Getting Started

White's and other major brands

I have been a White's fan for many years. Every thing I read leads me to believe all major brands are great detectors. Some seem to be better at getting between the trash to find the deeper coins and rings. I think the upper end detectors get a better feedback from the signal going in the ground, but you will need to learn as you go how to adjust the high end machines to get the most out of them. Middle end detectors are usually turn it on and go, not a lot of adjustments to make. My M6 by Whites lets you adjust discrimination and sensitivity and have ground balancing . In other post I have done I say it like this , I am fast becoming of the belief if I am going to find some gold rings I have to give up using discrimination and set the sensitivity just under electronic interference and dig it all. I owned a Detectron in 1973 (dig it all no display and you didn't know how deep things were , a cheapie I would have liked a depth display $69.00) Nest I got a Garrett Ground Hog $350.00 maybe just where I went but only good down to about 4 or 6 inches. Next was a White's Eagle with the update chip in it and I was off and running finding deep coins , the chip put it into being a Eagle ll. Currently I own the M6 by White's the dealer said it was 10 times better than my old Eagle with the update chip. Well I can turn it on and go detecting no setting it up with adjustments. Out of Memories I bought a used Eagle ll different coil on it than my old Eagle turned into a Eagle ll with the update chip. It is a black box so I know it is a newer detector but still very old like 1990 or so. I had a chance of buying a DFX , older one 6 years old for $500 the guy needed money to live on, Craigslist. Metal Detecting is a Hobby , its good for your health and well being. Some have said they get lost on how long them been out detecting and that is so true for me it is just that stressful you lose track of time. Your in another world. Excitement comes from the cool finds. I am 62 and there is nothing I would rather be doing with my free time but I do other things as well. If for nothing other than giving yourself the chance to stay healthy and live longer stress free for the time your out detecting, get a detector and let it be the highest end you can live with spending the money on . You will grow into it and even if it is a low end as long as it is a good low end your going to have a great time. One last thing don't expect to have others in your life excited in what you find. A lot of the time they think we are nuts for spending that much on a toy and you dig up $1.50 in change , some a lot more and gold rings but not all of us.
M6 Mike
I will say this I have had others suddenly interested when I dig up what looks like a nice gold ring. Little kids will hound you at the beach and other places trying to see what you found and asking what did you find . Come up with a line to use. Not this one : I think your Mother is calling you. One like you know people have dropped money over there, you should go look see if you can find it.
M6 Mike

vector627 said:

Another new one here. I am looking to get started with my wife, she wants to search beaches as we travel.

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Are we talking salt water beach hunting? Are we talking beach hunting, only? Is there a good chance that you'll be using it over "dry land" more than on the beach and in the water? These are questions you need to answer for yourself before you go too much farther.

vector627 said:

I was looking at the Whites DFX 300...

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White's DFX is one of the finest detectors ever designed. I love mine and will, probably, never get rid of it. That doesn't make it right for everyone, and I would not recommend it to start with. Since you are looking at a high quality, multi-purpose detector, look, instead, at White's VX3. In many respects it's superior to the DFX, is much easier to learn and use, and the screen is in color! That may sound cheesy, but to these old, tired, and travel worn eyes, it's a very big deal.

vector627 said:

... from Kellyco...Is this a good start for what we want to do and is the company a good one to deal with?.

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Kellyco is an old, if not the oldest, and I believe the largest metal detector store in the U.S.. There are people on this forum that will deal with no one else! I have dealt with them on proprietary product and have been well satisfied with the product and the speed with which it was shipped.

From here, I get real personal and will probably offend a number of people both at Kellyco and on this forum. (I'm sorry - it's just my opinion.) Kellyco's business model is based on one shot sales to first time buyers. Load them up with a bunch of junk products with the detector, tell them they're saving hundreds of dollars over anyone else, and close the sale(at all costs). I personally find that extremely insulting.

vector627 said:

Is there a good website to visit that you can read more on getting started? Thanks for any input.

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You are reading on what I have found to be the best, friendliest, most informative forums available on the web. If you read through a lot of the different sections, you will walk away with a wealth of information. If you want more info than you find on this forum, PM (private message) me and I'll supply you with the list of bookmarks I have.

HH

Dave

Thanks for the great input.
We will most likely be using it on the beach and in shallow water near the beach.
I will look at the VX3. I just didn't want to get one and in a year wish we had a better one, they aren't cheap.

Sean

No, they aren't cheap. But a good detector will last a long time and bring untold pleasure (and frustration).

If all your hunting is going to be shallow ocean and wet beach areas, you may want to look at a specialty machine such as the BeachHunter 300 or the Surf PI Dual Field. These are both water resistant machines designed for wet work. The BH300 is resistant down to 25' and is a VLF machine much like the DFX. The DF(Dual Field) is resistant down to (i believe) 100' and works on Pulse Induction principles.

Talk with Andrew at New England Detectors (1-888-734-1544) about your needs. And, since you're doing beaches, make certain to get a real good, long handled sand scoop. The long handle is for working in the water. I've purchased from Andrew, and tho he may be hard to reach on a given day, he is a very class act. His knowledge should help you get the right machine and the right equipment.

I wish you all the gold you can carry,

Dave

Welcome from sunny Southern Arizona where you can hunt 365 days a year

Welcome from San Antonio. Best of luck and keep us posted!

Hello and Welcome to the forum from Russia !!! Poul !