Not detectorless anymore!

lordmarcovan · June 8, 2015 6:20PM

My Garrett 2500 died on me in England in November of 2013 and I never got around to sending it off for repair. I have a Minelab laying around that also needs some fixing.

But in the meantime, since I've been without a machine for so long and missed out on a couple of good opportunities (like an Old Town sidewalk demo) because of that, I've thought about getting another machine.

One of my old detecting buddies called me up the other day to see if I wanted a Garrett 350 for 125 bucks, so I said yes. Bought it today. It's in really nice shape. I briefly owned one of these back in the mid-1990s. It will make a nice temporary machine for me until I get the others fixed, and after that I can use it as a loaner for beginners who want to go out with me. It's a nice simple machine but still has a target ID meter and so forth.

Sheesh- I would have to go and get another detector just as the season here is beginning to get uncomfortably hot. Oh, well. I heard there's been some clearing on a super-duper relic site recently. That site produced three nice colonial coins for me the last time it was cleared, maybe 16 or 17 years ago. Now I understand a new part of it has been cleared, so I'll probably check it out soon.

Jinx86 · June 8, 2015 11:16PM

The 350's are a nice fun basic machine, you got a good price too. Minelab now has made some smaller basic models the the price range of the Ace machines. They look really cheap and futuristic, Ive yet to test one.

WhiteTornado · June 8, 2015 11:55PM

Glad you're back in the game!

Bayard1908 · June 9, 2015 2:12AM

Can't go wrong at that price. I'm sure you can sell the machine for a profit once you're finished with it.

kiyote · June 9, 2015 3:21AM

That's a good machine! It's a great detector to leave in your car for when opportunities like that come up. There's a point where taking opportunities like a demo'd sidewalk matter more than price of the machine.

lordmarcovan · June 9, 2015 6:48AM

<< <i>Can't go wrong at that price. I'm sure you can sell the machine for a profit once you're finished with it. >>

That was the thought, or I could keep it as a backup or trainer machine for the next novice who wants to accompany me. It's wonderfully simple to use.

Another nice thing is that I can swap some of the coils and battery clips and such with my other Garrett if needed. Maybe even my Sun Ray inline probe.

pcgs69 · June 9, 2015 9:14AM

Great news! Can't wait to see what you can unearth

ROCKETMAN · June 9, 2015 10:06AM

Good for you! That's good new for us too! Let the stories begin!!! Rich

pocketpiececommems · June 10, 2015 8:42AM

I guess you have your headlamp on and hitting the "cool" spots

ricko · June 10, 2015 11:50PM

Great to see you back in the game LordM....hope you find a gold coin. Cheers, RickO

Musky1011 · June 11, 2015 6:39AM

I still use my garrett 500 GTA .. Nice machine.. Do not find many nickels though.. Kind of strange.

lordmarcovan · June 11, 2015 4:08PM

<< <i>I still use my garrett 500 GTA .. Nice machine.. Do not find many nickels though.. Kind of strange. >>

I used a GTA-500 for more than a decade, and yes, it was a very nice machine for the money and its time.

You're right. I didn't find too many nickels at first, but eventually broke that jinx and found some V-nix and Buffalos with it. I can't remember how I changed the settings or if I even did.

guitarwes · June 12, 2015 3:41AM

Temps in the mid to upper 90's with indices in the 100's next week down here LordM, perfect timing.

PRECIOUSMENTAL · June 12, 2015 7:39AM

Glad you are able to detect again.
My first 'decent' one was the 350, still have it, learned a lot of technique from it.
I graduated to an GTI 2500, works well, still fond of the 350 though.
What do you think failed on your 2500?
Symptoms, etc.

lordmarcovan · June 12, 2015 2:46PM

<< <i>What do you think failed on your 2500?
Symptoms, etc. >>

It was in England, as I mentioned. The weather we hunted in wasn't stereotypically bad, but the last day I used the machine it did rain steadily and I was out in the rain and mud all day. I had a rain cover for the control box on the machine, but I think the problem was when we got back to the barn and I was spraying the mud off of it with the hose. Knowing the coil was waterproof and the main housing was covered with the rain cover, I sprayed it liberally and I guess I wasn't careful enough. Some water must have gotten inside the housing, because the next morning we got in the field and the machine wouldn't turn on.

I tried drying it out, to no avail.

Not detectorless anymore!

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