Big Boys Hobbies

just joined, not for the reason you may think

M

misunderestimat

New Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2019
Messages
1
So I always wanted a metal detector to find treasures, I always see the folks at the beach thinking WOW they must be raking it in. When I walked and talked to a hunter all he was finding was junk . So I never purchased a machine. So fast forward to today, And I lost an underground lawn sprinkler head and I figure it has some metal in it so why not see if I could find it with a metal detector , I feel it must be less then 6 inchs or so under ground ,
I am also an electrician by trade and occasionally an underground wire gets cut and we have to try and find it (copper wire)

if the metal detector won't pick up the small amount of metal in the sprinkler head I was thinking may be I can did up the pipe at a last known location and run a metal fish tape down the plastic pipe that I know runs to the missing sprinkler head.

Is it realistic to think I can find a metal detector to find this missing head and then going forward bring it to the beach to search out treasures with a budget of 100 to 150 dollars

Thank you in advance for your input. I am in my 50's and have used forums to train dogs, learn how to do home projects, got more information and advise when restoring some cars that with out the internet I never would of gotten the information , how did we survive with out the internet to share knowledge
 
Welcome from Winnsboro, South Carolina !!!!

You can get a fairly good budget level detector in the range you mentioned (100 to 150 dollars) for dry land detecting, as far as one you can also use at the beach and in wet areas I'll leave that up to other members more familiar with beach detecting to answer that and give beach detector suggestions.

:mder: ______ :mder: ______ :mder: ______ :mder:
 
In answer to your beach question, It depends a lot on salt water or fresh water beaches. If you want to search in sapt water beached other than the dry san you will need a bigger budget.

Welcome to the forum from Western NY


:fmdfwelcome:
 
should be easy to find a sprinkler head with any machine in that price range, especially if you have the same head to hear what kind of signal it will give.Wires less than 4 inches shouldn't be a problem, a high dollar machine will only get you a foot at best. You can still have fun at the beach with a machine in that price range, but they will work better in the dry sand than wet and real lousy at the waters edge.
 
If you think you'll really like detecting you're going to wish you spent 5 to 800 on machines. Almost all of us want more of a machine. I started with a 150 dollar detector. Got on this forum and wined like a child for an upgrade.
If you're sure its just for the job, sure you can do the beginner machine. My first was a Bounty Hunter Discovery my upgrade is a Minelab Xterra 705. If the Eqinox 600 or 800 ( The Nox) existed back when I upgraded that's what I'd have had today. Detecting as a hobby takes immense patience. The type of grounds that hold coins and jewelry holds a bunch of junk!!! Bottle tops, pull tabs, all kinds of foil, nails, nuts n bolts, tiny pieces of wire. Pieces of ( Canslaw) and full aluminum cans. On and on. You may even rethink what you think of fellow man! With patience and 100 hours on a detector you can learn to hunt coins out of the trash. Jewelry not so. Gold reads and can sound just like trash. You must dig mucho trasho to hunt jewelry.
 
:fmdfwelcome:... from the Land of 10,000 Lakes - Minnesota! :grin: We're glad that you have joined us. Happy hunting! :mder:

tinsmith said:
If you think you'll really like detecting you're going to wish you spent 5 to 800 on machines. Almost all of us want more of a machine. I started with a 150 dollar detector. Got on this forum and wined like a child for an upgrade.
If you're sure its just for the job, sure you can do the beginner machine. My first was a Bounty Hunter Discovery my upgrade is a Minelab Xterra 705. If the Eqinox 600 or 800 ( The Nox) existed back when I upgraded that's what I'd have had today. Detecting as a hobby takes immense patience. The type of grounds that hold coins and jewelry holds a bunch of junk!!! Bottle tops, pull tabs, all kinds of foil, nails, nuts n bolts, tiny pieces of wire. Pieces of ( Canslaw) and full aluminum cans. On and on. You may even rethink what you think of fellow man! With patience and 100 hours on a detector you can learn to hunt coins out of the trash. Jewelry not so. Gold reads and can sound just like trash. You must dig mucho trasho to hunt jewelry.
Click to expand...
:goodpost:
 
Detectors that can handle the mineralization of a wet salt water beach are considerably more expensive than your budget. But if you spend the time required those expensive machines will repay you the investment. Plus you are out in the fresh air, sunshine and beautiful scenery. This hobby is definitely not about the Money. It is about your surroundings, the Hunt and sometimes the find. I spent three hours working a fresh water swim area and I will not tell you how many pull tabs I dug to get 85 cents in coins. But there could have easily been a lost gold item there.
 
If the goal is to find the sprinkler, post up on a local facebook or club page and I bet you could get somebody willing to help in exchange for permission to the rest of the property. Might be able to find someone on here. Not only are there nice people here, that are happy to help, there are a bunch of us thirsty for permissions.
 
A rototiller is another way to find a sprinkler head. :laughing:

The answers so far are correct. Any cheap detector should be a suitable tool for locating a sprinkler head just under the grass...if you use it correctly. $40 or less should do it. The hard part may be digging up other metal items before you find what you're looking for. Nails, screws, siding trim, toys, pennies, who knows what else may be all over the place. Here's a tip: When you start out with whatever detector you get, first learn the basics of how to use it, then go swing the coil a few inches over a known sprinkler head in the same system. That will tell you what kind of signal to listen for. Then start your search. You might be able to see a 2 to 3 foot round spot of grass that is a little more plush or green than the surrounding area. Sprinkler heads often create telltale signs like that. Want to try detecting as a hobby too? Your suggested price range is about right for a decent "try it to see if you like it" entry level machine. GL & HH!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

longbow62
Older vs. Newer Coins
2
Replies
24
Views
296
metaladdict
metaladdict
randy
filling holes
Replies
17
Views
276
markinmichigan
markinmichigan
E
Need to find a gold ring lost 40 years ago.
Replies
17
Views
296
Martin_V3i
Martin_V3i
Z
Need some help identifying
Replies
0
Views
105
Zmillz
Z
R
Horse Harness Buckle
Replies
0
Views
57
Rust Never Sleeps
R
Back
Top Bottom