What Was It That Got You Started With Metal Detecting?:shrug:

[John-Edmonton]

A buddy of mine took me out with his old Garrett ADS, and I already saw the potential there. Money was tough at that time, so I bargained with my wife to quit smoking, and buy a decent metal detector. My first real detector was a Garrett Ultra 500 (had a cheap Radio Shack Model Before.....not worth mentioning) and the rest is history. I have stuck with Garrett for over 20 years, and have done very well with their equipment.

 

[Buddy_TX]

n/t

 

[Buddy_TX]

My Dad. In 1956 my dad bought a Whites Goldmaster (BFO). he took it and all of the kids in the front yard and started finding pennies and silver dimes. The house we lived in then was built in the 1890's. Got in my blood then and has never left. After high school and 3 years in the army been hunting ever since, close to 47 years now and still love it. My first machine (I still have it) was a Whites TR Amphibian, $69.00 brand new. That unit paid for the next 4 or 5 detectors I bought. Been thru a bunch of them over the years but seem to stay with water machines anymore. The AT PRO my latest addition.

Buddy_ TX

 

[jim tn]

I was a coin collector at the time, 1972, and had seen a ad showing a metal detector and how it could find coins, jewelry and anything metal. I thought what a great way to supplement my coin collecting and went and bought a cheap metal detector. A few years later I sold my coin collection, but have been collecting things found with metal detectors ever since. Pretty neat hobby IMHO. HH jim tn

 

[kajunman]

John, I'm 54 years old. Growing up we used to get the huge JC Penney and Sears catalogs a few months before Christmas. In the Sears catalog they advertised metal detectors and I always wanted one. I never got one though. I had mentioned to my wife that I always wanted a metal detector. So I did a little research and gave her a couple of options. Keep in mind , I didn't even know what a pinpointer was even after researching the detectors.

So 3 1/2 years ago for Christmas I get up Christmas morning not sure if she got me a detector. Lo and behold my wife ordered me an ACE 350 package from Kellyco. It came with one of those cheap Fisher pointers and a finds bag from Garrett. Kellyco also included the usual Gator digger /gloves and rain cover , knife etc. I put it together and watched the video. Went in my backyard the first signal I got was a quarter signal. I dig and it's a quarter.

I didn't get to hunt much because of work. It was April following that Christmas , I went detecting on a Sunday afternoon at a school that was about to be torn down. First time I had been in 2 months. I had been hunting for a couple of hours , finding clad and buttons. I turned off my detector and was walking back to my truck and looked over and saw one little area I hadn't hunted. Turned on the detector and that's when my BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! moment happened. I found a ring from the 1970 Mundial De Futbol (world cup of soccer). Team Mexico. It's gold and big like a class ring. I've been hooked with no looking back ever since. I have other detectors as well as my 350 now but that 350 will never leave my arsenal. That was the one that got me addicted and I'm forever grateful.

sidenote: John I still hunt with my 350. I like that it doesn't have numbers. It keeps you from overthinking and it's a whole lot of fun.

 

[John-Edmonton]

I can relate to that.......one special good target and the addiction starts.

 

[John-Edmonton]

I too have been a coin collector since I was about 14. And...all those silvers, large cents and other unique old coins have been a free bonus. Several years ago, I tried making some coin rings.....the first few were pretty sad wobbly looking items, however, I persevered and got it down to an art. Metal detecting is such a great hobby/sport. great exercise and super stress reliever.

 

[John-Edmonton]

Wow! You have been at for for a long...long time. I bet when you started, there was plenty of silver coins buried everywhere. Finding silver coins today is a real specialty.

 

[Waterdog]

I stopped by this Garage sale, seen this suitcase with these white disks in it and asked the guy there what it was ? He looked over at me and said " That's a metal detector kid and I want $ 100 for it ." . So I asked him if he could show me how it worked , he told me I 'll tell you what I 'll give it to you for $ 50. Again I asked him how it worked, If I was going to pay him $ 50 and it did not work then I would be out $ 50. He again reduced the price to $ 40 and told me that the battery thing was broke and I could take it down the street, get a battery thing and some batteries. Save my receipts and if it did not work he would give me my money back including the battery holder and the 14 AA batteries it held.
After I got it up and running took it to a park in 1972, I found $38 plus Jewelry in the first tot lot, and there was another one just down the street that produced over $40 plus more Jewelry. This thing paided for itself and I was hooked.

Still stop at those Garage sales but haven't found another deal like that.

 

[Pyledriver]

I was interested in searching for caches after having found one by accident at 14. After having notions of treasure 'poo poo'd' by those around me during my younger days, I finally 'remembered' that dream in my late 30's. I've been through a ton of detectors since then, mostly because they didn't fit my criteria such as being portable or waterproof. I certainly liked the AT Pro when it came out and modified the shaft to make it as portable as possible. Admittedly though, for true raw power, I ended up deciding it wasn't quite still what I wanted. I will always have an AT though, as well as a few other machines, but portable and waterproof have now become my two main criteria and everything beyond that is secondary. Having said that, a powerful VLF with decent disc, foldable and small, waterproof to at LEAST 10' (preferably more), and I'm in! Currently I have two non-Garrett machines, one PI and one VLF in those 'niches', but will get the Max when it comes out because it should be a fantastic 'everything else' machine, just like my Pro was! Especially because I get bored between trips and sometimes like to hunt around old farmhouses or other places I sometimes get invited to. As a side note I will mention that I've always found Garrett machines to tough and reliable in bad conditions! I take care of my equipment but I can definitely say that when things are really bad, Garret machines have not disappointed.

 

[fongu]

I got started metal detecting to find a lost pistol for my older brother in 2007 and enjoy it very much when I can get out and do some dirt fishing.