Metal Detector advice $500 or under

[silver]

Garrett ACE250 ,don't forget to have a good look at that one !!!

 

[BSellin]

Garrett ACE250 ,don't forget to have a good look at that one !!!

Hahahaaa, I can do a shameless plug here too, I have an Ace 250 also, but I choose mine over the odds of me seeing a gold field vs the odds of me seeing a football/park/oval/playground etc and my budget. So I settled with that.

And am damn happy too as I found a silver ring, a small childs ring, a set of earing rings and $10.01 in loose change. yay. /happydance

 

[bugmunch]

Thanks bsellin

 

[Nugget]

If you have an Aldi store close by, they're selling a detector starting this Saturday for $100 https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4115, it's no CTX 3030 but it'll get you started. I'm considering grabbing one myself to keep in the car, that way I'll always have a detector handy and it's no big deal if it gets damaged or stolen.

 

[Leat]

would i be better off buying a old metal detector like a garrett gta 1000 or garret ads 1 or just a new cheap one (200$ish) from a electric store?

 

[Ben78]

What are you looking for?

 

[BigSam]

Aldi one is good for coins and rings, I have a Chinese copy of the garrett ace 250, an md3010ii, it's a coin magnet that's for sure.. If your chasing gold, you'd be looking at $500+ Easily for a 2nd hand basic one.

 

[Leat]

Thanks for the replies. I'm mostly looking for coins and whatnot dropped around the beach etc.

 

[gcause]

A number of dealers offer to hire machines out for the day. Suggest you try a few different detectors before you buy and see if this hobby will hold your interest first before laying out the serious cash. If your after gold then a gold pan and shovel are a lot cheaper option for a first timer. Best of luck.

 

[Leat]

ty everyone. Sam i am on the sunshine coast as well in nambour. Is there any place to buy something like that around here or did u ship it from china on ebay??

 

[Ben78]

For Beach use I'd be looking for a secondhand sovereign xs. Majority of single frequency basic vlf mains aren't great on the beach.

 

[Goldagettin]

Hi Leat, I live in Nambour as well. I have two metal detectors here and a couple of sand scoops and a pin pointer, if your interested you are welcome to come for a dig at the beach and try them out. One is the AT Pro, a VLF unit and the other is a Whites Surf PI, a pulse induction unit. The second is much better for beach conditions as it is not affected by the mineralization that occurs in salt water areas.

You can give them both a go at the beaches and park like areas and see what you like before committing to a purchase.

cheers

 

[Leat]

Hey goldagettin

Thanks for the offer, it sounds like a great idea, I would love to give one a try. This will be my first time to try one of these and i think it would be a great help to have someone with some experiance to show me the basics.

If you're still interested let me know what times you usually head out and we can organise something. My email is [email protected].

 

[dirtdiggin]

Hi All

I'm looking at getting into Metal/"Gold" Detecting but I'm on a very tight budget so i'll be looking at a used one i guess, what is the best i could get for around $500 any useful help or advice would be gratefully appreciated .

Cheers Brett

 

[Monty]

Hi Brett

If you look around this forum in the Metal Detecting section you will find similar posts to this question.
There are many detectors out there that will do the job.

If you indicate where you will be detecting (goldfields, parks, beaches etc) and for what you will be looking for,
those that have the experience will point you in the right direction for your detector.

Also keep an eye on the For Sale section, sometimes members will sell off their detector as they have upgraded to another.

I started out with a Minelab X-Terra 705 and found it to be a great detector for a newbie.

Cheers. Monty.

 

[Guest]

Xterra 305 in for sale section with warranty. Would be an ok starter for $290 with warranty. To be honest if you want a gold machine I would save up & go for a GPX series machine once you have the money. Anything for $500 would most likely be a disappointment & you will be looking to buy something else later anyway.
You might pick up a used GMT or Goldbug 2 which are good on gold but limited to use/area but still an option too.

 

[Goldpick]

As mentioned, consider a second hand Whites GMT or Fisher Goldbug2, but maybe look at purchasing one from the US. They can be had for around the $500- 600 mark, plus shipping, and will find gold in the right places - these are suited to small shallow gold. Alternatively, if you want to go straight to a pulse induction detector, look at a Minelab F1A4 detector, proven to find gold, even in standard form. They can sell for around the same price as mentioned above, all on ebay and within Australia. You can also get it modified later on, plus have access to minelab and coiltek coils with an adapter cable fitted to the standard unit.

 

[Flash_crusoe1]

Hey I was wondering what a good metal detector is?? I haven't got a lot of money but if theres one under $300 that would be great. Thanks Angus

 

[Nugget]

There's a few different modles to choose from and you will get what you pay for, but for under $300 you could get yourself a Garrett Ace 150 http://www.garrettaustralia.com.au/ace-150 or for just under $400 you could get an Ace 250 http://www.garrettaustralia.com.au/ace-250. The Ace 250 would be my recommendation out of the two if you can spare the extra cash.

P.S. The above mentioned detectors are suitable for general coin and relic hunting but they're not really designed for gold prospecting.

Cheers,
Nugget

 

[Flash_crusoe1]

Thanks for your help Nugget