CoryTDF: said:
So, my daughters have kinda of expressed some interest in the hobby. Wondering if you have any suggestions on a MD that is entry level and decent enough for them to start with but not breaking the bank. I was looking at the MineLab Go-Finds? Thought?
They are 10 and 12. My 10 YO seems to be more into it than my older daughter. My youngest is very petite so small will be very necessary.
If you don't mind, here are a couple of questions for you?
• What types of sites do you detect where the daughters would be joining you? Are we talking old-use sites for Relic Hunting type terrain and trash. Perhaps urban Coin Hunting in grassier places like parks and schools or working playground and tot-lots? Freshwater Beach Hunting in sand or small gravel?
• Like 'Ral_Rat_Fink' mentioned, "some" interest often ends up being "little" or very "short-lived" interest, in which case the cost is just an 'expense' and not really an 'investment' that will pay for itself. So you want to not spend too little and purchase a less-exciting' model or one that is too 'cheap' as in inferior. But you wouldn't want to over-spend, either. That could happen by buying too much detector for them to learn and understand and .. in the end ... not enjoy using.
So, here's my suggestion since they are close in age and the youngest,
right now, seems to show more interest, is to do this:
Shop for one quality-built detector that would be worthy of the 12 year-old daughter's age, learning ability and interest. But only buy ONE detector, at this time. Teach them together, in your own mini-class, on what the detector is, what the controls are, and how to use it properly. Then, let them hunt together and split their use-time. One can work the detector and the other can help recover targets ... AND .... still be learning by what the other one does better or by what they need to brush up on.
Hunting together they can help each other if they have a question or if the other one has a helpful tip or two, and that might be better learning time than interrupting you in your search. That way, by only purchasing one detector to start with, you'll find out if they might both have more interest than you thought, and if so, you can then shop for a 2nd detector for which ever one of the two shows the most interest. Might be a duplicate of what you buy first, or it might be a different make or model.
Personally, I'd say 'pass' on the Go-Find. Spend some time talking with your daughters and have them look at catalogs or check out different manufacturer's websites on the internet and read up on the models that are offered.
I have 6 children, ages 39 in September to 49 this coming December. When they were much younger, ALL of them had ample opportunity to join me in my hunts and to use a detector. My youngest daughter, 42, has a detector, but it is an inferior Bounty Hunter model and she doesn't get out and use it all that often. My #2 son, 47, has owned a few detectors off-and-on but, like was suggested earlier, he didn't really have much interest in the hobby, even though he sometimes says he does.
Out of six children, only two of them, my oldest and youngest, have retained some interest in the metal detecting hobby, but it still pales in comparison to my enthusiasm. My oldest lives close to me and he also has three 'budget' level Coin Hunting detectors that his wife or their three kids can use on a vacation, but even those kids are not as interested in the Hobby, even though they see what Grandpa finds, or other stuff when my son & I get out on a good hunt somewhere.
Before you spend $$$$, I suggest spending 'time' to help them learn, allow them to do some 'shopping' for ideas and know what's out there, and then .... buy Only One detector to get started.
Monte
PS: I've been enjoying this sport for over 55 years and I have offered this same suggestion to others trying to outfit one or more of their kids ... successfully!
