Big Boys Hobbies

Looking to purchase first machine, $400 limit

A

aperdue

New Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
24
Location
Humble, TX
So the two I have been looking at so far are the Garrett Ace 400 and the Fisher F44. Mostly looking on dry land in Texas but would like to me able to check out areas around creeks as well. I am not stuck on brands. I am open to yall's expert opinions
 
Garrett At pro can be had for 500$ new if you contact the right sponsor here on the forum!

Between the 400 and 44, I'd take the fisher.

Also look into the minelab 305/505.
 
:roll: Other choices would include,,,used Minelab Explorers, like Explorer 2

Supreme coin hunters

Explorers series have a good track record for reliability.

Even older XS explorers can be had use for $250-300.

Used Fisher F75s and Technics T2s and G2s come up for sale used in your budget occassionally too.


Good luck.

You will likely get more machine used for your budget vs buying new.

Cheers
 
I like the LRP (bounty hunter) stay away from the ace 400, no ground balance. If it has to be Garrett move up for a few more bucks and get the ATP.
 
Well OK, since you asked...You are thinking about this all wrong! Dont think too hard about the cost, think about the PAYBACK! What you gotta do is 'Pro Rate' your gear working off a 10yr timeline! So even a $700 dollar rig is only $70/yr...and you can knock that down in clad alone in a few hunts/ months...See?

These rigs are tools intended to put money in your pocket on your spare time you would generally be wasting!....You really do have to get a rig that fits your personality and territory though....You can get a 'quick broom' and knock down some serious clad and inland jewelry, or get a mop and work old silver! Its all depending on your location and personality for making the decision for what fits YOU and your Territory best!

Theres so many subset skills and genres to this Sport! Dont make your decision based solely on the initial outlay of dollars...Think strategically, be committed to success, get a trustworthy rig that fits your area and style and work the hell out of it to pay it off and make YOU money!! Get one you can grow with, hunt any and all conditions just in case...

FWIW, my first rig was an impulse buy back not even 8yrs ago...the F70, I didnt know dink about the Sport or the gear, but boy howdy did I get lucky right out of the chute with the right machine for ME! I also have an AtPro...in the right areas it flat makes me money...

Dont worry about the initial outlay of fiat paper dollars...we are in it for the long haul and looking for metal....
Mud
 
I'd suggest picking up a used AT Pro. Check the classifieds.

A waterproof machine is a great thing to have when creek/water hunting. Drop one of the other suggested machines in the water and it's game over...

Also, Welcome from Louisiana!
 
Mud-puppy said:
Don't think too hard about the cost,
Mud
Click to expand...

Can I borrow your spinning wheel, you know, the one that spins straw into gold, not everyone looks at metal detecting with the same point of view, and some of us, can't justify the initial means regardless of the payout, just saying. Different people, different situations, etc. A few years back, I may have been able to buy any machine my heart desires, today, family, home, medical bills and numerous other factors make it less than financially responsible to my obligations to be extravagant, for something I only consider for myself, a hobby.
Who knows, in a year, a month, a week, I may have to sell mine...
 
Out of the two you have listed I'd say Fisher. I've never owned either of those machines but have read a lot from others and just knowing the style each machine posses.
 
coin pirate said:
Can I borrow your spinning wheel, you know, the one that spins straw into gold, not everyone looks at metal detecting with the same point of view, and some of us, can't justify the initial means regardless of the payout, just saying. Different people, different situations, etc. A few years back, I may have been able to buy any machine my heart desires, today, family, home, medical bills and numerous other factors make it less than financially responsible to my obligations to be extravagant, for something I only consider for myself, a hobby.
Who knows, in a year, a month, a week, I may have to sell mine...
Click to expand...

I hear you buddy, and I'm so damn sorry about suggesting a Family Man spending up for a rig to the detriment of their other responsibilities...Yeah, looking back, probably the best 'tool' I ever got for making money was a paintbrush...My daughter was born with severe defects, we didnt have any health insurance, the recession of 1981 was in full swing, no work....and I paid the bills with a damned old paintbrush and a ladder....maybe a close second was making some snares out of some cable and trapping beaver/coyotes...oh I forgot! The best money for the effort was when I was a gravedigger! All I needed was a shovel, pick, and a wheelbarrow and got paid $100/hole! of course, this was in MN and I had to get down through the frost though...I was paid on performance and not effort...

Everything I have is a tool to make Us money it seems, no hobbiest here...roofing nailers, etc...No golf clubs here....The only peace and quiet for me is to hunt for park pennies with the off chance of finding some gold, so thats where I was coming from. Sorry about hitting your raw nerve Brother...I look at the World as a trapper and hunt appropriately...Detecting for me has gotta deliver a positive ROI or I wouldnt do it!....It pretty much sucks as we know!

I still gotta paintbrush, pick and shovel if things get hinky and I need some big money fast...I like to detect though! As a 'hobby' it does pay off within reason, better than golf anyway....My only other options are trapping coyotes, painting a damned house, or digging a grave...I dont have a college degree or a set of clubs like you do...:laughing: i dont care who you are..thats seriously effed up there...right?
Mud

Oh wait! I forgot! A snow shovel! I make big cash with that damned thing! I flat wear that damned thing out in season! have a look at the before and after! :laughing: The Wife got me the gray one for Christmas this year, and the Blue one last!:laughing:
 

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Not to worry mud, no nerve struck here, and for the record, no golf clubs either, was only saying everyone's situation is different, and wasn't soliciting sympathy or empathy, sometimes a budget to spend is just that and not a penny more.


oh, and sorry if I implied you had gobs of money with the spinning wheel, I should have added some laughing emoji's, was only meant as a joke
 
coin pirate said:
Not to worry mud, no nerve struck here, and for the record, no golf clubs either, was only saying everyone's situation is different, and wasn't soliciting sympathy or empathy, sometimes a budget to spend is just that and not a penny more.


oh, and sorry if I implied you had gobs of money with the spinning wheel, I should have added some laughing emoji's, was only meant as a joke
Click to expand...

Ok! Thanks for the clarification!...We are good then!...I actually do have money coming out of my wazoo though...I cant afford a coin tumbler, or a finds pouch, so I swallow all my cladstabbins' in field and they come out all clean and shiny and ready to spend the next morning! All I do is put a lettuce colander under the seat inside the outhouse!...:laughing::laughing:

Yeah, that Factory supplied 'laughing emoji' comes in pretty handy! Now excuse me Brother...all those pennies I swallowed yesterday morning are calling my name...FWIW, I found the keys to my Old mans 1956 chevy in that colander the other day? Mystery!...I dont know how or why, but He's been looking for them for all these years...I was just a kid...

I will say this, get a tumbler... back in 2012 when a did a 10k coin year in clad..that really was one tough go there swallowing and passing all that colonic clad...holy hell, I felt like a freakin upside down Pez dispenser! Those friggin JFK clad halfs were the worst!
Mud
 
Mud-puppy said:
Ok! I swallow all my cladstabbins' in field and they come out all clean and shiny and ready to spend the next morning! All I do is put a lettuce colander under the seat inside the outhouse...:laughing::laughing:

Yeah, that Factory supplied 'laughing emoji' comes in pretty handy! Now excuse me Brother...all those pennies I swallowed yesterday morning are calling my name...
Mud
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Great, I didn't need to make a tumbler, just send you my clad, let you clean them and then send them.....well, send them anywhere but back to me
f01dfca058c1687d6b7de93486fcd44a.png
 
Mud-puppy said:
Oh wait! I forgot! A snow shovel! I make big cash with that damned thing! I flat wear that damned thing out in season! have a look at the before and after! :laughing: The Wife got me the gray one for Christmas this year, and the Blue one last!:laughing:
Click to expand...

So Mud, if things get really bad you could, (in theory anyway), Take this job and shove(l) it....:laughing::laughing::laughing:
 
I'm with Bowwinkles...the Land Ranger Pro.
It is sub $300, and comes with a DD coil, ground balance, is lightweight, and has lots of other bells and whistles. It's quite similar to the F44, without the water resistant feature. With the $$$ you save on a LRP, get a pinpointer, and you'll still have enough left over to buy a tank of gas.

To stay within your budget, considering the features you get, it's tough to beat the LRP, in a new machine.
 
aperdue said:
So the two I have been looking at so far are the Garrett Ace 400 and the Fisher F44. Mostly looking on dry land in Texas but would like to me able to check out areas around creeks as well. I am not stuck on brands. I am open to yall's expert opinions
Click to expand...

I have the BH Plat Pro ($400), same as BH Plat ($300) but with the larger coil. It's been great for me here in Texas. It's not a water detector though, even though the coil is waterproof. I wouldn't risk taking a detector that is not fully waterproof into the water. One misstep or drop and *zap*, goodbye detector!

Keep in mind whatever you choose, you will need accesories and they're not cheap...like a pinpointer is helpful and a real digging leche is helpful too. Factor those costs into your budget.

I looked at getting the Ace 400 ($320) for it being a 2016 model, but there were 2 things that kinda threw me off about it. One was that you can't manually ground balance which didn't make sense to me, and I think the other was just the 2 year warranty when other companies were doing 3 years or 5 years. The warranty time is insignificant now though since after detecting for 2 months, I know I like the hobby and will be upgrading to a better detector myself here soon.
 
tnsharpshooter said:
:roll: Other choices would include,,,used Minelab Explorers, like Explorer 2

Supreme coin hunters

Explorers series have a good track record for reliability.

Even older XS explorers can be had use for $250-300.

Used Fisher F75s and Technics T2s and G2s come up for sale used in your budget occassionally too.


Good luck.

You will likely get more machine used for your budget vs buying new.

Cheers
Click to expand...

+1 I have a used explorer xs that I LOVE that I purchased for just over 300. But buying used also comes with other risks good luck! Report back with your choice!
 
Honestly get a tesoro, no fancy screen but dollar for dollar theyre the deepest imo. Cibola can be had about 250$ lifetime warranty, and hits quarters at 11" from reviews ive read
 
9Veater said:
Wouldnt an etp be superior to a lrp?
Click to expand...

The ETP is a good detector, but First Texas has built both on the same platform, and the LRP has a LOT more features than the ETP. No ground balance on the Eurotec Pro is a big negative.
 
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