Prospective Treasure Hunter Seeks Advice

[FZE]

I've recently begun borrowing a cousin's White's Spectrum XLT metal detector, and for the short time that I've been using it (and it's been functional), I've been really intrigued.

The first night we borrowed it, it was nonfunctional. We looked inside and noticed that one of the leads that the battery pack connects to was broken, so we ended up taking apart the housing and soldering the tip back on. Unfortunately, it left us with little time to do any real metal detecting.

Today, I took it out in the back yard to learn more about it (having downloaded and read the manual - I learned quite a bit), and try some techniques I'd read about. I went over my yard for a few minutes until I got a pretty solid hit, then grabbed the shovel and worked my way through about 3" of soil (which the detector more or less accurately pinpointed), and after scanning a few hunks of dirt, came out with about a third of an old pie tin. Hooray.

Even this was pretty exciting. I've considering getting into metal detecting for some time and wanted some advice. I'm not sure if my cousin would be willing to sell me the detector, his mother paid $1300 for it sometime shortly before 2000, the hardware and software seem a little dated. Unfortunately, the little use we've given it has already bent the same lead back, so I'm thinking of either re-soldering it or adding some sort of insulated backstop to keep it stable. Considering the age and damage of the detector, what would be a fair price?

For that matter, would it even be worth it to try and maintain this detector? It was the first I ever used (just after his mother bought it, actually. I was maybe 11 at the time, and my was it heavy), so there's limited sentimental appeal there, but if it would be a waste of my time and money to keep the thing going, I'm open to suggestions. I unfortunately don't have a ton of money to spend, and probably couldn't afford anything over $700, even with a generous "Christmas budget".

What would be a reasonable sum for a first metal detector, just to learn the basics and decide if it's something I'd be willing to invest in?

 

[zeekeys]

Hi FZE,
I would not buy it. You have no idea what is wrong with it.
You can get a new one. I would not get a $700 detector for my first detector. I would get a simple, light detector for about $200.
You don't know if you are going to like metal detecting? It is a time consuming hobby, Do you have time? It can be overwhelming because there is a lot to learn and it comes at you all at once. You will never stop learning. It is not an easy hobby. It takes lots of patience. It can be a very frustrating hobby. You must love the hunt. You must like to be outdoors. I could go on and on but it is up to you. Think about it before you do anything and I hope more will answer you too.....Z

 

[lilmax25]

It depends on where you would be planning on hunting. Also like zeekeys said, i absolutley would not spend 700 dollars on a first detector. Most of those in that price are for more experinced with metal detectos (which i am certainly saying that your not) but as they go higher in price range they seem to get more difficult to understand and seem to get more complicated and takes more time to learn.

 

[FZE]

Thanks for the responses. The only thing apparently wrong with the Spectrum XLT is the damaged leads, but there's no real telling what time has done to the machine. I've been looking at the Garrett Ace 250, which Amazon sells for $249 (on sale at the moment for $205). The ratings are pretty good, but some feel it's a little indiscriminate. Other detectors, like the Bounty Hunter Tracker IV, at $109, come more highly rated, but the metal detector field seems to be one that adheres firmly to the "getting what one pays for" mindset.

Would an online store be the best place to buy? I don't know of any shops that might specialize in this sort of equipment in town (Louisville, KY), but I might find some with a little digging. Any online retailers of strong reputation I should look for?

 

[tabdog]

Hay FZE,

Zeekeys is right on as far as what he said.

I like the Garrett Ace 250 better than the

Bounty Hunter Tracker IV.

But I am a gold jewelry hunter and those

two machines are not sensitive enough to

small gold jewelry for my liking.

I find a lot of gold jewelry. The machine that

finds the most for me cost me $70 used.

Here's some of my jewelry finds.

It is a very simple machine. His name is Speedy.

It just has one knob, no switches or display.

It only has a single tone response.

Not for most people, but it can't be beat in a tot lot

and it is my first choice for heavy trash infested sites.

They are $152 new with a life time warranty.

But, you probably would not like it. Most newbees don't.

Good Luck,

Tabdog

 

[FZE]

Once and if I get some experience in the field, I have every intention of buying one of those. That is quite possibly the most awesome piece of hardware I've ever laid eyes on. I think, once we've finished with the Spectrum, I'll go ahead and order the Garret. When you say that those two machines aren't sensitive enough to small jewelry for your liking, would it be possible to use a different coil to hunt that sort of thing, or is that lack of sensitivity a result of the controlling hardware? Coins will be a definite part of what I'll try hunting for, but jewelry would also be nice to find, and I wouldn't want a machine that limits me to one thing or another.

 

[tabdog]

Hay FZE,

The 250 and the BH both operate between 6kHz and 7kHz.

You can not change the charistics enough by changing the coil, although
a smaller coil does make them more sensitive.

VLF metal detectors of these types, and operating at that low of a frequency,
are better at responding to silver or copper, which are higher conductors than
gold or iron.

They are aimed at the coin hunters market.

These types of VLF metal detectors respond to gold better if they have an
operating frequency of 10kHz or more. Up to about 19kHz, or something like
that, I'm not for sure how high.

Garrett makes the Scorpion Gold Stinger and it Operates at 15khz, but it's
too heavy for me. But it finds small gold jewelry very well.

Whites makes the MXT. It operates at 14kHz and is a well known for finding
small gold jewelry finder. It's heavy also.

The Tesoro'es all operate at 10kHz to over 17kHz and they all find small gold
jewelry very well.

The Compadre operates at 12kHz and finds most of my small jewelry.

The list goes on. But Tesoro'es are about the most affordable of these.

The Tesoroes are the lightest MD's on the market and well made, with
a life time warranty. They perform well also.

People accuse me of selling Tesoro'es but I just like them.

Whites and a few others make some 4 filter machines that work well on small
gold jewelry, but are heavy and expensive, unless you get a deal on a used
one.

For the price of a good new coil, you could buy a used Compadre as a gold
finder for tot lots and heavy trash sites. The 250 has it's share of problems in
trash because of the slower response speed.

The Compadre comes with a small coil. You would then have no need to get
a small coil for the 250.

To me that set-up is a no brainer.

Compadre and Ace 250 sound like a killer combo for some one that wanted to
find coins and fewelry.

That's just my take on it. Some people just think I'm a dumb old hick. I may be.

I don't know much about other brands. I do know some about using single tone
Tesoro'es though, because I'm a gold hunter on a budget, and I found what works
for me.

Happy Hunting,

Tabdog

 

[ben2go]

I use a Garrett Ace 250.It is rated beginner to experienced.As a beginner,I have found the Ace 250 to be very easy to learn.Every time I have had a signal I have found something.It's great for building confidence.It's also light weight and I can swing it for hours without a break.

 

[zeekeys]

FZE
Why don't you contact some of the sponsors of this forum. I am sure you would be happy with what you could get from them. You could also get advice from them on a detector where Amazon sells them and has no idea how they work or if it would be a good detector for you.
You can also look at the classified section of the forum for a detector. I see a lot of guys selling detectors.
Just trying to help....Z

 

[GRAY GHOST]

hi fze, and welcome. i would suggest you steer clear of the old and already problematic white's - and buy yourself a new machine. a tesoro compadre or garrett ace 250 would be a good starting point. the machines new are around 150 [tesoro] and around 200+ for the garrett. both give a lot of bang for the buck without leaving a big dent in your pocket. that way, if you buy new, you have a lifetime warranty from tesoro, not sure about the warranty on the garrett.

a lifetime warranty? yeah, that's pretty hard to beat. all tesoro's are guaranteed for life. whatever your choices might be, good luck, don't forget to fill your holes back, be patient and persistent, and post up your finds! hh,

 

[Uncle Willy]

The Bounty Hunter is not near the detector the 250 is. The 250 is the most sold machine out there and for good reason.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

Here's some of my better rings and gold ones, many of them found with the 250. Got another pic of just silver rings.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

Every newbie should start out with an entry level detector to see if they will even like the hobby and to learn the basics of detecting. Expensive machines have a long learning curve and can often frustrate a new user to the point of quitting. That's my two cents from spending 44 years behind a detector.

Bill

 

[ben2go]

Every newbie should start out with an entry level detector to see if they will even like the hobby and to learn the basics of detecting. Expensive machines have a long learning curve and can often frustrate a new user to the point of quitting. That's my two cents from spending 44 years behind a detector.

Bill

I agree and that's why I bought a Garrett Ace 250.The included video shows you everything needed to get started.There is also a lot of good videos on youtube.

 

[Uncle Willy]

You made a wise choice. That's a machine you can learn with and keep on using. I have a closet full of expensive machines but hunt mostly with the 250. It will do just about everything the high dollar machines will do. I field tested that one for Garrett and told them they would have a hot seller on their hands. Good luck and drop by my Garrett Forum and show us what you find.

Many of those videos on You Tube are from members of my forum.

Bill