What company has the best metal Detecting engineering

Jollyrodger1

Jr. Member
Apr 11, 2020
81
83
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Look it’s obvious the 3 main players are, xp deus , minelab and notka. The machine is as only good as the user. Can they create a better machine, garrets seems happy with mid level machines and security wands. 1500.00 is a heck of a lot to spend on a machine that tells you it’s metal in the ground. Just enginee it to determine ferr or nonferrous, I don’t mind digging. what are the engineers aloud to create without violating some stupid fcc rule. Show me some examples of advancem within reason that can justify spending that much on a detector.
 

So much of the technology today is software driven, and as for overall engineering staff, I'd probably go with Minelab.

I don’t mind digging. what are the engineers aloud to create without violating some stupid fcc rule.

FCC rules (standards) are there for a reason. Start pumping out a ridiculous amount of power from that coil and you begin to interfere with useful things..like pacemakers, and cell phones. Also, more power does not always equal better performance.

As for $1500 for a top notch machine, if I were younger I wouldn't hesitate to pay that kind of coin for a machine I'd spend a lot of time using. That, and if you've got the time to put in the effort, that better quality machine will pay for itself in a relatively short period of time.

My
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The machine is as only good as the user, if you don’t learn to get the full potential then what’s the point. Well it’s like telling person with a bad heart don’t smoke, and someone with a bad liver don’t drink. Machines can be mad to perform to a point that won’t interfere, heck the power lines inter with machines now high emi etc, they can do whatever is necessary. If your a hobbyist and retired dedicated to search more seriously then get the higher price machine, get people pay a lot for guns, drones, fishing stuff, so buy it to use it, not to say I have this, I’d say so what , where’s the banner finds.
 

Unfortunately, the metal detecting companies prey upon people who think they can buy their way into being a successful detectorist. Just like the companies that sell expensive softball bats or golf clubs. They're duping people into believing there's a short cut to success. Just not true. Anyone with a $200 metal detector can find the good stuff if they do research, hone their skills and pay their dues.
 

Deceiving and overpricing it’s a practice of a lot of companies, I noticed these machines rarely if ever go on sale unless your military person, xp doesn’t offer that if I’m right.
 

This topic has been hashed so many times over the years.

Yet it never gets old regardless of what product being a kitchen appliance, shop tool, automobile, boat, fishing tackle.
Yes a row boat that floats will enable a person to catch a fish close to shore-same as the$100,000 bass boat.
Yes the $500 clunker will get from point A-B (if the distance is under a few hundred miles) the same as the $60,000 one.
Yes a $200 metal detector will find things in the ground just as the $1500 dollar ones.
But there is a difference if each example for comfort, reliability, warranty.

So the site in the picture is a homesite, the brown soil area is the iron patch in the iron patch so to speak.
6' swing or less, overlapping coil for coverage the bottom of the picture is grey soil compared to the brown area.
Each swing I could count 6-10 targets, in the brown 20+ targets and more.
I had the reactivity turned up to 3 and I had to slow the swing down to 12 seconds to do a full left to right swing.

The Deus ll has probably one of the fastest processors ever in a detector (I've only owned high end machines from the early 70's)
Still it was separating but truthfully the ears/mind processor gets overloaded hearing every beep.

Yes the $200 machine will go beep/beep/beep just as fast as the $1500 machine.
But I will put this out there that that $200 machine will be not separating the targets as efficiently.
I see what folks post up finds from fields-70-90% iron and I get that totally.
The low end machine can't separate period.
I'll even put the Minelab ETac into this grouping. One would have snail crawl through the iron to separate.
Yesterday I dug iron as well, nails, a huge iron pintle pin, aluminum, rusty sheet.

That is expected as it was the first try at a new program using 42 discrimination instead of 5.8. Crazy setting and it was like the discrimination was at 0, hearing everything.

But looking at the pictures from the previous few hunts at this site.
The non ferrous count was a 24, 12, 4, 10, 12, 16 (There is a couple I missed)
The last 4 hunts were with the Deus ll with the 9" coil, the first 3 hunts were with the Deus l with the 9x5 elliptical.

Yesterday's 37 count=4hrs
30 low end type recoveries
10 ok recoveries
Out of the 10 the watch winder got the honours, then the match safe, then the gold wash piece.
Out of every one of the recoveries there was a nail(s) also with the target.

Pinpointing the target out of the hole was a challenge at this site because the target sits then on more iron because of the concentration of targets.
Depth of the targets are all under 6" because of the layers of iron.

Reason for the 37 count-compaction of soil, new program, 4 hrs of detecting instead of 2-3 hrs.
20240403_081001.jpg
20240403_081042.jpg



20240402_163546.jpg
 

Gee I should just as well post a link to the Today's Finds section also. :laughing7:

Sorry for the long winded post up regarding the machines.
 

This topic has been hashed so many times over the years.

Yet it never gets old regardless of what product being a kitchen appliance, shop tool, automobile, boat, fishing tackle.
Yes a row boat that floats will enable a person to catch a fish close to shore-same as the$100,000 bass boat.
Yes the $500 clunker will get from point A-B (if the distance is under a few hundred miles) the same as the $60,000 one.
Yes a $200 metal detector will find things in the ground just as the $1500 dollar ones.
But there is a difference if each example for comfort, reliability, warranty.

So the site in the picture is a homesite, the brown soil area is the iron patch in the iron patch so to speak.
6' swing or less, overlapping coil for coverage the bottom of the picture is grey soil compared to the brown area.
Each swing I could count 6-10 targets, in the brown 20+ targets and more.
I had the reactivity turned up to 3 and I had to slow the swing down to 12 seconds to do a full left to right swing.

The Deus ll has probably one of the fastest processors ever in a detector (I've only owned high end machines from the early 70's)
Still it was separating but truthfully the ears/mind processor gets overloaded hearing every beep.

Yes the $200 machine will go beep/beep/beep just as fast as the $1500 machine.
But I will put this out there that that $200 machine will be not separating the targets as efficiently.
I see what folks post up finds from fields-70-90% iron and I get that totally.
The low end machine can't separate period.
I'll even put the Minelab ETac into this grouping. One would have snail crawl through the iron to separate.
Yesterday I dug iron as well, nails, a huge iron pintle pin, aluminum, rusty sheet.

That is expected as it was the first try at a new program using 42 discrimination instead of 5.8. Crazy setting and it was like the discrimination was at 0, hearing everything.

But looking at the pictures from the previous few hunts at this site.
The non ferrous count was a 24, 12, 4, 10, 12, 16 (There is a couple I missed)
The last 4 hunts were with the Deus ll with the 9" coil, the first 3 hunts were with the Deus l with the 9x5 elliptical.

Yesterday's 37 count=4hrs
30 low end type recoveries
10 ok recoveries
Out of the 10 the watch winder got the honours, then the match safe, then the gold wash piece.
Out of every one of the recoveries there was a nail(s) also with the target.

Pinpointing the target out of the hole was a challenge at this site because the target sits then on more iron because of the concentration of targets.
Depth of the targets are all under 6" because of the layers of iron.

Reason for the 37 count-compaction of soil, new program, 4 hrs of detecting instead of 2-3 hrs.
View attachment 2141141View attachment 2141142


View attachment 2141139
This is an excellent post pepperj !

I was a shipwreck diver for over 25 years - we always got asked the same question ...
"How long can you stay down with one of those things"' ?

With metal detecting we always get asked the same question - "How deep will that thing go" ?
I always try to explain that most of the areas we hunt are loaded with lots of old junk metal and that having a metal detector that has a processor with a fast recovery speed allows you isolate a good targets easier in these areas and that this is feature is usually much more important than how deep the machine will go.

As far as the E-Trac goes, I hunted in heavy iron and junkie areas with my E-Trac with a 6" coil for over five years.
Countless good finds but like you said - it has a very slow recovery speed so you spend a lot of time swinging while standing still or taking one slow step foward at a time.

In junkie area's the Deus with a 9" or 11" coil will greatly out perform a E-Trac with a 5" or 6" coil.
Yes, the Deus is a "hunt by ear" machine but as far as accurate target ID goes, it's terrible compared to the E-Trac.

As far as how much to spend on a metal detector -
Any good quality detector will last you around 10 years - if it's taken care of.
So in the long run if you buy a $500 or a $1500 machine it's still one of the cheapest hobbies out there.
Not to mention the fact that if you add up the value of 10 years finds, either one will pay for itself.
A $1500 investment in the hobby is only $150 a year - very few hobbies are that affordable.
Compared to a $20k to $50k for a Sports Car, Harley, Boat, etc. - metal detecting is a pretty good deal.

I believe that If your seriously into this hobby and can afford it - you will hands down make a lot more good finds in the long term with a high end machine,. Plus the fact that you will only have to go thru one learning curve vs two or three if you decide to keep upgrading machines over time.

And as already mentioned by others - the best detector is the one you know the best.
Just my opinion but you need at least 500 to 1000 hours in the field to learn your machine.
At 2000 hours or more - OK, now your really dialed in !

Good Hunting !
 

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I can agree with pepperj, but let's not forget this being a hobby, meaning the fun? of it, the enjoyment of just getting out there swinging a coil. Sure, I agree, the better the machine, and the more working with it, hopefully the better results. I NEVER recommend any "Top-of-the line" machine to anyone just getting started. Avoid the frustration of all the bells & whistles, crawl before walking kind of thing, of course ounce you become "Hooked", you will look at upgrading. So again, I agree with pepperj, but I will agree with FreeBirdTim as well. Go out into a soccer field, you just might come out with the top find with the $200 detector over the $1500 detector. I have always said that detecting is 1/3rd skill, 1/3rd machine and 1/3rd luck. Throw in the "Location, location, location", you have Metal Detecting. After enough time, you can REALLY focus on hard to detect areas such as peppers heavy iron area. Not worth obsessing over who is the most tech. advanced, again, crawl before walking, after walking, when you can run, buy what you can afford or are willing to spend, and have what many of us have had as a life long passion. Long winded post you say pepper? Well...I've been know to put out a pretty strong breeze myself.
 

This topic has been hashed so many times over the years.

Yet it never gets old regardless of what product being a kitchen appliance, shop tool, automobile, boat, fishing tackle.
Yes a row boat that floats will enable a person to catch a fish close to shore-same as the$100,000 bass boat.
Yes the $500 clunker will get from point A-B (if the distance is under a few hundred miles) the same as the $60,000 one.
Yes a $200 metal detector will find things in the ground just as the $1500 dollar ones.
But there is a difference if each example for comfort, reliability, warranty.

So the site in the picture is a homesite, the brown soil area is the iron patch in the iron patch so to speak.
6' swing or less, overlapping coil for coverage the bottom of the picture is grey soil compared to the brown area.
Each swing I could count 6-10 targets, in the brown 20+ targets and more.
I had the reactivity turned up to 3 and I had to slow the swing down to 12 seconds to do a full left to right swing.

The Deus ll has probably one of the fastest processors ever in a detector (I've only owned high end machines from the early 70's)
Still it was separating but truthfully the ears/mind processor gets overloaded hearing every beep.

Yes the $200 machine will go beep/beep/beep just as fast as the $1500 machine.
But I will put this out there that that $200 machine will be not separating the targets as efficiently.
I see what folks post up finds from fields-70-90% iron and I get that totally.
The low end machine can't separate period.
I'll even put the Minelab ETac into this grouping. One would have snail crawl through the iron to separate.
Yesterday I dug iron as well, nails, a huge iron pintle pin, aluminum, rusty sheet.

That is expected as it was the first try at a new program using 42 discrimination instead of 5.8. Crazy setting and it was like the discrimination was at 0, hearing everything.

But looking at the pictures from the previous few hunts at this site.
The non ferrous count was a 24, 12, 4, 10, 12, 16 (There is a couple I missed)
The last 4 hunts were with the Deus ll with the 9" coil, the first 3 hunts were with the Deus l with the 9x5 elliptical.

Yesterday's 37 count=4hrs
30 low end type recoveries
10 ok recoveries
Out of the 10 the watch winder got the honours, then the match safe, then the gold wash piece.
Out of every one of the recoveries there was a nail(s) also with the target.

Pinpointing the target out of the hole was a challenge at this site because the target sits then on more iron because of the concentration of targets.
Depth of the targets are all under 6" because of the layers of iron.

Reason for the 37 count-compaction of soil, new program, 4 hrs of detecting instead of 2-3 hrs.
View attachment 2141141View attachment 2141142


View attachment 2141139
Getting a good signal in the iron patch is the first part of the battle. The second part is pinpointing it amongst all the iron. The Accupoint has solved that problem quite well. It isn't a good all-around pinpointer for lack of sensitivity, and that is even worse in discrimination mode. But once you shove it in the dirt where the good target is, it will make for a quick recovery.

Nice hunt you had, btw, congrats!
 

You can drive 2000 miles in a pos car or in a comfortable car, they both get you there, but I prefer the comfortable ride, for me the same with detectors. I have owned and used many brands and models, but I found I like Minelabs over the others.
 

Are there specific companies you can invest that do treasure hunting ?
 

I NEVER recommend any "Top-of-the line" machine to anyone just getting started.
IME, it all depends on the individual. I guess I'm one of the exceptions that make the rule. "Get the best that you can afford," has served me quite well. If one can afford "Top-of-the line", then I say go for it.


 

Are there specific companies you can invest that do treasure hunting ?
Yes (IDK if we're allowed to specify), but I wouldn't invest anything you can't afford to lose.

Google: publicly owned treasure hunting companies
 

Appreciate everyone giving there thoughts, it’s what makes this great, pass on information, knowledge is priceless, not asking folks to give out secret hunting spots, you can tell someone where to go but they have to find it.
 

It does not matter if one got shot in the head with 9mm or 40 caliber. He is dead either way. I believe the real performance of VLFs stopped long time ago. If I compare equinox, Xterra, Pirate black devil pro and even Chinese TX850, Well Shure the modern ones are lighter, water proof, faster and offer the whole lot of bells and whistles, but the down bottom performance is there wit either of them.
 

This is an excellent post pepperj !

I was a shipwreck diver for over 25 years - we always got asked the same question ...
"How long can you stay down with one of those things"' ?

With metal detecting we always get asked the same question - "How deep will that thing go" ?
I always try to explain that most of the areas we hunt are loaded with lots of old junk metal and that having a metal detector that has a processor with a fast recovery speed allows you isolate a good targets easier in these areas and that this is feature is usually much more important than how deep the machine will go.

As far as the E-Trac goes, I hunted in heavy iron and junkie areas with my E-Trac with a 6" coil for over five years.
Countless good finds but like you said - it has a very slow recovery speed so you spend a lot of time swinging while standing still or taking one slow step foward at a time.

In junkie area's the Deus with a 9" or 11" coil will greatly out perform a E-Trac with a 5" or 6" coil.
Yes, the Deus is a "hunt by ear" machine but as far as accurate target ID goes, it's terrible compared to the E-Trac.

As far as how much to spend on a metal detector -
Any good quality detector will last you around 10 years - if it's taken care of.
So in the long run if you buy a $500 or a $1500 machine it's still one of the cheapest hobbies out there.
Not to mention the fact that if you add up the value of 10 years finds, either one will pay for itself.
A $1500 investment in the hobby is only $150 a year - very few hobbies are that affordable.
Compared to a $20k to $50k for a Sports Car, Harley, Boat, etc. - metal detecting is a pretty good deal.

I believe that If your seriously into this hobby and can afford it - you will hands down make a lot more good finds in the long term with a high end machine,. Plus the fact that you will only have to go thru one learning curve vs two or three if you decide to keep upgrading machines over time.

And as already mentioned by others - the best detector is the one you know the best.
Just my opinion but you need at least 500 to 1000 hours in the field to learn your machine.
At 2000 hours or more - OK, now your really dialed in !

Good Hunting !
The part about the ID I will say the Deus ll is crazy spot on over the Deus l.
I can get a # on the D2 and that ID will be the same out of the hole.
So the value doesn't change, the sound will be crisper.
I will go back to the site pre planting and give it another go.
By then I might know tge program better also.
I'll record a short session on what sounds I'm hearing and what a good target sounds like coming through.
I did notice when a good target sounded it separated/isolated itself from the usual sounds.
 

I rest my case. The metal detecting companies have convinced some people here that the more you spend, the more you will find. WRONG!

As far as detecting in heavy iron, how many times do you really encounter that problem? I mainly detect 1700's cellar holes and stone walls near them and rarely run into any heavy iron patches. If I do find a spot with a lot of nails, I just go low and slow and pick out the non-ferrous targets. Maybe the problem is the guys who spend 2k don't have the skill or ability to do that with lower priced detectors.
 

If you KNOW good stuff is there, dig the nails too. NO machine will find a silver dime directly under a tin can top.

I can't come close to finding silver dimes more than a foot deep with any new machine, yet back in the 80's using a 12" coil I could with a machine that weighed 8.5 lbs and took six 9 volt batteries to run.
 

I rest my case. The metal detecting companies have convinced some people here that the more you spend, the more you will find. WRONG!

As far as detecting in heavy iron, how many times do you really encounter that problem? I mainly detect 1700's cellar holes and stone walls near them and rarely run into any heavy iron patches. If I do find a spot with a lot of nails, I just go low and slow and pick out the non-ferrous targets. Maybe the problem is the guys who spend 2k don't have the skill or ability to do that with lower priced detectors.
Tim you'll go to the grave driving the old car, swinging the mid range detector.
That is OK, no problem.
You might have other things that the $$$ goes to, its all good.
I seem to remember that you detected cellar holes.
Not uncommon to have iron and have little amounts of iron.
Depending on the era of your sites.
Pre 1800 little iron, add a hundred and it's lots of iron.
Out of the iron patch most detectors will perform quite nicely.
Apples and oranges actually.
I also recall you said you've found about 50 large coppers.
Notable amount.

But I was talking about heavy iron. Just to put it into perspective most of my sites that the home sat, have iron, and lots of it.
Wide open ranges, fill your boots as they say.
 

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