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Best Metal Detector(s) in Price Range?

Alcyone

New Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2014
Messages
11
Location
San Francisco Bay Area
Hi all, I am new here and to the hobby - was hoping I could use the groups combined experience in choosing the best metal detector for my needs. Thanks in advance for any insight you all can provide!

My fiance and I are looking to purchase a metal detector and get into the hobby. We live in the California SF Bay Area, and I am not sure what type of soil this is, but I am guessing its pretty mineralized. We are looking for a detector that can detect gold, but not really for prospecting - just finding gold jewelry or coins as well as other metal objects. Plan to use it at parks, beaches, fields, etc - so I would want something that would work well in sandy / wet areas as well as salt water. We'd also like something that can detect fairly deep - from what I have been reading 6 inches seems a common depth and it would be nice to get deeper than that.

Ideally, it seems like getting something that can be upgraded would be a good idea? Or do most people just buy a new detector?

Originally we were thinking of spending $300 max, and thought the Garret 350 deal at Kellyco might be a good buy since it comes with the pinpointer, but then we noticed the BOGO offer - which means we would both be able to get a detector. After researching some of the ones offered in that deal however, there doesn't seem to be much information about most of them or good reviews.

Any thoughts you guys have is appreciated!
 
for wet salt beaches no detector in that price range is going to do it. you would need a multi frequency machine machine to handle the salt. i would skip kellyco most of the sponsors can beat kellyco prices if you contact them directly.

for two detectors look at used from forum sponsors or members. there is a F2 in the for sale section for 140 a great starter machine. look for fisher f2/garrett ace 150/250/350, whites coinmaster, eurotek pro, tesoro cibola, delta 4000.

a quick check of the sale section theres a eurotek pro, f2, and delta 4000 for sale all good prices. dont get caught up with the kellyco packages because most of the stuff in there is junk you just will not use.
 
any of these machines you can turn the sensitivity down and hunt the salt beaches. you just have to turn them way down. dry sand is no problem for any of them.
 
Hi all, I am new here and to the hobby - was hoping I could use the groups combined experience in choosing the best metal detector for my needs. Thanks in advance for any insight you all can provide!

My fiance and I are looking to purchase a metal detector and get into the hobby. We live in the California SF Bay Area, and I am not sure what type of soil this is, but I am guessing its pretty mineralized. We are looking for a detector that can detect gold, but not really for prospecting - just finding gold jewelry or coins as well as other metal objects. Plan to use it at parks, beaches, fields, etc - so I would want something that would work well in sandy / wet areas as well as salt water. We'd also like something that can detect fairly deep - from what I have been reading 6 inches seems a common depth and it would be nice to get deeper than that.

Ideally, it seems like getting something that can be upgraded would be a good idea? Or do most people just buy a new detector?

Originally we were thinking of spending $300 max, and thought the Garret 350 deal at Kellyco might be a good buy since it comes with the pinpointer, but then we noticed the BOGO offer - which means we would both be able to get a detector. After researching some of the ones offered in that deal however, there doesn't seem to be much information about most of them or good reviews.

Any thoughts you guys have is appreciated!

Glad you asked first before buying, this will save you a lot of hassle in the long run.
I am sure there will be other Cali hunters that can chime in on that mineralization issue, but here are a few basic things you might want to know.

That BOGO deal does not hold any value on the detectors that are offered, in my opinion, anyway.
I had the Pioneer EX which is just another version of that Pilot and I don't have a great opinion of it, the BH units are very low end and you can do better, and those MP units have been purchased by many and most have stated they weren't worth the shipping price...even if that shipping price was free.
Beware of inflated packages offered by some dealers filled with no worth items.
Not all dealers play these games so keep looking.

As far as all you want in a $300 detector if wishes were horses....we would all be riding ponies.

Most of your needs will be met by many entry level units in your price range but don't expect any of them to work well in a wet saltwater environment.
You need to spend way more for a truly capable unit for that, but you can always get into that in the future if you like and stay in the hobby and decide to spend a lot of time there.

Even in wet salted sand most will work a little, but you will need to turn the sense down quite a bit, deal with a bunch of noise and don't expect any decent depth.

In dry sand and in dirt things change tremendously and you should probably concentrate on doing that at first with a capable lower priced unit...or two, and there are a few good ones to choose from.

The Aces have been around awhile, are well loved by many and have found a lot of great things, the F2 has not only icons but extremely helpful VDI numbers in addition and I can't tell you how great a value the F2 is with the multiple coil packages or how well it can work.
Look at my F2 album to get a clue.

Right now probably the best entry level unit going is the Euro Tek Pro which has lots of great info on the screen, VDI numbers also, and something called iron audio.
This unit has features that have never been offered in an entry level unit in the past, and seems to be loved by not only newbies just entering the hobby but by veterans as a very productive secondary/backup unit too.

Many have started with the Tesoro line, the Compadre has no screen but it is mind boggingly cheap considering what it can do and find and a blast to use and don't discount the lessons that can be learned when you spend the time to understand the language of sound only hunting.
The Silver and other upgraded Tesoro models are no slouches either.

An F2 and a Compadre together, or substitute a Euro Tek Pro for the F2 and you can come very close to the $350 range on both together, and you might be surprised on what some of our dealers can do on prices if you pick up the phone and CALL THEM!
The prices you see are not always in stone, and many can offer some excellent deals including better accessories if you look into it.

If you end up with 2 different brands you should not have any issues with frequency cross talk...lots of noise when hunting close to another exact same unit.
Stay far enough away from each other this is not a problem, but if you want to hunt close to another person it will if you are both swinging the same unit.

You might want to think about a pinpointer.
The one offered in in the F2 package is usable but not great compared to the high end ones but still very helpful compared to nothing.
Many use and love this thing and still use nothing else.
Many have spent $15 on a cheap one from Harbor freight as their first.
I did and I am glad I did and it came in very handy before I eventually upgraded.

Think about all of this, don't aim for a "can do everything" unit as your first unless you are prepared to spend a whole lot more money.

You can have a ton of fun and find a bunch with just about any unit if you make up your mind to spend time learning it, but there are still some out there that hold more value, options and features than others so do your research and listen to veterans that will offer their opinions first before you make a decision.
 
Won't do salt water, can do some wet sand, but check out the EUROTEK PRO on youtube. Great machine for the price.$225.00 or $299.00 with 11 inch DD coil !
 
price range & conditions

1st , I would like to say single frequency machines are not the best for the beach, a multi frequency machine works better, also you want a waterproof , or maybe a GT if your not going into the water with a weather cover over it , to keep the salt water & air mist off the head, you can get away with a Euro Tek Pro with a 11dd coil in dry sand , and land, but really in that price range , you wont find a water salt machine, for all round hunting Land , Water to 10 ft. Waterproof head phones needed, the CTX3030 at 2500.00 will work, if you don't own any other detectors , that's the only way I would purchase a CTX3030, the point I am trying to make is , it is a expensive hobby, Land machines for land, salt water hunting requires waterproof machines which are higher, pointers, scoops, finds bags, head phone's, extra coils, for different hunting conditions , are additional equipment needed, to make the hobby more enjoyable , happy hunting, Earl
 
You're really not going to find a machine in that price range the will handle the wet beach sand. For everything else, the machines above will not disappoint. For my 299.00 I would go with the Eurotek Pro. It was my first VDI machine and it is fantastic ! It worked very well in the dry beach sand for me also. Down the road, I picked up a couple of machines well suited for beach hunting, but it gave me time to talk to experienced hunters, learn the hobby and make good decisions on what to buy.
 
I started with the Ace 250 and a Garrett PRO POINTER and had a blast on dry sand and parks and playgrounds. A year later I have 5 machines and use all of them because THERE IS NO "ONE" MACHINE.
BUT there are great deals to be found on eBay and Craigslist on used equipment once you learn what you need and want. I suggest you start lower key and learn the hobby. Unlike common misconception it's very hard work to do this hobby. You probably won't find anything of note for quite a while until you learn the basics. Expect to spend 100 hours or more before you start to get comfortable. That's 2 1/2 work weeks digging pull tabs and a few pennies. Are you willing to do that? Many won't. And even then you often spend hours for very little. This week I have hunted 5 times, spending an average of 4 hours per hunt. I found $12.38, a fake ring, a bucket of trash and a sunburn.
And can't wait to go back out.
So buy yourself a good quality low end machine and work your way up.
 
Thanks so much for all of your helpful responses! The first purchase is a little frustrating because on one hand we don't want something too low end that we will just be annoyed at ourselves when we want to upgrade a few months later and could have put that money toward something better - I also worry that Ill dig trash wondering if I might be missing something that could be picked up with a better machine. Both fiance and I fully expect to dig trash and lots of it, we aren't even going into this with the expectation of finding anything amazing but picking this up as hobby to get us out of the house and be more active while doing something fun together.

We both really enjoy the beach though, so were a little disappointed to hear that the ones we were thinking of wont be good in salt-water. Calling around to some of the sponsors like you all suggested got us some good offers - Since we would kind of like two machines, we are entertaining one (Im not sure if I am allowed to say sponsor names?) but he is offering the Garret Sea Hunter MII, and a Garrett 350 with pinpointer for a little under 1k - that seems like a good deal but again, worried about putting so much money into this right away. Does anyone have thoughts on the MII? Do these models tend to have pretty good resale value?
 
i wouldnt do the sea hunter from what i read the "PI" machines are not so good at discriminating targets and the ace 350 is just a 250 with a DD coil. again i would suggest used especially for a salt water machine. a good scoop is a must on the beach and those will set you back as well.

an f2/ace 250 while entry level will find the good stuff. any machine will work on the salt water you just got to turn the sens way down. ive never hunted in the water at the beach but i hear there is a learning curve to finding your targets and digging them underwater.

finally i dont know what the resale value is on the MII. if you dont like it you might have to take a substantial hit on the resale.
 
Get yourself an older model Sovereign. An XS or something in that range. You can't take it in the water, but the Sovereign is the king of the wet sand. If you look around and are patient 3 to 400.00 is the range.
 
Are you using it only at the beach?

Get yourself an F2 or a Eurotek pro, and a good pinpointer like the Garrett pro pointer or whites TRX. Learn the basics and upgrade in a few months to any detector that has GROUND BALACING.

Then you'll have 2, one for each of you to swing!

Word of advice- if you proceed, and really like the hobby, you'll always have a eye on a new and better detector. Upgrade again when it's feasible to do so...
 
I was mistaken on the offer - fiance corrected me. It was the MII and the Eurotek Pro.

The Garrett is a PI machine. PI machines have little or no Discrimination. which means you will have to dig every target. In the wet sand/water, thats not always a bad idea. (Depending on how trashy the beach is). PI machines usually go deeper than other machines also. I have one and use it with great results. Its not my everyday machine, but I use it. The Eurotek Pro is a good beginner choice and you wont be disappointed. Some may disagree with me, but the learning curve with a PI machine is a lot less for a beginner. you will dig a lot of bobby pins and iron but you will hit nice targets that a lot of others will miss. Good luck !
 
I also am newbie and was concerned about what machine also ? I live in Kansas so I don't have any beaches, salt water etc... However, I have an ACE 250 and a Fisher F2. They both WORK GREAT and are very easy to use. You cant beat the value of these two machines. Just my opinion.
 
Get yourself an older model Sovereign. An XS or something in that range. You can't take it in the water, but the Sovereign is the king of the wet sand. If you look around and are patient 3 to 400.00 is the range.

And they work just as well on dry sand and land hunting.
Wish I still had mine
 
I started with the ACE 350 which I received for Christmas. I added a Garrett ProPointer a couple months later, which proved its value instantly for the quicker recovery speed and moving onto the next target. I've seen the ones that KellyCo is offering with the packages and you basically have to touch the items before it sounds off. Like others have said, the packages are things that look enticing, but in the end have little use. I've upgraded now to the AT Pro and have 3 coils. It's an addiction that once you start, you will want to keep going. Do yourself a favor and start where you think you might end up if you can. Parts aren't as interchangeable as they used to be, so that's a factor as well. If you outgrow your machine quickly, you may end up spending more in the long run. Advice on the used machines here is a good one as well. This forum is where I bought my AT Pro and a second ProPointer.
 
Glad you asked first before buying, this will save you a lot of hassle in the long run.
I am sure there will be other Cali hunters that can chime in on that mineralization issue, but here are a few basic things you might want to know.

That BOGO deal does not hold any value on the detectors that are offered, in my opinion, anyway.
I had the Pioneer EX which is just another version of that Pilot and I don't have a great opinion of it, the BH units are very low end and you can do better, and those MP units have been purchased by many and most have stated they weren't worth the shipping price...even if that shipping price was free.
Beware of inflated packages offered by some dealers filled with no worth items.
Not all dealers play these games so keep looking.

As far as all you want in a $300 detector if wishes were horses....we would all be riding ponies.

Most of your needs will be met by many entry level units in your price range but don't expect any of them to work well in a wet saltwater environment.
You need to spend way more for a truly capable unit for that, but you can always get into that in the future if you like and stay in the hobby and decide to spend a lot of time there.

Even in wet salted sand most will work a little, but you will need to turn the sense down quite a bit, deal with a bunch of noise and don't expect any decent depth.

In dry sand and in dirt things change tremendously and you should probably concentrate on doing that at first with a capable lower priced unit...or two, and there are a few good ones to choose from.

The Aces have been around awhile, are well loved by many and have found a lot of great things, the F2 has not only icons but extremely helpful VDI numbers in addition and I can't tell you how great a value the F2 is with the multiple coil packages or how well it can work.
Look at my F2 album to get a clue.

Right now probably the best entry level unit going is the Euro Tek Pro which has lots of great info on the screen, VDI numbers also, and something called iron audio.
This unit has features that have never been offered in an entry level unit in the past, and seems to be loved by not only newbies just entering the hobby but by veterans as a very productive secondary/backup unit too.

Many have started with the Tesoro line, the Compadre has no screen but it is mind boggingly cheap considering what it can do and find and a blast to use and don't discount the lessons that can be learned when you spend the time to understand the language of sound only hunting.
The Silver and other upgraded Tesoro models are no slouches either.

An F2 and a Compadre together, or substitute a Euro Tek Pro for the F2 and you can come very close to the $350 range on both together, and you might be surprised on what some of our dealers can do on prices if you pick up the phone and CALL THEM!
The prices you see are not always in stone, and many can offer some excellent deals including better accessories if you look into it.

If you end up with 2 different brands you should not have any issues with frequency cross talk...lots of noise when hunting close to another exact same unit.
Stay far enough away from each other this is not a problem, but if you want to hunt close to another person it will if you are both swinging the same unit.

You might want to think about a pinpointer.
The one offered in in the F2 package is usable but not great compared to the high end ones but still very helpful compared to nothing.
Many use and love this thing and still use nothing else.
Many have spent $15 on a cheap one from Harbor freight as their first.
I did and I am glad I did and it came in very handy before I eventually upgraded.

Think about all of this, don't aim for a "can do everything" unit as your first unless you are prepared to spend a whole lot more money.

You can have a ton of fun and find a bunch with just about any unit if you make up your mind to spend time learning it, but there are still some out there that hold more value, options and features than others so do your research and listen to veterans that will offer their opinions first before you make a decision.

AWESOME post!

You get what you pay for and always call a dealer that actually uses the machines not just paid to sell them. We can help you in the real world.
 
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