Myers Depot Metal Detectors

How Deep Would You Dig?

sadiedee

sadiedee

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2017
Messages
34
Location
Richfield, Ohio
How deep would you dig? This weekend, I got a consistent 85/99 (seemed like there were two objects) signal from a hole. Good, right? Unfortunately, I had to dig down over a foot to pull out one of the items. My pin pointer and detector both indicated there was something else down there (perhaps the 99 signal - I'm using a Garrett), but at that point, I was exhausted and it was very dark out. Considering I was in my front yard, I decided I'd cover it and return later.

b7eye1.png

I was so excited to see that it was round, but then...ugh. A washer.

Do you have a limit on how far you will dig? What is it? I'm digging in clay soil and glacial till btw.

In the backyard, I have another hole started where I was pulling out sheets of mica (from perhaps, a tiny sad iron heater?) on top of what looks to be brittle rubber - but that's also getting pretty deep. I know I'm on top of trash, but eh. Since that's in the backyard, I just marked it for later, No one sees that except for the deer.

Perhaps I'm too used to instant gratification. Any advice? Stories? Suggestions? I think I need some motivation to keep going.
 
A few variables that could make a difference like location etc., but as a general rule you get used to the sound your detector makes on good and bad targets and how they sound at different depths. Especially with the pinpointer. When I hear a possible good target I know at what depth to expect a good target. If I start getting below that I back off.

Same with the pinpointer. If my pinpointer (carrot) says the target should be just an inch or so more and I'm still digging at 4" more I stop.
 
Detector said:
A few variables that could make a difference like location etc., but as a general rule you get used to the sound your detector makes on good and bad targets and how they sound at different depths. Especially with the pinpointer. When I hear a possible good target I know at what depth to expect a good target. If I start getting below that I back off.

Same with the pinpointer. If my pinpointer (carrot) says the target should be just an inch or so more and I'm still digging at 4" more I stop.
Click to expand...

Exactly this! I'd dig a 3' hole if I thought there was something good down there but I'll quickly give up on even a 3" hole if my PP is telling me I should have already hit whatever my ATP told me I was supposed to be finding.

BCD
 
So does that mean when your detector indicates it's 8 or more inches, you probably wouldn't dig it? :hmmm:

Then what's the point of getting a detector with more depth if you are only going to dig a 3" inch hole?

I found a silver (or nickel) plated copper spoon just a few feet away that was at 7 inches or so, so I was willing to take a chance that maybe I hit something good that was just deep (and the one object I pulled out was flat and thin so that combined with the depth may be given me a false high ping, I'm not sure, I'll have to go home and test it to see what it says now that it's out of the dirt).

If, ***on average***, 1/16th of an inch in dirt depth equals 1 year, then 3 inches would only be about 58 years...and you'd have to dig 9" down to get anything from the 1870's? I'm not saying that's always the case, land is graded, land is filled in, etc.

I'm just wondering every one else's thought process. Thanks!
 
sort of like aluminum cans....give a great signal and say it is 3 inches below surface. After a foot you still arent there and you can lift the coil off the ground another foot and it says it is 3 inches below. Normally that tells you it is a can and to move on. The likelihood of it being a mason jar full of silver coins is probably low.

If you feel frisky, dig until you need a backhoe. After you dig up about 30 aluminum cans, you start quitting after a few inches or you dont even dig at all. I lift my coil off the ground a couple feet, if it still beeps and says it is at the surface....walk away.

No one can tell you what to dig or how deep you should go. You just have to make the decision on your own...or your back does.
 
sadiedee said:
So does that mean when your detector indicates it's 8 or more inches, you probably wouldn't dig it? :hmmm:

Then what's the point of getting a detector with more depth if you are only going to dig a 3" inch hole?
Click to expand...

If I hit an 8 inch signal and it feels right I'm digging it. If I am at 10 inches and my pinpointer is going crazy, I'm figuring big rusty iron signal and moving on. Hopefully I pullout whatever is down there and it is what it says it is, though.

The better example is below, I get a 4" dime signal on my ATP. I dig about 3 or 4 inches and put in my pinpointer. If my pinpointer is going nuts right on top of the ground all the way down to the bottom of my hole, no way that is a dime. All likely hood it is an aluminum can and I move on.

To Beach Bum's point, if I get a 3 or 4 inch dime signal that is really banging on my ATP, I take it up a few inches to see if I still get that banging 3 or 4 inch dime signal. When I do, aluminum can, and I move on.

BCD
 
Fortunately, the one aluminum can I have dug was only a few inches below the surface and gave a huge signal so I figured it was trash.

So...that said...do you know where can I find a decent backhoe? j/k

Would you recommend I just turn the sensitivity down so I'm not tempted to dig to China? :digginahole:

I think if a silver spoon was at 7 inches, that it would be unlikely to be an aluminum can at 12 inches (but it IS possible). It was not pinging like a can though (pinging at 99).



Beach Bum said:
sort of like aluminum cans....give a great signal and say it is 3 inches below surface. After a foot you still arent there and you can lift the coil off the ground another foot and it says it is 3 inches below. Normally that tells you it is a can and to move on. The likelihood of it being a mason jar full of silver coins is probably low.

If you feel frisky, dig until you need a backhoe. After you dig up about 30 aluminum cans, you start quitting after a few inches or you dont even dig at all. I lift my coil off the ground a couple feet, if it still beeps and says it is at the surface....walk away.

No one can tell you what to dig or how deep you should go. You just have to make the decision on your own...or your back does.
Click to expand...
 
I hunt many fields and when in a field I will dig very deep. I have pulled soda cans from a foot and a half but there are large desireable targets possible here. I know the history of the fields and also know that many items have been plowed under. That said, if I am in a yard I too follow a pinpointer plan. If I cut a plug expecting a dime and my pointer leads me to believe it is a much bigger deep target I may move on, depends who's yard...:lol:
 
sadiedee said:
How deep would you dig? This weekend, I got a consistent 85/99 (seemed like there were two objects) signal from a hole. Good, right? Unfortunately, I had to dig down over a foot to pull out one of the items. My pin pointer and detector both indicated there was something else down there (perhaps the 99 signal - I'm using a Garrett), but at that point, I was exhausted and it was very dark out. Considering I was in my front yard, I decided I'd cover it and return later.

b7eye1.png

I was so excited to see that it was round, but then...ugh. A washer.

Do you have a limit on how far you will dig? What is it? I'm digging in clay soil and glacial till btw.

In the backyard, I have another hole started where I was pulling out sheets of mica (from perhaps, a tiny sad iron heater?) on top of what looks to be brittle rubber - but that's also getting pretty deep. I know I'm on top of trash, but eh. Since that's in the backyard, I just marked it for later, No one sees that except for the deer.

Perhaps I'm too used to instant gratification. Any advice? Stories? Suggestions? I think I need some motivation to keep going.
Click to expand...

8 inches is my max, unless the object is obviously close with a pin pointer. Too-large objects sound off WAY too far away with a pin pointer, and if I'm getting "Tone" with the Garrett AT at 4" and I've removed another 4" and haven't found it. It's a pipe or something I don't want. I once dug something up just to see what it was. Front right quarterpanel of a F150. It was HUGE. Never again.

Skippy
 
there was another article on here about your topic. I gave up on a dig last week never did find it ..
 
If you're asking how deep will I go on a good target then I'd say about 12"

Again, I generally stay within the limits of what I would expect my detector to sound like on a good target. The average coil on today's detectors is generally an 11". I dug many good coins at 12" in our city park, and I know there are deeper, but I know the limits of the 11" coil even on the best detectors. Even under the best conditions 12" is going to be about max on the average coin. Especially in our city park. Below 12" and you risk permanent damage to the grass. Not worth it.
 
When hunting my local park I typically wont dig more than 6"-8" and that is rare. I have gotten really good tones in the mid 80's there that my machine is telling me that it's 8" +. This is mostly a pull tad/ clad park so typically I wont dig it. The reason being, I don't want to ruin the grass. Like many, I've tried it and it is usually an old beer or soda can.

On the other side, though....When I'm in the woods up from the house or at my parents place I'll try to dig til I find whatever it is. Dug almost 12" in the woods to find a backhoe tooth. Took a bit of doing, but I found it and drug it home...:laughing:
 
Sadie,of you are looking for coin sized objects,you have to learn how to "size" a target before you even start digging. All of this will come with many hours with the machine and you will know,trust us. Moreover...trust your machine.
 
At beaches I dig down until I find the target (It's easy to dig there so no problems ). In parks, when they are lots of people around, I only go for shallow signals (not more than 4 inches). When there are few people around, I dig until I find it, regardless if it's 6in or 12in down. :)
 
I'll go 6, maybe 8 inches for a really good tone in the totlots I sweep. If it has that weed barrier, then I only go that far (usually about 4 to 5 inches). I'm in it for enjoyment, not more work. Used to keep digging deeper just to see, usually ended up being something huge like old sprinkler pipes or 1 inch rebar. Quit that long ago, but was good to make sure for awhile when I was still new to the hobby.
 
I agree with the advice on here 100%! Learning the tones and quirks of your machine is a definite process. I started out with the idea that it was going to be tedious work and I needed to exercise patience and dig, dig, dig. It can be super frustrating but one day you will realize that you can discern the iron tones and the coin sounds without much effort. How deep do I dig? Depends on how much coffee I've had and how hot it is outside! Haha. If you're feeling energized, see what's in that dirt no matter how deep. Good luck!
 
Local parks not deep. Beach deep to a degree same as in area that does no damage. But in general 8/9 average digging.

Depends also if I think it could be a pipe etc.

When clad stabbing not too deep .


oj/bc
 
Skippy SH13 said:
8 inches is my max, unless the object is obviously close with a pin pointer. Too-large objects sound off WAY too far away with a pin pointer, and if I'm getting "Tone" with the Garrett AT at 4" and I've removed another 4" and haven't found it. It's a pipe or something I don't want. I once dug something up just to see what it was. Front right quarterpanel of a F150. It was HUGE. Never again.

Skippy
Click to expand...


Skippy...I can't breathe right now....:laughing::laughing:
 
On the beach, in dry sand I will go the distance to get the target.
In the wet sand, as soon as my scoop pancakes (flat in the hole with no more digging room) I'm done.
 
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