Big Boys Hobbies

Machine-raked beaches

Sweeps

Sweeps

Full Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2013
Messages
104
Location
Near New Haven, CT
The beach I hit yesterday is machine-raked (if that's the term for it) every morning.

Asking experienced beach hunters here, is this better or worse for MDing in the dry sand? I've got an ACE 350.

I was only out for a couple of hours. I did not find much in the raked area, so I tried the small areas where the rake was not able to go. Got 14 coins, including my oldest so far...a 1954 D wheat.

I'd like some comment on the raked area from anyone more experienced than I am, I just started MDing a week ago!

Thanks,

Sweeps
 
Sounds kinda like you answered your own question by searching different areas of the beach.

This has been discussed multiple times I think the consensus is that it depends on the type of sand you have and the type of rake they used.

Did you make you best finds on the edge and end of the rakes path or on the totally untouched spots?
 
I've hunted behind Sweepers finding coins and rings. Most likely grabbed would be chains and watches....depending on the adjustment on the rakes. Where I hunt, The rake goes down only 2". Targets wise would be a lot less this time of year. I normally don't do this because of my busy weekends and seeing that you're only 10 minutes from me, Would you be willing to come to West Haven beach? I'll be more then happy to give you some pointers.


http://www.youtube.com/user/PIJoeCT?feature=mhsn#p/f
 
uhmmm raking machines usually go 4"-6" deep, so as long you're using a detector that can go deeper than that, it'd be good to go.
 
Thank you!!

PI Joe, thank you for your offer! That's awesome!!!

I would love to get pointers from you, and the West Haven beaches are close by, for sure.

This weekend is out of the question for me though. My wife has me doing stuff I've neglected a bit.

I'm pretty much free most any time, though...I've got my own business and make my own hours (mostly...sometimes I'm involved with a larger project that takes substantial time, but I know that in advance and plan accordingly).

If there's a time/day that's is convenient for you, just let me know and I'll be there!!

Very generous of you to offer up some help to this newbie, I appreciate it very much!

Thanks,

Sweeps
 
Some rakes turn coins and other targets on edge. A lot of detectors don't detect those well. Bury some coins standing on end about 4" and see if you can find them. We see one that works like a comb. Wish they'd let me run that through the dry sand during peak season for some chains after I add about 200 treble hooks to it:lol:
 
I haven't spent a lot of time experimenting with working the sand, but I've varied my sweep speed and gotten deeper hits with a faster sweep. A few of those hits seemed to be phantoms. At least, I couldn't find anything where I dug. The sand was dry and at distance from the water.

I'll try the on-edge coin in my test garden.

I just picked up the centech pinpointer at HF, too. Seemed to help a lot yesterday, although it's a cheapie, it saved me time digging the stuff I did locate.

Sweeps
 
Google "Barber Surf Rake"...

PI JOE said:
I've hunted behind Sweepers finding coins and rings. Most likely grabbed would be chains and watches....depending on the adjustment on the rakes. Where I hunt, The rake goes down only 2". Targets wise would be a lot less this time of year. I normally don't do this because of my busy weekends and seeing that you're only 10 minutes from me, Would you be willing to come to West Haven beach? I'll be more then happy to give you some pointers.


http://www.youtube.com/user/PIJoeCT?feature=mhsn#p/f
Click to expand...

I'm with Joe in my experiences... I started out with an ACE 250 and put a DD coil on it. I hunted behind the Barber Surf Rakes they use here and did amazingly well. The places where they turn around or make sweeping turns prove good also. Scan the outside of the turns, oft times coins will pile up and get dragged until a turn and then kick out. You may very well do better as you gain more familiarity with your machine also.



MexGT said:
uhmmm raking machines usually go 4"-6" deep, so as long you're using a detector that can go deeper than that, it'd be good to go.
Click to expand...

Unless they are operated correctly and at the right speed, they are only effective to about 3 inches, the faster they go, the shallower the tines seem to go. I have found tons of clad and a few rings in the direct path behind the surf rakes here, one ring was just barely beneath the sand so it may have been pulled up from a bit deeper and dropped or may have been missed entirely.

Bottom line is, there's more competition from other detectorists than from the Barber Surf Rakes

:cool:​
 
The machines I have seen at both Jacksonville and Clearwater have feeler wires that pick up paper and other larger items. They do not pick up small items like bottle caps, coins, pull tabs and rings. They do not pick up any sand, they just groom it and catch mostly paper and plastic trash. Those machines do not pick up the sand and sift it.
 
robby4570 said:
I'm with Joe in my experiences... I started out with an ACE 250 and put a DD coil on it. I hunted behind the Barber Surf Rakes they use here and did amazingly well. The places where they turn around or make sweeping turns prove good also. Scan the outside of the turns, oft times coins will pile up and get dragged until a turn and then kick out. You may very well do better as you gain more familiarity with your machine also...:cool:
Click to expand...

I do believe I will go back to the turn spots and try again.

Thanks!

Sweeps

P.S. I definitely need to practice more with this machine. I got a great signal the other day, thought it was a silver dollar. Turned out to be the size of a dollar, but was a top seal for a bottle of some sort. Oh, well.
 
imalookin2 said:
The machines I have seen at both Jacksonville and Clearwater have feeler wires that pick up paper and other larger items. They do not pick up small items like bottle caps, coins, pull tabs and rings. They do not pick up any sand, they just groom it and catch mostly paper and plastic trash. Those machines do not pick up the sand and sift it.
Click to expand...

Ima... do the look like this?

Barber-surf-take.jpg

If so, they are Barber Surf Rakes... http://www.hbarber.com/Cleaners/SurfRake/Default.html

I talked with one of the operators about how well they work and he told me that they really don't do very well if you run them too fast, but they are intended to get the large trash items like bags and bottles and cans and plates etc. I thought maybe going to where they dump them and detect but he said it's mostly garbage and that one of the guys tried detecting a pile and got about 60 cents for his two hours. I don't worry about them now but I am happy if I beat them to a stretch of beach on any given day because I know I will have a better chance at a watch or necklace.
 
Sweeps said:
I do believe I will go back to the turn spots and try again.

Thanks!

Sweeps

P.S. I definitely need to practice more with this machine. I got a great signal the other day, thought it was a silver dollar. Turned out to be the size of a dollar, but was a top seal for a bottle of some sort. Oh, well.
Click to expand...

Better to dig an "iffy" signal than to let a goodie go by... What kind of scoop are you using?
 
I've found plenty behind the beach rake machines, and they leave the sand nice and fluffy for easier digging...
 
I know of a beach where they use what the machine collects for "fill dirt" on other parts of the beach...

This is what I found in the "fill"..

21K...

IMG_3961_zpsb186ac69.jpg


What a lucky day that was! I won't be too worried till they start using waterproof beach rakes though...

<*)))>{
 
Wow!

Ice Scratcher said:
I know of a beach where they use what the machine collects for "fill dirt" on other parts of the beach...

This is what I found in the "fill"..

21K...

IMG_3961_zpsb186ac69.jpg


What a lucky day that was! I won't be too worried till they start using waterproof beach rakes though...

<*)))>{
Click to expand...

OMG!

I think I'd drop dead, on the spot. Nice!!!


Sweeps
 
Sweeps said:
OMG!

I think I'd drop dead, on the spot. Nice!!!


Sweeps
Click to expand...

Thanks man! That find did end my hunt for the day, that was al I needed and more that day!

Also find tabs and coins in those piles, and would not be surprised to find a ring in that mix also...

<*)))>{
 
I can only tell you that the guys who rake the beaches here never have to use there own money in the vending machines at work.:crying:
 
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