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What do I need to consider when buying first expensive detector?

A

archer

Member
I am looking for some input from the more experienced on this board. I plan to buy an upper end metal detector and would like some help. I know there is no single right answer and am not asking anyone to make a decision for me.

I want to get a detector that will work passably well out of the box (maybe good factory presets/defaults) that will allow me to grew into an experienced user and take advantage of the full abilities of the instrument as learn. I will probably keep and use the same detector for many, many years as I suspect the real secret is getting to know your particular detector intimately.

Any input is appreciated
 
You should provide some details on where you are located and the type of detecting you plan to do.
 
I am in central Arizona. I will be looking for coins, rings etc... primarily, but may also do a little relic hunting.

I retire soon and will be traveling and want to make metal detecting an integral part of my travels.
 
Old coins can be 8" or more deep in soft soil. I would think gold rings lost during the past 20 years would not be so deep and would be easy to detect. I would get a detector that is hotter on silver than gold.
 
Archer,the Arizona region may eliminate a lot of metal detectors because of ground conditions.A Minelab Sovereign works well in bad ground conditions.You can find a used Sovereign XS cheap but by the time you modify the unit with a straight shaft for balance,an inline probe and 180 meter it will be expensive, but worth the money spent.An old Fisher CZ6 weather proof,great depth and will work well in harsh weather conditions a great detector.The Minelab Explorer is a great detector I have had two the XS and II these detectors are complicated are awkward to use for some hunters the benchmark for all units.Go to a dealer and have a hands on demo before you invest your money.
 
One thing I look for in a detector is sweep speed tolerance. I prefer ones that can be swept moderately fast in less trashy areas without losing depth and that also have the ability to pick thru the trash at a slower pace again with decent depth.
my 2 zincs

Hope this helps

Tom
 
You should consider the White's MXT. It is a high gain machine so you can get good depth with little if any tweaking. All knobs and toggles (very intuitive)no menus to have to hunt through. Wide range of avaliable coils. Sunray probe avaliable. I would get a aluminium arm cuff the stock one is light but will break the only complaint common to whites. Three modes Coin and Jewelery, Relic, and Prospecting. Being in Arizona I would want the Prospecting mode for gold and meteorites. I have used and have access to Explorers including the new SE and many of the White's models but being an older guy I just love the knobs and toggles. Items in menus can have unintended consequences that can really put a damper on your day (my experience with the DFX and Explorers). Knobs you just look down does it look good? Are you getting to much chatter or not enough adjust the sensitivity one way or the other. I still recall fondly the analog meters the way the needle swung you could just tell what was there. I don't remember digging as much trash. Old school I guess.
 
I believe the Minelab Sovereign GT is the best. Not the fastest sweep speeds...but deadly accurate once you learn it. Good for nearly every ground condition. The sounds are music once you know them all. A meter will help you get there quicker as it helps learn the sounds.
 
No,the Explorer isn't a good starter unit.Go to a dealer and have a hands on trying to use different metal detectors.If you compared an Explorer to an Ace 250 on a hands on you would buy the Garrett because the learning is short and its fun to use.The Explorer will be another career and work before it can be appreciated.My suggestion a Whites M6 would probably serve you well.
 
What experience do you have at swinging a detector? If none then you may not even like detecting. Then I would recommend the Ace 250. It's fun and has different modes that can be tweaked. At only $212 you won't loose much money if you sell it or put it in the closet. Don't think that just because you buy a $1000 detector you won't dig pulltabs and such. The 250 in the proper hands will perform quite well. Just my opinion.
 
I bought my 1st detector about 20 years ago give or take. It is a Tesoro Mayan. It ended up in the closet when the kids (5 of them) got old enough for sports. Last one has moved out. Pulled it out last week and have been out to swing it a few times. I enoy metal detecting and now have both the time and the money to indulge myself.

I found my first silver tonight since breaking the detector out, a 1945 mercury dime.

I don't want to buy something I will want to upgrade to soon. Are the upper end detectors that difficult?
 
That's good - you have experience enough to know that you like detecting. I've seen and read about a lot of people buying an expensive detector only to find out hunting is not for them. I have never been a fan of scrolling through menu's to set up a machine. I like having buttons to push or knobs to adjust. Still I have been detecting since 1985 and last year got a hold of the Ace 250. I have been having a blast with it. It's light weight and powerful. All the adjustments right on the face plate. I can afford and have had high priced detectors but choose the Ace 250 for general hunting. There is no "one" detector that can do it all. If your soil is mineralized you may need an auto track or manual adjust GB. Or if your hunting in wet salt sand you'll need a detector for that. I really think you would be surprised by the power and features of the Ace 250. But would suggest the Whites M6 if you have the need for a GB feature. But the M6 is about 1 pound heavier - but is balanced well. What ever you purchase get the small coil for it. Try to find a multi-line dealer and swing them all.
 
Well after reading some of the posts I would take a very close look at the White's DFX,MXT or M6 are very good on relic and coins.
Tesoro Talon is also a very good coin and relic hunter.
Minlab EX11 and Fisher T2 or F75 are coin killers also.
Garrett 2500 is a mean coin hunter
What I am trying to say is if you stay with the good brands of detectors
YOU WILL GET A GOOD UNIT.SHOP AROUND AND GO TO TR CLUBS and test detectors ETC.
I HAVE 6 DETECTORS AND WANT TO ADD THE GPX 4000 TO THE LIST.
This is my 3 top hunters Minlab 3500,XL PRO and M6
 
I have been hunting for just over 20 years and had to put my machines aside for a few years in the middle also, due to the children, work, and just plain stupidity.

I have run through a fair number of units, some more expensive than others. The XLT, although a machine with a great history and preformance record, just wasn't for me. The buried menus and it still wouldn't do the one thing that I really wanted. The ace250 great TID machine for the money, no complaints other than it had problems on a beach that I like to hunt, black sand. The Vaquero, VERY nice unit, but I wanted depth reading and tone. I finally settled on an M6 by White's.

Big display, 7 tone ID, auto track or locked GB, really good dynamic audio even in single tone setting, lots of coils, made in North America, good service reputation, nice to use machine with good presets, at a glance ability to see your settings, easy to tweak on the fly, good battery life, rugged, killer on coins, can hunt very deep, great for surface skimmming, VCO pinpoint not auto retune, and not that expensive really. The only drawback that I have found so far and it is a [size=x-small]small[/size] one, no ability to lock it in all metal mode. There is a part of me that thinks an analogue meter would be nice rather than the LCD display. I got used to watching how needles deflect and behave using test equipment at work. The LCD stuff just can't behave the same way and it is fun learning the needle behaviour.

If I had to pick a non-metered machine it would be the Vaquero.

These are the things that I have found to be considerations/ important to me over the last 20 years of hunting that went into deciding what to buy.
 
Look at weight & balance of unit,depth,i.d.,pinpointing.Look at Teknetics T2 it is good at all of the above.Let us know what you decide
 
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