Good starter detectors

crhgymnast1

crhgymnast1

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Jun 14, 2013
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All Treasure Hunting
Hi I'm 14 and I'd like to start metal detecting. My budget is around 250 dollars. I would be hunting mainly in parks or fields. What brands are good bad and how Is the bounty hunter brand I've seen it in papers at sporting goodstores. Also is Kelly co a good websites to buy from they seem to include a lot of extras. Thanks!
 

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I myself wouldn't buy a Bounty Hunter. They are fine to start with, but if you want to continue in the hobby, you will quickly outgrow that detector. Kellyco is a decent website, but the seem hit or miss lately. I would go with Big Boys, Treasure Mtn, or one of the other supporting vendors.
 

Thanks. Is the Garett 150 good
 

very cool, c in a young person take intrest in the hobby its a lot of fun and 250 isnt a bad start there are many detectors in the range budget u have sounds like ur goin to mostly do coin shooting and jewlery if u dont have any equipment at all look into mayb a whole package the fisher f2 isn t a bad start to get in to the hobby ull receive all the tools u need and a pin pointer and then later if u decide to stick with it which most likley u will lol u can move up but just remember besides a detector ull need a decent digger and a pouch to carry the treasures u find and although u dont need a pin pointer to start they are awesome and cut down the looking for the item time alot. the fisher 1 isnt the greatest but will do the job also kellyco does have a cool deal goin on right now buy a detector and receive a minelabe pro find which is a very good pin pointer do some side by side tests to c which machine ull get the most for ur money all of them would b fine in a park tot lot area good luck and any other questions dont hesitate there are no dumb questions to be asked
 

crhgymnast1 said:
Thanks. Is the Garett 150 good
Click to expand...

It's ok, just realize that it doesn't have the pinpoint feature like the 250 which you will need, especially if you not using pointer right away. Tesoro Compadre is another machine I've heard good things about!

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Know what buddy, I think you should go with your first thoughts and get that Bounty Hunter.
Sounds like a good idea to me. How many Ace's are out there already? Too many!
Get something different than the masses.
Any Tesoro would be good also. Even a Fisher.
Relax people, I'm not a Garrett hater. I'm just getting kind of sick of hearing about them every waking minute!
There's plenty of good starter detectors out there.
Cheers,
Dave.
 

If you found someone to detect with, where they could show you how they use their detector and they type of things they find with it, it would help you a lot more than anything else. There are lots of misconceptions on how detectors work and wrong expectations (you will encounter lots of trash no matter what brand of detector you end up with). If there is a metal detector club anywhere near you , I would suggest that you try to attend a few meetings - you'll likely find a large cross section of detector models and people who have had successes with them to help you be more successful. Keep in mind that a lot of these detectorists may not reach out to you, however talk to the clubs president and ask for them to help you link up with someone who might help. Avoid people whose sole goal in helping you is to sell you something (altho a good local dealer can really help you pick out good equipment and provide training).

Stick with dry land hunting for a while - Wet Salt Water causes all manner of performance problems for most detectors, and while the coils are usually waterproof, the electronics usually is not (there are exceptions to these).

You will probably end up with a VLF detector. There are PI detectors, but not a lot of people would start with one (tend to be expensive, and are usually use to deal with more specialized needs).

NOTE: While Kellyco does offer a lot of extras, the value they assign many of them is questionable. I have bought detectors from them in the past, so I can't say they are bad to work with. Most of the accessories that came with the detectors were never used (except maybe the headphones). The BOGO deals they have are not a good reason to buy from Kellyco - if you have a local dealer, I would suggest you go to them (or consider some of the people who sell here - they contribute to the site and they really want you to succeed).
 

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Hope this helps!
 

Tesoro Compadre is good for a beginner :icon_thumright:
 

That Euro Teknetics Pro suggested by Marh415 is well worth a look. If its like my Delta 4000 it has a great pinpoint feature
 

F2, Bounty hunter 505, Ace 250/350, are all good starting points. The Teknetics line is worth a look too- they got a couple MD's in that price range.

I got the wife an F2 2 coil package deal that also came with a pinpointer. I ordered it from Kellyco but truthfully I'd look at big boy hobbies, they have the same package at the same price ($215) and it included a better digger the last time I looked.....and you'll get it faster than from Kellyco.
 

Thanks for all the responses and advice ill compare all the models and see which one Ill get probably the fisher or ace 250 also ill look into the clubs in my area thanks again.
 

Tesoro Compadre is GREAT!!! You can get a Compadre and a Garrett Propointer for your $250 and you have a great machine with a lifetime warranty. You WILL want the propointer. I have a few higher dollar machines, but the Compadre is still my favorite. Post your location and maybe a local Treasurenetter can help you get started. Good Luck steve
 

marh415 said all you need to know. Call Big Boys Hobbies and Bart will recommend the best for you. he will give you the good points and not so good about each detector in your price range
 

I would suggest the Fisher F2. The F2 is very easy to use and gets pretty good depth. I would look on Ebay, usually you can get a used detector for much less. Be sure you read the full description and check the sellers feedback. Also, look at the forum for detector brands there's a lot of tips. Good luck !!!
 

Just remember fill in your holes and leave the place your detecting better than you found it. If I may I would suggested detecting your own yard when you do get a detector, that way you can practice cutting plugs and filling in your holes before you go out to parks and what not
 

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