Considering the source of info

LatheMan888 · Nov 23, 2006

frozenfishy said:
There is one thing that gets me, thats the fact that we includining myself buy these expensive machines that tell us what not to dig but we really should buy a machine that just beeps and dig everything. why?

(not sure if i'm gonna do this right with the whole respond to the quote thing)
(okay, got logged off and decided to copy and past this into a new post then)
That same thought has been bothering me as I try to figure out what detector I want to buy, to get started in the hobby. I have very limited funds, will be having to use my rolled up change actually, and cant afford to buy different kinds of detectors for different situations. I've used the search function on this forum and have seen enough references to "digging everything", and how gold rings can look like pulltabs, and leaving the earth cleaner than you found it, and how discrimination and readouts can be very unreliable, etc... Reading all that sort of thing really makes it seem like a person should save some money, buy a PI machine ,and dig everything, ...that is if the minerals in the ground in your area allow that. Then I've also seen others say, you don't want to use a PI for regular land hunting because it will drive you crazy. You do always have to consider the source of any info you get, and I don't know if that sort of thinking is mostly age and physical condition talking. I saw one guy on here responding to someone else saying that they dig everything by saying, .....Gee, what are you 15 or something? I'm 43 with no problems with my knees or back and limited funds. So with that in mind, shouldn't someone like myself just buy something like a White's PI Pro ,and not concern himself with something like a DFX that others might buy to accommodate their age or bad back or distaste for digging? I don't know, maybe I should have made this a separate topic.
It just occurred to me, maybe that would be helpful, somehow people mentioning the age or physical issue that prompts them to go with one approach to detecting and not another. Maybe that should part of whats seen at the bottom of each persons post..........Jo Blow, Whites MXT and Beach Hunter, early 70's with bad knees. Maybe??? Just to put some perspective on the info?? There is one gentleman on here that finds rings , lots of rings, with his PI Pro and always says don't use one on land, but then I finally ran across a post with him indicating that he is an older man. Like I said, got to consider the source. I know this is not an entirely new topic but I think it has enough of a new twist to merit some discussion maybe?????
Considering what day it is........ Happy Thanksgiving everyone. :grin:

Ed
(if i do get a PI Pro and use it one land regularly, maybe I'll change my name to CrazyEddie, or maybe it will be TiredEddie ( who now has a bad back and knees) lol

Cfmct · Nov 23, 2006

La

Seeing how you seem to be mentioning me and my PI, I will tell you I do not use it on land and would not. I do not use it in dry sand and rarely use it in wet sand because its not fun digging up a tiny staple or sneaker eyelet a foot down. I prefer to water hunt with it. I have a large scoop that can move a lot of material at one time and you need it because as soon as you lift the scoop the hole starts filling in right away.

I do find a lot of rings and gold and its because I know how and where to hunt a beach, I do not just go the beach and start swinging anywhere, I look for cuts and troughs and hunt them.

You're only as old as you feel.. I'm not a spring chicken, I am 50 but I own and run a landscaping business so I'm used to digging quite a bit.

If I was to hunt the dry stuff or wet sand I would bring out the DFX but honestly I have no want to hunt those area's.. I might hunt them if the surf is too high or we have plus tides and I can't get out to me "gold fields"

If you're going to hunt land or even dry sand get a VLF...

I hunt hard and remember our coils have to go over the targets for us to find them... Its the person behind the detector that makes the detector successful

If you're not mentioning me, pardon me :lol:

My opinions only... Its like *******'* everyones got one

spittfire · Nov 23, 2006

It all boils down to what you can afford and what you will use it for. Metal detecting is hard on the body regardless of what age you are. If you dig in sand, it is easier than say red clay, if you do the "tot Lots" which are school yards then you are working in wood chips or sand, easy digging. If you are digging in soil, which state, as all states have their own problem soils. Did I consider all this when buying my DFX? Nope, saw the reviews of the best metal detector and went out and bought it. I am very happy with the results and feel that I have room to grow with this detector. The bottom line is what you can afford, if waiting gets you a better detector, you will be happier in the long run. Happy Thanksgiving! :lol:

LatheMan888 · Nov 23, 2006

, yes Cfmct-PI, that was you I was mentioning. Oh, and I just noticed..... yes, paste is p-a-s-t-e. oops. time for more coffee :grin:

Cherry Picker · Nov 23, 2006

For what it's worth.

Over the last 20+ years I've used many different detectors. All of them had good points and bad points depending on what I was hunting and hunting conditions. At my age "digging every target" is not an option. Not for physical reasons so much as limited time. I've got to make every hour count.

I don't dig every target but I do dig every target that I believe is good. And that does include that ones my ID may call junk. I do trust my detector but that because I take the time to learn what its saying both in sound and ID. Using a combination of both sound AND visual ID I increase my finds per junk.

The quality of a detector has a lot to do with how well sound and visual ID can be learned and trusted. A cheap detector(quality not necessarily price) can give a lot of unreliable information making earning it very tough. A good quality detector also is most generally more configurable making it better for a bigger variety of hunting conditions.

Brian · Nov 23, 2006

There is an assumption that a P.I. (one of my favourite types of machines) is going to be deeper than a VLF/TR or I.B. machine on land.
Problem is that for most P.I.'s its not true.
Take an XLT. With it you should almost never dig ANY iron. It either discriminates out or if larger smears the display. Larger and elongated iron can be spotted if its managed to escape rejection with the first two I.D. methods by the pinpoint check. The all metal pinpoint mode will produce a spaced double blip.
The 'almost never dig iron' is just because of the effect that ring shapes of iron (or round balls) have on any detector. They can sound good what ever you do so you have to live with it.
Now take your XLT and accept from -95 right through to +95. You have opened it up to accept all metals like a P.I. but the audio flow is fantastic and much iron can still be distinguished and ignored and the depth improvement is dramatic.
You then have the option of bringing back in some discrimination if needed and the effect on depth on some iron mineral ground can be more than straight 'no iron rejection' (either XLT type machine or P.I.) as the small amount of rejection can be used to in effect ground balance out the minerals.

P.I.'s are not immune to ground effect. Buy a high power P.I. and it may well have a ground balance control fitted. The standard hobby machines just don't have the option so may not provide much, if any advantage over a VLF used with no or minimal discrimination.

rustynail1 · Nov 25, 2006

I 'm not that old 47 and I started out using a radio shack detector which was really hard figuring out but it got me interested in this fasinateing hobby my personal mind set is to get the one that has all the bells and wistles so in my opinion looking at a few detectors my choice was MY XLT thank you very much, OH I wasn't thinking about how easy this machine would make it beacuse there really isn't one out there that does I bought mine beacuse it has alot of bells and whistles. ( now I just have to figure out how to read all these dam bells and whistles.) :lol:

If you find one you don't like
CAN I HAVE IT? :grin:

TonyinCT · Nov 25, 2006

You are right about a lot of opinions. Some are just that but many of us on here have a lot of experience to go with those opinions. I have detected since 1975 and sold detectors since 1977. With that comes (I think) a pretty accurate "opinion" . As many have said; It depends on your budget ( narrow down to three to five detectors thatfit it), where you want to hunt "mostly" ( land , beach) and what you want to look for ( coins , jewelry gold nuggets etc). A gold hunting detector is not the best for jewelry hunting. A PI is not best for land use because of the large amount of iron and iron "junk".
All in all it boild down to these factors. Once you hae answered these questions you should see a better idea of what to buy. If you need any more help you can always call me to discuss it further.
Good Luck ! :yes:

TomNWMI · Nov 25, 2006

If you have limited funds then look for a good mid priced machine with some options for different types of hunting. Things like notch, tone modes and ground balance. I have used pretty much all the top of the line machines and found I have more fun and make just as many good finds with the newer mid priced detectors.

Some of my favorites:
Fisher ID-Edge
ML exterra 50
Have not used the Whites M6 but, based on using the MXT I would include that one as well.

HH
Tom

Considering the source of info

LatheMan888

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Cfmct

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spittfire

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LatheMan888

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Cherry Picker

Brian

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rustynail1

TonyinCT

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TomNWMI

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