Posted: 6/30/2014 8:08:42 AM EDT
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Gonna try in this forum first.
Son's birthday is coming up. Quad copter is his latest request but he has always wanted a metal detector. Anyway, he blew his birthday budget with me in the last few weeks but I got on line to see if I could help his mom find something. Anyway, saw several used metal detectors locally. I'm seeing mainly Pioneer and Garretts for sale. What's the scoop? The Pioneers are definitely the most affordable. Any particular models that are better? I do live in FL, he could find the next Spanish galleon.... |
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I would offer you to go to freindly metal detecting forum but I am having trouble to access it here at work for some reason.
With metal detectors price will determine quality expotenitally. There are cheap detectors that find stuff, sure. What exactly are you wanting to find? Coins, jewlery, lost artifacts, prospecting? I ask because not all metal detectors are suited for looking for everything. Some are better for Coin shooting, some are designed for looking for gold nuggets and such. Location will play into it as well due to the fact that some detectors do not handle wet soil while some do fine or even excell. Waterproof or not? Looking in salt water surf? Lots to think about. Like I said all will find stuff, some find more and more easily. Being able to filter out certain signals is a big plus as are other options such as do you want a visual indicator or just audio? Short list is Fisher, Whites, Minelabs, Tesoro I purchased a realitively "cheap" MD that came with a pin pointer (not great but works ok- better than nothing) and 2 coils http://www.kellycodetectors.com/fisher/fisher_f2buy_2coil.htm I based the purchase off a review from a FMD user review. I recently went back and read the review and it is about 2-3 years in the making, Very in depth and very educating certainly within the respects of the Fisher F2. Personally I couldn't be happier. For what I spent I think I made out great. I have a work mate who purchased the Bounty Hunter 250 and he told me last week that his cousin came over to his house to show him his MD. When through my buddies yard and found a handfull of wheat pennies in an area that had been scoured (my friend's word) he wasn't real happy with his MD any longer. He never found much of anything anyway. I have found a mason jar full of coins and some knick-knacks but I have seen others who have found some very nice finds. If you do buy a MD for your son I'd recommend the following: Digging tool-I have a B&D garden trowel that has a sheath it isnt the strongest steel but it works there are much better ones out there. I spent 12 bucks or something. Knee pad(s) Head phones-cheapos work for me. I tried my son's skull candy's and they didn't work. Quality pin pointer-If you do not buy the Fisher F2 Package you will want one. The Garrett pin pointers are the best and work to almost 10 inches, the fisher maybe 2 inches. The F2 works in most soil types including dry beach sand. Wet beaches make it go wonky, but wet ground it seems to work real well. The F2 is nice as it gives a clear display giving depth, type of target (coin, Tin Iron, QTR, tab, dime, Zinc) a digital reference number (certain targets will ping in ranges knowing what is what helps to decide if it is worth digging), and battery level. edit: ok no tin I was going off the top of my head lol. 
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I have a couple myself. Don't expect to get too close to the ocean with a cheap model that doesn't have manual discrimination mode or a programmable beach mode . Also here in Florida almost anything below the waters edge is considered a lease. The rights to those leases are bought and paid for. Depending where you go detecting on the beach you could be seen as a claim jumper.
Let me throw an edit in on this- I'm on the east coast, just north of the Treasure coast. Not sure what the west coast is as far as claims are concerned. I spent a few day in Fort Myers Beach near Sanibel Island and came home with 5 bucks in clad coins, 3 junk ear rings and over a pound of led weights. Last year I probably found 5 lbs of lead,1 gold and diamond ear ring, a sterling silver Italian cross and 30-40 bucks in change. Its a lot of fun, and I am only a newb. Remember the older the location the older the possible finds. One more thing, I love my Garrett pin pointer. |
lol
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Quoted:
I have a couple myself. Don't expect to get too close to the ocean with a cheap model that doesn't have manual discrimination mode or a programmable beach mode . Also here in Florida almost anything below the waters edge is considered a lease. The rights to those leases are bought and paid for. Depending where you go detecting on the beach you could be seen as a claim jumper. Let me throw an edit in on this- I'm on the east coast, just north of the Treasure coast. Not sure what the west coast is as far as claims are concerned. I spent a few day in Fort Myers Beach near Sanibel Island and came home with 5 bucks in clad coins, 3 junk ear rings and over a pound of led weights. Last year I probably found 5 lbs of lead,1 gold and diamond ear ring, a sterling silver Italian cross and 30-40 bucks in change. Its a lot of fun, and I am only a newb. Remember the older the location the older the possible finds. One more thing, I love my Garrett pin pointer. Pin pointers are a must have.. I also use it for finding nuts, bolts, etc I may have dropped in high grass while working on something.. |