Older detector that was good in iron?

[Canewrap]

Thinking of revisiting the analog detectors and was wondering what was one of the best older detectors in iron? Also, would be interested in one that was well balanced. Could be a bit heavy, like between 4 and 5lbs, but well balanced. Hopefully, tones or a meter of some kind too. Getting a bit fed up with VDIs and LCDs, since for deep (8-10" relic hunting) targets, numbers are about useless. Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[garys relics]

Try a nautilus dmc 2ba. There is no meter, but hunts in all metal in one earphone ad discriminates in the other. Deep on relics, and can be found used for about $400 dollars. Check. Out Kellyco web site.

 

[Hombre]

If you are working very old sites, then your biggest problem trash is iron nails, the only thing you need is iron discrimination. The original Bandido (circa 1990) is the best I have ever used in the iron nails. It weighs 3 pounds, operates with two 9 volt batteries, has the famous ED-120 disc. circuit, 10 turn ground balance adjustment, threshold based all-metal mode. It does not have a meter or tone ID, just a beep/dig type machine that just plain 'ol works. I have seen them in the $175 to $200 range, also Tesoro still has parts and service for them. Just my 2

 

[Canewrap]

What size coil does it have and what size coils were available for it? About how much depth would you lose when you discriminated out nails?

 

[Hombre]

The Bandido comes standard with an white thin profile 8" concentric coil. It discriminates a small nail when set at minimum disc.so it will get full depth capability at nail rejection. Hunting in nails, you will not get maximum depth which by the way will hit a dime at 8" in cleaner ground. To get the depth, you need to hear the faint whisper of a deep target, not possible with the clicks, ticks and sputtering in the nails.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

N/T

 

[Canewrap]

You've described most of the old homesites I hunt when you talk about a bed of nails. If I get an indication that it's an older homesite, like pre-1900, then I start cleaning out some of the nails to open up gaps in the detecting field, but it really helps to have a detector with quick recovery, so I'm not digging nails for years before recovering something worth hunting for.

 

[Hombre]

You've described most of the old homesites I hunt when you talk about a bed of nails. If I get an indication that it's an older homesite, like pre-1900, then I start cleaning out some of the nails to open up gaps in the detecting field, but it really helps to have a detector with quick recovery, so I'm not digging nails for years before recovering something worth hunting for.

The Bandido can use all of the

 

[JB(MS)]

By far the best for hunting iron laden sites of many of used, but it wasn't a depth demon. It could get a dime 6 inches deep, quarters at 8 inches, but that was it's limit and the ground here is very mild. Do a search here on Findmall for GMT 1650 and read what Monte and I posted about the 1650 for more info on it. Link is to Archives of older 1650 posts on my website.

Link: GMT 1650