Honestly...
Never did the 'build a test garden' thing, I figured all the public property around was my already built one, with 90-95% of every possible scenario present. That, to me, was the best proving ground/skill building 'test' I could take, and the real world will learn you quick. Go out to the areas you will primarily hunt, and test there. Dosen't matter what machine you use in the end, going out and learning how to separate goodies from trash, and bad trash from good relics, can't be accurately simulated in a home built garden. I mean, how many here, for instance, have buried a crotal bell 6" under and added some rusty iron chips into the mix, and observed/heard the response from their MD as a test? My unit rang/sized that kinda item up like a deep large quarter, but with a zincoln fuzzy sound under full disc, in the middle of the woods, odd... Made me dig, and rewarded I was that day, with a #3 bell, about as nice a find as any coin. Today's real world test was a '60's vintage spill, 3 nickels, a clad dime, and a pulltab, the no-ring kind...knew it was older aluminum, with a penny/dime, from the sounds, but the 3 nickels threw me, thinking nails...until I swept it from different angles and speeds...Hmm.. something's good in here, at least one's a nickel as well... lets dig...Now I will remember sounds like that bell and today's spill when I encounter them again. I never would have thought to plant something like that at home...recent drop coins I find just don't sound like dirty money lost for a decade or longer, not to my ears. Again, My long winded answer is, the world is your test garden, dig it! HH!