Buying my 1st Detector

Khez

New Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2019
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9
I suppose I should move this question to this area. Seems the top choices among many are Garrett, Equinox and Fisher detectors. I am definitely looking for something halfway decent, perhaps something waterproof/weather resistant with a good depth. I am also aware I will need to buy accessories like a mini shovel, one of those pinpointer things, probably some gloves and a bag for my finds. Things are going to add up, but I feel it will be worthwhile in the end.
 
You definitely want gloves. If you are going to practice in parks/schools, get a handheld digger rather than a mini shovel. The latter is not the best idea in some parks.
 
I had hoped to find a store dealing with them specifically. Tried a place south of here only to find that the shop is gone. I suppose I'm going to have to find one online.
 
Give a couple of the sponsors on this forum a phone call. They will be more than willing to answer your questions and you might be surprised as to what they will do price and accessories wise. Please do not use a shovel of any type on public property. The anti's are always looking for an excuse to pass another law
 
Considering there are quite a few options to choose from, my head is swimming a bit. No-go on the shovel, gotcha. I'll try out one of the sponsors as has been suggested. Perhaps I can get a decent bundle package.
 
Welcome

I suppose I should move this question to this area. Seems the top choices among many are Garrett, Equinox and Fisher detectors. I am definitely looking for something halfway decent, perhaps something waterproof/weather resistant with a good depth. I am also aware I will need to buy accessories like a mini shovel, one of those pinpointer things, probably some gloves and a bag for my finds. Things are going to add up, but I feel it will be worthwhile in the end.

Welcome to the hobby and to the forum from Pgh. Pa. On the top right of the page you will see a link for a list of sponsors. Really a great bunch of guys Most will give you more than a fair price along with great support and advice.
You can't go wrong on an AT Pro for your first rig. Equinox also another great choice. Fishers I have no experience with but have never seen any negative posts on them. A pinpointer is a must IMO, They speed up target recovery a great deal. I use the Garrett carrot, I have a TRX and a Profind but use the Garrett almost exclusively. A small hand trowel type digger is needed and learning to dig neat plugs is a must if you plan on hunting in peoples yards. Youtube has some good vids on how to dig plugs. I use gloves, a lot of holes can have broken glass or canslaw in them. A finds pouch can be as simple as a canvas nail pouch or a custom made leather one. I still use the one that came with my AT Pro from back in 15. Good luck and don't forget to post pics of your finds. One more thing, any questions you might have, don't be embarrassed to ask. We have a great bunch of members here that can answer just about anything. HH Mark
 
I had hoped to find a store dealing with them specifically. Tried a place south of here only to find that the shop is gone. I suppose I'm going to have to find one online.

Most stores selling detectors you can expect to pay full retail prices. To start even a good used detector can save a lot of money.
 
I’d certainly consider the Simplex+ from Notka Makro at the preorder price of $254 with a host of features. There are enough YouTube videos showcasing the capabilities of this new detector.
Best of luck!
 
I second the Simplex+ from Notka Makro. The price is $339 and you get the wireless headset, it's waterproof to 10', has many good features and the company has a good reputation.
You'll have to wait a month before it arrives because it's new and just beginning to ship.
 
I appreciate all the suggestions as I've been very indecisive about the whole thing. I'm possibly leaning towards the AT Pro as there is something about the display that grabs at me, I dunno. While the Nokta may be the new thing, I'm not sure if I want to put things off any longer than I already have. I figure if I can order something today, then perhaps I can try it out next week when I start my vacation. Decisions, decisions, decisions......
 
Alrighty, I did it! I just purchased the AT Pro, for some reason, it just "called" to me. Not sure how long it will take to ship, but either way, I hope to post something about my first finds within the next week to few weeks depending how things go.
 
Alrighty, I did it! I just purchased the AT Pro, for some reason, it just "called" to me. Not sure how long it will take to ship, but either way, I hope to post something about my first finds within the next week to few weeks depending how things go.

Congrats on the purchase. I just bought an Equinox 600 myself. Can't wait to see what we find!!! :yes::yes::yes:
 
Alrighty, I did it! I just purchased the AT Pro, for some reason, it just "called" to me. Not sure how long it will take to ship, but either way, I hope to post something about my first finds within the next week to few weeks depending how things go.

You'll like the AT Pro...LOTS of value in that detector. One of the more popular ones here on the forum and lots of success stories. Congratulations and happy hunting
 
Good luck to you as well Hord, and thanks Pryan! I'm trying to be patient as my detector was originally supposed to arrive this Monday, but just checked the tracking and it got pushed to Tuesday. Also trying to look up places to go around MA. I figure I'll at the very least try my backyard, small as it is. The house has been around since 1906 I think.


EDIT: Hm, UPS can't seem to make up its mind, now it's back to Monday.
 
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Good luck to you as well Hord, and thanks Pryan! I'm trying to be patient as my detector was originally supposed to arrive this Monday, but just checked the tracking and it got pushed to Tuesday. Also trying to look up places to go around MA. I figure I'll at the very least try my backyard, small as it is. The house has been around since 1906 I think.


EDIT: Hm, UPS can't seem to make up its mind, now it's back to Monday.

A small 1906 backyard is about as good as it gets this side of the Mississippi and a great place to learn the Pro. I'd recommend starting off Pro zero with the sens down a couple of bars, iron about 35, iron audio off, and dig everything that beeps. After a while try pro coin over the same areas. the more trash you dig the more masked treasure you could find and the more you will learn.
 
If you want super light, fisher and tesoro (now defunct but used units are everywhere) are the way to go. Fast, light, deep detectors you can get without taking a loan out on the house.
 
Do not get discouraged if you dig a lot of trash while learning your machine. It takes time and lots of practice to become proficient with any machine. When I got my first machine I was very tempted to wrap it around a sturdy tree. But that was then and now me and that machine are a team.
 
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