help on buying

[sillygirl]

i live in new york and own a 240 year old house. there is a small creek in the back which is only about 6 inches deep. I would like to buy a metal detector but don't want to buy a cheap one just for beginners. can anyone help me. I don't plan on bringing it to the ocean. Just really looking for some old relics at home.

[SkiWhiz]

Originally Posted by sillygirl

i live in new york and own a 240 year old house. there is a small creek in the back which is only about 6 inches deep. I would like to buy a metal detector but don't want to buy a cheap one just for beginners. can anyone help me. I don't plan on bringing it to the ocean. Just really looking for some old relics at home.

Hi & welcome to the forum from another New Yorker. A really good detector that won't break the bank is a Tesoro Silver µMax, very good discrimination/deep seeking/light & well balanced/well made with a lifetime warranty. Works as good or better than any detector in my ground up here in upstate N.Y. You can check out the reviews here http://metaldetectorreviews.net/dete...ilverumax.html You can put the coil into the water but don't let the control housing get wet. Steve.

[billiard rich]

Welcome to the forum!

It would help if you stated a maximum price range. For about $125 you can get a Bounty Hunter Tracker IV. You can get a Garrett Ace 250 for $212 - it's considered an entry level machine, but lots of folks do very well with it and it's much nicer than the Tracker IV. For $240 you can get a Tesoro Umax Silver - which is actually a more basic machine, but it might go an inch or two deeper than the Ace 250. At this price point there are lots and lots of machines to consider. There's one in the $600 - $700 range called the White's M6 which is easy to use and has lots of different 'modes' to select from and it goes deep too.

If you'd like to read reviews on these and other detectors, click on this link: http://metaldetectorreviews.net/

You can also contact the forum sponsors. Their ads appear at the top of the page from time to time.

If you have a dealer near you, stop by and see how they feel. Some are heavier than others. Some are balanced better than others. Some have displays, some don't. Some are made in America, some aren't. Some have very good warrenties, others aren't so good.

You might consider visiting a metal detecting club in your area. They'll be happy to tell you which machines they like.

Guess I'm not much help.

[kered]

Always worth considereing is the 2nd hand machine, can turn a $700 job into half that, also the resale value if you dont like it is similar to the purchase price, wheras if you buy new and then sell it you lose lots even if its the next week.
Worth checking is the clasified section that most forums have, also some shops have a trade in section. Its not that these machines are duff, its just the tipical "Grass is always greener" sindrome that most of us have. Some good bargains to be had if your patient. Dont forget ebay too

[Tinky1878]

Any White's machine is a good choice! :-)

[zander10]

you should not dismiss the fisher f2 ($189).

your comment about looking for bang for the buck and my realization that the f2 when combined with a rigorus practice might make a better value than the ace 250.

the deapth the machine reaches is likely comparable. without side by side testing who can say? the max effective deapth reading on a $200 machine is about 8 inches.

back to a rigorus practice. if you carry a notebook and record the conductivity reading of targets illuminated before you dig along with deapth readings you can develop a finer target legend than the one on the ace 250.

conductivity on the 250 is broken up into a legend with 12 segments. the f2 has a conductivity reading given by two digits 0 to 99.

if you record the conductance and deapth in your notebook before you dig the target you will develop a better legend using the f2.

plus you get the 4 inch sniper coil with the f2 which may alieviate the need for a pinpointer but i recomend one anyway. and the f2 does have an 8 segment graphic legend "foil, nickle, tab, zinc, dime, qtr, +".

the f2 represents the latest in reduced cost manufacturing and technology.

plus it is light as a feather!

so consider the f2 and remember the ace 250 is 2005 technology.