Lets talk coils

FoundinPA

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Sep 30, 2017
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15
Been using a AT Max and wanted to know what smaller coils you are swinging? Would like to get something for trashy parks and old home sites. Looking at the NEL Snake & Garret Super Sniper. Any thoughts?
 
Been using a AT Max and wanted to know what smaller coils you are swinging? Would like to get something for trashy parks and old home sites. Looking at the NEL Snake & Garret Super Sniper. Any thoughts?

AT Series 5x8 coil. I love mine.
 
Been using a AT Max and wanted to know what smaller coils you are swinging? Would like to get something for trashy parks and old home sites. Looking at the NEL Snake & Garret Super Sniper. Any thoughts?
I agree with SW. Garrett 5x8 is great in trashy areas. Most that use that coil leave it on as depth is quite respectable as well. Good luck Mark.
 
I can make that 3 votes for the Garrett 5x8 DD for the AT Max. It was absolutely, without question, my favorite coil for the machine. The 5x8 basically lived on the machine - on rare occasions I would put the stock coil back on when I wanted extra area coverage in less trashy farm fields, but that got rarer and rarer the more I used the Max. I had an NEL Thunder coil (14.5x10.5" DD) that rapidly became a garage queen.

The 5x8 was my "go to" coil for private lawns, curb strips, most park situations, and eventually most fields. The separation just couldn't be beat compared to larger coils, and in my soil I don't feel like I lost much depth at all. 95-98% of my finds are at 7" depth or less regardless of the size coil I use - and the Garrett 5x8" DD consistently found targets in that range in my soil. In my opinion, the reduced weight of the 5x8 also made the Max much more comfortable to swing over a long hunt day not just because it was lighter overall, but also because that led to better balance - the Max is far less nose heavy with the 5x8. Resale value is great as well because it's compatible across the entire Garrett AT series - basically had a buyer for mine in less than an hour on the forum a couple weeks ago (selling my Max, so didn't need the coil anymore).
 
Thanks guys. Big showing for the Garret 5x8. Maybe I'll pick one up. Just not sure it will do well enough in super trashy parks, around play ground equipment and old torn down houses. Thanks for your opinion.
 
I have the NEL Snake, NEL Storm, and the Garrett 5x8. And the stock coil, of course. The 5x8 was the last coil bought and hasn't come off since I put it on.

I found an IHP at 9" in dry soil with it (verrry squeeky, but it was there). Went to a private permission in an extremely old part of Bagdad, FL this last weekend and didn't find any keepers. The ground is a carpet of iron. I may bolt on the Snake and try again, but that concentric will require me to slow way, way down.

The NEL Storm is almost a pound and half, swinging around a long way from you. I'm 6'4" and have the AT Max shaft extended as far as possible. Swinging the detector *plus* a pound and a half coil mounted that far away is a tedious chore. I've swung it twice since I've had it and my shoulder complained for days afterwards. I have no doubt that you get considerable depth when using it, but I primarily beep sports fields and newer parks, so I don't really need that depth. I imagine swinging that monster at the old Bagdad house would be pointless, with the iron blanket masking the deeper targets. Might be worth a try, though!

So another vote for the Garrett 5x8. This is a fine, all-purpose coil that is very comfortable to swing all day and has great depth.
 
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Thanks guys. Big showing for the Garret 5x8. Maybe I'll pick one up. Just not sure it will do well enough in super trashy parks, around play ground equipment and old torn down houses. Thanks for your opinion.

You posted this while I was goofing off and posting a reply. The 5x8 is perfect for trashy parks and playground equipment. I found a 12-gram sterling bracelet this last weekend next to one of those modern playground monstrosities. You get the loud beep from the playground equipment, but the high tone from the bracelet was obvious, so I pinpointed it and retrieved it.

Use headphones...when I started last March, I hated the headphones. Now I can't scan without them. You will hear the ground response much better and it will drown out ambient environmental noise a bit.
 
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