Good all round detectors

I'm in the process in researching detectors. I was wondering if there is a good all rounder? Good for gold hunting as well as coin and other bits and pieces? or would it be better to run two detectors?

Cheers

Matt

I can personally recommend the Garrett AT-GOLD as a good all rounder (under $1000), it handles low-medium mineralised ground conditions (except salt water) and is a killer on coins and small jewellery. As to whether or not you should run two detectors depends on how and where you plan on using it, as well as your budget.

If I had my way, I'd be running a Minelab CTX 3030 and GPX 5000

I need to buy a detector, I bought my last one about 25 years ago so I am a little rusty on the products out there. I have a budget of $1500 ... so the question is what's the best one for primarily gold plus a good all rounder? Thx Bill.

Perhaps look up or PM "Tassie Jack" he is located on the South Island and will most likely know.

ivanll

Hey Matt , I,m pretty happy with my at pro international ($735)as I live near the beach ( waterproof to 3meters in salt or fresh ) great on land for coins and relics haven't been under water yet ( need waterproof ones ) have not found gold yet but only had a month , I am saving up for a gpx 5000 or might just get a fisher goldbug as I was told there great but .... I was doing my head in trying to decide .. It shouldn't be a hard Qeustion but it is

Hey Blinkie,

Here's a quote from a post a made a little while back.

Nugget said:

For great starter / intermediate machines, take a look at the Garrett Infinium LS and AT Gold, Whites GMT Goldmaster or the Fisher Gold Bug range, most of these detectors can be brought for just under $1000 new, so you should be able to pick them up second hand for anywhere between $300-$800.

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In addition to my quote above, I can personally recommend the AT GOLD for being a great all rounder within that price range. I primarily use mine for coins and relics and find it to a very sensitive and responsive machine. Although I'm yet to find any gold with it (I live 3.5 hours away from the nearest gold field), I have seen some great results from other members and online sources.

For a great all rounder, I would suggest looking for something that has a visual Target ID, Depth Indicator and Notch Discrimination if possible. This kind of rules out the Infinium LS and the Gold Bug 2, which are both great machines in their own right.

Hopefully that gives you something to start with.

Cheers,
Nugget

G'day all!

As the title suggests im after a recommendation for a new metal detector. Im going to be using it to detect along beaches and up around Kal and the surrounding goldfields. Ideally i would like a machine that could be used for both purposes. Im aware that like anything you get what you pay for, and metal detectors are no exception. I was doing a bit of research and i like Garrett AT Pro. Does anyone have any experience with these machines? Or can any one recommend me something that would better suit my needs?

For detecting both beaches and goldfields I'd be leaning towards the AT Gold over the Pro. It's a bit of a catch 22 though as the Gold wont handle wet sand at the beach but will perform fairly well in the goldfields, whereas the Pro will handle wet sand at the beach but won't perform as well in the goldfields. Over all I find the AT Gold to be a more sensitive and responsive machine.

Of course there are many other options out there and I'm sure some members will be along soon enough to throw in their recommendations.

Whites MXT E-Series or MXT Pro might be another consideration, or the Minelab X-Terra 705, both marketed as all-round detectors, although not waterproof like the ATPro. The ATPro may not be as sensitive as the ATGold to small gold, but may well handle mineralisation better with the lower frequency. Same case with the MXT vs the Whites GMT.

You are probably better off with a cheaper detector for the beach, and a PI detector for around Kal due to the ground conditions.

I have the Xterra 70 which is near Identical to 705 & have worked side by side with at pro. I beleive at pro is a better machine for about the same dollars. But that is my opinion based on the same target in the same hole. At pro is also water proof to 3m.

I guess they key is how much money do you have to spend?
If I had the money Id own about 5 detectors. They are like guns, every detector has a different purpose.

Thanks for the information guys. Shane, i agree with you 100% on the above statement. I would love to pick up something decent for under $1000. But that limit is somewhat flexible.
On the topic of buying a detector, are there any reputable sites that sell them? Because im a bit sus about buying anything off ebay, Like a gpx-5000 for $2000 that i saw the other day.(Obviously a Chinese knock off) Or are there any stores in Perth that sell them? That way i could actually see how the detector feels and how it "fits". No point in me buying a detector that weighs a ton/is uncomfortable to carry for extended periods of time.

The gpx 5000 as a Chinese knock off are a waist of time. So plz stay clear.
Nothing that comes from China will do what you want.
The garret atx may be out of your price range
The at pro is more of a beach detector
And the at gold, well is more suited for that and not the dry sand not wet.
The 3030 minelab is a bit of both but more inclined to work better on the wet sand and not so much on gold
You need to have a look at what each detector can do before getting one.
Or you are going in blind

Mate sounds like you need the Xterra 705. Its a very versatile machine that's lightweight and easy to use and in your price range.
I have one and I paid for mine with coin finds within a month.
Go see Jeff at Reeds Prospecting supplies.
Its in Bellevue.
Google it.
PS there are lots of things you can buy online to save a few bucks but IMO detectors are NOT one!

I had no intention of buying one on ebay...if its too good to be true it usually is.
Yeah I was having a look at the Xterra 705 after it was mentioned above. Looks like a decent machine, that will suit my needs very well. I wanted something that i could use on the beach, (as i live on the coast), and something i could use up in Kal where i will be spending a fair amount of time this year.
@XIV I wouldnt say im going in blind..I have a couple of mates from overseas who are into the metal detecting scene, and i use to have a cheapy detector when i was younger that i practically used to sleep with. And I will make a purchase after doing a bit more reading up on the detectors available today/which ones would suit my needs the best. And after seeing one in the flesh and seeing how it feels.
Thanks for all the info guys, its been very helpful

Anybody out there using MXT_PRO around the Golden triangle,mainly Dunnolly,Molaigul areas and getting any results, I have the above with a 5.3inch eclipse coil and wondering if this setup is suitable for this area. Cheers Mal.

Tough question but i would look at slightly differently, id look at the timeline in more detail. I could be wrong but if its your first machine then it will take a while to get a feel for it, and if most of is detecting life will be shooting at the beach then i would lean toward a machine that will handle those conditions with an option for gold even if is capacity to do so is limited because its a better shooter. In the end if your getting better discrimination and greater depth (& water proof is a much bigger factor here in this environment) to get constant quality targets, thus giving a more enjoyable and profitable return, whilst sacrificing some ability to achieve gold. In reinforcing the above statement, use a shotgun for ducks and a .22 for rabbits. But you can can hunt for both with either gun. Ending up with a great vlf on the beach that is light weight and preforms will give you lasting satisfaction remembering all the great beach finds you've had when it's troublesome and squawking on the goldfields because imo gold is harder to get ongoing results without alot of time patience and a quality machine. Would love to hear what you decide. And the dealers will help no end in finding the most suitable balance of your needs. Good luck.

For the price point id look at the At Pro, and fit up a 8x5 dd for Kal. YouTube has some videos to back up it's ability. What you end up with is a great detector well known brand and machine, excellent at handling beach conditions (salt and water) and parks with great features, and reasonable ease of resale. Id take it over the 705 in a tight race to the finish line.

Nugget said:

For detecting both beaches and goldfields I'd be leaning towards the AT Gold over the Pro. It's a bit of a catch 22 though as the Gold wont handle wet sand at the beach but will perform fairly well in the goldfields, whereas the Pro will handle wet sand at the beach but won't perform as well in the goldfields. Over all I find the AT Gold to be a more sensitive and responsive machine.

Of course there are many other options out there and I'm sure some members will be along soon enough to throw in their recommendations.

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Just a question?

Have you used an at gold in the gold fields on iron
infested Hot ground?

I have and the at gold chirped madly on ironstone
bits.

Maybe it was me not sure but would like to see a
youtube Video where my experiences have proven
wrong. After 3 hours Testing in Maryborough
detector was sold.

If your going to buy a vlf either buy the goldbug 2
or the gmt.

Why? After doing my own tests with a g2 on proven
rich

Alluvial goldfields where i constantly picked up .1
grammers the conclusion i have come up with is
that those using a 6k detector with small coil are
Picking up the pieces normally found with a goldbug
pro, g2 or At gold or detectors around the 18khz range.

Not so with a a vlf running a small coil at 48khz or
more. The Small bits these machines pickup those
using the latest PI's With small coils can't.

One other thing. You don't need a 5000 to find gold.

One of the gp series detectors will do just fine.

Glitzygold said:

Anybody out there using MXT_PRO around the Golden triangle,mainly Dunnolly,Molaigul areas and getting any results, I have the above with a 5.3inch eclipse coil and wondering if this setup is suitable for this area. Cheers Mal.

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You need to set yourself a plan.

Do some research on rich gold fields that were rich in
Gold but the leads were super shallow where the original
Bedrock bed is either visible or slightly buried.

In this case the gold would be sitting near the surface.

If it was rich the goldfield would of been torn apart by
Old timers.

This is your best place to find the surface stuff.

You may be better served with a gmt. Please

Read my post above.