Buying a metal detector

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Gamerstone

New member
Joined
Apr 21, 2011
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1
I have read a lot of posts on this forum but most of them are old. What is the best Metal Detector as of now ( 2011)? I have read that Garrett is the king but what models?

Also a Metal Detecting general discussion.

Cheers everyone.
 
For relics and coins if money was no object I'd get a Minelab E-Trac. For gold nuggets probably whatever fishers newest iteration of the Gold Bug

-Lance
 
The largest metal detecting store in the U.S. is about 20 minutes from me,and its called Kellyco. http://www.kellycodetectors.com/indexmain.php
They have an unbelievable website with great prices on new and used machines.I am(and always have been),partial to Minelab.They have led the industry in new technology for over 10 straight years.But I am also a creature of habit,and it's hard for me to pass up a fisher 1280-x.My experience is with underwater machines,which is not very useful for most members.But the GP series is VERY hard to beat.........unfortunately it is also VERY tough to afford.The newest in the GP line is the GPX-5000,and it retails for $7K with no add-ons.You can get one at Kellyco with a few freebies for $5600.
If you do decide to buy something from them,deal with JW.....and tell him Johnny in Cocoa sent you,he might just give you a deal.........then again he may just charge you more! :mrgreen:
 
Selecting your first detector is a matter of both your budget and your personal preferences. I would start by setting a price range you are comfortable with. Then decide what you want from the detector - prospecting; coins/relics; saltwater searching at the beach, etc. How comfortable will you be with a lot of complex controls? Are you fine with fiddling with lots of knobs, or do you prefer simple? Next, compare the different models that fit your ideal model. I use two Tesoros - an Eldorado and a Lobo - as well as a Gold Bug II. Medium / lower cost detectors; and I'm happy with all of them.
 
Drewbie said:
If you're nugget hunting in minerilised soil, the GPX-5000 is THE machine.

No doubt the GPX-5000 is an impressive machine. They are praised by owners for their deep detection of nuggets, and the ability to pick gold out of highly-mineralized ground. But not everyone can justify spending over $5000 on a detector that may for some people only be used 5-10 times a year. When I prospect for nuggets or meteorites here in the Mojave, I travel over rough ground in a very cramped Willys Jeep. Over a long weekend I sometimes walk more than 10 miles each day carrying a detector . The light weight and ruggedness of my detectors is paramount to me - based on the way I use them. I read in March/Aprils issue of Gold Prospectors magazine that the GPX-5000 Li-Ion battery pack "delivers a whopping 12 hours of run time on a single charge and weighs a mere 2 pounds". The author of the review is pictured wearing a shoulder sling to balance the weight of the machine. My favorite detector weighs under 2 pounds 7 ounces, and runs all weekend on a single 9V battery. I'd surely love to have one of these Minelab "super-detectors" to play around with in some of our mineralized ground! But I suspect I'd still carry my lightweight unit for most of my detecting.
 
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