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.