$400 to spend as a newbie...Help

duke59

New Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
2
Location
North texas
I live in north texas and want to get started. I have been reading a lot on th e forum and am ready to pull the trigger and purchase.

What would you do with $400 total to spend....spend all on a detector or save some for a pointer and accessories.

What do you think?
 
Fisher F2 with sniper coil - $200
Garrett Pro Pointer/Lesche Combo - $140
Accessories (Batteries, finds bag, etc.) - $60

and enjoy!
 
Get the best detector you can afford

You can always add to your accessories ..
Good luck, any questions then just ask..
You may want to look at the AT Pro..
There are many good machines on the market.. You just need to look at what features you want and what is it you will primarily be searching for.. The Pro is a good all round machine and good up to 10feet deep in water, but I'm bias..
Only you can decide..
Happy hunting..
Sonny
 
I played the game you are right now. That was the very question I asked myself and the members here. I decided to go all detector with the funds I figured I would have available to me for my first detector, Now granted I came fast to the conclusion that I needed a pin pointer to make my detecting life alot easier. Been borrowing my Father in laws bounty hunter and not doing half bad with Parks etc. And when I took my clad coins to the bank I had $37.00 which I used towards my pro pointer fund, this in less then two months. So my vote is get the best machine you can with the funds available to you.

Though the F2 with propoint wouldn't be a bad deal either, and instead of accessories like belt, bag etc. I myself would lean those funds towards the DD coil for the F2. But that is me. And as for digging tool. Avoid the Walmart junk like the plague, bought one of theirs for $6 and it made it through four holes before it busted at the handle. The Lowes sold 7 in 1 Ames/True garden tool for $10 is stainless with multiple cutting points for roots vines/ briars and turf, I haven't been gentle with it and it still in my Jeep .
Good luck with it.

Lakota
 
Check out kellyco. I purchased the ace 350 from them last year and have been doing very well with it. It is in your budget where I dont think the AT pro is. I think its like 297 right now with a package. If you dont like the package and are looking for a pinpointer just ask if you can substitute those items for a pinpointer. Gene Knight at Kellyco is great and has been working with me on a package deal. He has gone way above and beyond what I expected.
The ace 350 is a great detector in my opinion and I have found old coins, tokens, relics and of course lots of trash during my learning curve. Turn it on and go. With a little practice you really get to know it and can get even more depth out of it.:D
 
Tesoro Compadre 160
Garrett Pro-Pointer 130
Treasure Wise digging tool 22

total of $312 which leaves $$$ for batteries etc

and that's all shipped to your door

with the above combo you'll be all set for 90% of all metal detecting
 
I'll break down my suggestion to show the method to my madness.

1: This will be your first MD., so you're not drawing from experience. Because of this, you're going to want options.

2: The Fisher F2 has both a good screen for target ID and depth AND tone ID. Since you're not currently sure which you'll be more comfortable with, now you'll have both.

3: The Fisher F2 has fast target recovery. Meaning, if you swing it fast, it will still pick up a target. I couldn't stand using an ACE, just because I felt like I was MDing in molasses.

4: Fisher has a pinpoint which is just plain handy.

5: the garrett propointer and lesche are THE top of their respective classes in both pinpointing and digging, meaning you'll be recovering what you find much faster.

6: The F2 and Propointer have fantastic resale value if you decide you hate the hobby. I see them go for between $30 (the F2) and $5 (the propointer) less than new and get snapped up as great deals.

all in all, you'll have a great starting unit that will help you learn both ways of detecting (tone and screen), and more importantly, will help you decide whether you like the hobby enough to upgrade.

hope this helps!
 
If it were me, and I knew what I know now, I'd buy a Cibola. To that I'd add a $10 Ames or Fiskars digger, and save for a pinpointer later if you decide you want one. I wouldn't buy a lesser detector just in order to buy a Pinpointer at the same time.
 
If it were me, and I knew what I know now, I'd buy a Cibola. To that I'd add a $10 Ames or Fiskars digger, and save for a pinpointer later if you decide you want one. I wouldn't buy a lesser detector just in order to buy a Pinpointer at the same time.

Yes Cibola for around 361.00

Or silver umax, propointer

Or compadre, propointer,lessee,sand scoop.( for dry beaches) lakes or sea.
 
I've been detecting for 32 years. For $400-ish I'd get either a Minelab X-Terra 305 or a Tesoro Cibola and a $6 garden trowel from a hardware store. Both have snappy performance and go deep. The X-Terra is good for giving you information on it's screen. With the Tesoro they are so accurate and quick reacting that you really don't need a pinpointer.

To be honest, having a screen is nice, but a lot of the time it's not what the detector thinks it is. Even with my detectors with the fanciest screens available, I do everything by tone. The best thing any of us are going to be able to tell you actually is to get one machine and learn it inside and out, read the manual, try some test targets in your back yard, then go out in the field and listen for the same sounds, or dig other new sounds you've never heard before. The experience will build upon itself, like building a pyramid. Even when you dig trash, I would hold on to the trash and build a sort of library of things you can bury to listen to on the days you can't detect in the field. I save foil, beavertails and modern pulltabs for that very reason. What you really want is a repeatable and brisk tone, a zip-zip tone, then you know it's small, like a coin or a piece of jewelry. Of course you'll dig trash, but that's all part of the fun, it makes finding treasure that much more rewarding, if you dig 250 pulltabs, then all of a sudden pull up a gold ring you'll be like, wow, that was worth it.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck with your first detector purchase and welcome to the hobby and the forum!
 
Save $50 more and get a Tesoro Vaquero. :D Then you have a top notch machine, and can use a cheap harbor freight pinpointer and cheap hand shovel til you can afford a garrett propointer and lesche.
 
Certainly depends on what you want to hunt for. I bought a Whites Prizm V with an extra 4X6 coil for less than $250 on the classifieds lightly used. I decided I wanted the VID numbers and upgraded to a Prizm 6T within your price range also bought from the classifieds. I personally think it is a great detector !!. It works good in my dirt, depth wise, and I love having the screen. I primarily hunt for coins in parks, schools, and private residences. I have been very happy with my Whites detectors and their customer service can't be beat. I guess my point is that if you check the classifieds you might can get a mid-range detector instead of settling for a lesser unit. I have had very good luck that way. I can give you a couple of other hints if you send me a PM. Us Texans gotta stick together you know !!!
 
Save $50 more and get a Tesoro Vaquero. :D Then you have a top notch machine, and can use a cheap harbor freight pinpointer and cheap hand shovel til you can afford a garrett propointer and lesche.

That's a terrible choice! If he gets the Tesoro Vaquero from the get go, he won't have a good valid excuse to upgrade to another detector, because he will already own the best of the best.:D

beephead
 
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