Educate Me Part 1

armchairQB30

armchairQB30

Sr. Member
Jun 21, 2007
283
8
Hello from Ocala, Florida!! My daughter asked me for a metal detector last Christmas and you can guess what has happened with that little radio shack cheapie and some of the things we have found with it. Anywho...fast forward and here I am on this fantastic web site reading about all of your treasures you have discovered. On to my question...I want to make this a father and daughter adventure and we will only be detecting on beaches and potential land sites. Nothing in the water, what is a cost effective detector for both of us? Is there a jr version of a current model you would recommend?  She is 11 years old, I want to get one and so does she. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 

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You will get 150 replies that you should buy an ACE 250... Personally I think if you want to do some beach hunting you should go with a Minelab X-Terra 50 or 70. I've not ehard alot of positive about the 250 at the beach, but I know that the X-Terra works well there. Plus its a very nice detector that will last you for a while.
 

Thanks...do these detectors tell you the difference in what you have found? Gold, Steel, Zinc, Tin or any other alloy/metal? What is the cost of these detectors?
 

Here is some info from Tony's site:

Minelab X-Terra 30
Retail $499.95 Reg Price $398.95
Plus Free Shipping, Saber Tooth Digger, Treasure / Trash Pouch

Minelab X-Terra 50
Retail $699.95 Our Price $598.95
Plus Free Shipping, Saber Tooth Digger, Treasure / Trash Pouch

The X-TERRA 70 is the flagship of the Minelab X-Terra Series and offers the flexibility of three frequency coil options to convert the machine to hunt Relics, Coins and Gold. Key to its outstanding performance is Minelab's proprietary VFLEX technology, which utilizes digital signal processing with highly calibrated analog circuits, creating a new class of single frequency detectors. This approach yields superior sensitivity, stability and improved immunity to electromagnetic interference. For the X-Terra 70 user, this means you'll have the best machine available for your target choices, taking your passion for discovery to the next level.

With the X-Terra 70 you will have the option of a Low 3khz, Standard 7.5khz or high 18.79khz coils. Maximized depth and gold nugget hunting capabilities.

As far as telling you what kind of metal it is. That's pretty much up to your ears and how much time you put in learning what is what.


Hope this helps.

Daryl
 

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Wow, thanks for the information, so this should set me back about $1,000? I think it is well worth it.
 

Price of metal detectors - $1000, Quality time with your daughter - Priceless.

Enjoy!

Daryl
 

Fisher is closing down the Coin$trike line. If you're looking for a heck of a detector for $550 it may be worth cheking out. Will give you a TID readout to tip you off to the kind of metal. Lifetime warranty, too.
 

Well I'll post this although I see someone else has already been dissun the 250 at the beach again. It's true that some people who don't know how to opperate the 250 will be stumped at the beach. Others who want to dig 2ft deep holes will also be disappointed. but there are plenty of people who are using the 250 at the beaches and doing just great. It isn't a water proof machine so taking it in or too near the water isn't recommended, but then alot of the detectors used at beaches for dry sand are just as vulnerable. Now as far as dry land or sand if you just look around Treasure Net you'll see there's at least a thousand posts about how great a detector the Garrett Ace 250 is It has the features of a pro model in an entry level machine with really great depth all for only $212.00 each. Just check around on any of the other threads and you'll see what I mean. Now just to calm all you other people down I said this is a fine detector for dry sand applications and no where did I disparage the other detectors that are made specifically for beaches. Of course there are much better detectors for beaches but then there's much better detectors for land and for Gold and for underwater etc...But when it comes to beginners and value nothing can compare to the Ace 250
 

Except maybe the White's Prizm II. That's a really nice $200 machine too. ;D
 

MD Dog said:
Well I'll post this although I see someone else has already been dissun the 250 at the beach again. It's true that some people who don't know how to opperate the 250 will be stumped at the beach. Others who want to dig 2ft deep holes will also be disappointed. but there are plenty of people who are using the 250 at the beaches and doing just great. It isn't a water proof machine so taking it in or too near the water isn't recommended, but then alot of the detectors used at beaches for dry sand are just as vulnerable. Now as far as dry land or sand if you just look around Treasure Net you'll see there's at least a thousand posts about how great a detector the Garrett Ace 250 is It has the features of a pro model in an entry level machine with really great depth all for only $212.00 each. Just check around on any of the other threads and you'll see what I mean. Now just to calm all you other people down I said this is a fine detector for dry sand applications and no where did I disparage the other detectors that are made specifically for beaches. Of course there are much better detectors for beaches but then there's much better detectors for land and for Gold and for underwater etc...But when it comes to beginners and value nothing can compare to the Ace 250
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Get your facts straight. I wasn't "dissin" the 250. I recommended a machine that would OUTPERFORM the 250 in beach situations, specifically wet sand where alot of the good stuff is located.
 

Don't forget about the black sand at many beaches. That's tough.

Some beaches are replenished every so often as the storms and currents take away a lot of the sand. If the beaches you plan to hunt are one of those type beaches, even the sand away from the water and the dry sand close to the "top" of the beach will be heavily mineralized until rain water washes it away. I am not sure why this is but I just went to a beach that was replenished last year and it drove my DFX crazy. It took me 2 hours by train and bus to get there and my PI beach machine was back in Amsterdam. Wasted the day.

So the more you can find out about the beaches the better. They are different and they will "treat" your detector differently.

Daryl
 

poster is from Ocala Fla. Professor, they do replenish the east cost beaches there but from sand right off their own coast. If you guys wanna give good advice about beaches why not mention the machines they use to clean the beaches every night and MDing their dump site are really productive locations. I've used my 250 at Fl. and N. Carolina Beaches without any problem. True I stay away from the water, and it's true that the 250 can have problems with heavily salted water, but why try to take a machine thats not waterproof near the water in the first place. A DFX would become an $1100.00 wall hanging if you get knocked over in the surf just as well as my 250. Yes the water line can be productive but no more so than the dry sand and the beaches of Fla. have plenty of dry sand. There are detectors out there that are made especially for beach areas that are more expensive and not as good on dry land as the 250. Since this is a Father Daughter team who originally posted who are also brand new to this sport would you Honestly recommend they spend thousands of dollars on cross over machines Like the Minelab SE before they even know if their going to really stick with it. I'm sure you guys are aware of how many get involved only to get discouraged at finding trash and end up quitting before ever finding the good stuff.
 

I really don't know what their intent is and why are we talking about using the 250. The detectors that we gave them information on and a link to information were not the Ace 250s. They were the Minilab X-Terra 30 and 50. These machines seemed to be acceptable to them. These machines have a beach function built in and will probably do pretty good.

I detect the beaches in the southern US and not all have beach cleaning equipment. Some of those that do have had their cleaner mechanisms modified by the guys at the shop and they screen the sand before putting it back. There is nothing left to find either on the beach (shallow) or where they clean out the trash. They pocket it.

Yes I would recommend that they spend the money on these machines. They have less chance of causing frustration which may make them give up way before digging 100 pop tops will. These machines will be ones they can grow into and should perform in the areas they have indicated they want to hunt.

And I don't take my DFX to the water. I take my Infinium. I can throw it in the water and it won't care. I don't think they will be taking their Minilabs into the water either.

IMHO - This will be money well spent for both of them.

Daryl
 

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