If you have highly mineralized soil then you definitely want one that has a manual ground balance. If you want an ID machine, I would also recommend one that has a numerical target ID. I also would want one with multiple tones. Out of the new stuff, I prefer Minelab products but that's just personal preference. If you have a dealer locally, go and try out some different products and get something that you feel comfortable with and that you think you will like learning. You don't have to get a real complicated machine to get some really nice features. Good luck with whatever you choose and just be patient and you will find lots of good stuff.