Asked before I am sure

[mastereagle22]

I am wanting to get started into water detecting and don't want to risk my land machine. What is a good starter machine that doesn't cost a lot of $$$$. I looked the forum quickly and didn't see anyone else silly enough to ask this question recently so I thought I would ask the pros. YOU.

 

[alton]

I went ahead and got the Excal. I wrestled with this decision for months before I came to the conclusion that if I were going to spend ANY money at all then I was going to spend enough to get something that was worth it.

I found that the Fisher and Tesoro units probably worked well in freshwater, but when it came to saltwater there were issues. Garrett has good units but both are PI, and I didn't want to tackle that as a starter. Whites has the Beach Hunter ID and that seemed to be the best VLF unit after the Excal. Another very good choice that gets quite a few favorable comments was the CZ20. The CZ20 though, is no longer made.

That left me with pretty much a pulse unit, the BHID, or the Excal. For me, the Excalibur was the right choice.

I'm still in my first month of actual hunting time (one week in Florida and since Memorial day here in Tenn) and so far I have found 16 rings and two gold pendants. Seven of the rings are gold and 4 of them have diamonds. One has 13 diamonds and pretty much pays for the Excal by itself. That is 9 gold finds in all, and a ton of coins as well. So the Excalibur was the right choice for me.

In fact, I have now bought a 2nd one. I have a 1000 and 800. I picked up the 800 so I could have a smaller coil to work around the rocks in the rivers.

If I were in your shoes, I would definately look at the Excalibur if you could possibly afford it. Next for me would be the Beach Hunter ID or a pulse unit. For saltwater only I would go with the pulse over everything but the Excalibur.

Others will have more experience with the units than I have however, and may provide more insight. Just my experience.

HH Alton

 

[DavHut]

Great advice here! I might also add that you may want to look at what type detecing you might actually DO, as opposed to what you are dreaming about. Watching these salty surf dogs and their awesome finds can skew your outlook, to be sure!

In my case, I live 200 miles from the marine shore. It seemed silly to buy something that is really a salt machine, like a PI or an Excal, when I get to the marine beach only occasionally.

Yet within an hours drive are more fresh beaches than I can shake a stick at. I am not retired, so weekends are my prime hunting time and this also was a factor in my decision.

SO I got the Tiger Shark, used. I had it sent to Tesoro before I received it from the seller and they gave it a peak and tweak and a clean "Bill of Health."

True, it isnt the BEST salt water machine. But, in general the beaches here in S. Carolina arent bad with minerals and it does offer a marine compromise I can live with.

However, it is one of the BEST freshie instruments you can use. For me it was a wise choice, based mostly on the lesser of evils.

 

[Pete in MI]

That is more sage advice. My first water detector was the Whites Beach Hunter ID. Spent a lot of money for it but didn't like it trying to float me away strapped to one leg so traded it for a Fisher 1280x. Though it was a nice machine (1280x) in many aspects it seemed to love iron more than anything else and it was a 'drag' in the water after awhile even when hip mounted. Time came I needed the money and had to sell it.

I have replaced it with a Tesoro Stingray (the predecessor of the Stingray II and then the Tiger Shark). It is older and may not allow for coil changes but I have heard nothing but good comments about it and it has pulled up a lot of wheaties and a high school class ring already in the past month. Supposed to be hot on fine gold. (Best beach and water hunt I had with it recently brought in 221 coins - over $13 and more old wheaties.) Has the 8 inch open center coil. (Fact is I bought 2 of them - one as a back up or if I had a buddy want to go get wet.)

The Stingray is of course used machine but it still does the job and isn't as expensive (most found around $300 to 375). The final choice is yours...oh yeah, it is light in the water and on the beach...you can swing it all day without wearing you out like the 1280x did for me.

 

[Horsesoldier]

Be prepaired to make about a $400 to $500 investment to get started. You should be able to pick up a good PI machine for that price. Stay away from the VLF machines if you want to hunt the wet stuff. You will know soon enough if this is for you. Then, sell the unit to recover some of your initial investment and get an excalibur or BeachHunter ID.

Good Luck!

P.S. Also be prepaired to invest around $100 in a GOOD STAINLESS STEEL DIGGER! This is a one time investment that you will have as long as you stay in the hobby.

 

[diggindirt]

I have the Beach Hunter ID and think it's GREAT! I've been using it for a while and still learning about it. However, I've found jewelry, silver coins, and plenty of cool things with it. It's light around the beach, smooth in the water and you can "DETECT IN ALL METAL FOR DEPTH AND THE ID LIGHTS WILL STILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE DIGGING GOOD OR BAD (IRON, COINS, PULL TABS AND GOLD)!!! This is a HUGE advantage over other machines that most people forget can do! You can buy a new one for around $675.00 with 2-year warranty or used from about $400. to $500. The other thing is when I'm done at the beach I can take a run in a park and hunt too. The machine is well balanced and won't wear you down after a couple of hours. Also you can just chest mount with the bag (super light) and look down at the target lights. HH