Big Boys Hobbies

Need help with getting a detector for gold prospecting....

T

Turbo721

New Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2012
Messages
14
Hey all,

I am looking for a metal detector to look for detecting for gold nuggets alongside streams/stream beds as well as some coin searching in public areas......

I am not sure if a stream bed that's dried up would be consider heavily mineralized or not....

I am looking to spend about $400 max....I have a guy who is willing to sell me an Minelab Xterra 30....but I am not sure if this would work for gold in a stream bed? Would I have to get a new Coil for this job? Does this detector have the proper frequencies to detect gold nugget in stream beds?

Other detector recommendations are welcome (as well as what accesories I would need to do the job I am looking to do with the detector)...I am new to the understanding of coils and what coils do what and hat coils to use in what instance, also what frequency to use for the gold prospecting I am doing...

Thanks and let me know any suggestions...
 
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If you're looking to prospect, you need a machine with a high freq. + ground balancing. No machine under $400 has both. Closest thing would be the Vaquero.

I suggest buying used. Check out the classifieds section on this forum.
 
Turbo721 said:
Hey all,

I am looking for a metal detector to look for detecting for gold nuggets alongside streams/stream beds as well as some coin searching in public areas......

I am not sure if a stream bed that's dried up would be consider heavily mineralized or not....

I am looking to spend about $400 max....I have a guy who is willing to sell me an Minelab Xterra 30....but I am not sure if this would work for gold in a stream bed? Would I have to get a new Coil for this job? Does this detector have the proper frequencies to detect gold nugget in stream beds?

Other detector recommendations are welcome (as well as what accesories I would need to do the job I am looking to do with the detector)...I am new to the understanding of coils and what coils do what and hat coils to use in what instance, also what frequency to use for the gold prospecting I am doing...

Thanks and let me know any suggestions...
Click to expand...
Unfortunately most machines in that price range can't do nuggets well unless they are bigger. You might look into a used Teknetics G2 or Fisher gold bug pro. Both hit gold very well and coins too.

Holler if you have questions.
 
Be Very Careful!

If you are gold prospecting, there are several VLF machines you should consider.

1 ) Fisher Goldbug II (78khz)

2 ) Tesoro Lobo Super Traq (18khz)

3 ) Whites GMT (48khz)

These three machines are affordable ($400-used / $900-new), easy to use, and FIND gold pickers the size of a BB, at up to 8" deep. If you buy ANY orther VLF unit to find raw gold, you WILL be disappointed. Check out my site at http://www.ArizonaGoldAdventures.com

Turbo721 said:
Hey all,

I am looking for a metal detector to look for detecting for gold nuggets alongside streams/stream beds as well as some coin searching in public areas......

I am not sure if a stream bed that's dried up would be consider heavily mineralized or not....

I am looking to spend about $400 max....I have a guy who is willing to sell me an Minelab Xterra 30....but I am not sure if this would work for gold in a stream bed? Would I have to get a new Coil for this job? Does this detector have the proper frequencies to detect gold nugget in stream beds?

Other detector recommendations are welcome (as well as what accesories I would need to do the job I am looking to do with the detector)...I am new to the understanding of coils and what coils do what and hat coils to use in what instance, also what frequency to use for the gold prospecting I am doing...

Thanks and let me know any suggestions...
Click to expand...
 
So you don't think an Xterra 30 with a new coil would not be worth the time for gold?
 
Turbo721 said:
So you don't think an Xterra 30 with a new coil would not be worth the time for gold?
Click to expand...
The Minelab X-Terra 305 metal detector is a great detector but for the very small nuggets you need a dedicated gold machine.

Terry have you tried the Teknetics G2 metal detector or
Fisher Gold Bug Pro metal detector for prospecting? I am no nugget shooter but for general use I cant believe how sensitive they are. The dual processors run very quiet. I cant believe the tiny targets it will find. I love them for hitting iron infested areas or hard hit trashy places.

Love to hear your input on those two if you have tried them.
 
Yes and No..

Big Boys Hobbies said:
...Terry have you tried the Teknetics G2 metal detector or
Fisher Gold Bug Pro metal detector for prospecting? ...
Click to expand...

Fisher Goldbug Pro is a good machine and does find small gold like the Goldbug II (which I like better). No, I have not used the G2. I recommend the Goldbug II; Lobo; and GMT, because they are workhorses. You can drop them, and they will still work. They work in the heat and dust, in hot and humid conditions, and don't rob you blind battery-wise. I watch the goldfields very carefully. We know what works and doesn't work in this very specialized and hard world of nuggetshooting.

I'm open to testing any and all machines, because I want THE BEST nugget finder. So far, the three BEST VLF nugget finders in the goldfields of Arizona and Alaska are the Goldbug II; Lobo Super Traq; and GMT..
 
Hey Turbo, check out the basic Gold Bug for only $499 is easily the best option if you can come up with a little extra....
There is a reason the Gold Bug and Gold Bug Pro have been outselling all other gold units at GPAA shows at least 10 to 1 (including the Gold bug 2). Dealers for other brands not already selling Fishers are signing up left and right as Fisher dealers as the word spreads. Its newer improved technology, easier to use, less expensive and has better performance over most of the older machines with older technology.

David Johnson now Chief Engineer for Fisher designed the Lobo for Tesoro, the GMT for Whites, and Gold Bug 2 for Fisher (which are all great machines) almost 10 years ago and he did the new Gold Bugs last year as a major step forward over older analog designs-Gold bugs are superior to all in many ways. Look at a 10 year old cell phone and some of today’s offerings and it’s a no brainer how much technology has advanced and prices dropped for more features and performance-same with detectors.
New Gold Bugs are more sensitive to small gold than anything (except the Gold Bug 2 and GMT) and have an accurate 100 pt target ID system even in the all metal mode!
Many of the open minded old pros that swore by Gold Bug 2, Lobo and GMT that have been willing to give the new units a try have already made the change to the new Gold Bugs and are happy they did!
Not only are they impressed with all the above they cant believe the superior weight and balance, the real time ground phase analyzing the soil along with the Fe304 meter that can track black sand aiding you in sampling for panning and dredging. Oh yeah-you can run it in disc mode as an awesome coin and relic hunter giving you target ID, multi assignable tones, signal strength meter, along with non motion pinpoint and that gives depth in inches for coin sized targets. They have become very popular with not just some of the old pro prospectors but some of the old pro relic hunters as well. This unit is an awesome multi purpose performer for not a lot of money.
You wont be disappointed.

Hope this helps,

Mike
 
Before Mike sells you a condo in Ft. Lauderdale...

Since Mike failed to point out he WORKS for Fisher :shock: I will. :laughing:

Mike Scott said:
Hey Turbo, check out the basic Gold Bug for only $499 is easily the best option if you can come up with a little extra....
There is a reason the Gold Bug and Gold Bug Pro have been outselling all other gold units at GPAA shows at least 10 to 1 (including the Gold bug 2). Dealers for other brands not already selling Fishers are signing up left and right as Fisher dealers as the word spreads. Its newer improved technology, easier to use, less expensive and has better performance over most of the older machines with older technology.

David Johnson now Chief Engineer for Fisher designed the Lobo for Tesoro, the GMT for Whites, and Gold Bug 2 for Fisher (which are all great machines) almost 10 years ago and he did the new Gold Bugs last year as a major step forward over older analog designs-Gold bugs are superior to all in many ways. Look at a 10 year old cell phone and some of today’s offerings and it’s a no brainer how much technology has advanced and prices dropped for more features and performance-same with detectors.
New Gold Bugs are more sensitive to small gold than anything (except the Gold Bug 2 and GMT) and have an accurate 100 pt target ID system even in the all metal mode!
Many of the open minded old pros that swore by Gold Bug 2, Lobo and GMT that have been willing to give the new units a try have already made the change to the new Gold Bugs and are happy they did!
Not only are they impressed with all the above they cant believe the superior weight and balance, the real time ground phase analyzing the soil along with the Fe304 meter that can track black sand aiding you in sampling for panning and dredging. Oh yeah-you can run it in disc mode as an awesome coin and relic hunter giving you target ID, multi assignable tones, signal strength meter, along with non motion pinpoint and that gives depth in inches for coin sized targets. They have become very popular with not just some of the old pro prospectors but some of the old pro relic hunters as well. This unit is an awesome multi purpose performer for not a lot of money.
You wont be disappointed.

Hope this helps,

Mike
Click to expand...
 
Terry Soloman said:
Since Mike failed to point out he WORKS for Fisher :shock: I will. :laughing:
Click to expand...


Hi Terry,

You are obviously unaware that the $900 Gold Bug 2 you recommended is still a current FISHER model :laughing: and I recommended the basic Fisher $500 Gold Bug over it and the others saying its basically superior newer technology with more features that I then listed. :lol: If I wanted to sell the most expensive detectors as many company representatives do (even though they are inferior in many ways) I would have agreed with your advice and recommended the old technology of a Gold Bug 2. :?: Everything I said is 100% true :D I know and have used almost all detectors in the industry old and new and know what’s best and what works. Like I said all the units you recommended are great units but I listed lots of reasons WHY I recommend one over another. I believe and adhere to advancements in technology and performance along with additional features that help me and others find more of the good stuff while some seem to be hung up on thinking the outdated older stuff is best. Its a fact that we are talking about a technology driven hobby and industry even though many of the old timers continue to not see it that way. I have sold detectors retail for all manufacturers over the last 20 years and know from first hand experience what the educated consumers seem to prefer when comparing units side by side; Price, performance and features are a few of the biggest ones.

Not long ago some thought the world was flat and still believed it even after they had discovered a whole new world…… :laughing:

Everyone has their opinions and I try and back mine up with solid facts and feature lists along with my personal experiences from testing units side by side around the world for the past 20 years.
I wish you continued success with whatever models you choose to use.

Mike
 
Gold

lets have a lottery for a GPX 5000... those YT vids make me want to go to the outback and GET SOME!
 
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