OT - metal detectors - anyone here ...

[rjohns94]

know about these? use them? got any recommendations? I have been talking about getting into this hobby for years. Now may be the time. Lots of parks around here, may even do some detecting in and around some streams here so water proof head should be in the running. thanks in advance.

[TedH]

I don't know enough about them to offer any recommendation, but I have used a couple different ones. I borrowed a friends a few years ago to look for civil war goodies. My uncle owns property that is adjacent to the railroad. During the Civil War the South sabotaged the tracks and caused a train full of supplies for the north to derail, dumping it's cargo all over. All that we found were a couple mini balls, but the area had been searched several times over the years with the last time being when I was about 10 years old and I didn't know enough to know I should have been interested in it at that time!

[jd45]

OK, I'm askin you to cut me some slack here, but I've got a story to tell. A few weeks ago we went to the Bristol, WI shooting range, where among others, I fired my EMF Hartford SAA Cavalry model, with some roundball loads. Well one jumped forward a little & tied up the cylinder, so I had to take it apart. In the process, I lost the cylinderpin bushing. I made a "sorta-kinda" metal detector by fixing a magnet to the end of a length of PVC & went up to said range to retrieve the bushing. Me & my friend were looking around for 20 minutes or so when I had to use the portapotty. While I was indisposed she found the bushing, believe it or not! with my homemade "metal detector". It worked in this situation, at least! Good luck! jd45

[vancelw]

I've got a Garrett that I've had for 12 years or so. Really neat and fun hobby.
I think the whole unit is waterproof as long as you don't get the electronic head wet. Came with 2 different size heads and is fully discriminating. Whites is another good brand

If you don't plan on discriminating for certain types of metal and just want to dig up everything that beeps, a cheap Realistic detector will work just fine.

But, it's a cool weather hobby. Gets hot out in the sun really fast. Use lots of sunscreen on your neck.
Most people think of coins, but I got more of a kick out of detecting around old homesteads. I like finding obsolete brass (like .40-82 and .250-3000 savage) and bottles buried under the sand (lid tips you off.) I'm still looking for that jar of 100 year-old coins hidden in a post-hole

[AJMD429]

Mine is a 'White' I think. No problems. Just use it for lost brass and sometimes things like when the string cap flies off the string trimmer, into the weeds, etc.

Be sure to get one with a VERY adjustable handle, as you will walk around holding and waving it around alot.

[2571]

Friend borrowed mine to find some tiny, bastard thread screw he had lost in his carpet. Found it right away.

Mines a cheapie bought at the old Monkey Wards. Bought it to find lost aluminum arrows in the city archery yard (weeds 2' high). Paid for itself one Fall before bow season.

[Mokwaw]

I second the DOC. Get a WHITE. I have had White and Garrett, the White was better. They make them in several grades. They are so sophisticated now days they practically tell what is buried before you dig it up. Google White's Electronics I think their factory is in Oregon. They used to send out free catalogs for the asking. I have found many old coins, lost jewelry, tools, an old round ball mold, various brass shell casings and lots of odds and ends including junk and the old detachable pull tabs by the hundreds. I have searched old school grounds, church grounds, old fairs grounds, new fair grounds, beaches, parks, old home sites, courthouse lawns etc. Be sure and check with authorities for proper permission as many places are off limits due to buried treasure being considered as public property, and therefore off limits for recovery. Talk to the old timers in an area, they can give you clues as to places to search, like old gathering places and such that are no longer used. It's fun and you never know when you may find an old hoard of coins or such that has been long forgotten.

[86er]

Metal detecting - treasure hunting is my Dad's primary hobby. He has several but favors the White's. His go-to source is Kellyco. Dad has always complimented their customer service. He recently started using it more and more in the surf so he purchased a Surfmaster PI dual field and added a new 10" surf and sand coil and pivot arm. He's been finding a ton of good stuff with that one in up to 3 feet of water and up to 25" under the turf or sand. You can fine tune it to detect the kind of metal you hope to find and eliminate "trash". There is also an indicator that tells you what kind of metal something is likely to be before you go digging for it.

[Mike D.]

Yep, Joe nailed it. White's DFX from Kellyco is the way to go. Best prices, bar none. I have White's DFX and TM 808.

[DPris]

I bought a Garrett 1250 about four years ago, paid a few hundred for it.
The thing took a half hour to find coins I'd just dropped in the grass when I knew exactly where they were. Never did find the last one.
Couldn't locate a .25 ACP round I'd lost in the grass.
Constantly beeped & indicated false locations.
Indicated finds when held straight up in the air.
Company sent a replacement coil, not much better.
Said our Western ground here in Utah is "too mineralized". Huh?

I gave it away along with any interest in metal detecting.

Denis

[madman4570]

This might not mean much------------
But couple years ago(in late winter) with about 18" of snow on the ground up at the country home was tossing out some ear corn from a couple burlap bags to the deer(they "were really" having a hard time)it was dark and about 0 degrees out.
All of a sudden while tossing the ears all over the place while throwing I felt this funny feeling on my right hand ring finger.
Looked down with the flashlight and I just heaved my huge custon bear claw ring that Harley Bonoha (a Yavapai Indian)made for me in Arizona.I mean this ring was unreal. I thought OH S### "well I will never find it" and when spring comes and that gorge is raging with about 6ft of rushing water(its a gonner)

My brother-in Law brought up his Detector that night and showed me how to use it in the house.
Next day I went out and simulated throwing somthing in that direction/that was kinda that size/weight.
After 15 mins (I found it) stuck down in about 12" of snow about 100ft away from where I stood.

It was a White, and the brother-in law(whose big into it) said they are the best going and he has had them all ?