Never go out detecting without a minimum of 2 detectors even if its just to one of my local permissions,if its say a all day detecting session and after usually doing my homework on the location then i can take 3 or even more detectors with me and a selection of coils as well.
A few reason why !!! if i have travelled some distance and on firing up the 'main' detector it is showing a problem for what ever reason this could be say battery issues with the Deus or anything else electronic wise then i can use one of the backup machines rather than travel some distance home to get a replacement one,also sites conditions and targets can vary by a massive margin and as a general rule no one machine or coil combination does it all,the site could be very trashy like most saxon/roman sites are,so a machine with a small coil will be the best weapon of choice,deep pasture or rolled and ploughed would require a detector with a bigger coil on to gain the extra depth.
Also if a friend or someone new would like to try detecting then a spare machine can also help promote the hobby/pastime,prehaps the land owner would like to try and give it a go,this then would give you a feather in your cap and possibly help you in additional land.
Always take a small selection of coils along with me as well,once again different sites require different tactics and either a smaller or larger coil to get the best out of that permission.Another thing i carry with me is a basic essential kit like spare batteries for detector and pinpointer,spare set of headphones and coil bolts just incase anything goes wrong and it usually does when you dont carry a few essential spares or another detector.
It may seem like alot of hassle but in all the years that i have been detecting have never been caught out and unable to detect yet,better be safe than sorry as the old saying goes.
