Metal Detector advice $500 or under

I have a 705 for sale???
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=21744

Another good option - had forgotten to include the Xterra 705. Very versatile VLF also! :Y:

Hi Guys,

New to the forums and pretty much the metal detecting scene. Have thought about getting a metal detector for some time, but only recently decided to really look into it. Only problem is, I have no idea about them :|

At this stage, I'm not sure how far I would take the hobby, so really Im quite hesitant to spend a lot of money, especially since I have none , so I'm pretty much limited to a cheap budget detector.

My budget unfortunately is $100 - $150(max). I know this really isn't going to get me much, but is there anything out there that can be had for sub $150 (even a 2nd hand unit)?... or am I wasting my time ?

I've have a look around, though really haven't found much. A friend, who's also looking to get into it, says to get one of the $60 ones off ebay... but I'm fairly sure it's a waste of money??

There are other more expensive ones there, like this one...

"LCD-DISPLAY-DEEP-SENSITIVE-SEARCHING-METAL-DETECTOR-GOLD-DIGGER-TREASURE-HUNTER"

but a couple of reviews say it's pretty crap. Then there's a KOGAN meter for $130... though looks cheap too (?)

Should I stay away from the ebay units ?

Alternatively, I have read good things about the 'ALDI Adventuridge Metal Detector' that comes out around $100.. I'd certainly look at that one... but much like comets, they come around then go away for quite some time. I don't think ALDI will release them again for another 6months, when it warms up.

Then there's possible a 2nd hand unit, though with many brands and models within brands, I don't know what to look for, or what specs I should be looking at.

Basically, what I'd like to do is,

- Detect parks for coins/rings etc..

- Detect beaches for coins/rings etc..

- Detect for gold in old gold mine areas/(dry/wet)creeks (probably asking a lot for this?... can cheap units find nuggets ?)

- Waterproof coil (if I detect for gold in creeks, would be nice to detect in shallow waters without killing the coil)

Any thoughts? perhaps there's something else I can look at ? Even though I'm on a tight budget, I really don't want to throw away money on something that's going to be completely useless.

Thanks in advance

G'day Widget

$150 will get you a good pinpointer.
Around $150 for a chinese copy of an ace 250.
Recon your going to need at least $300.

Good luck
Daggy

Widget for that money you are going to be disappointed with any detector you get .All detectors that have a chance of finding gold you need to be looking at a older minelab detector sd 2000 sd2100 both these are manual ground balance and are not easy for newbies ,the best option is a sd2200 d the green one but its a long way out of you price range .You only get what you pay for regards john

I had an old boss many years ago and he always said buy cheap get cheap
Try and save up to around $1000 then start looking around the exterra 705 duel pack new is around the $700 mark that is just an example
Although i do own one and love it

Agree with the comments above. Do NOT believe the claims made by any company trying to sell you a detector. Specially the bottom end of the market.
The very minimum I would consider is the Go Find 20. It is pretty basic but is made by one of the top detector manufacturers. It would be better to get the Go Find 40 or 60 but if your budget is so tight than the Go find 20 is not a bad place to start. You would find enough with it to upgrade at some point. $199 at Anaconda

https://www.anacondastores.com/spor...inelab-go-find-20-metal-detector/p/BP90069594

Thanks guys, I thought I might be asking too much based on the price.

@Daggy: Which one is the clone of the Garret Ace 250? I heard the 250 was a decent unit, though if there's a clone, would it be on par with the ace250 ?

@old hand: bugger, are the cheap ones good for anything? or does it just come down to gold, where you need to spend big if you want to find anything?

I had a look at the SD2000's mentioned, they are definitely too much for me, especially if I don't know how far to take this new hobby.

What does 'ground balancing' do ?

@7.62marksman: even if I manage to save $1000, spending that much on a 1st detector I'm very hesitant to do :/ . I had a look at the exterra 705 duel pack, $799 from Anaconda, though what's the purpose of having 2 different coil? Why not 1x decent coil ?

@Ramjet: The Go Find 20 looks good for a Minelab basic, though $200, I 'might' be able to squeeze to, though the Minelab Go Find 40 does look better (on paper) with larger coil and more features (I have no idea what the features do). Ill have a google at reviews, but while I'm here, how does a Entry level name brand, like the Minelab GoFind 20 compare to a cheaper unit (ie ALDI or the garret ace 250 clone) ?

Perhaps if I were to look at 2nd hand, what detectors could I expect to pickup or keep an eye out for within the $150 +/- range? What sort of price ranges do the Go-Find 20 and 40 go for as 2nd hand units ?

Regarding 'gold' finding, how come cheaper units are no good? Does it have something to the with the ground balancing or something else?
If a cheap unit can detect metals 5" under the dirt, why not gold? Does it have something to do with other minerals interfering/blocking the signal? Cheap ones not strong enough to penetrate the hard surface?

Thanks again, much appreciate the suggestions and feedback

Ground balance the easiest way to explain it just think of a radio not tuned into the station you get a lot of static ,with a metal detector we call this static ground noise the detector has to be tuned to the ground ,most detector these days are auto ground balance but the early pulse induction detectors were manual GB. These are mostly used for nugget hunting
Even with a good VLF detector you will be looking at $500 plus some members here only use VLF if you can ask them what is a good entry level detector they will be able to give you some advice ,but be wary of the cheap detector most do not do as stated regards john

My initial, and consequently usual, advice to threads like this are...save until you can afford a $4-500 unit (used known brand Coin/Treasure detectors) and spend a few months just focused on the targets it's best suited to. Once you accumulate enough 'finds' (coins/jewellery) you can then either upgrade, or add to the initial purchase for chasing Gold..

If you can't wait till then (saving $), join a local detector club as they sometimes have a 'club/members' loan detector for use....(well,...Bendigo did/does), or members may have many detectors and are willing to lend you one while you save up...

Like many hobbies, the entry fee can be expensive when your on the outside and broke as a box of crackers... reality is, you will have to pay for 'quality' in this one... :Y:

Not knowing where you reside, it read like you are near the coast....therefore parks, vacant blocks and beaches are closer, and cheaper to get to....and rewards will come faster while your learning the machine..

That being the case, you can get away with a VLF as the ground (not beach edge) is milder than where gold is usually associated...you might get lucky and find an original version of the Fisher Gold Bug which came with waterproof coils (per your requirements) for about $150-200...might be a good place to start..

The minelab 705 come up pretty cheap second hand and more often than not are able to sold back to market around the same price.

With the exception of an aldi in somewhat experienced or enthusiasts hands the go find range is probably the next easy to come by cheapish detector, a panner I know just getting into detecting brought one to my place and I was pretty impressed with the 40 model capabilities for price.

Anyone seriously toying with the idea should buy the best you can afford and if you have some time spent swinging in reasonably productive areas should see a good chunk of the initial outlay taken off in found spendables.

I got mine second hand and in the first year payed it off 3 times over. It could be argued by the time I got a second hand pinpointer, lesche digging tool, travel costs and batteries for both machines the cost outlay/purchase prices to gains comes back a long way. I did however get to 800 predecs before I stopped counting and jewelery worth a bit as well.

After 3 years of the same machine, same pinpointer, same digging tool I'm still pulling regular finds out and it's not uncommon to find spoils from $20 - $100 in a week depending on hours put in putting the coil on the ground. The occasional piece of gold jewelry helps too haha.

I put the detector in the car if I'm heading out and about and think there's a good chance I'll get to go to an old productive spot or even better somewhere I've not been before. Just 3 weekends ago I did a whole town over 32 parks and grassed areas for nearly $150, mostly in kids chipbark playgrounds and picnic areas. Total time on detector was around 9 hours. With the right machine and time spent looking it is very doable to pay a detector off over time.

It's a bit long winded but I think you get the picture. No point putting junk into your hands when those hours are better spent working on ways to increase the initial purchase price. And the junk detectors won't have any resale value, even a little well built machine with a good track record will have some meat in the bone if you decide it's time to chuck it in. Just my 2c good luck whatever you decide.

Widget said:

Thanks guys, I thought I might be asking too much based on the price.

@Daggy: Which one is the clone of the Garret Ace 250? I heard the 250 was a decent unit, though if there's a clone, would it be on par with the ace250 ?

Click to expand...

A clone in the detecting world is a cheap Chinese knock off. it may LOOK the same but the performance will be nothing like the original product.
Stick with the well known brands!

Widget where are you from

At least the OP's choices are limited for research....in his price range and with w/proof coils...

I think a club, or befriending a local, may be his better option atm....more avenues offered to get up and running imo.

Thanks guys

I'm located Richmond, NSW, which is far west of Sydney, before heading into the mountains. Mostly there's only parks, no beaches except the odd sandy section off the Hawkesbury (and other) Rivers.

Even though I'd like to scan the beaches, it's probably something I wouldn't do very often if at all. But being close to the mountains, and I think there would of been some gold mines out towards Bathurst way, that's why I thought it would be nice to take a trip there and poke around, especially as there's many creeks that run around the mountains.

I guess having a waterproof coil isn't absolutely 'a must', just something I thought would be nice in case I did visit a creek area.

Anyone know how often Anaconda have sales? The Minelab Go Find 40 does look like a nice unit, but not something I can afford at this stage.

hi widget
email sent mate

Widget said:

Anyone know how often Anaconda have sales? The Minelab Go Find 40 does look like a nice unit, but not something I can afford at this stage.

Click to expand...

Gday Widget. I was in the same situation as you not long ago. Anaconda have sales quite often. They advertise them on their website. My budget was a bit more but after spending time reading lots of reviews and seeing what people are generally using on the forums I ended up buying the Minelab X-Terra 705 Dual Pack from Anaconda on sale for $610. By signing up to the Anaconda Members club for free, I received a $10 voucher which I used to pay for postage.

I'm very happy with the purchase. It's easy to use and far exceeding my expectations.

Having indulged in many hobbies (at the disgrace of my wife). The main point I would make about buying boys toys is resale value. If you buy something that is a popular choice for beginners, when you decide to upgrade (or if its not for you) you're going to be able to sell your unit at a good price second hand. I have no doubt that in 12 months time I could sell my detector for $500 and only be $100 out of pocket. That's two cases of beer for hours of enjoyment. Cheap.

not the best picture but this is some of the areas between Lithgow and Bathurst north of the highway Forest National Park or private land i do not know you will have to look into that side of it

oh nice, thanks 7.62marksman :Y: , what app/website did you get those results? Is there a prospecting database, or a feature of google earth ?

An overlay that i got for google earth from a guy south of here (ulladulla nsw)
He sells the program on ebay think around $15 _ $20 does all of australia