How many remember the very first detector you started the hobby with and how long ago ??

[Ronstar]

Bounty Hunter Land Star……..

 

[Auric]

Gold Mountain Eagle. Bought it mail order from Lucy Bowen at Bowens Hideout in Spokane. She used to write a column for Western & Eastern back in the 1970s.

 

[DW-BGW]

Whites Spectrum XLT, in the early 90’s

 

[tometusns]

Bounty hunter Outlaw 1987

 

[Dead Eye]

I personally started with a whites black box 4900 d that my wife bought me for christmas back in 1993 then moved to a whites silver eagle.... then probably 25 more models after that..

Mark ( ohio )

Garrett ADS Groundhog 1980.

 

[C.J.M.]

How about a broom stick and a pound magnet

 

[Walknstik]

Original Tesoro El Dorado back around 1987.

 

[JCR TX]

1972 D Tex BFO.

 

[bigtim1973]

My brother got a bounty hunter of some kind in 1982 ......then we found a dtex that a coin store was selling. ......I don't know what model it was but it had a needle and several knobs set up wrist breaker style

 

[HanoverDigger]

I personally started with a whites black box 4900 d that my wife bought me for christmas back in 1993 then moved to a whites silver eagle.... then probably 25 more models after that..

Mark ( ohio )

We started with a Nautilus. Then went with a rented Fisher for a while. First actual purchase was the Nautilus LF. I purchased a White's Eagle 2 SL soon after so my brother could use the Nautilus. I still have the 2b bought back in the 90's and still use it from time to time. My current detector is the Deus 2.

 

[Tot Lot Bandit]

Compass Relic Magnum 7 around 1983

 

[James/Washington]

White's Coinmaster IV in 1971

 

[Joe Black]

Garrett GTA 500 in 1991. Followed by Fisher 1280x , then Tesoro Stingray…….The game changer for me was the Minelab Excalibur. Wow!…. Night & day technology & totally open the doors on finds for me.

 

[Mark ( ohio )]

Garrett GTA 500 in 1991. Followed by Fisher 1280x , then Tesoro Stingray…….The game changer for me was the Minelab Excalibur. Wow!…. Night & day technology & totally open the doors on finds for me.

Ya , deciding on a waterproof unit back then, There was two choices, the fisher cz-20 and the excal. My dealer said both are great units, but if I was on the west coast the excal would be the way to go. Since I'm back towards the east I chose the cz20... But that stingray and stingray II are great fresh water units. Just set the disc a tick above a bobby-pin and You will clean up in the lake.
Mark ( ohio )

 

[JoeinMemphis]

1990 and a Garrett Master Hunter 5. I still have it, and it still works it gets closet duty now, I will let the CTX-3030, GPX-5000, Excalibur 2, or Deus 2 do the heavy lifting now, The Master Hunter paid its dues long ago.

 

[Donna(NJ]

Shadow X2. 22 years ago. Im a relative newbie. Great machine, paid for itself by week 3 with my first gold ring.
Been hooked ever since. Still own it and and still works well. May never sell it. Too many great memories... 2 diamond tennis bracelets !!!!

hh
Donna(NJ)

 

[Ken (iowa)]

Heath kit that I built. About 1970.

 

[fwcrawford]

I have only been in the hobby for about 15 years and my first detector was the XTerra 50.
Since I am relatively new to the hobby, it would be interesting to see some of these older models mentioned…maybe others will post some pictures of them if they still have them…

 

[The Coin Magician]

I personally started with a whites black box 4900 d that my wife bought me for christmas back in 1993 then moved to a whites silver eagle.... then probably 25 more models after that..

Mark ( ohio )

A BFO CALLED ALTEK 3. made by altek instruments - it found lots. today it would find nothing on the hammered out land we search.

 

[Waterdog]

My first metal detector was a Whites Coinmaster I bought from a garage sale in 1972. I found enough to pay for it in change the first day I had it and a gold ring. I was Hooked...