Good all round detectors

[Goldtarget]

Even on a limited budget Jeff you can still get results. The trouble with trying to get one to do both is exactly that confusing. Things like at pro gold, xterra gold pack, fishers mentioned etc, the makers have to try and trade off.

Even an aldi $100 special will find coins.

My tip here would be buy a coin shooter and buy a dedicated gold hunter for the best chance of success. Or buy the combos but get a good pi in time. Main reason most areas will have seen a good machine and operator. Try and be in the race.

There's never been a better time to get a cheap machine for gold. The sd series minelabs, spp and gmt from whites, all can be picked up for very reasonable prices.

Coins are pretty easy. Gold not so much. Whatever you decide mate I hope you enjoy using. With so many options out there getting the right answer is always a tough one. You're not the first bloke down this path. And no matter what it still takes time with the right or wrong one to learn.

 

[Brumble-Gum]

Garret at gold

 

[Guest]

I have used a few different machines and
Have found gold with a vlf back in the 90's
When we had not much other choices.

I would suggest a 2nd hand tesoro lobo.

Great on nuggets and can be used for coin
Shooting and you can buy them cheap enough
On the 2nd hand market.

If you get one try to score a small dd coil for it.

Good luck with it.

 

[old hand]

Sorry mate dedicated detector for each type of hunting ,you can buy a OLD vlf detector just for gold my choice would be a minelab GT for relic hunting I cannot comment on that as I don't relic hunt ,there are many good people that can help on that side of things .But I think 2 detectors is the way to go one dedicated for gold and the other dedicated for coins and relics regards john

 

[user 1769]

I have used a Garrett AT gold for both. I personally find it better for coins than gold, it doesn't like mineralised ground a lot.
I find Garrett's pricing schedule a bit of a ripoff. though.

 

[GaryO]

I live in Gulgong , so would be mainly Park Coins . I would also like to look for Gold in Hillend and Gulgong etc not WA

You are in the heart of NSW gold , forget the coins . If you are out detecting in your area with a pure gold machine you will pick up the relics/coins AND the gold . Parks are fine don't get me wrong , but once you have done them it will take a long time in a small town to refill them .
Id go the Xterra for an all rounder but in your area for that coin$$ outlay to buy one id look at an early Minelab SD ... Start at 2200d if possible as the Xterra' etc are only going to pick up the bigger left over bits of gold and not the hard to find stuff as well . Just my opinion

 

[Guest]

Yeah I never thought to look for you location Jeff... Great suggestion Gary! Iv seen a fair few MineLab SD 2100 & 2200 advertised and on eBay for around $1000 and assesories are easy to Aquire, another basic machine would be a whites SPP but there getting expensive these days... Also a garret infinium S/h goes very cheep these days on eBay and may also be suitable'

 

[JeffP]

Thanks for the advice guys . I am still going to keep researching
I saw one yesterday on the net that had 48khz ... is that good for only shallow tiny bits or will it have some depth about it ? Cant remember what it was now ,, looked at too many

PS , Do I need a detector with a Threshhold noise ?

 

[KarlS]

To me , the Xterra at $1000 isnt "cheap" and all the research and choices and others differing opinions are doing my head in , I might just stick to sluicing and panning !

I got my 705 second hand for $700, about one year old.
Karl

 

[GaryO]

Thanks for the advice guys . I am still going to keep researching
I saw one yesterday on the net that had 48khz ... is that good for only shallow tiny bits or will it have some depth about it ? Cant remember what it was now ,, looked at too many

PS , Do I need a detector with a Threshhold noise ?

Yep shallow and yep u need threshold sound

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the advice guys . I am still going to keep researching
I saw one yesterday on the net that had 48khz ... is that good for only shallow tiny bits or will it have some depth about it ? Cant remember what it was now

Whites GMT runs at 48khz.

The more khz a detector has it will be more sensitive to
small gold or Small bits of metal but Depth becomes
shallow and visa versa.

This is why i have suggested the tesoro lobo which runs
Just under 20khz along with the whites MXT both make
Good nugget machines as long as you use a small
Elliptical dd coil.

My Tesoro with a 6" elliptical dd was dynamite on
Tiny nuggets and I made the mistake selling it.

Using a Whites MXT and Focusing on surfaced
areas or shallow ground with a 6" Elliptical dd coil
Should satisfy your needs. When you want to target
Coins just change the coil.

http://www.goldsearchaustralia.com/index.php/shooter-4-x-6-dd-coil-1.html

Hope this helps.

 

[Guest]

Iv done quite well with a 48khz GMT but they are completely useless on coins and not much good in high mineralisation unless you know the machine expect to be disappointed the first time out...but they do find shallow gold well.

 

[GaryO]

If u are more wanting coins as well grab a minelab xt 1800 .. has 6 , 20 and 60mhz all in one machine with a click of a switch . Great all rounder , oldy but a real goody.
Good luck with what you decide.

 

[Goldpick]

To me , the Xterra at $1000 isnt "cheap" and all the research and choices and others differing opinions are doing my head in , I might just stick to sluicing and panning !

You can often purchase a new 705 for a lot less than this at Anaconda, especially when on sale (which is now). Current offer for Anaconda club members is only $799 for the gold pack, or $850 for non members. The $1000 705 is for the dual pack with both the concentric and DD eliptical coil.

http://www.anacondastores.com/sport...elab-x-terra-dual-metal-detector/p/BP90036501

 

[JeffP]

OK so the GMT is out Slowly getting there :8
I'll leave you guys alone for a "little while" ,, have a good Easter everyone

 

[PhaseTech]

Sorry mate dedicated detector for each type of hunting ,you can buy a OLD vlf detector just for gold my choice would be a minelab GT for relic hunting I cannot comment on that as I don't relic hunt ,there are many good people that can help on that side of things .But I think 2 detectors is the way to go one dedicated for gold and the other dedicated for coins and relics regards john

I tend to agree. For the same or less money than an all-rounder you can pick up a used Minelab VLF like the XT17000 or 18000, and then get a 305 new for coins. The 305 is an awesome coin machine - very underrated and feature for feature beats many machines costing nearly 3 times as much.

option 2.
Get your coin detector first and use it every opprtunity you get. You'll soon get enough coin to put towards a PI gold detector.

 

[PhaseTech]

If u are more wanting coins as well grab a minelab xt 1800 .. has 6 , 20 and 60mhz all in one machine with a click of a switch . Great all rounder , oldy but a real goody.
Good luck with what you decide.

Yep, only thing with the 18000 is the Iron Reject tone is quite harsh. The blanking style iron reject on the Eureka Gold is much more user friendly.

 

[RedDirtDigger]

Hi Jeff, I would buy a dedicated gold detector. I would save up for Minelab 4500. You will find coins and historical relics while you detect for nuggets.
IMHO none of the multipurpose detectors have really had much success at gold. You can get a detector that is good at coins and discriminates well but it will not seriously find you any amount of gold on a regular basis. As others have mentioned, you need a detector dedicated to each task, so maybe you need decide what you want to chase most, valuable gold, or coins and belt buckles. Just some thoughts.

 

[Guest]

OK so the GMT is out Slowly getting there :8
I'll leave you guys alone for a "little while" ,, have a good Easter everyone

Good luck with your purchase..

 

[Ridge Runner]

The GMT Does Go Deep for VLF Standards, Jimmy Sierra Pulled out 2 pounds of Gold at 32 Inches with It, It is an easy Machine to set up, and will Handle Hot Ground and will Find Very Tiny Specs of Gold Also,
People seem to over complicate things using this Machine, Turn the controls too much and it is easy to miss the sweet spot, I have owned Two of them,
As for the MXT's They work Just as good and because of the Lower Frequency of 13.889khz they are Less effected by Ground Noise and will go A Little Deeper, Someone pulled A 1 ozt Nugget with it at 18" and with the Gain set half way I have seen them pull Coins at 13 and A Half Inches, and they will see Targets Smaller than 0.06 Grams or 0.0026 ozt
The more people who Ignore this Machine means A Lot more People are Leaving Good Targets In The Ground, there's a Guy In Melbourne who just Found that out the Hard way In an Area that he and his Mate ( In his Terms- Have Smashed the Place with His Etrac and his Detecting Partner using A Deus ) END QUOTE, Whites Make 7 Coils for the MXT's and there are about another Dozen made by Other companies for it Also,

AND NO it is not An SD or A GP-X etc, But it is the Best All round Detector out there, and in Mild Ground it will Match PI Machines as well as Not Having A Person Digging Heaps of Junk, and Considering the 705 was based upon it, then That should tell you how good it is If ML saw fit to Reverse Engineer It when Building The 705, and ML did such A Fantastic Job Building the 705 I think it is Sad that It is Extremely Under Rated out of All of ML's Machines, when the truth is it is Brilliant.

Anyways, If you want to find Coins as well then I would head for either of these Two Machines,

Good Luck with you Choice,

John