I appeal to the pros...........

[Premium Parrots]

Hi everyone, my first post here. I hope I am posting this in the correct area. I've been lurking for a few days now and the members here are very nice and seem to know their stuff. I am just getting into detectors at this time. I have done a bit of research on the model/brand that might be best for me. But its really all so confusing even tho I have alittle knowledge. So heres my question; I want to get a decent metal detector so I don't have to upgrade for a long time. I would like one that can detect relics, coins and gold. Tho I realize that I should get a dedicated gold detector I am told that there are some regular metal detectors that can do a fair job with the gold. Tho gold is not my main concern. I have up to $1000 to spend but I really want to get my moneys worth tho I know its possible that some less expensive models can be very good. Here are the detectors that I think might be decent.

Minelab Safari w/standard DD 11" coil
Minelab Soverein GT w/ standard 10" coil
Minelab X-Terra 705 w/standard 9" and 5x10" coils
Whites MXT 300 w/standard ltd 300 12" coil
Whites MXT pro w/standard ltd 300 12" coil
Garrett GTI 2500 pro w/standard 9.5" and 12.5" coils

These are the ones that I decided upon and were recommended to me by several people. The coils listed are the standard coils purchased with the detector packages at Kellyco. Any other detectors or packages you might suggest would be great. I would appreciate anyones opinion on these or any other detector for what I plan on useing it for. [coins, treasure and some gold prospecting]. I am open to any suggestions on different metal detectors as well as different coils. Ease of use, weight, and all the other important things are always a consideration, Gosh I hope I'm not asking too much here. I know that the detectors I have listed should be decent but still I'm so confused.

Again, I sincerely appreciate any input from the good people here. I can see that I will be spending alot of time here in the future. This site is a treasure chest of information. I'm learning as fast as I can and its time to step up to the plate and get someting so I can continue to learn. Thanks a bunch.

Glenn


am I asking too much from the members here??????




If anyone cares to know alittle about me. I'm an old man, not well, my doctor wants me to walk. My dear wife is on my back about getting out there and walking, which is hard for me to do unless I can accomplish something at the same time. I figure metal detecting would be a good hobby. I live in a very old village [early 1800's] in northern Illinois and I have access to alot of property in town that no one has ever searched before. There is a very large creek that flows thru town along my property, I will be moving to Georgia [south of Atlanta] within the next year due to my health. When I join forums I always use my Premium Parrots name so its easy for me to remember my username. Ya'll can call me PP. Useing one of my business names leaves me very transparent so I try to be nice with all people all the time. You are welcome to google me. I help parrot owners and answer questions about large parrots several times daily thru my website. If I can get the least bit of help with finding the right metal detector for myself it would help me feel good about helping so many others all these years, I've already been misinformed by a metal detector salesman and this time I want to get the proper equipment. I am not an idiot......well I don't think so anyway, lol. Thanks again.

 

[dave5710]

Honestly, if I were you I would buy a less expensive unit and see how much you enjoy the hobby, before investing that much money. There are several easy to use, inexpensive machines, with good resell value, that would serve you well. Then if your health declined, or if you disliked the hobby, or if you truly enjoy the hobby and wanted to move up to a more expensive machine, you could sell your detector without losing most of your investment. I am not a pro, by any means, but I have talked with too many people who tell me "I have one of those things, but it wasn't for me, and now it just sits in the closet"

Are there any detecting groups in your area? There is one in the Quad Cities, and some in the Chicago area.
Those folks would be more than happy to talk to you and show you their machines.
If I got up North a little more often, I would meet with you and show you what I have. Light, simple, easy to use. I'm about an hour south of Sterling/ Rock Falls.

 

[moseng]

I am far from what I would call a pro but I think Daves suggestion about finding a detecting club is a great idea. If that is not possible then perhaps you could rent one or two of the models you're looking at? Another thing you might try is to look on Youtube. There are A LOT of detecting videos that might help. You'll be able to see and hear what they sound like. Sorry I couldn't offer more advise.

 

[dirtmaster]

I am not a pro either however I have been doing it a while and I have a few nice finds. I have used the White's eagle spectrum and the xlt. Then I went with the Fisher CZ70 Pro in which I liked a lot better than the Whites models I have used. However I have got a Teknetics Omega 8000 and I love it!! It is ver light and it gets the job done. I have found more with it than any other detector and I am still learning it. My recommendation is the Teknetics Omega 8000.

 

[Larry (IL)]

Welcome to the Forum PP. Any of your choices will work for coin hunting, but only one stands out as a secondary nugget hunter and that is the MXT. Your choices for the MXT include the 12" coil and that might be a poor selection, especially in Illinois where we are well known for very mineralized ground. My suggestion would be the MXT with the standard 950 coil and a second coil being the 6X10 DD elliptical. My guess is the 6X10 may very well be your most popular hunting coil for coins and nugget hunting as well. Here is just one of hundreds of links to a "gold nugget" search in the MXT forum. http://www.findmall.com/read.php?25,1187602,1188610#msg-1188610

Many successful nugget hunters use the MXT and although it is not as good as a dedicated detector for very small nuggets, it does well for the pickers and larger. The MXT is designed after a nugget hunting detector so spend some time in the MXT forum and you will be surprised at what has been found with the MXT. As for coin and jewelry hunting , the MXT is one of the best as well.

 

[Sven]

Think hard and really look at the detectors, buy the wrong one and you'll give up the hobby.
Moving to GA can be a big problem, the detector you buy may not handle the hot mineralized red clay soils found there,
as most of us who moved there or currently live there know.

Tip, you don't find many Dealers selling Garrett's down there. I found that my 2500 Gti and 1500 lost 75% of it's depth capabilities
in GA soils...................hopefully some of the GA members will chime in, as to the detectors that handle the soils well.
I found the Minelab detectors were excellent machines to use.............

Another thing to look at in your case as stated is your health. You probably want a very light weight machine. In that case
the Sov. GT and the Gti2500 probably going to be too heavy for extended use. Larger coils not always the best to use, especially for coinshooting.
Better off with a smaller coil.

I don't care what anyone says about the MXT being a capable machine in the Atlanta area. I had one that went deep while living in NY. After
moving to GA, depth capabilities dropped to being unexceptionable and would not ID coins correctly below 3". I went thru countless machines
trying to find one that would handle the ground conditions.

I understand that the current Fisher-Teknetics line handle the ground well and are metered machines. T2, F75.

There are a number of clubs in Georgia that you can join....some don't take to Northerners well unless you can prove yourself over the course of a year.....

If your looking for a detector, suggest you try Richard at Backwoods Detectors, forum sponsor, you'll always get a good deal from him.......
http://www.backwoodsmetaldetectors.com/shop/category/used-metal-detectors/

 

[JB(MS)]

You said in your post that you're an old man and not well. If you aren't exaggerating there are a couple of important factors that haven't been mentioned, the weight and balance of the detector you choose. I'm pushing 70, arthiritic and have been swinging detectors for over 40 years. Until four or five years ago I could detect all day with any of the several detectors I always have on hand, regardless of weight or balance, but those days are gone and I now have to either hipmount or use lighter, well balanced detectors if I detect for much over two hours at a time. Weight and balance probably isn't a factor to the young guys, but they definitely become factors as we get older.

 

[marcomo]

A lot of great advice here, PP.

I can't add much. Like others said, light weight and good ergonomics are going to be very important to you with your health issues.

Sven is very knowledgable. If he tells you certain detectors don't handle Georgia's heavy mineralization well, take him at his word. Different ground conditions can cause one person to love a detector that another one can't effectively use.

Dave said it well, also. An easy to use and easy to learn detector is a big advantage when you're learning the hobby.

Buying an expensive and more complicated detector as a beginner decreases your chances of success.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Glenn,welcome to the forum.I would buy a used MXT.This would allow you to pick up a smaller coil and stay in your price range.One of the most important items over looked a good pin pointer,which makes life much easier and less frustrating.The Garrett Pro Pin pointer is my recommendation very user friendly and performs excellent.If you buy a nice used unit at a descent price you can almost always recovered your money invested in case you want to take up hang gliding. Good Luck

 

[Premium Parrots]

You guys are amazing. I already learned alot for you that makes alot of sense to me. And I appreciate all the quick responses. Keep them coming.

Ok, I guess I better be alittle more specific about my health. My cartiolgist says I can live another 10 years or so. Of course he can be wrong. Hope so. He says I can't live in the northerner climate because my arteries will contract if I go out in the cold. Hence the reason to move to Georgia. I do have a home in Arizona but I rent that out to a lil ole lady that needs to live there till its her time to pass on. I don't think I want to live there anyway except for the gold hunting opportunities lol. Arthritis is a big problem. My other ailments won't interfer with useing a detector. A lighter detector or one where the battery pack detaches so I can hook it to my belt would be nice but is not necessary. I was a very strong man when I was younger and I was always a very motivated worker, Even now I still do things the cartiolgist says that I shouldn't Its hard to adjust to taking it easy. I have to limit my activities but walking is fine unless my knees, hips, or ankles happen to be bothering me at the time. Arthritis can flare up at any time in these and other areas. Sorry too expose you to my ailments but I guess its helpfull for you to know some of the things.

I have a good friend that has been prospecting and detecting for a long time. He is semi-retired and he and his wife will take a week at a time and travel just for this purpose. I've learned alot from him over the years but I haven't used a detector untill just lately. He has the Minelab Sovereign and a Garrett GT 2500. So his experiance is with these 2 units. He gets alot of info from the different forums. Still he doesn't know as much as some of you good people do. And hes one of these guys that will think that his brand/model is the best or is the most suitable for everybody. I don't think he understands the soil in Georgia and from what I've heard that can make a big difference in the detector I select. Hes a great guy but I'm not to sure I can depend upon his opinion on what is best for me. I have used a cheaper brand for about a week recently and I know I can handle the job. My biggest concern is that I get a detector that discrimate well enough so I don't have to dig up everytime the dam thing beeps. Thats why I have decided to spend as much as $1000. I'm thinkin if I spend the $ it will keep the work load down somewhat. Maybe I'm wrong.

It looks like my choices have already been narrowed since I first posted. These seem to be the best choices now...

Minelab Safari w/standard DD 11" coil
Minelab X-Terra 705 w/standard 9" and 5x10" coils
Whites MXT 300 w/standard ltd 300 12" coil
Whites MXT pro w/standard ltd 300 12" coil

I found a store in my area that specializes in detectors so I'm going to try and get there today. I'm kind of locked into buying from Kellyco now so thats where I will be purchasing. The second salesperson I talked to there seems to be a great guy and I do trust him. He recommended that I check the different forums, especially this forum. You all know him and he knows I am here asking. My buddy is probably a member here also. I just haven't told either that I have already joined up. Anyway, I'm the type of guy that likes to get several opinions on things before I take the plunge. I do my research first so that I don't mind spending the $. If I buy a crappy detector it will end up in the closet. I need to get a decent one right away. I truely think treasure hunting is right for me. It will get me out of the house, light excersize, and I can get away from the stress. The stress part being the most important acording to the cartiolgist. LOL but today both of my knees are saying "DON'T DO IT". In a few days the arthritis will calm down in them. I have a great pair of kneepads.

I greatly appreciate your comments so far. Please keep them coming. If you have any other questions for me please let me know.

Glenn

 

[zeekeys]

Glenn welcome.
Also welcome to my world. I am 69, hip fusion, left leg over 1" shorter than right, curvature of spine and can't get on my knees unless I have a park bench next to me to get up.
Glenn these guys are telling you the truth. I would not get a machine over 3 pounds. I had the GTI1500, XLT, Safari, and a few others in the last 5 years. I loved the Safari and it worked great but I could only swing the thing for 3 hours and would go home exhausted. If I stayed to long out there I couldn't go hunting the next day.
I would not buy and expensive first detector. You may think you will like detecting but you don't know? So many expensive detectors are for sale with less than 40 hours on them because the people couldn't stand detecting.
I have a F70 and it works very good for me. I do prefer a smaller coil just because it is even lighter. Mostly use 6.5 coil. I have an 11" coil but have been using smaller standard coil on the F70. I am not recommending getting the F70 for the first detector. I would recommend the F2, Ace 250, Tesoro has some light good detectors, Teknetics: Omega, Delta. You really want your first detector to help break you into detecting and than you can tell where you want to go when you have some detecting time under your belt. If you like detecting you will want to have another detector. It is in all of us to have more than one detector.
Maybe break in easy?
Thanks for reading and Happy Trails.....Z

 

[twoscoots]

Try to swing one from a friend first if possible ,make sure that the store has what you want in STOCK! You can learn a lot in 1-2 hours of swinging and bendingm good luck scoot

 

[Markmac]

Glen you may want to look at the Teknetics Omega 8000 with the three coil pkg that is available now.i have used garrett and Tesoro older ones but i have to tell you this new Omega i have had for a few months is an amazing detector for the money.I have never found as many coins as i have with this Omega and the three coil pkg gives you the std 10 inch eliptical coild the 11 inch dd coil and the 5 inch dd coil so it will cover about any use you need in my opinion what ever thats worth lol.Have a great time and welcome to this wonderful hobby...Markmac.

 

[XT18000]

Just a thought you might think on; due to your problems, pick the lightest detector you can find and
can be fitted with the smallest sniper coil then detect only in areas like parks, yards, sports fields, and
other more flat areas. Leave the heavy work to the younger guy and become a specialist! These smaller
( very light ) coils will still find the good stuff at good depth and are a joy to use all day if your legs will
hold up. Yes I know they don't cover as much ground as a large coil but they won't break your arm to
use them. I have most of the same problems that you do and I am 71 this month so I know what I speak
of. The brand detector is of little concern as long as it is a name brand and has the features you want
or need. I use several for all kinds of detecting but the one I use most is a SOV. GT with one of the old
coinsearch coils ( very light with good depth ) also has a Digisearch meter and is used chest mounted.
I can use this outfit all day and still be able to feed myself at supper time and get my self undressed
and in bed without help! Yes there are units that can go deeper ( I have one of MineLabs big gold
machines that has a 18" coil that will find stuff down in the multiple feet range ) but its not fun to use
unless you are pulling nuggets out to make it worth your while. Give it some thought before you buy!
Welcome to detecting for old folks 101.

XT18000

 

[zeekeys]

WOW what a great reply XT18000. Thanks! Happy Trails.....Z

 

[mrwilburino]

I strongly agree with the other posters' recommendation to get a lighter detector. I don't have heart problems but I am a nurse and I know what you guys go through. An afternoon of swinging a detector and digging deep targets in the hot sun is more work than most people realize. I would go with something that you could hip or chest mount. The Minelab Sovereign would be a great choice. I've been using a Fisher CZ-3D, that's another one that can be hip mounted and is a great machine for finding coins. You might want to take a look at that one also.

 

[boxofchocolates]

PP, the early 1800's sites will be interesting since they haven't been detected......You will probably find so many good things that you'll think your young again because.....preoccupied....anyway take your time enjoy it swing slow......learn the detector you choose......hh
Dan

 

[Hombre]

I'd suggest a Tesoro Silver

 

[lafatlife]

One thing not mentioned here is what you are going to dig with. There are long handled diggers that would be better for you because of arthritis. Also you will need a finds pouch for trash and your treasures and I recommend a good pair of gloves. You never know when you are going to dig a bottle cap with glass attached to it.

I have used a couple of the machines you mentioned and as a beginner, I would not recommend the Safari. The signals with confuse you and get you frustrated.

I bought the Omega 8000 last year and have not looked back. It is a killer coin machine, I have found 1 gold ring with it and several silver rings. It is light weight and balanced, it has a notch feature, and manual as well as automatic ground balance. You can also get the other coils with it in a package for less than $700.

Take a look at the teknetics area here and see what others are saying about it.

Of course, the bottom line is you have to find a detector that speaks to you. You want something that you are going to keep using. Of course when you starting finding coins and such you will be hooked anyway.

Good luck to you.

 

[Premium Parrots]

This is turning out to be a great thread. You all answering the questions that most people should be asking when thinking about treasure hunting for themselves. This thread should help a lot of people in the future too. I have thought about the proper shovel with a long handle and how it will hook to a belt, and a lot of other things that most people probably don't think about. I did a lot of research last winter when I was thinking of buying one but it would have been stupid to get one then cuz there was 2 foot of snow on the ground. Thats not much for the chicago area tho. I guess I could have spent the money then and used the detector to find my vehicles in 6 feet of snow. .

I do come here several times a day to see the responses and its very helpfull. I'm really starting to get a feel for what is best for me, not being in as good of shape as I used to be. I still have untill next week before I will commit. I will let you know before I purchase in case anyone thinks that its not the right decision I will give them a change to state there case.

I know the soil is different in Georgia and the detector I choose will be judged with that in mind. Also, I think a lighter detector is probably a better choice as I don't know what the future holds. I find that as time goes by I do get weaker, apparently we all will. sucks.

Anyway, I just wanted to give you all an update and thank you all again for your input. Its great to get users opinions.

Again, thank you

PP