I'm just sort of getting interested into metal detecting...I've poked around the metal detecting forums, but i kinda wanted some insight from you guys......only Hobbytown around here sells them and they look pretty kiddie so I'll probably be shopping for my first setup on Ebay and I need something in maybe the $200 range that I can rely on for a beginner. Any suggestions for a starter metal detector? I know I'm close to some Civil War battle sites and would love to go poke around. Thanks always for being helpful guys! :high5:
Best bet would be to "Google it" Some good stores out there!! Not sure if e-bay would be a good start most of the stuff is used On there!
I also have been forever curious regarding MD finds. So one summer a few years ago I picked up an old radio shack detector for $4 [with batteries]at a church yard sale. Being an older crummy model I never expected it to do much. Heck new batteries cost as much as the unit. Anyway I went and Googled it which brought up a home made instruction manual by someone who has one. I saw my neighbor out in the corner of my yard one day. He was looking for the metal peg that marks property lines. I used the detector and found [guess what?] a soda can pop top. Next I threw a cheap foreign coin out in my front yard on purpose and started searching with the detector. Nothing. I mowed the grass down to a half inch scalp. Raked it and swept it. Nothing. Gave up. One day I was fooling with some crusty common Indian head cents and acetone. During one of the cleaning phases I went out and dumped the jar out on the porch railing so the acetone could evaporate. Later picking them up the best one fell off the rail into tall grass. I looked and combed- put my face 4 inches off the ground but never found the coin. Tried the metal detector but found nothing. It was a very hot day so I came inside. My girlfriend said "Want me try?" She went out with the cheap detector and Bingo... found it. The record is: me 3 hunts and 3 nothing founds. Girlfriend: 1 hunt and 1 instant find. Now I have purchased a very good book for a dollar from some kid called "Successful Coin Hunting" by Charles Garrett {1974} Ram Publishing My investment is $5 total and I am ready to hunt coins.
Your batteries will last alot longer if you use an earpiece. The larger the speaker the more juice it takes...
Victor: I had one of those old radio shack machine back in the early 1970's. It couldn't find a Chevy at 3".
I believe the Garrett Ace 250 is my current front-runner....how does it compare to the 150? My local store has a 150 but Ebay is my only 250 source so far, save contacting the actual company of course.
If you in Atlanta there should be a Cabelas or Bass pro shops near you i believe they sell detectors also. My local gun shop also carries metal detectors so you may try them as well.
A really good beging detector is a bounty hunter traker IV, thats the one im still using until i have enough money to buy a Whites MXT. With my detector ive found gold and silver jewelery, and lots of older coins. Oldest i found was a 1920 wheatie.
Not worried about batteries. My digital camera shuts off when the batteries have lots of life left. I use them in flashlights, remotes, etc. and the metal detector. I have not really made an attack plan for going out often detecting. So with a major blizzard going on right now I am sitting here searching half dollar rolls. That pays out a lot more than people realize. I did talk to one very old man about where he used to go detecting. He found a 1852 3 cent silver and other coins in a very old location used for football games. That land is now part of the airport property and private.
You might try here This site may help you. There are two forums for ads in the list on the right hand side of the opening page as I recall. http://thetreasuredepot.com/ Good luck.
I would get the Bounty Hunter Quick Draw II. I have one and it is almost as good as my buddies Garrett 250, but at a lot less cost. After you go through the learning curve you can decide if you need to upgrade. My best finds to date, a 1904s silver dollar and a very old Calvary .45-70 cartridge.
I agree, the Garrett Ace 250 is a starter! Check out Kellyco's website: http://www.kellycodetectors.com/indexmain.php
