Where did all the metal detectors go.

[Ted S]

I am down to four detectors. A Minelab Sovereign, an Explorer SE,an Equinox 600 and an Equinox 900. I Played bass guitar in bar bands from 1979 to around 1995. Just bought an Ampeg BA 108 bass amp and was playing just yesterday with my 2012 Fender P-bass select. I bought my first Fender P-bass new in 1971..Wish I had it yet. I used to get called to play rhythm guitar once in a while. I had a Marshall JCM half stack and a Les Paul Custom 20th Anniversary guitar which I still have. I think I have 6 guitars and 2 basses left yet One guitar is a rare Charvel Model 88. I used that one for 80s rock music. You can see a pic of the 88 on Reverb.com ..It's the only one with a hot pink pickup! I have had many hobbies but metal detecting has really paid out for me as far as keeping in shape and finding some cool stuff! Music has also treated me well as I made a few bucks doing that too! Ted

 

[sasquache]

This has to be the first time in history that people seem to be happy with what they are swinging. I see the classifieds are the most quiet I can recall seeing them. I'm guessing most folk are finally happy with what they are using, or is there something else afoot. Could it be the $600.00 transactions limit? The economy stupid? It couldn't be the price of the detectors, back in the day most good detectors were $700.00 to well over $1000.00, but now detectors can be had for under $500.00 and even cheaper on the used market. Or could it be most all of the try buy, try and sell guys have died off or smartened up like I did and realized and came to realized all metal detectors go beat when passed over metal. Now some can argue depth, target separation, masking, but unless your a professional hunter all that stuff might stoke your ego, but in reality, most of us are tot lot hunters with the occasional beach hunt thrown in the mix.

I'm just curious where all the detectors have gone. Or could it be I'm mistaken and all this is just a bunch of rambling from an old man and who is a reformed buy and try guy and metal detector hoarder.

Yes I also noticed this, for me I've always had 1 or 2 detectors but now I have the CTX 3030 its not a closet Queen by any menes but it works well but I would like to try the whites V3I but since they are not in business any longer I haven't made the jump.

 

[Mark kus]

My personal opinion is that you really only need 3 a pulse and two multi frequency detectors one as a backup The new multis can be also used as a single frequency also I own a Manticore and a D2
Mark

 

[MuddyMo]

Yeah but……

 

[TRIPLE-SSS]

My personal opinion is that you really only need 3 a pulse and two multi frequency detectors one as a backup The new multis can be also used as a single frequency also I own a Manticore and a D2
Mark

Funny, Feel the same way.

 

[Sand Sifter]

My personal opinion is that you really only need 3 a pulse and two multi frequency detectors one as a backup The new multis can be also used as a single frequency also I own a Manticore and a D2
Mark

I have the SMF's covered with a Sovereign Elite and X-Terra Elite. Oh, I also have a White's Coinmaster IV that my mom bought me about 55 years ago, but I keep it for sentimental reasons, it's more of a museum relic compared to my Minelab's. I'll take a pass on a PI, that's a whole nuther animal and since I'm approaching 68 in a few months, I just don't want to be digging everything remotely made of metal, lol.

 

[Mark kus]

I have the SMF's covered with a Sovereign Elite and X-Terra Elite. Oh, I also have a White's Coinmaster IV that my mom bought me about 55 years ago, but I keep it for sentimental reasons, it's more of a museum relic compared to my Minelab's. I'll take a pass on a PI, that's a whole nuther animal and since I'm approaching 68 in a few months, I just don't want to be digging everything remotely made of metal, lol.

Yep I understand my friend is a PI expert and he digs very deep coins he was going to loan me a GPX I believe he has 2
But I have not gone down that road yet I’ve seen him digging feet deep! Not inches lol
Mark

 

[mtdoramike]

I think I have finally figured out where all the used detectors have gone thanks to all the responses. They are being hoarded hahahaha!

 

[Sand Sifter]

Yep I understand my friend is a PI expert and he digs very deep coins he was going to loan me a GPX I believe he has 2
But I have not gone down that road yet I’ve seen him digging feet deep! Not inches lol
Mark

I recently picked up the X-Terra Elite, haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but that will soon change as my stepson has an 11-acre farmette that was built around 1900, so I'll use the X-Terra to hunt for some old coins. But I've been swinging my Sovereign Elite on beaches for the last 10+ years, and the Sov detects deeper than I feel like digging, lol. I've never really used the stock 10" coil as I prefer my SEF 12x10 & SEF 15x12 Butterfly's. The 12x10 SEF is my sweet spot coil and has had me digging 1/2 way to China more times than I can count.

One time, I got a high-pitched tone, so I was thinking higher conductivity, possibly silver. It was a nice smooth & solid tone, so I stuck my scoop into the sand and started digging, and digging, and kept digging. When I finally found the target, which was one of those kid's collapsible fruity drink pouches, I had a pretty good-sized hole. For some reason, I decided to step into the hole to see how deep it was. The top of the hole was equal to the top of my kneecap, which is 24"/2 feet. I really wish that target was a silver dollar, would have made all that digging a lot more worthwhile. But personally, with a Sovereign and 12x10 or 15x12 SEF Butterfly coil, I really don't feel the need to ever venture down the PI path. My digging arm is already worn out.

 

[C.J.M.]

This has to be the first time in history that people seem to be happy with what they are swinging. I see the classifieds are the most quiet I can recall seeing them. I'm guessing most folk are finally happy with what they are using, or is there something else afoot. Could it be the $600.00 transactions limit? The economy stupid? It couldn't be the price of the detectors, back in the day most good detectors were $700.00 to well over $1000.00, but now detectors can be had for under $500.00 and even cheaper on the used market. Or could it be most all of the try buy, try and sell guys have died off or smartened up like I did and realized and came to realized all metal detectors go beat when passed over metal. Now some can argue depth, target separation, masking, but unless your a professional hunter all that stuff might stoke your ego, but in reality, most of us are tot lot hunters with the occasional beach hunt thrown in the mix.

I'm just curious where all the detectors have gone. Or could it be I'm mistaken and all this is just a bunch of rambling from an old man and who is a reformed buy and try guy and metal detector hoarder.

Yep it is what it is

 

[D&P-OR]

I think I have finally figured out where all the used detectors have gone thanks to all the responses. They are being hoarded hahahaha!

Could well be!

 

[Mark kus]

I recently picked up the X-Terra Elite, haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but that will soon change as my stepson has an 11-acre farmette that was built around 1900, so I'll use the X-Terra to hunt for some old coins. But I've been swinging my Sovereign Elite on beaches for the last 10+ years, and the Sov detects deeper than I feel like digging, lol. I've never really used the stock 10" coil as I prefer my SEF 12x10 & SEF 15x12 Butterfly's. The 12x10 SEF is my sweet spot coil and has had me digging 1/2 way to China more times than I can count.

One time, I got a high-pitched tone, so I was thinking higher conductivity, possibly silver. It was a nice smooth & solid tone, so I stuck my scoop into the sand and started digging, and digging, and kept digging. When I finally found the target, which was one of those kid's collapsible fruity drink pouches, I had a pretty good-sized hole. For some reason, I decided to step into the hole to see how deep it was. The top of the hole was equal to the top of my kneecap, which is 24"/2 feet. I really wish that target was a silver dollar, would have made all that digging a lot more worthwhile. But personally, with a Sovereign and 12x10 or 15x12 SEF Butterfly coil, I really don't feel the need to ever venture down the PI path. My digging arm is already worn out.

My friend got one xterra his first detector and I met him at one of my beach spots long story short i had to leave early later he sent me a picture of a 14k mens wedding band!
he found! I went back and found a gold class ring then after the huge winter storm we had last jan
he found a platinum engagement ring on a RI beach.
Mark

 

[Suncoast Kid]

I still have my Sovereign GT, Deus I, Manticore, and an Xterra Elite that I just picked up for water use at the beach this year. I'm very happy with them.
That SEF 12 x 10 Butterfly coil has to be one of my all-time favorites. I even had one on an Excalibur II.

 

[Sand Sifter]

I still have my Sovereign GT, Deus I, Manticore, and an Xterra Elite that I just picked up for water use at the beach this year. I'm very happy with them.
That SEF 12 x 10 Butterfly coil has to be one of my all-time favorites. I even had one on an Excalibur II.

The SEF 12x10 Butterfly has been my favorite coil of all time, good size for coverage, not difficult to swing, and can run higher sensitivity settings on the wet. I also have the SEF 15x12 Butterfly, used it several times on the beach but I think it does better on dry sand than on wet. On wet sand, you come to a point of diminishing returns where a smaller coil tends to cut through better since you can use a higher sensitivity. IMO, larger coils on wet sand tend to get a bit of "blowback" and you typically need to reduce sensitivity. So how much difference is a 15x12 running at reduced sensitivity vs. a 12x10 running at higher sensitivity? They may wind up detecting about the same depth, but a 12x10 is easier to swing than a 15x12, at least for me. It's kinda along the lines of driving in fog and trying to use your high beams, everything turns to mush, but you'll see a lot better using normal driving lights or fog lights as they tend to cut through the fog better than high beams.

But on the dry, the extra coverage of the 15x12 allows for quicker coverage but is heavier and can be a bit more difficult for some guys to swing. From my experience, the 12x10 has been my sweet spot coil, best of both worlds, good size for coverage and I can crank sensitivity up higher when working the wet.

TIP: Years ago, I got tired of removing the coil cover on my 12x10 to clean out the sand that always seems to find its way into the crevices. Over time, the coil gets heavier and heavier, lol. So, I found this black rubberized type of spray at Home Depot and sprayed the bottom of the coil. The spray is some kind of rubberized compound, and I'd cover the bottom of the coil with a few coats. This allowed me to protect the bottom of the coil without having to use the coil cover. Over time, the sand would eventually start grinding away the compound, but it would usually last a season on the beach before I'd have to reapply.

 

[Suncoast Kid]

I guess we were thinking on the same line. I had the SEF 12 x 10 on my Excal for years hunting the beach. I sprayed truck bed liner on the bottom of the coil so I didn't have to mess with the cover.
Fantastic setup, I finally moved on to other coils like the Ultimate, and NEL.
I loved the little 8" Tornado coil, especially for diving.