some of the most interesting items are historical in nature, e.g., tokens, 90-year old dog and chauffeur licenses, and such. Doing the research to identify what you find is fun, too, and would be great for children.

Have fun.
 
Just from reading these posts I am getting quite interested in pursuing this. I hope more "users" post their recommendations and experiences.
 
"...White's Di6000 Pro Plus ..."

There's one on eBay right now with the bids at $205. Is that a fair price?
 
As an avid detectorist, my detector of choice, as well as many others, is a Minelab Explorer. While it has a relatively steep learning curve, and is heavy, it's unbeatable by anything else on the market for deep silver coins, which is what I hunt for most.

I also go to England once or twice a year for detecting, and the Explorer is usually the detector of choice for most guys that do well there.

I had a DFX and an MXT (both from Whites), sold them both because they were no match for the Explorer. I now have 2 Explorers and couldn't be happier.
 
I bought a White's DFX last year. Sold it a few months ago. I like the idea of treasure hunting BUT I just didn't make the time to do it. I was a bit disappointed in selling it but it didn't make sense having a mega buck instrument and not using it. Oh well, may be when I am retired I'll make more time for this fascinating hobby.
 
Thanks for all the info!

We did have some discussion on this way back when, and I put together a list of references for further reading.

Patriot Target A.I.M. PRO meter forum
http://members5.boardhost.com/targetaimpro/

Detecting, Tales, Stories and Yarns
http://members.boardhost.com/cleotus/

Metal Detector News
http://metaldetectorreviews.net/index.shtml

Find's Treasure Forums
http://www.findmall.com/

The Treasure Depot - The biggest metal detecting site on the web! http://www.thetreasuredepot.com/index.html

Go Metal Detecting
http://gometaldetecting.com/

Treasure Net
http://treasurenet.com/
 
cockroachfarm said:
"...White's Di6000 Pro Plus ..."

There's one on eBay right now with the bids at $205. Is that a fair price?
Click to expand...

I think that's a fair price if the detector is in good condition and it comes with the plastic battery holder. If I recall, you could either use a monlithic rechargeable battery or insert 4 C alkaline batteries into a special plastic holder.

Even though this is an older model, it can probably find everything the later models can find. It was White's top of the line model in its day. The drawback for me was that the 6000 Di Pro Plus is heavier than the newer models and my arm got tired swinging it back and forth after a while compared with a lighter weight model.
 
H2OCutter said:
Jeff do you have the Explorer Se, if so how does it compare to the EXII IYHO?
Click to expand...

I don't have an SE. From what I've gathered from other hunters, the SE is a nice machine, but if one has an XS or II, then the SE isn't a huge improvement. However, if you don't have any machine, the SE is a decent one to get. I personally have an XS and a II, and I like the II better (due to ergonomic issues).
 
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