New and looking for detector that can detect a foot or more
kingbeeswax
Posts: 1,423 ✭✭✭
Hi all..new to metal detecting and wanted to know if there are any models in the $200 range that can detect up to a foot or more. I am excited to start but don't know what and where to buy from. Thanks for any help!
-Mark
-Mark
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Thanks again, Mark
Plus I'll add that most average detectors will detect larger targets at a foot deep or more. Yes, there are many variables like ground mineralization, salt content, sensitivity setting of the machine, size of the searchcoil, and so on, but one of the main determinants of how deep a detector will go is how big the target is. Most of us hunt for coins, jewelry, and small relics like buttons. I suspect you meant that you'd want a detector that will find stuff like that at a foot deep or more.
It is possible with a larger (say, 10"-12") coil to find coins at such depths, but most general-purpose detectors come equipped with an 8" to 9" coil. With a medium-sized coil like that, you can expect to find coins down to six inches or so fairly easily, and larger coins like large cents, half dollars, or silver dollars even deeper. (Again, depending on the other variables like ground minerals and your settings, etc.) That is often enough on most sites.
Larger targets like cans, or big rusty iron like horseshoes, axe heads, or hoe blades can be detected at a foot or deeper with even the average eight or nine inch coil. Which means that a hypothetical buried iron strongbox full of gold could be, too... or a crushed 1958 Buick, or a cemetery vault, for that matter. I've detected giant-sized targets as much as eighteen inches to two feet down with a standard coil, but since I am not trying to find buried automobiles or sewer pipes, I usually give up digging after a foot or so. Maybe I've left one of Blackbeard's chests behind, who knows? I can guarantee you I've left a lot of giant junk behind, in any event. Aluminum siding and engine blocks and rusty hubcaps... O joy.
The midsized coil is a good compromise that gives you decent depth without sacrificing pinpointing accuracy. There IS such a thing as using too big a coil or too much sensitivity- you don't don't want to hunt hummingbirds with an elephant gun, right? In trashier settings, a smaller coil is often preferable, as it is more accurate. I've gotten old coins at up to about five inches using my tiny 4.5" 'sniper' coil in trashy places.
Generally speaking, an eight- to ten-inch coil is fine for coinshooting. For nugget shooting, you might want a smaller coil, and for relic hunting, mineral prospecting, or searching for big, deep caches, you'd want a big coil or a specialized machine.
Obviously the deeper you can detect, the more you can potentially find, but if you're after coin-size or smaller targets, there is really no need to get a specialized and expensive machine. For 200-300 bucks, something like the Garrett Ace 250, Bounty Hunter Quick Draw II, or the Fisher F2 or some other comparable machine and standard searchcoil from a recognized brand name should be fine.
-Mark
<< <i>I once located a toy gun at 14" with the Ace 250 in gravel type soil. (no caps in it though)
With all the good reviews I'm hearing about the Ace 250, maybe I should get rid of my E-trac. The Ace 250 would certainly pay for itself faster!